Hebrews 11:17–22

Verse 17. By faith Abraham.… offered up Isaac; that is was ready and willing to do it, when Isaac was his only son, by whom God had promised to give him a numberless progeny, but by faith he considered that God, who had miraculously given him a son, could if he pleased raise him to life again. Witham.

The phrase “only born” is from the Greek word “μονογενη”, which is sometimes translated “only begotten” or “one and only”.

Verse 19. Whence also he received him for a parable. [7] Some understand by this, that both Abraham and his son became hereby an example of a perfect obedience to God, which all nations should admire. Saint John Chrysostom says, that Abraham received again his son safe in a figure, by being ordered to sacrifice for him a ram, which was a figure of Isaac. Others, that Abraham received again his son Isaac, who was a figure of Christ sacrificed on the cross, and risen again. Christ carried the cross on which he was to suffer, as Isaac carried the wood up to the mountain where he was to have been offered. Witham.—Parable; that is, as a figure of Christ slain and coming to life again. Challoner.

Verse 21. Jacob … worshipping the top [8] of Joseph’s rod, or staff of command, or of his sceptre. See Genesis 47. Jacob, by bowing to Joseph and his sceptre, acknowledged and reverenced the power of Joseph, whom Pharao called the saviour of the world: and it is probable that Jacob, by the spirit of prophecy, knew Joseph to be a figure of Christ, and his power to be a figure of the spiritual power of the Messias. Witham.—The apostle here follows the ancient Greek Bible of the seventy interpreters, (which translates in this manner, Genesis 47:31) and alleges this fact of Jacob, in paying a relative honour and veneration to the top of the rod or sceptre of Joseph, as to a figure of Christ’s sceptre and kingdom, as an instance and argument of his faith. But some translators, who are no friends to this relative honour, have corrupted the text, by translating it, he worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff; as if this circumstance of leaning upon his staff were any argument of Jacob’s faith, or worthy the being thus particularly taken notice of by the Holy Ghost: ( Challoner.) Besides, if Jacob’s staff, and not Joseph’s rod or sceptre, had been spoken of, the Greek would have been αυτου, suæ, not αυτου, ejus: but this relative honour or worship is not pleasing to them.

Verse 22. Concerning his bones. That is, that when the Israelites should leave Egypt, they should take with them his bones, to be buried in Chanaan with his ancestors. This shews he had faith on God’s promises, that he would give the Israelites the land of Chanaan. Witham.