Bible Character Explorer
Patriarchal Period • c. 2066 to 1886 BC (traditional dating)
Isaac
The Promised SonThe long-awaited son of promise offered on Moriah and the quiet link between Abraham and Jacob
"And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac."
Genesis 21:3 (KJV)
Overview
Isaac is the miracle son born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, the child of promise around whom the entire Abrahamic covenant turned. His life is quieter and less dramatic than his father's or his son Jacob's, but it is no less significant: he was the substance of God's oath to Abraham, the one nearly offered on Mount Moriah, and the patriarch through whom the covenant line continued unbroken.
Gospel Connection
Isaac carrying the wood up Moriah, asking about the lamb, and willingly submitting to his father is among the clearest Old Testament foreshadowings of Jesus carrying his own cross up another hill outside Jerusalem, submitting fully to the Father's will. The difference is the one that matters most: a ram was substituted for Isaac, but no substitute was found for Jesus — he himself became the Lamb that God provided for the whole world.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.