Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hebrews 11:18
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
18. of whom ] Lit. “with reference to whom” (Isaac); or perhaps “to whom,” i.e. to Abraham.
in Isaac shall thy seed be called ] Gen 17:8; Gen 17:19; Gen 21:12, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called; – Gen 21:12. A numerous posterity had been promised to him. It was there said expressly that this promise was not to be fulfilled through the son of Abraham, by the bondwoman Hagar, but through Isaac. Of course, it was implied that Isaac was to reach manhood, and yet notwithstanding this, and notwithstanding Abraham fully believed it, be prepared deliberately, in obedience to the divine command, to put him to death. The phrase thy seed be called means, that his posterity was to be named after Isaac, or was to descend only from him. The word called in the Scriptures is often equivalent to the verb to be; see Isa 56:7. To name or call a thing was the same as to say that it was, or that it existed. It does not mean here that his spiritual children were to be called or selected from among the posterity of Isaac, but that the posterity promised to Abraham would descend neither from Ishmael nor the sons of Keturah, but in the line of Isaac. This is a strong circumstance insisted on by the apostle to show the strength of Abrahams faith. It was shown not only by his willing hess to offer up the child of his old age – his only son by his beloved wife, but by his readiness, at the command of God, to sacrifice even him on whom the fulfillment of the promises depended.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This did greaten Abrahams trial, that unto him it was promised by God himself: That in this only begotten son Isaac, the eminently blessed and blessing Seed, with all his mystical body, should be called; that is, put in being, propagated and made known as by name in Isaac, Gal 4:28. This God revealed to Abraham, Gen 17:19,21, and hereby was his faith put to it to reconcile contradictions, as to believe this special promise, and yet execute this special command to sacrifice Isaac, yet to believe in him his seed should be called.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Of whomrather as Greek“He (Abraham, not Isaac) TO whom it was said”[ALFORD]. BENGELsupports English Version. So Heb1:7 uses the same Greek preposition, “unto,” for”in respect to,” or “of.” This verse gives adefinition of the “only-begotten Son” (Heb11:17).
in Isaac shall thy seed becalled (Ge 21:12). Theposterity of Isaac alone shall be accounted as the seed of Abraham,which is the heir of the promises (Ro9:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Of whom it is said,…. That is, of Isaac, Abraham’s own son, whom he offered up; or rather, “to whom it was said”, as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions render it; that is, to Abraham, for to him was this said, Ge 21:12
that in Isaac shall thy seed be called; that numerous natural seed of his, which should inherit the land of Canaan; and his special famous seed, the Messiah, to whom the promises were made;
[See comments on Ro 9:7].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To whom it was said ( ). First aorist passive indicative of (Ge 21:12). God’s very words were in the heart of Abraham now about Isaac “his only son” ( . Cf. Lu 7:12).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Of whom it was said,” (pros on elalethe) “As to whom (with reference to whom) it was spoken,” or to whom it was said,
2) “That in Isaac,” (hoti en Isaak) “that in the family of Isaac,” it had been purposed that the true seed of Abraham should be preserved, Gal 3:16; Gal 3:29.
3) “Shall thy seed be called,” (klethesetai soi sperma) “Thy seed shall be called,” thy seed-lineage of promise shall be called, .
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(18) Of whom.That is, Isaac. But the Greek words should perhaps be rendered to whom (Abraham): Even he to whom it was said. On this quotation from Gen. 21:12 see the Note on Rom. 9:7.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. In Isaac On this phrase Alford notes: “‘Three ways,’ says Delitzsch, ‘of interpreting this are possible 1. After Isaac shall thy seed be named; 2. In, through, of, Isaac shall seed be called into being to thee; 3. In Isaac shall seed be named to thee; that is, in or through him shall it come that a seed of Abraham shall be possible.’ Then he puts aside the first, seeing that only once is the seed of Abraham called Isaac, [Amo 7:9;] and the second, seeing that the Hebrew word for call [though sometimes bearing the meaning, see Isa 41:4 ] never so absolutely signifies ‘to call into existence,’ as it must on that interpretation; and he prefers the third: in Isaac, through and in descent from him, shall thy seed be called thy seed: that is, only Isaac’s descendants shall be known as Abraham’s seed.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Heb 11:18 . ] not: “of whom” (more accurately: “in relation to whom,” comp. Heb 1:7 ), in such wise that it should be referred to Isaac (Faber Stapulensis, Luther, Jac. Cappellus, Limborch, Wolf, Bengel, Carpzov, Michaelis, Chr. Fr. Schmid, and others), but: to whom, sc . Abraham.
] In Isaac shall a seed be named (called) to thee, i.e. through Isaac shall the posterity, whose forefather thou shalt be called, be founded. The emphasis falls upon , and the citation is from Gen 21:12 . , however, which has there causal significance, the author takes as a recitative.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Ver. 18. Of whom it was said ] This was one of those many promises that Abraham might think were all lost in the loss of his Isaac. Never was gold tried in so hot a fire.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
18 .] he to whom ( refers, not to Isaac, as many Commentators and our E. V., “of whom it was said,” but to Abraham, the immediate antecedent in the text, and the immediately resumed subject, after the relative clause, . . .) it was spoken (by God: but the aor. need not be made into a pluperfect), In Isaac (the is found in ref. Gen., and in a causal meaning. The most probable account of its appearing here is, that the Writer takes it from the O. T. text, but uses it as the recitative particle) shall thy seed be called (“Three ways,” says Delitzsch, “of interpreting this are possible, 1. after Isaac shall thy seed be named (Hofm.): 2. in, through, of, Isaac shall seed be called into being to thee (Drechsler): 3. in Isaac shall seed be named to thee, i. e. in or through him shall it come that a seed of Abraham shall be possible (Bleek).” Then he puts aside the first, seeing that only once is the seed of Abraham called Isaac ( Amo 7:9 ), and the second, seeing that (though sometimes bearing the meaning, see Isa 41:4 ) never so absolutely signifies “to call into existence” as it must on that interpretation: and prefers the third. In Isaac, through and in descent from him, shall thy seed be called thy seed: only Isaac’s descendants shall be known as Abraham’s seed):
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Of = With reference to. Greek. pros. App-104.
shall, &c. Literally shall a seed be called for thee. This is quoted from Gen 21:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
18.] he to whom ( refers, not to Isaac, as many Commentators and our E. V., of whom it was said, but to Abraham, the immediate antecedent in the text, and the immediately resumed subject, after the relative clause, …) it was spoken (by God: but the aor. need not be made into a pluperfect), In Isaac (the is found in ref. Gen., and in a causal meaning. The most probable account of its appearing here is, that the Writer takes it from the O. T. text, but uses it as the recitative particle) shall thy seed be called (Three ways, says Delitzsch, of interpreting this are possible, 1. after Isaac shall thy seed be named (Hofm.): 2. in, through, of, Isaac shall seed be called into being to thee (Drechsler): 3. in Isaac shall seed be named to thee, i. e. in or through him shall it come that a seed of Abraham shall be possible (Bleek). Then he puts aside the first, seeing that only once is the seed of Abraham called Isaac (Amo 7:9), and the second, seeing that (though sometimes bearing the meaning, see Isa 41:4) never so absolutely signifies to call into existence as it must on that interpretation: and prefers the third. In Isaac, through and in descent from him, shall thy seed be called thy seed: only Isaacs descendants shall be known as Abrahams seed):
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Heb 11:18. , as to whom) The pronoun is to be referred to the only-begotten; nay, this verse gives a definition of the only-begotten. , so far as concerns, has the force of limitation (determining the sense). The word had been spoken to Abraham, but referred to Isaac; comp. , unto, in reference to, Luk 19:9.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Of: or, To
That: Gen 17:19, Gen 21:12, Rom 9:7
Reciprocal: Gen 21:3 – General Mat 1:2 – Abraham Gal 3:29 – Abraham’s
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Heb 11:18. Regardless of how many other sons he might have had, that would not have lessened the severity of the test for the promise was restricted to Isaac..
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Heb 11:18. Even he to whom (whom refers in the Greek to Abraham, not to Isaac, and therefore it is to whom, not with respect to (of) whom) it was said, In Isaac (through and in descent from him) shall there be named to thee a seedonly his descendants shall be (and shall be known as) Abrahams seed. To be called, is generally used in Scripture with one of two senses,to have the name, or really to be. Sometimes, as here, the two senses are combined.