What Does Genesis 22:3 Mean in the King James?

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Genesis 22:3 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

In Hebrew, Abraham’s second “rose up” and the “place” he goes to share the root ⁨קום⁩ (qum), joining his rising with his destination in one word-family.

THE MEANING

A divine word takes physical form: Abraham rises, gathers his two young men and Isaac, splits the wood for a burnt offering, and goes to the specified place. Isaac and the offering wood travel together, leaving the gravity of the journey exposed and unresolved.

THE ROOT

קוּם

qûm

GROWS FROM

קום

q-w-m

To rise, stand, or arise.

“rose up / place” in this verse is qûm. The Hebrew verb ⁨וַיָּקָם⁩ (wayyaqom, “he rose up”) and ⁨מָקוֹם⁩ (maqom, “place”) grow from the same root. English separates the movement from its destination; Hebrew holds rising and the place where one stands in a single word-family.

ALSO GROWS

qûm: Rise, stand, arise.

קוּם

This is the root behind Abraham’s second “rose up” in the verse.

maqom: Place, a standing-place.

מָקוֹם

The destination God told Abraham to go to carries the same root as his rising.

heqim: Raise, establish.

הֵקִים

This causative form shows the root extending from standing up to raising or establishing something.

וַיְבַקַּע

vayvaqqaʿ

GROWS FROM

בקע

b-q-ʿ

To split, cleave, or break open.

“clave” in this verse is vayvaqqaʿ. The verse names the action directly: Abraham splits the wood for the burnt offering. The same root can describe waters being split open, so the shared Hebrew word reaches across ordinary preparation and a dramatic opening in the sea.

ALSO GROWS

bāqaʿ: Split, cleave, break open.

בָּקַע

This is the root verb behind Abraham’s act of splitting the offering wood.

vayyibbaqəʿû: And they were split open.

וַיִּבָּקְעוּ

Exodus 14:21 uses this form of the same root for the waters being divided.

THE PATTERN

Divine speech takes spatial form by directing bodies toward or away from a particular place.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Genesis 12:1 · KJVThe word directs Abram out of familiar places toward a land God will show him.

And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Exodus 3:5 · KJVThe divine word governs physical approach and posture at a particular place.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Hebrews 11:8 · KJVAbraham’s call again becomes movement toward a place, even when its destination is not yet known.

THE THREAD

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Exodus 14:16 · KJV

The Hebrew verb behind “clave” here and “divide” in God’s command over the sea share the root ⁨בקע⁩ (b-q-ʿ). One names splitting wood for an offering; the other, splitting the sea, two sharply different scenes joined by the same action word.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us