Greek word · G2464

Ἰσαάκ

isaak

Isaac

Isaac (Hebrew Yitsḥaq, "he laughs"), the son God promised to Abraham and Sarah when they were past childbearing (Gen 17:15–21; 18:10–14; 21:1–7). "In Isaac" follows the Hebrew be-Yitsḥaq: in him, through him, by way of him.

Appears 20 times in 18 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Ἰσαάκ

(in MSS. sometimes -σάκ; cf. Deiss., BS, 189; Thack., Gr., 100), ὁ

indecl.

(in FlJ, Ἴσακος, -ου), (Heb. יִצְחָק),

Isaac (Genesis 17:19, al.): Matthew 1:2, Romans 9:10, al

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Romans 9:7

Range of meaning

Isaac (Hebrew Yitsḥaq, "he laughs"), the son God promised to Abraham and Sarah when they were past childbearing (Gen 17:15–21; 18:10–14; 21:1–7). "In Isaac" follows the Hebrew be-Yitsḥaq: in him, through him, by way of him.

Against the English

"In Isaac" (KJV, YLT) keeps the sense that the line is located in Isaac. "Through Isaac" (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB) brings out the line running through him. WEB's "as from Isaac" and NLT's "Isaac is the son through whom" are freer paraphrases.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 17:19–21: "I will establish my covenant with Isaac," while Ishmael receives a separate blessing (17:20). Gen 21:12 is spoken when Sarah demands that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. Jubilees 16:17–18 (2nd century BC) says that from Isaac's sons one would become a holy seed, not counted among the nations, which shows Jews of Paul's day already treated the line as narrowed.

Where it appears

Matthew · 4

  1. Matthew 1:2 Ἰσαάκ· Ἰσαὰκ Isaac;, Isaac

    Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

    Here: The son born to Abraham and Sarah when the promise seemed impossible (Genesis 21). He is the heir of the promise rather than Ishmael, the older son.

  2. Matthew 8:11 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

    Here: The second patriarch, the child of the promise.

  3. Matthew 22:32 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

    Here: The son of the promise, to whom God renewed the oath: 'I am the God of Abraham your father' (Genesis 26:24).

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 12:26 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

    Here: The son of the promise and the second patriarch.

Luke · 3

  1. Luke 3:34 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

  2. Luke 13:28 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.

    Here: Second patriarch, the son of the promise.

  3. Luke 20:37 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

    Here: 'Of Isaac,' son of Abraham, also long dead by Moses' day.

Acts · 4

  1. Acts 3:13 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.

    Here: Second patriarch, the son of the promise.

  2. Acts 7:8 Ἰσαὰκ Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

    Here: The son of promise, whose birth God had pledged (Genesis 17:19–21).

  3. Acts 7:32 Ἰσαὰκ of Isaac

    ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

    Here: The son of the promise. He is the second link.

Romans · 2

  1. Romans 9:7 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

    Here: The son born by God's promise to the old and barren Sarah. He is set against Ishmael, who was also Abraham's son by blood (Gen 21:9–13).

  2. Romans 9:10 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.

Galatians · 1

  1. Galatians 4:28 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

    Here: Isaac was Abraham's son by Sarah, the free wife. God promised his birth when it was physically impossible (Genesis 17–18; 21). He is the model of a son who exists because God spoke a promise.

Hebrews · 4

  1. Hebrews 11:9 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

    Here: Abraham's son of the promise. He too lived in Canaan as a sojourner (Gen 26:3; 35:27).

  2. Hebrews 11:17 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,

    Here: The son born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, the child the promises of descendants were attached to (v.18).

  3. Hebrews 11:18 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

  4. Hebrews 11:20 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

James · 1

  1. James 2:21 Ἰσαὰκ Isaac

    Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

    Here: The son of the promise. Every descendant God had promised Abraham was supposed to come through Isaac, and that is what made the test so severe.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.