V. 13.— For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could sware by no greater, he sware by himself. The Apostle here refers to what took place when, in obedience to the Divine commandment, Abraham offered Isaac upon the altar. Never did faith triumph so remarkably as on this occasion. Abraham, sustained by the promise of a numerous posterity, and of all the families of the earth being blessed in him, had left his father’ s house, having become an alien from his brethren. For many subsequent years he had no child. At length, Ishmael was born of Hagar, the bond-woman; and, some years afterwards, Isaac, the child of promise, was born of Sarah. In consequence of Ishmael’ s mocking Isaac, he was put out of the family, so that all Abraham’ s hopes centred in Isaac. Yet, as a trial of his faith, God commanded him to offer his son for a burnt-offering, thus reducing him to ashes. Abraham well knew that upon the life of Isaac depended the fulfilment of the promises which had been his stay and support during all the days of his pilgrimage. Yet he did not hesitate; he set out for the place which God had said He would show him; and, leaving his servants, accompanied by his son, he proceeded to the mountain which God pointed out, which seems to have been Moriah, or which the temple was afterwards built, and the sacrifices offered. There he bound Isaac upon the altar, lifted up the knife to slay him, but was stopped by the angel of the Lord, who expressed his approbation of Abraham’ s conduct, at the same time renewing the promise, and confirming it with an oath. Thus, after many years of patient endurance, he obtained the irrevocable confirmation of the promise, by the oath of Him who cannot lie. He could swear by no greater, and therefore He swore by Himself.