📜 Abraham’s Promise of Many Nations: A Reconsideration of Genesis 17 and 22

Introduction

The biblical narrative of Abraham is foundational to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Central to his story is the divine promise that he would become the “father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4–7). However, the sequence of events between Genesis 17 and Genesis 22 raises theological and logical questions.

How could God promise Abraham numerous descendants in Genesis 17, only to command him later in Genesis 22 to sacrifice his son—the very means by which that promise would be fulfilled? A reconsideration of the chronology suggests that Genesis 17 may actually be a consequence of the events in Genesis 22, and that the promise of “many nations” is tied more closely to Ishmael than to Isaac.

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The Tension Between Genesis 17 and Genesis 22

In Genesis 17:4–7, God tells Abraham:

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. … I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.”

Yet in Genesis 22, Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his son. If this son is Isaac, as traditionally held in Judaism and Christianity, then the sequence seems illogical: Why promise descendants through Isaac in Genesis 17, only to nearly eliminate that line in Genesis 22? From an Islamic perspective, the son in Genesis 22 is not Isaac but Ishmael, which changes the framework of interpretation.

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Genesis 22:17 as the Key Promise

After Abraham demonstrates his obedience in the near-sacrifice narrative, God reaffirms His covenant with new force:

“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies” (Genesis 22:17).

This promise comes after Abraham’s supreme test of faith. It is therefore reasonable to see Genesis 22:17 as the pivotal moment where Abraham earns the covenant of multitude. Genesis 17, in this view, is not a precursor but rather a retrospective affirmation rooted in Abraham’s proven faithfulness (Genesis 22).

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Ishmael as the Fulfillment

If Ishmael is the son in Genesis 22—as preserved in Islamic tradition—the flow of the narrative becomes more coherent. God’s promise in Genesis 22:17 directly leads to Ishmael’s great destiny, as also stated earlier in Genesis 21:18:

“I will make him a great nation.”

Thus, Abraham’s role as “father of many nations” is logically connected to Ishmael’s posterity. Through Ishmael, vast nations arise—Arab tribes and, ultimately, the universal message of Islam through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This interpretation removes the apparent contradiction of God’s promise followed by the command of sacrifice.

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Rethinking the Chronology

If Genesis 22 is placed before Genesis 17 chronologically, the progression becomes logical:

1. Genesis 22: Abraham proves his loyalty through the sacrifice test.

2. Genesis 22:17: God rewards Abraham with the promise of innumerable descendants.

3. Genesis 17:4–7: God formalizes this covenant, affirming Abraham as the father of many nations.

In this arrangement, according to this reconstructed chronology of events, Genesis 17 flows naturally from Genesis 22: the covenant of “many nations” becomes the direct consequence of Abraham’s demonstrated obedience, rather than an isolated or unexplained divine declaration.

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The Phrase “Only Son” as Evidence of Pre-Isaac Timing

A further textual clue strengthening this reordered chronology is the phrase “your son, your only son” in Genesis 22:2. Historically, Ishmael was Abraham’s only son for nearly fourteen years before Isaac’s birth. The expression “only son” therefore aligns perfectly with a timeframe before Isaac existed, since Abraham never again had a period in which he possessed only one son once Isaac was born. If the near-sacrifice narrative occurred after Isaac’s birth, the phrase becomes theologically and logically problematic. But if the event precedes Genesis 17—when Isaac is merely foretold—then the designation “only son” authentically describes Ishmael and reinforces the view that the Akedah/Dhabīḥ (sacrificial trial) narrative originally belonged to the Ishmael cycle, not the Isaac cycle.

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Isaac’s Name and the Logic of the Narrative

Adding to this reconsideration is the meaning of Isaac’s very name. Yitzḥaq (“he laughs” or “laughter”) reflects the joy, relief, and divine humour surrounding his unexpected birth to elderly parents. His name symbolizes delight, celebration, and the fulfillment of long-awaited hope. This semantic field stands in tension with the notion that Isaac is the son of trial, burden, and sacrificial testing. A child whose identity is built upon laughter, promise, and joy does not naturally align with the role of the son through whom Abraham faces his greatest ordeal. By contrast, Ishmael—already associated with hardship, exile, and survival—fits more coherently within the narrative framework of testing, trial, and divine assurance. Thus, Isaac’s name itself subtly reinforces the view that he is not the son intended in Genesis 22, further supporting an Ishmaelite-centered interpretation of the sacrifice narrative.

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Conclusion

A re-examination of the sequence between Genesis 17 and Genesis 22—supported by the logic of the narrative, the pivotal promise of Genesis 22:17, the historical reality that Ishmael was Abraham’s only son for many years, and the theological meaning encoded in the names of the two sons—reveals a coherent pattern pointing toward Ishmael as the son of the sacrificial trial. In this reconstructed chronology, the near-sacrifice of Ishmael becomes the decisive act of obedience that earns Abraham the covenant of “many nations.” Genesis 17 then emerges not as a prior decree but as a divine reaffirmation rooted in Abraham’s demonstrated faithfulness.

Within this integrated framework, Ishmael—not Isaac—naturally assumes the role through whom Abraham’s covenant expands into multitudinous nations and universal significance. This reading harmonizes the textual data, resolves internal tensions, and aligns fully with the Islamic understanding of the Abrahamic story.

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology