Jehovah-Jireh

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Jehovah-Jireh . The name given by Abraham (  Genesis 22:14 ) to the spot where he offered a ram in place of his son. The name means ‘Jehovah sees,’ and probably also (with reference to   Genesis 22:8 ) ‘Jehovah provides.’ The proverb connected in   Genesis 22:14 with the name clearly relates to the Temple hill, ‘the mount of the Lord.’ But it is not easy to see the exact connexion between the name and the proverb. The most obvious translation is ‘in the mount of Jehovah one appears’ (referring to the festal pilgrimages to Jerusalem), but in that case the connexion can be only verbal. Other possible translations are: (1) ‘In the mount of Jehovah it is seen,’ i.e. provided; this is a possible translation in the context; but it appears to be suggested that the proverb had an existence independently of the tradition of Abraham’s sacrifice; in which case the meaning assigned to the verb is not a natural or obvious one. (2) ‘In the mount of Jehovah, Jehovah is seen.’ The significance of the phrase would then be that, as Jehovah sees the needs of those who come to worship Him, so as a practical result He is seen by them as a helper. Other translations have been suggested which do not, however, alter the general sense. Driver decides that, unless the connexion be regarded as purely verbal, the last suggestion quoted above seems the most satisfactory. In any case, the point lies in the relation between the name which Abraham gave to the place of his sacrifice and some popular proverb dealing with the Temple at Jerusalem.

A. W. F. Blunt.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

The margin of our Bible renders it very properly, "the Lord will see or provide." ( Genesis 22:14) And the general acceptation of the words in the esteem of believers is, that the Lord will do by all of that character as he did by Abraham, and in every critical moment manifest his grace towards them, in proof that he doth both see and provide for them. This is certainly one sense of the titles, and a blessed one it is: but this is not all. Abraham saith, "to this day in the mount of the Lord shall it be seen;" by which it appears, that the mount of the Lord was to be the place where this provision and sight of Jehovah was to be seen. Surely there was a prophecy in these words relating to the very spot of Abraham's mercy, as well as the mercy itself. And was not this with an eye to the Lamb of God, in after-ages to be provided for the whole church, as well as the ram the Lord had then provided for Abraham's burnt offering? Recollect that this mount Moriah was near the spot, if not the very spot itself, afterwards called mount Calvary. And as Abraham's offering was wholly typical, surely nothing could be more suited to the expression in calling the place Jehovah Jireh. As if Abraham had said, Here shall be one day seen the wonders of redemption! Here God will, indeed, provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering!

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Jeho'vah-ji'reh. (Jehovah will see or Jehovah will provide). The name given by Abraham, to the place on which, he had been commanded to offer Isaac, to commemorate the interposition of the angel of Jehovah , who appeared to prevent the sacrifice,  Genesis 22:14, and provided another victim.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Jehovah will provide, the name given by Abraham to the place where he had been on the point of slaying his son Isaac,  Genesis 22:14 . He gave this name in allusion to his answer to Isaac's question in  Genesis 22:8 , that God would provide a victim for the sacrifice.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 22:14Jehovah

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 22:14

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jē̇ - hō´va - jı̄´re ( יהוה יראה , yahweh yir'eh , "Yahweh sees"): The name given by Abraham to the place where he had sacrificed a ram provided by God, instead of his son Isaac (  Genesis 22:14 ). The meaning plainly is that the Lord sees and provides for the necessities of His servants. There is an allusion to  Genesis 22:8 where Abraham says, "God will provide himself (the Revised Version, margin "will see for himself") the lamb for a burnt offering." The verse (  Genesis 22:14 the King James Version) goes on to connect the incident with the popular proverb, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (the Revised Version (British and American) "provided"), the Revised Version margin suggests "he shall be seen." "The mount of Yahweh" in other places denotes the temple hill at Jerusalem (  Psalm 24:3;  Isaiah 2:3 , etc.). With changes of the punctuation very different readings have been suggested. According to Swete's text: "And Abraham called the name of that place (the) 'Lord saw' (aorist) in order that they may say today: 'In the mountain (the) Lord was seen '" (aorist). Septuagint reads, "In the mountain Yahweh seeth," or "will see." If there is merely a verbal connection between the clauses we should most naturally read, "In the mount of Yahweh one is seen (appears)," i.e. men, people, appear - the reference being to the custom of visiting the temple at pilgrimages (Driver, Hdb , under the word). But if the connection of the proverb with the name "Yahweh-jireh" depends on the double sense of the word "see," then the best explanation may be, Yahweh sees the needs of those who come to worship before Him on Zion, and there "is seen," i.e. reveals Himself to them by answering their prayers and supplying their wants. His "seeing," in other words, takes practical effect in a "being seen" (ibid.).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrew Yehovah' Yireh', יַרְאֶה יְהוָה, Jehovah will see , i.e. provide; Sept. Κύριος ε ‹ δεν, Vulg. Dominus videt ), the symbolical epithet given by Abraham to the scene of his offering of the ram providentially supplied in place of his son ( Genesis 22:14), evidently with allusion to his own reply to Isaac's inquiry ( Genesis 22:8). (See Moriah).