Abraham had a son named Isaac; Isaac had a son named Jacob and Jacob's sons were Judah and his [eleven] brothers.

And I [also] say to you, that many people will come from the east and the west and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

I am Abraham's God, and Isaac's God and Jacob's God.' [So], He is not God to those who are [physically] dead, but [He is] God to those who are [still] alive."

But concerning those who are raised from the dead, have you never read in the book of Moses, in the incident about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying [Ex. 3:6], 'I am Abraham's God, and Isaac's God, and Jacob's God?'

who was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. [And Abraham] was the son of Terah, who was the son of Nahor,

[Then] there will be crying and excruciating pain, when you will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and [you will see] yourselves thrown outside.

But even Moses showed that dead people would be raised in the incident about the bush [Ex. 3:6], where he called the Lord, 'Abraham's God, and Isaac's God, and Jacob's God.'

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob --- the God of our forefathers --- has highly honored His servant Jesus, whom you people turned over [to the Roman authorities] and denied [Him freedom] in the presence of [governor] Pilate, who had already decided to release Him.

And God gave Abraham the Agreement which required circumcision [as an identifying mark] so when Abraham fathered Isaac he circumcised him when he was eight days old. Then Isaac had a son, Jacob; and Jacob had [as sons] the twelve patriarchs [i.e., ruling fathers of families].

I am the God of your forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses shook with fear, not [even] wanting to look [at the bush].

Neither are all [Jewish] people children [of God], [simply] because they are Abraham's descendants. But [Gen. 21:12 says], "It is through Isaac that you [i.e., Abraham] will have descendants."

And that is not all, but Rebecca also conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac.

Now the son [Ishmael], born to the slave woman, was born simply of their natural relationship; but the son [Isaac], born to the free woman, was born in fulfillment of a [divine] promise.

Now, brothers, you [Christians] are children of the promise [made to Abraham. See 3:29] just like Isaac, [Abraham's son] was.

But, just as it was then --- the son born in the ordinary way [i.e., Ishmael] persecuting the one born according to the Holy Spirit's [leading, i.e., Isaac] --- so it is now [i.e., Jews urging compliance with the requirements of the law of Moses persecuting those who refuse to return to dependance on that law for salvation. See 3:1-3].

What does the Scripture say about this matter? [It says, Gen. 21:10-12], "Get rid of the slave woman [Hagar], with her son [Ishmael]; for the son of the slave woman [Ishmael] will not inherit [what God promised to Abraham and his descendants], along with the son of the free woman [i.e., Isaac]."

By [having] faith, he became an alien in the foreign country that had been promised to him. He lived in tents, along with Isaac [his son] and Jacob [his grandson], who [also] were to receive the same inheritance he had been promised.

By [having] faith, when Abraham was tested [by God], he offered Isaac [as a sacrifice]. [Even though] he had received the promises [of having many descendants], he was ready to offer his only conceived [and eventually born] son,

[even though] he had been told [by God, Gen. 21:12], "Your descendants will be traced through Isaac."

[So], he reasoned that God was able to raise up [Isaac] from the dead, which, in a sense, he did receive him back [from the dead].

By [having] faith, Isaac pronounced a future blessing on Jacob and Esau. [See Gen. 27:26-40].

For you recall how, even after he [later] wanted to inherit the blessing, Esau was rejected [by his father Isaac. See Gen. 37:35-40]. For he was not able to get his father to change his mind, even though he tearfully begged him [or, "he was not able to change the situation, even though he shed tears over his loss"].

Was not our forefather Abraham made right with God by deeds [of obedience] when he offered his son Isaac [as a sacrifice] on the Altar?