Hebrews 11:19

Hebrews 11:19. And the reason was that he reckoned the faithfulness of God to be safe in the keeping of His almightiness; he believed that God would keep His word, even if it was necessary for Him to effect a resurrection from the dead. The statement is quite general; and, though applied to Isaac by implication, it is a universal truth.

Whence and from the dead he did receive him back (used of captives delivered of hostages sent home), not in a literal resurrection indeed, but in what was an equivalent; the father's heart was as resigned, and the bitterness of the separation was as complete. Whether this is all has been much disputed. Perhaps ‘in a figure' has a further reference to ‘the ram' which was offered in his stead the victim of God's providing, while the son was set free; or possibly the whole transaction may be a figure of the death and resurrection of our Lord.