--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ethical expression for what Abraham…" description: "\"“The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he meant to murder Isaac; the religious expression is that he meant to sacrifice Isaac—but precise..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg" --- # The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he… ![“The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he meant to murder Isaac; the religious expression is that he meant to sacrifice Isaac—but precisely in this contradiction is the anxiety that can make a person sleepless, and yet without this anxiety Abraham is not who he is.” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg) > ““The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he meant to murder Isaac; the religious expression is that he meant to sacrifice Isaac—but precisely in this contradiction is the anxiety that can make a person sleepless, and yet without this anxiety Abraham is not who he is.”” [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kierkegaard highlights the tension between ethical murder and religious sacrifice, showing anxiety defines Abraham’s identity. **In simple terms:** Conflict between moral action and faith creates anxiety that shapes identity. Key Takeaway Embrace anxiety as a catalyst for self‑discovery. Themes faith ethics anxiety identity paradox Mood reflective serious Type existential theological When to use this quote - moral dilemmas - religious decisions - personal crises Key Concepts existentialism theology psychology Questions to Reflect On - What role does anxiety play in moral growth? - Can faith justify harmful actions? A Different Perspective Anxiety may paralyze rather than inspire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) [Anxiety Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety-abraham-5946987/) [Expression Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression-abraham-5946986/) [Meant Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-sacrifice-906911/) [Religious Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-expression-1503746/) [Sacrifice Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-isaac-491297/) ## Related quotes > [It was not to save a nation that Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, nor to appease angry gods... Then why does Abraham do it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/it-was-not-to-save-a-nation-that-abraham-went-to-sacrifice-isaac-nor/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“suddenly understood perfectly why Abraham had agreed to sacrifice Isaac, his son, when the Lord commanded him to do so. It was not obedience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/suddenly-understood-perfectly-why-abraham-had-agreed-to-sacrifice/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Everyone knows the beautiful story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac. How this noble father led his child to the slaughter; how Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/everyone-knows-the-beautiful-story-of-abraham-and-the-sacrifice-of/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [“Gen 22:11–16a The story of the near-sacrifice of Isaac is traced to E. It refers to the deity as Elohim in vv. 1,3,8, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-elliott-friedman/gen-22-11-16a-the-story-of-the-near-sacrifice-of-isaac-is-traced-to-e/) [Richard Elliott Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-elliott-friedman/) > [Because love was not the answer to every question. Because real love meant sacrifice. Sometimes love means letting go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/because-love-was-not-the-answer-to-every-question-because-real-love/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [This is what is meant by "sacrifice", literally, the "making sacred" of an animal consumed for dinner. Yet sacrfice, because it dwells on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-visser/this-is-what-is-meant-by-sacrifice-literally-the-making-sacred-of-an/) [Margaret Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-visser/) > [If she loved him the way she said she did, she wanted him whole. Maybe this was what love meant after all: sacrifice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/if-she-loved-him-the-way-she-said-she-did-she-wanted-him-whole-maybe/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [“Because love was not the answer to every question. Because real love meant sacrifice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/because-love-was-not-the-answer-to-every-question-because-real-love-2/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [“The Sacrifice of Isaac”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sacrifice-of-isaac/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are hints of child sacrifice in Genesis and Exodus, including Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Human sacrifice was long associated with Canaanite and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/there-are-hints-of-child-sacrifice-in-genesis-and-exodus-including/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [Christians call it the "Sacrifice of Isaac," and Jews call it the "Binding of Isaac."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/christians-call-it-the-sacrifice-of-isaac-and-jews-call-it-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ The story \[of the Sacrifice of Isaac \] is much more a part of theology than of history. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-story-of-the-sacrifice-of-isaac-is-much-more-a-part-of-theology/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ I think \[Sacrifice of Isaac\] is the most important event in the Bible except for Sinai. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-sacrifice-of-isaac-is-the-most-important-event-in-the-bible/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ \[Sacrifice of Isaac\] is a major theme of the so-called Elohist \[one authorial strand in the Pentateuch\]. It is marked by all of his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-cross/sacrifice-of-isaac-is-a-major-theme-of-the-so-called-elohist-one/) [Frank Moore Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-cross/) > [The story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac are nowhere in any other tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-story-of-abraham-and-the-sacrifice-of-isaac-are-nowhere-in-any/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## More by Søren Kierkegaard > [“At vove er at miste fodfæstet et kort øjeblik - ikke at vove er at miste sig selv.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/at-vove-er-at-miste-fodf-stet-et-kort-jeblik-ikke-at-vove-er-at-miste/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Who tricked me into this whole thing and leaves me standing here? Who am I? How did I get into the world? Why was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/who-tricked-me-into-this-whole-thing-and-leaves-me-standing-here-who/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“No woman in maternity confinement can have stranger and more impatient wishes than I have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/no-woman-in-maternity-confinement-can-have-stranger-and-more/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“If a man had a little button sewn on the inner pocket of his coat 'on principle' his otherwise unimportant and quite serviceable action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/if-a-man-had-a-little-button-sewn-on-the-inner-pocket-of-his-coat-on/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I stick my finger in existence — it smells of nothing. Where am I? Who am I? How came I here? What is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-stick-my-finger-in-existence-it-smells-of-nothing-where-am-i-who-am/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/a-human-being-is-spirit-but-what-is-spirit-spirit-is-the-self-but/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I am poor—you are my riches; dark—you are my light; I own nothing, need nothing. And how could I own anything? After all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-am-poor-you-are-my-riches-dark-you-are-my-light-i-own-nothing-need/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Intohimo ei merkitse sanoja.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/intohimo-ei-merkitse-sanoja/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“But there is a concerned guide, a knowing one, who attracts the attention of the wanderer, who calls out to him that he should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/but-there-is-a-concerned-guide-a-knowing-one-who-attracts-the/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“There is something frightful in the fact that the most dangerous thing of all, playing at Christianity, is never included in the list of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/there-is-something-frightful-in-the-fact-that-the-most-dangerous/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Sitting calmly on a ship in fair weather is not a metaphor for having faith; but when the ship has sprung a leak, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/sitting-calmly-on-a-ship-in-fair-weather-is-not-a-metaphor-for-having/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Not merely in the realm of commerce but in the world of ideas as well our age is organizing a regular clearance sale. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/not-merely-in-the-realm-of-commerce-but-in-the-world-of-ideas-as-well/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“In love with myself, that is what people say I am. It doesn’t surprise me, for how could they notice that I can love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/in-love-with-myself-that-is-what-people-say-i-am-it-doesn-t-surprise/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Battle day and night against the guile of oblivion...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/battle-day-and-night-against-the-guile-of-oblivion/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) [Explore all 184 Søren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## More Abraham quotes > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Never you look down on your Abraham because of your Sarah because the blessing is not in the womb of Sarah but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/never-you-look-down-on-your-abraham-because-of-your-sarah-because-the/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [Moses was a great leader, right? But he wasn't a great communicator. And so God sent him Aaron so he could, let's say, communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/moses-was-a-great-leader-right-but-he-wasn-t-a-great-communicator-and/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [“king of Heshbon. 6 b Moses, the servant of the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/king-of-heshbon-6-b-moses-the-servant-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“9. Abraham’s death (25:1 – 11) After Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife, Keturah. Abraham was a rejuvenated old man and continued to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sailhamer/9-abraham-s-death-25-1-11-after-sarah-s-death-abraham-took-another/) [John H. Sailhamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sailhamer/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. Abraham Lincoln, born to a poor family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everybody-faces-obstacles-and-i-looked-to-people-who-had-been-through/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of ours used to tell--Abraham Lincoln. They asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-asked-me-how-it-felt-and-i-was-reminded-of-a-story-that-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [American foreign policy and military might have opened an opportunity for the Gospel in the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/american-foreign-policy-and-military-might-have-opened-an-opportunity/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) [Browse all 484 Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he meant to murder Isaac; the religious expression is that he meant to sacrifice Isaac—but precisely in this contradiction is the anxiety that can make a person sleepless, and yet without this anxiety Abraham is not who he is.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Søren Kierkegaard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham-did-is-that-he-meant-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abraham" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham-did-is-that-he-meant-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_abraham_the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham_3201775.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he meant to murder Isaac; the religious expression is…” — Søren Kierkegaard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Søren Kierkegaard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The ethical expression for what Abraham...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham-did-is-that-he-meant-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/the-ethical-expression-for-what-abraham-did-is-that-he-meant-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```