פ 22 כג רה 2 אַבְרָהָם אֶל-נְעָרָיו וַיָּקָמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל־בְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע : מפטיר 20 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיָּד לְאַבְרָהָם לֵאמר הנֵּה יָלְדָה מִלְכָּה גַם־הוא בָּנִים לְנָחוֹר אָחִיךָ: 21 אֶת־ עוּץ בְּכֹרוֹ וְאֶת־בּוּז אָחִיו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵל אֲבִי אֲרָם : וְאֶת־כָּשֵׁר וְאֶת־חֲלֹוֹ וְאֶת־פַּלְדֶשׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלֶף וְאֵת בְּתוּאֵל; 23 וּבְתוּאֵל יָלַד אֶת־רִבְקָה שְׁמֹנָה אֵלֶה לֶדֶה מִלְכָּה לְנָחוֹר אֲחִי אַבְרָהָם: 24 ופילַגְשׁוֹ וּשְׁמָהּ רְאוּמָה וַתֵּלֶד גַּם־הִוא אֶת־טֶבַח וְאֶת־נֹחַם וְאֶת־תַּחַשׁ וְאֶת־מַעֲכָה : פ פ וַיְהִיוּ חַיֵי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנָיִם שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה: 2 וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ: וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מַתּוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי־חֵת לַאמְר: 4 בֵּרְ־וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עַמָּכֶם תְּנוּ לִי אֲחָזַת-קָבֶר .עמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרֶה מֵתֵי מִלְפָנָי: 5 וַיַּעַנְוּ בְנֵי-חֵת אֶת־ אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לְוֹ : שְׁמָעֵנוּ אֲדֹנִי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרִינוּ קְבַר אֶת־מֵתֵךְ אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת־קְבְרָוֹ לֹא־יִכְלֶה מִמְךְ מִקְבָר מֵתֵךְ: 7 וַיָּקָס אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם־הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי־חֵת : 8 וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם לֵאמֹר אִם־יִשׁ אֶת־נַפְשְׁכֶם לִקְבַּר אֶת־מֵתִי מִלְפָני שְׁמָעוּנִי וּפִגְעוּ־לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן בֶּן־צְחַר : 9 וְיִתֶּן־לִי אֶת־ מְעָרַת הַמַכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצֵה שָׂדֵהוּ בְּכֶסֶף יִתְּנֶנָּה לִי בְּתְוֹכְכֶם לַאֲחנֵּה קְבֵר: 10 וְעֶפְרוֹן יֹשֶׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵת וַיִּען עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָהָם בְּאָזְנִי בְנֵי־חֵת לְכָל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר־עִירוֹ לֵאמֹר: לָא אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ לְךְ נְתַתִּיהָ לְעֵינֵי ג' תירא 3 4 6. : 6 9 and clave the wood for the burntoffering, and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife: and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son, And he said, Behold the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb * for a burnt-offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order; and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. Il And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, § seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his. eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering, in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh : as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, by myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for be‡ cause thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son : 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19 So Abraham returned unto us of the truth and reality of the spirit of prophecy, and that the prophets had not a doubt of the truth of what they saw, and heard in a vision, although it might be contrary to the common or ordinary course of nature, &c. Maimonides in Moreh Nevucheem, part 8, chap. xxiii. Abraham carried no lamb with him, because he was not ordered to do it, and being asked by his son where the lamb was for the burnt-offering, he answered him, "I trust in God that he will provide himself the lanib for the burnt-offering :" by which it appears as if he expected to find, at the place, a lamb ready to his hand? but, arriving at the place, and not finding any thing of which he could take for a burnt-offering, he concluded that the commandment was to offer up his son. What follows of this narrative needs no comment. The period of Isaac's life, in which this trial was made, I think most likely to have been when he was thirteen years old, which is the time that the Jews begin to initiate their children in religious rites. He could not well be much younger, since he was capable of carrying the wood, &c. nor much older, because his father would not have been able to tie him, since this could not have been done with his consent; for, had it been so, his trial would have been greater than his father's, of which Scripture would have taken notice; but we do not find it ever doth. As this expression seems to be opposite to God's omniscience: I shall say a few words in answer to it: that it is the opinion among the Jewish commentators, that these words were the angel's: and who, as a creature, was not so fully acquainted with his righteousness before, as after the act. This, as Nachmanides observes, is a sure pledge of God's providence in the preservation of Abraham's posterity? and their future redemption; when all nations shall be blessed in them, i.e. shall be brought to the knowledge and service of the one true God. . 4 ST :1 בְּנְוֹ וַיְבָקַע עֲצֵי עלָה וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָמַר־ הָאֱלֹהִים: 4 בַּיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת־ עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחְקְ: 5 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל־ נְעָרָיו שְׁבוּ-לָכֶס פּה עִם-הַחֲמוֹר וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר נֵלְכָה עַד־ כֹּה וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנָשְׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם: 6 וַיִּקַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת־ הָעלֶה וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיִּקָּח בְּיָדוֹ אֶת־הָאֵשׁ הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת וַיֵּלֶכְוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו : 7 וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי בְנִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה הָאֵשׁ וְהָעֵצִים וְאַיִךְ הַשֶׂה לְעלֶה: 8 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה־לוֹ הַשָׂה לְעלֶה בְּנִי וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו : 9 וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר-לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַעֲרִךְאֶת־הָעֵצִיסְ וַיַּעַקְר אֶת־יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתוֹ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִמַּעַל לָעצים: 10 וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת־יָדוֹ וַיִּקְתָ אֶת־הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת לִשֶׁחַט אֶת־בְּנָו : ii וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי : 12 וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־ תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל־הַנער וְאַל־תַּעַשׂ לִי מְאוּמָה כִּי עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ אֶתיְחִירְךְ מִמֶּנִּי : 13 וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת-עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה-אַיִל אַחַר נֶאֱחַז בַּסְבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיַּקַח אֶת-הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנְוֹ: 14 וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יְהוָהי יִרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר יְהוָה יֵרָאֶה : 15 וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה אֶל־ אַבְרָהָם שֵׁנִית מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם: 16 וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְלֹא חָשַׁכְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ אֶת-יְחִידֶךְ : 17 כִּי־בָרֶךְ אֲבָרֶכְן וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת־זַרְעד כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכָחוֹל אֲשֶׁו עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְרָשׁ זַרְעֶךָ אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו: 18 וְהִתְבָּרַך בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי: 19 ויש : 14 18 : and he grew, and dwelled in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelled in the wilder-" ness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt, 22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal falsly with me, * nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourneyed, 24 And Abraham said, I will swear. 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, § neither yet heard I of it but to day. 27 And Abraham took sheep, and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech and both of them made a covenant. ewe-lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba: I because there they sware both of them. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God, 34 And Abraham sojourneyed in the Philistines land many days. CHAP. XXII. 1 Abraham offering Isaac. 11 is stayed by an angel: 15 He is blessed again. 20 The generation of Nahor unto Rebekah. AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 28 And Abraham set seven ewelambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe-lambs, which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven 3 ¶ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; * As Abraham was not his subject he could not command him; but as Abraham had sojourneyed in his land, and he was acquainted with the power of Abraham, i. e. God's protection: he w desirous of Abraham's oath, that he would live in amity with him: and which, as Nachmanides says was what Abraham was right in doing, as Abimelech had treated him well: and as to the affair the well, Abraham rebuked him for it, although he seems not to be in fault. § Hence, it appears that if Abraham had complained of the injury done him sooner, it would have been redressed. That is, the well of the oath. Not that it was necessary for God to try him in order to know whether Abraham had faith an love sufficient to obey his command, for all things are known to him; neither was it that the rest mankind might be made acquainted with his righteousness, for there was nobody present, not eve his own servants; but Nachmanides hath observed, it was (by being recorded in holy writ) acquaint us with the full extent of Abraham's faith and love which he bore towards the Supress Being; in that he not only put himself in jeopardy by circumcising himself in his old age; and all banished Ishmael; but that even this son which was given him as the greatest of blessings in uld age, he was willing and ready to sacrifice at his command: he farther observes, that it infort |