A "Blind" Obedience
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这些事以后， 神要试验亚伯拉罕，就呼叫他说：「亚伯拉罕！」他说：「我在这里。」
“Tested” (נסה). “Testing” shows what someone is really like, and it generally involves difficulty or hardship. The queen of Sheba tested Solomon with riddles (); Daniel and his companions were tested by being put on a simple diet (, ). God is often said to test Israel through hunger and thirst in the wilderness (; ; ; , ), through false prophets ( []), or through foreign oppression (; , ). The purpose of such trials is to discover “what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (; cf. ), “to humble you … to do you good in the end” (; cf. ). The use of the term here hints that Abraham will face some great difficulty but that he will ultimately benefit from it. This
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 103–104.
这些事以后， 神要试验亚伯拉罕，就呼叫他说：「亚伯拉罕！」他说：「我在这里。」
Three times in this story we have the refrain “Abraham (my father)” with its response “Here I am” (vv , , ); each signals a tense new development in the narrative.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 104.
神说：「你带着你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，你所爱的以撒，往摩利亚地去，在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。」
With this fourfold characterization of Isaac, the whole poignant tale of Isaac so far, the promise, the delay, and the miraculous fulfillment, is summed up. On him all Abraham’s hopes are riding. Note particularly the remark “whom you love,” the only explicit clue to Abraham’s attachment to his son, precluding any reading of the story that would see Abraham as callous and hard-hearted. Far from it—obedience to God and love for his son will tear him in diametrically opposed directions. But thus far, nothing has been said to disturb his peace of mind.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 104.
神说：「你带着你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，你所爱的以撒，往摩利亚地去，在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。」
God explains what he wants. A burnt offering involves cutting up and burning the whole animal on the altar and was the commonest type of sacrifice. It seems to have expressed at least two ideas: that the offerer is giving himself entirely to God (for the animal represents the offerer) and that the animal’s death atones for the worshiper’s sin. The usual victims of burnt offerings were birds, sheep, or if the worshiper was very wealthy, a bull. But to offer one’s child was quite out of the question for devout orthodox worshipers. “Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” asks Micah (), expecting his hearers to reply with an emphatic no (cf. ; ). But it was done occasionally in the biblical world, especially in times of dire crisis (; ; ). In fact, biblical law expects every firstborn son to be dedicated to God but insists that he be redeemed and an animal offered instead ( []; ). Later, the Levites by their service were seen as consecrated to God instead of the firstborn in each family (). And it is this background of thought that, as Westermann points out, makes the test comprehensible. “Following , it is seen as possible that God can demand such a sacrifice. In reality, however, human sacrifice is not possible (). It is precisely because of this ambivalence that the command to Abraham is a particularly suitable test” (2:358).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 105.
亚伯拉罕清早起来，备上驴，带着两个仆人和他儿子以撒，也劈好了燔祭的柴，就起身往 神所指示他的地方去了。
The narrator’s silence allows the reader’s imagination a free rein. He rather concentrates on Abraham’s acts, which show him promptly, “early in the morning,” obeying, as he did when commanded to expel Ishmael (; cf. ; ).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 106.
亚伯拉罕清早起来，备上驴，带着两个仆人和他儿子以撒，也劈好了燔祭的柴，就起身往 神所指示他的地方去了。
“Saddled … took … cut.” This sequence of waw-consecutives implies Abraham did one thing after another, so it is surprising that he cut the wood after saddling his ass and gathering together his servants and Isaac. It would have been more sensible to cut the wood first. This illogical order hints at Abraham’s state of mind. Is he so bemused that he cannot think straight, is he quite collectedly trying to keep everybody in the dark about the purpose of the journey till the last possible moment, or is he trying to postpone the most painful part of the preparation till last (cf. his withholding Ishmael in )? All these interpretations are possible, indeed are not mutually exclusive, and need to be borne in mind as the narrative unfolds.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 106.
到了第三日，亚伯拉罕举目远远地看见那地方。
Three days is a typical period of preparation for something important (cf. ; ; ). Westermann notes that the mountain of God to which the Israelites sought to travel was three days’ journey (; ). Indeed, the phrase “on the third day” occurs twice in the Sinai pericope ( [2x], ). Calvin observes that the delay made Abraham’s ordeal the more painful. “God does not require him to put his son immediately to death, but compels him to revolve this execution in his mind during three whole days, that in preparing to sacrifice his son, he may still more severely torture all his own senses” (1:565).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 106–107.
亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说：「你们和驴在此等候，我与童子往那里去拜一拜，就回到你们这里来。」
The parallel with the Mount Sinai experience may again be noted: at Sinai only Moses was allowed to come to the top of the mountain; the people had to stay at the bottom (, ; ).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 107.
亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说：「你们和驴在此等候，我与童子往那里去拜一拜，就回到你们这里来。」
But the final remarks to his servants are even more enigmatic. Note in passing that Abraham simply calls Isaac “the lad” rather than “my son,” which may suggest that Abraham is trying to be detached. He has already mentally given Isaac to God, so that in a sense he is no longer his son. But then he continues: “so that we can worship and return to you.” It is notable that Abraham only says “worship” rather than “offer a burnt offering.” “Worship” (השׁתחוה) is a vaguer term than “offer”; it may simply mean “bow down” (cf. ; ). Does this indicate a weakening of resolve or a desire to hide what was to happen from his servants, or is the term chosen simply for brevity? Confusion about Abraham’s real meaning is worsened by his final enigmatic “We may return to you,” for he might have been expected to say “so that I may return to you.”
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 107.
亚伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他儿子以撒身上，自己手里拿着火与刀；于是二人同行。
The wood on Isaac’s back looks forward to the moment when Isaac will be lying on his back on the wood (v ), with his father, knife in hand, ready to slay him (v ). Thus the wording here anticipates the moment of sacrifice itself. Genesis Rabbah, the Jewish midrash, comments that Isaac with the wood on his back is like a condemned man, carrying his own cross.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 108.
以撒对他父亲亚伯拉罕说：「父亲哪！」亚伯拉罕说：「我儿，我在这里。」以撒说：「请看，火与柴都有了，但燔祭的羊羔在哪里呢？」
On the face of it, Isaac’s question, “Where is the sheep?” suggests a naiveté that makes his future death the more heart-rending. This impression is reinforced by his docile acceptance of Abraham’s reply, which shows Isaac trusting entirely his father’s good intentions. Or was he sharp enough to see through his father’s enigmatic answer and realize that he was the intended sacrificial lamb? If so, his silence is again impressive, for it implies his total obedience to his father. Either way, Isaac is shown to have those qualities of perfection always looked for in sacrificial victims (cf. ). And either way, our appreciation of the trustful love that existed between father and son is enhanced.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 108.
亚伯拉罕说：「我儿， 神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。」于是二人同行。
The organization of the story, which makes “God will provide” the turning point of the story (see Form/Structure/Setting), does favor a positive reading, i.e., as an expression of hope, a prophecy, or a prayer, though to Isaac it may well have sounded like evasion. Unlike in v , there is now no suggestion that Abraham will disobey. Though we might construe “we shall return” that way, “God will provide” does not suggest that Abraham is looking for an escape route.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 109.
亚伯拉罕说：「我儿， 神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。」于是二人同行。
Furthermore, this remark “lets one suspect that the boy may have broken the oppressive silence only after a while. And after the conversation the statement is repeated. One sees that the final part of the way was traversed in silence” (von Rad, 236), “the most poignant and eloquent silence in all literature” (Speiser, 165).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 108.
他们到了 神所指示的地方，亚伯拉罕在那里筑坛，把柴摆好，捆绑他的儿子以撒，放在坛的柴上。
Isaac is “bound,” probably by his hands and feet (עקד; the verb occurs only here in the OT and gives rise to the Jewish term for this story, The Aqedah, i.e., the binding of Isaac), and placed on the altar.
Why bother to mention that Abraham bound Isaac? Perhaps it was because Abraham might relatively easily have slit Isaac’s throat when he was off guard; that an elderly man was able to bind the hands and feet of a lively teenager strongly suggests Isaac’s consent. So this remark confirms that impression given by vv that Isaac was an unblemished subject for sacrifice who was ready to obey his father, whatever the cost, just as his father had showed his willingness to obey God to the uttermost.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 109.
亚伯拉罕就伸手拿刀，要杀他的儿子。
“Slaughter” (שׁחט) is a sacrificial term (, ) usually indicating cutting the throat. “His son.” By drawing attention to the relationship of Abraham and Isaac, the full awfulness of the deed is once again underlined. The unthinkable is about to happen.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 109–110.
Victor: While Abraham had mentally given Issac (cf. v5: "the lad/boy") to the Lord, when he reached out his hand to the knife, this child was still his son when he's going to slaughter him. (just like at the moment when you reach out to the money you're intended to give to the church, you still will be heart-broken at losing your money).
耶和华的使者从天上呼叫他说：「亚伯拉罕！亚伯拉罕！」他说：「我在这里。」
Calling from heaven emphasizes the urgency and importance of what follows (cf. ). Note that here he is called the angel of “the Lord” (cf. ), God’s covenant name last used in Genesis when the promised Isaac was born (). The strange God who tested Abraham once again shows himself to be the gracious Lord who keeps his promise ().
“Abraham, Abraham.” Compare the single “Abraham” of v . The urgent double call (cf. ; ) shows “the angel’s anxiety that he could be too late” (Jacob, 499).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 110.
天使说：「你不可在这童子身上下手。一点不可害他！现在我知道你是敬畏 神的了；因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。」
“Now I know”; cf. , where likewise the mention of God knowing is used more in the sense of confirming his knowledge.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 110.
天使说：「你不可在这童子身上下手。一点不可害他！现在我知道你是敬畏 神的了；因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。」
To “fear God” or “the Lord” is a very common expression in the OT and means to honor God in worship and in an upright life. Thus Abraham was worried about the behavior of the people of Gerar because he thought they had no fear of God (), while Joseph tries to reassure his brothers that he will treat them fairly because he fears God (). Perhaps the best parallel to this passage is , ; , in which Job is described as “blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.” Like Abraham, he also underwent a mysterious test of his loyalty to God.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 110.
亚伯拉罕举目观看，不料，有一只公羊，两角扣在稠密的小树中，亚伯拉罕就取了那只公羊来，献为燔祭，代替他的儿子。
Note how the narrative says nothing about Abraham’s reply or Isaac’s release. Abraham’s obedience proved, the story moves straight on to the substitute offering.
His subsequent action invites comparison with Noah. As soon as Noah left the ark, he offered sacrifice. Similarly, as soon as Abraham had unbound his son, he offered a sacrifice instead of his son. In both instances, the motives of the sacrifice are implied rather than explained. In both, they express devotion and gratitude and assure God’s benevolence toward future generations (). In sacrifice, the animal symbolically represented the offerer whose place it took. Here the ram replaces Isaac, so a full-grown ram, as opposed to a younger lamb, fittingly takes his place.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 110.
亚伯拉罕给那地方起名叫「耶和华以勒」，直到今日人还说：「在耶和华的山上必有预备。」
Abraham’s surprise at the remarkably convenient timing of the ram’s being trapped in the thicket has already been mentioned in v ; now he speaks for himself. Whether his “God will provide” (v ) should be taken as hope, prayer, or prophecy makes no difference. Like Hagar (), he has proved that the Lord does provide: she named a well as a perpetual reminder of the Lord’s saving concern; Abraham named the mountain. As already noted, the name Moriyyah (v ) is here alluded to in the name of the mountain (יהוה יראה Yahweh yireh). “In the mount of the Lord he may be seen.” Here the same root, ראה “see, provide,” is used in the niphal, which is regularly used of the Lord appearing to men (cf. ; ; ), thus making a link backward with Abraham’s past experience and forward to Israel’s future experiences on the mountain of God (, ; , , etc.).
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 110–111.