Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT earthlink.net>]

Hi Lee,  Good to hear from you!  you wrote,

<snip>

> 3- The second clause is where I need your help.  It is a
x-qatal clause.
> "and God tested Abram."
> 4- The third clause begins with wayyiqtol, which suggests
the beginning
> of the narrative proper. "And God said to him, "Abram..."
>
> I am thinking that the second clause is the apodosis (a la
Niccacci) to
> the first clause.  The two clauses go together to form the
> introduction/background/setting for the narrative that
begins with the
> third clause.  I might paraphrase the interpretation
thusly: "After
> these events, the testing of Abraham happened."
>

I agree that the story line begins witht he wayyiqtol.  It
is typical of Biblical narrative not only in the use of the
wayyiqtol for the mainline of action but also in that the
narrative is initiated by God's speaking.  IOW, when the
Lord speaks, things begin to happen!--this is often the way
of Biblical narrative.

As for the X-qatal about which you ask specifically, I don't
think it is used in Gen 22 to set the time of the narrative
as I think you are suggesting.  It would be unusual in this
function because there is no preposition ki before the
qatal.

You may remember that my understanding of the qatal form is
that it expresses an attribute of the subject, so that
nissah would mean something like "he is (was) a tester."  We
may think of the X-qatal in question as expressing the role
of (the) God in the narrative that is to follow.  The
X-qatal then speaks of God, or more specifically, *the* God,
in an introductory way that qualifies rather than summarizes
the narrative to follow: "It was (the) God who was tester of
Abraham."  Other X-qatals that are used in a qualifying
manner (sometimes temporally, sometimes not) to open
narratives include, Gen 1:1, 3:1, 24:1, 32:1, 34:5, 36:2.

I agree with Naama in the sense that such a qualifying
statement is necessary at the beginning of this particular
narrative, but I take a little different twist on it.  I
think the narrator's audience believes the Canaanites
sacrifice children to the Canaanite gods.  To avoid the
misconception that a god of the Canaanites is requiring
Abraham to offer Isaac to 'elohim, the narrator clarifies
for his audience with the introductory clause; veha'elohim
nissah 'et 'abraham "It was *the* God who..." Interestingly,
the name YHVH does not appear until the angel of YHVH halts
the sacrifice of Isaac.  I might call it the narrator's
aversion to associating YHVH with child sacrifice, but I
prefer to say that the narrative is about proceeding by
faith, quite blindly, until one finally sees and
understands.  It is not until the angel of YHVH stops
Abraham that Abraham finally and really begins to see YHVH
at work.  Abraham finally sees what YHVH and we the audience
saw all along, that this was a test.  No wonder Abrahm calls
the Lord YHVH yir'eh, "YHVH sees" (even when His servants do
not).

Shalom,
Bryan



B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

(office) 315.437.6744
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