Bible Quiz #7-- Sacrifice of Isaac

Detail from Tiepolo's "The Sacrifice of Isaac"

[See "Bible Quiz #6 -- Sodom & Gomorrah"]

In addition to its obvious religious importance, the Bible is a significant work of literature. However, much of what we know about the Bible is through hearsay and forgotten lessons. The following is an educational lesson of sorts. It is in "quiz" format, but it will not affect your grade point average.

The Bible in this case refers to the Hebrew Scriptures: the TANACH. For the translation from Hebrew, I will use the Jewish Publication Society's version (2001) of the Masoretic Hebrew text. This quiz will only cover the passages regarding the events leading up to and including the  attempted sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham in Genesis 20-22.

I will provide some insight into TANACH passages that are hidden from English readers. If your computer screen does not display the Hebrew characters correctly, it's no big deal, since you cannot read them anyway, right?


For atheists, don't slink away. This is not a religious or theological lesson, nor a conversion attempt. It's just a parsing of a unique piece of literature from a unique perspective.

QUESTIONS

1. What lie does Abraham tell to King Abimelech of Gerar?

2. When God appears to King Abimelech in a dream, what term does He use for the first time when referring to Abraham?

3. What pre-marital relationship between Abraham and Sarah is revealed?

4. Why did Abraham and Sarah name their son Isaac?

5. Why did Abraham expel his son Ishmael and Ishmael's mother Hagar?

6. How many days did it take Abraham to reach the place where he was to sacrifice Isaac?

7. How does God stop Abraham from killing Isaac?

ANSWERS

1. Abraham tells the King Abimelech that his wife Sarah is his sister.

As he had lied to the Pharaoh (Genesis 12:12-13), Abraham again tries to pass his wife off as his sister because he fears he will be killed . Just as it went badly in Egypt (the Pharaoh attempted to make Sarah his concubine), King Abimelech does the same thing.
Genesis 20:2
 

2. God refers to Abraham as a prophet.

God tells the king in a dream that Abraham will one day save his life, because Abraham is a prophet. This is the first time this term is used in the Bible.
Genesis 20:7

3. Sarah is Abraham's half-sister.

When King Abimelech challenges Abraham to give his reasons for referring to Sarah as his sister instead of his wife, Abraham explains that, technically, Sarah is actually his half-sister, the daughter of his father (with different mothers).
Genesis 20:12-13

　

4. God commands that Abraham and Sarah name their child Isaac.
One year before Isaac's birth, God said to Abraham: "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac."
Genesis 17:19

　

Issac's Name: Isaac (pronounced Yitzhak in Hebrew) is translated as "he will laugh." When God first predicts Isaac's birth, Abraham "threw himself on his face and laughed" at the notion of a 100-year-old father and a 90-year-old mother. [Genesis 17:17] When the three angels visit Abraham, one repeats the prediction of Isaac's birth, and Sarah, eavesdropping, laughs. When the angel repeats the prediction (now made for the third time), he questions why she had laughed. She lies about it, but the angel insists that she had laughed. [Genesis 18:12-15] When Isaac is finally born -- a year later, as foretold -- Sarah says: "God has brought me laughter; everyone who hears will laugh with me." [Genesis 21:6]

　

Hidden song: There is a hidden poem or song by Sarah after the birth of Isaac. [Genesis 21:7] It is not as obvious in translation, but in the original Hebrew she utters three short clauses of three words each:

Who would have said to Abraham

That Sarah would suckle children

Yet I have borne a son in his old age

　

5. Sarah requests the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, and God tells Abraham to follow Sarah's wishes.
Sarah fears that Ishmael will share in her son Isaac's inheritance from Abraham, so she wants him expelled and disinherited. When Abraham agonizes over the decision, God tells him to do as Sarah wishes, and that He will ensure the safety and well-being of Ishmael.
Genesis 21:10-12

　

6. It took Abraham three days to reach the place of sacrifice.
Abraham traveled three days with Isaac, a donkey, and two servants before reaching the location selected by God.
Genesis 22:4
 

7. An angel calls out from heaven to stop Abraham.

An angel calls out Abraham's name twice, and then orders him: "Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him." There is no physical intercession.
Genesis 22:11-12
 

Abraham's silence: During the entire episode of the Sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham utters only one word to God: When God first calls to him, Abraham responds "הנני" ("Here I am.") [Genesis 22:1]. When approaching the place of sacrifice, Isaac calls out to Abraham, and he again responds with "Here I am, son." [Genesis 22:7] When the angel calls to Abraham to stop the sacrifice, Abraham responds a third time: "Here I am." It is the only word he utters to the angel. [Genesis 22:11]