As a fun fact, some interpretations say that by binding Isaac and being ready to proceed, Abraham failed the test, either in the eyes of God or at the very least in the eyes of the author. The second verse has God saying (JPS Contemporary Torah)
Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love […]
[emphasis mine]
And after stopping him, the angel (which is identified with God) says
I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.
The description of Abraham’s love for Isaac is missing, despite identical phrasing (also in Hebrew) otherwise. It’s as if God (or the author) is taunting Abraham.
This also raises a concern about God’s omniscience; he says “now I know that you fear God”, as if he wasn’t previously sure. There are many ways to resolve this, but the Bible is just very inconsistent everywhere.
As a fun fact, some interpretations say that by binding Isaac and being ready to proceed, Abraham failed the test, either in the eyes of God or at the very least in the eyes of the author. The second verse has God saying (JPS Contemporary Torah)
And after stopping him, the angel (which is identified with God) says
The description of Abraham’s love for Isaac is missing, despite identical phrasing (also in Hebrew) otherwise. It’s as if God (or the author) is taunting Abraham.
This also raises a concern about God’s omniscience; he says “now I know that you fear God”, as if he wasn’t previously sure. There are many ways to resolve this, but the Bible is just very inconsistent everywhere.