Genesis 21:33--22:1

21:33 Abraham 1  planted a tamarisk tree 2  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, 3  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. 4 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested 5  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 6  replied.

Genesis 22:19

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together 7  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. 8 

1 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.

3 tn Heb “he called there in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

4 tn Heb “many days.”

7 sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.

8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

10 tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

11 tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.