Genesis 22 Act 1-11 Analysis

STRUCTURE

Prologue: 22:1

Act I: Ordeal/Crisis, 22:2-10 Act II: Resolution, 22:11-18

Epilogue: 22:19

Separate Pericope: 22:20-24

This passage is a mixture of dialogue and narrative. The narrative helps provide structure to the story while the narrative is crucial in highlighting important meaning. I propose that the main body of the narrative reads like a two-act drama, vv. 2-10 forming the first act and vv. 11-18 forming the second act. Verse 19 serves as an epilogue with Abraham returning to Beersheba. This first scene includes the basic instructions given to Abraham and Abraham’s compliance with the divine instructions. This is divided into sections of narrative report (vv. 3-4), instructions to the servants (v. 5), narrative

The list of descendants establishes several connections between Abraham and his family in the east, the most important of which will be Rebekah and her immediate family. While disconnected from vv. 1-19 the news of the expanding family of Nahor, Abraham would know how to ensure that the promise of God would continue after he and Sarah were gone. Specifically, with the inclusion of Rebekah, whom we later read marries Isaac and furthers the expansion of Abraham’s

2, 12, 16). This description of Isaac would have become more painful for Abraham with each use. Moreover, the use of “his son” in vv. 3, 6, 9, 10, and “my son” in v. 7, further illustrates the difficulty of the test; the long awaited son of Abraham would be the victim. It is the use of the word “only” which leads me to agree with von Rad that this story would not work with any child, but relies especially on Isaac. Isaac was more than just a child to be sacrificed but he was the tangible fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Von Rad writes, “Isaac is the child of the promise. In him every saving thing that God has promised to do is invested and guaranteed. The point here is not a natural gift, not even the highest, but rather the disappearance from Abraham’s life of the whole promise…”