Texts in Conversation
Genesis 18 describes Abraham “standing in front of God.” This is one of the “tiqqun soferim,” or scribal corrections, which removed language about God that makes him look human. The original version likely described God standing in front of Abraham.
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Genesis 18:22
Hebrew Bible
20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 21 that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.” 22 The two men turned and headed toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the godly along with the wicked?
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Onkelos Genesis 18:22
Targum
20 And the Lord said, The cry of Sedom and Amorah [is heard before Me] because it is great, and the guilt of them is very mighty: 21 I will now see, and will judge, whether they do according to the report of them which hath ascended before me. I will deal with them thoroughly unless they convert; but if they convert, I will not punish. 22 And the men turned away from thence, and went toward Sedom. And Abraham yet ministered in prayer before the Lord. 23 And Abraham approached, and said, Wilt Thou, in anger, destroy the righteous with the guilty?
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The Aramaic replaces the Hebrew “standing [before the Lord],” which is anthropomorphic, with “serving [or, worshiping] with prayer.” Saadiah has “standing in prayer.” Sforno comments that even though the angels already reached Sodom, Abraham prayed; because the Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 10a) states that one should pray even when a swinging sword is just short of one’s neck. Rashi points out that it was God who was standing before Abraham (since God revealed Himself to Abraham in verse 1), and not Abraham standing before God, but the ancient scribes emended the biblical text for the sake of God’s dignity ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Genesis: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 105) Gefen, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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