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The Apocalypse of Abraham deliberately imitates the style of Genesis by repeating the double call of Abraham’s name. This emphasizes the divine encounter, following a pattern found throughout the Hebrew Bible and connecting the Apocalypse with those traditions.
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Genesis 22:11
Hebrew Bible
9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 12 “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Apocalypse of Abraham 9:1
Pseudepigrapha
1 Then came a voice saying to me twice, “Abraham, Abraham!” 2 And I said “Here am I!” 3 And he said, “Behold, it is I! Fear not, for I am the primordial and mighty God, who initially created the two luminaries of the world. 4 I protect you and I am your helper. 5 Go, take for me a heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and ram in his third year, and a turtledove, and a pigeon, and set out for me a pure sacrifice. And in this sacrifice I shall set before you the ages
Date: 70-150 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The repetition of Abraham’s name in Genesis 22:11 has been traditionally interpreted as a reflection of the angel’s cry of urgency. However, based on similar examples of the double vocative in the Hebrew bible, it may perhaps reflect the hesitancy, arising from the right fear of God, of the addressee. Since the addressee fails to respond the first time out of sheer fear of the divine presence, the divine being is forced to repeat the name. Therefore, God calls out the names of Jacob, Moses, and Samuel twice. Consequently, the name repetition in the story of the Aqedah may actually be a sign of Abraham’s fearful disposition rather than the urgency of the situation. If this reading is correct, then Abraham may not have demonstrated the right fear initially in verse 1, where he responds after God calls him once, “Abraham.” It is only with the test to offer his precious son, Isaac, that Abraham comes to experience the fear of God. This is why the angel had to call out his name twice before Abraham was able to respond ..."
Joo, Samantha
"Abraham! Abraham!": Re-Analysis of Gen. 22:11
(pp. 66-79) Korea Presbyterian Journal of Theology, Vol. 42, 2011
* 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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