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Apocalypse of Abraham

About this book

Abraham’s Song of Praise

Chapter 17

1 And while he was still speaking (and) look, fire came toward us from every side, and a voice was in the fire like a voice of many waters, like the sound of the sea in its uproar.⁠ 2 And the angel knelt down with me and worshiped. 3 And I wanted to fall facedown on the earth, and the high place where we stood, [at one moment rose upright,] but at another rolled downward. 4 And he said: "Only worship, Abraham, and sing the song which I have taught you;" 5 because there was no earth to fall on. And I only worshiped, and sang the song which he had taught me. 6 And he said: "Recite without stopping." 7 And I recited, and he himself recited the song with me: 8 Eternal, Mighty, Holy El, God alone, Supreme! 9 You who are the source of Your own existence, incorruptible, spotless, Uncreated, pure, immortal, 10 Complete in Yourself, giving Yourself light; Without father, without mother, not born,⁠ 11 Exalted, fiery One! 12 Lover of humanity, kind, generous, jealous for me⁠ and very compassionate; 13 Eli, that is, My God-Eternal, mighty holy Sabaoth, full of glory. El, El, El, El, Jaoel! 14 You are He whom my soul has loved!⁠ Eternal Protector, 15 shining like fire, Whose voice is like the thunder, Whose appearance is like the lightning, all-seeing, 16 Who receives the prayers of those who honor You! [And turns away from the requests of those who hem You in with their provocations, 17 Who frees those living among the godless and those scattered throughout the world in the age subject to decay, renewing the age of the righteous!] 18 You, Light, shine before the light of the morning on Your creatures, [so that it becomes day on the earth,] 19 And in Your heavenly homes there is an inexhaustible light of indescribable splendor from the lights of Your face. 20 Accept my prayer [and be pleased with it], and also the sacrifice which You Yourself prepared through me as I searched for You! 21 Receive me kindly, and show me, and teach me, And tell Your servant as you have promised me!

Texts in conversation

Compare Exodus 34:6 and Apocalypse of Abraham 17:12

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

In Exodus, God describes himself to Moses as compassionate and generous as he renews his covenant with Israel at Sinai. In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham praises God with the same list of qualities in the song he sings in heaven.

Passages

Exodus 34:6

Hebrew Bible
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. 6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped 9 and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Exodus

Apocalypse of Abraham 17:12

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
8 Eternal, Mighty, Holy El, God alone, Supreme! 9 You who are the source of Your own existence, incorruptible, spotless, Uncreated, pure, immortal, 10 Complete in Yourself, giving Yourself light; Without father, without mother, not born, 11 Exalted, fiery One! 12 Lover of humanity, kind, generous, jealous for me and very compassionate; 13 Eli, that is, My God-Eternal, mighty holy Sabaoth, full of glory. El, El, El, El, Jaoel! 14 You are He whom my soul has loved! Eternal Protector, 15 shining like fire, Whose voice is like the thunder, Whose appearance is like the lightning, all-seeing, 16 Who receives the prayers of those who honor You! [And turns away from the requests of those who hem You in with their provocations, 17 Who frees those living among the godless and those scattered throughout the world in the age subject to decay, renewing the age of the righteous!]
70–150 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Apocalypse of Abraham

References

“... The whole clause (from “lover of men” to “compassionate”) contains a short summary of the divine attributes based upon Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7, a passage much used in later literature (cf. e. g. Wisdom xv. 1), and especially in the Liturgy; cf. 4 Ezra vii. 132-viii. 3 and the writer’s notes thereon. ...”
G. H. Box with J. I. Landsman, The Apocalypse of Abraham (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1918), PDF 37.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Exodus 34:6 and Apocalypse of Abraham 17:12

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