Retelling the Akedah

The Akedah, or the binding of Isaac, in Genesis 22 often provokes discomfort due to its depiction of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son, raising unsettling questions about divine morality or foreknowledge. In response, later interpretations frequently either remove God as the direct source of the test or fill in narrative gaps to resolve its theological tensions. Some shift the instigation to Satan or an angel, distancing God from the appearance of giving an arbitrary test; others explicitly insert divine foreknowledge or inner dialogue to reassure readers that God is not capricious or ignorant, but remains just and omniscient throughout the ordeal.