Galatians, Volume 41 by Richard N. Longenecker

Author:Richard N. Longenecker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006070 Religion / Biblical Commentary / New Testament
Publisher: Zondervan

Excursus: Abraham’s Faith and Faithfulness in Jewish Writings and in Paul

The esteem with which Abraham was held and the role he played in Jewish thought is clearly set out in Sir 44:19–21: “Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations, tarnished not his glory; who kept the commandment of the Most High and entered into covenant with Him: in his flesh He engraved him an ordinance, and in trial he was found faithful. Therefore with an oath He promised him ‘to bless the nations in his seed’, to multiply him ‘as the dust of the earth’, and to exalt his seed ‘as the stars’; to cause them to inherit ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth’” (tr. G. H. Box and W. O. E. Oesterley in APOT 1:483). Cf. Jub. 23.10: “For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all the days of his life” (tr. R. H. Charles in APOT 2:48); 1 Macc 2:52: “Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness?” (tr. W. O. E. Oesterley in APOT 1:74).

In rabbinic writings, Abraham is often affectionately called “a bag of myrrh,” for “just as myrrh is the most excellent of spices, so Abraham was the chief of all righteous men” (Cant. Rab. 1.13). As early as Shemaiah and Abtalion, the immediate predecessors to Hillel and Shammai in the line of rabbinical succession in m’Abot; 1.10–12, questions as to the nature of Abraham’s faith and the relation of merit to that faith were being discussed among the Pharisees.

Two emphases with regard to Abraham are constantly made in the literature of Judaism: (1) that Abraham was counted righteous because of his faithfulness under testing; and (2) that Abraham’s faith spoken of in Gen 15:6 must be coupled with his acceptance of circumcision as referred to in the covenant of Gen 17:4–14. The tests, or trials, of Abraham are usually considered to be ten in number, but there is no agreement in the various passages as to exactly what these ten were (though the tenth is always the “ʿAqēdâ Isaac” or “Binding of Isaac”). Furthermore, Abraham’s faithfulness under testing is always presented as being meritorious, both for Abraham himself and for his posterity.

In Exod. Rab. 44.4 (on Exod 32:13), for example, there is a long parable attributed to Rabbi Abin in the name of Rabbi Aha that well illustrates the Jewish attitude toward the merit of Abraham’s faithfulness. It is a tale about a king whose friend deposited with him ten pearls and afterwards died. After his friend’s death the king married the man’s only daughter, making her his chief lady and giving her a necklace of ten pearls. But alas, the lady later lost the pearls, and the king in his anger sought to banish her from his presence. Her best friend, however, came to plead her cause before the king; and when he saw how adamant the king was,

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