Abstract

Genesis 22 has always been an important text in Jewish-Christian polemics. Yet this text contains elements which are problematic to both traditions alike. One such problem is the exact reading and the exegesis of verse 12, 'Now I know that you fear God', which poses the problem of God's foreknowledge. Two possible vocalizations of the Hebrew produce either the reading 'I know' or 'I have made known'. The first one is the Masoretic reading of Genesis 22, the second one appears in different places in the Jewish tradition. In the Greek patristic tradition, 'You have made known' is also proposed, which could seem to hint at a different reading of the radicals in Hebrew. In Syriac however, two possible ways of vocalizing the radicals produce either 'I have made known' or 'You have made known', which suggests that the second reading in Greek specifically has a Syriac background. The first possibility, 'I have made known', though probably the original one, is never chosen by Syriac exegetes - because it was a well known Jewish solution to the problem and the Syrians were looking for a solution of their own? Another way of tackling the problem lay in the decision whether it was God himself or only an unknowing angel who spoke. But since the angel acted on God's behalf, not many exegetes found this an effective way to defend God's omniscience. The question of the audience of the proclamation when given either by God's angel or by Abraham himself also interested many exegetes in both traditions