The Sacrifice of Isaac, from The Authorized Version

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AND the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.* And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

from The Authorized Version 1611

From Genesis 22:1-14 in the Authorised Version (1611).

* If we accept the Talmudic interpretation mentioned earlier, God is not praising Abraham for being ready to sacrifice Isaac. He is praising him for going through the whole charade without at any time thinking that Isaac was at risk — a man of less faith might have played it safe, just in case God was of like mind to Baal and other cruel deities.

Précis

Before Abraham could strike with the knife, an angel voice came from heaven commanding him to stop, as he had demonstrated all that God had wished to see. The voice then told Abraham to look up, and when he did he saw a ram caught in the bush, which he took and offered to God instead of Isaac.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

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