Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν : A stereotyped phrase in Jewish literature. οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη : the writer is referring to the well-known Jewish doctrine of זכות (Zecûth), on this subject see Introduction IV., § 2. ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ …: on this subject an example of Jewish haggadic treatment may be of interest: “When Abraham finally held the knife over his beloved son, Isaac seemed doomed, and the angels of heaven shed tears which fell upon Isaac's eyes, causing him blindness in later life. But their prayer was heard. The Lord sent Michael the archangel to tell Abraham not to sacrifice his son, and the dew of life was poured on Isaac to revive him. The ram to be offered in his place had stood there ready, prepared from the beginning of Creation (Aboth, James 2:6). Abraham had given proof that he served God not only from fear, but also out of love, and the promise was given that, whenever the ‘Aḳedah [= the “binding,” i.e., of Isaac] chapter was read on New Year's day, on which occasion the ram's horn is always blown, the descendants of Abraham should be redeemed from the power of Satan, of sin, and of oppression, owing to the merit of him whose ashes lay before God as though he had been sacrificed and consumed,” Pesiḳ. R., § 40 (quoted in Jewish Encycl., i. 87 a). It is interesting to notice that even in the Talmud (e.g., Ta‘anir, 4 a) the attempted sacrifice of Isaac is regarded also from a very different point of view, such words as those of Jeremiah 19:5; Micah 6:7, being explained as referring to this event (see further Proceedings of the Soc. of Bibl. Arch., xxiv. pp. 235 ff.).

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Old Testament