Then a voice came to me speaking twice: “Abraham, Abraham!” And I said: “Here am I!” And He said: “Behold, 1it is I1; fear not,2 for I am before the worlds, 3 and a mighty God who hath created 4the light of the world.4 I am a shield over thee,2 and I am thy helper. Go, take me a young heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove and a pigeon,5 and bring me a pure sacrifice. And in this sacrifice I will lay before thee the ages (to come), and make known to thee what is reserved, and thou shalt see great things which thou hast not seen (hitherto);6 because thou hast loved to search me out, and I have named thee my Friend.7 But abstain 8 from every form of food that proceedeth out of the fire, and from the drinking of wine, and from anointing (thyself) with oil, forty days,”9 and then set forth for me the sacrifice which I have commanded thee, in the place which I will shew thee, on a high mountain,10 and there I will shew thee the ages which have been created and established, 11made and renewed,11 by my Word,12 and13 I will make known to thee what
K, I am with thee. Cf. Gen. xv. 1. Or ages (“æons”). A, the first light: K, in the beginning heaven and earth and the n t he f ir s t l uminary of light and of the world (cf. Gen. i. 1 f.). The reference is apparently to the created (not the uncreated) light. For the latter cf. note on chap. xvii. Cf. Gen. xv. 9. The r ev el at i on m ade to Abraham which is described in Gen. xv. 9 f. early became a favourite theme for apocalyptic speculation, and an intimation was discovered in the p as s age of Israel’s later captivity and subjection to the four oppressive w o rld-powers of the Book of Daniel (see the Targums ad loc.). This apocalypti c e x p e r i e n c e o f Abraham is referred to in 4 Ezra iii. 14 (and unto him [Abraham] only didst thou reveal the end of the times s e cr et ly b y n ight). Accordin g to the Ap. Bar. iv. 4 the heavenly Jerusalem was shown to Abraham “by nigh t among the portions of the victims.” O r “ lo v er.” Abraham, as God’s chosen friend (or “lover of God,” cf. 2 Chron. xx. 7, Is. xli. 8, E p. James ii. 23) can receive special revelation; for the juxtaposition of the two ideas cf. 4 Ezra iii. 14. Or refrain thyself. By every form of food that proceedeth out of the fire, flesh-meat is no doubt m eant. Fasting as a preparat i on for the reception of a divine revelation was much practised by the apocalyptists. In 4 Ez r a f o u r f as t s o f seven days followed in each case by a divine revelation are referred to. Here, it is to be noted, the period is one of forty days. For th e ter m s h er e used cf. 4 Ezra ix. 24. Anointing the body (especially the face) with oil was a mark of joy used in connexi on wit h feasting (cf. Eccles. ix. 8, Ps. xxiii. 5, Amos vi. 6), and omitted in mourn in g as a sign of grief (cf. 2 Sam. xiv. 2, Dan. x. 3). Cf. Gen. xxii. 2. A omits. The “Word” of God here has a quasi-person a l significance; cf. 4 Ezra vi. 38 (“and thy Word, O Lord, perfected the work”), 43, etc. and omitted by A.
shall come to pass in them on those who have done evil and (practised) righteousness in the generation of men. Abraham, under the Direction of the Angel Jaoel, proceeds to Mount Horeb, a Journey of Forty Days, to offer the Sacrifice (Chapters X.-XII.).