Abraham's wife: biblical history, etymology of the name Sarah, biography, family and divine destiny

Abraham kills Isaac

Abraham- in the Pentateuch, the founder of the Jewish people, the first of the three patriarchs. It is also considered the ancestor of the Arabs and Arameans. Abraham is seen in Jewish tradition not only as the founder of the Jewish people, but also as the founder of Judaic monotheism. The post-biblical tradition ascribes to him the discovery of the existence of a single God, the creator of earth and heaven and the ruler of the world.

Descendant of Eber (Ever), great-grandson of Shem, the first son of Noah. His original name was Abram, he was born in the Chaldean city of Ur in South. Mesopotamia. There he married Saraya, whom God later gave the name Sarah. Living among the pagan world, Abraham began to preach faith in the One God. Abram, at the age of 75, left his homeland and, accompanied by his wife and nephew Lot, crossed the Euphrates to the territory of Canaan. From this came his nickname Avram-ha-ivri - "arrived from the other side of the river." Not far from Shechem, God again appeared to Abram and promised to give all of Canaan to his descendants, then he promised him to make his offspring countless, "like the sand of the earth." The promise was sealed with an alliance (covenant). But, nevertheless, Abraham did not have children for a long time. The biblical stories about Abraham contain many stories that have become the basis of many works of art, this is the abduction of Sarah's wife, and the expulsion of Hagar - the concubine who gave birth to the first-born Abraham Ismail - after the birth of his son Isaac by his wife Sarah; but the story of the sacrifice of Isaac, which was to be performed by the father on the orders of God, was especially popular, but at the last moment the angel took his hand away, instructing him to be circumcised instead of sacrificing the firstborn as a sign that the descendants of Abraham remember the covenant. The biblical narrative vividly expresses Abraham's unparalleled loyalty and devotion to God. Despite all the trials, he unquestioningly carries out the orders of Jehovah. Death befell Abraham at the age of 175, and he was buried by Isaac and Ismail in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron next to the tomb of Sarah.

About why indications of the age of persons about whom the Bible narrates are so important, that little Abram answered Nimrod, what events are connected with the places where he stopped, about “good” and “evil” old age, “Chaldean fire” and “stolen saints” ” says Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev, continuing to analyze the Book of Genesis, chapter 12.

The meaning of age

“And Abram went, as the Lord told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran."(Gen. 12:4).

Some clarification for bible lovers. If the Bible says the age of a person, then, as a rule, the Bible praises him.

« Get out of your land, says the Lord. Our land, that is, our body, before baptism was the land of the dying, but after baptism it became the land of the living. This is what the psalmist says about her: But I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living(Ps. 26:13). Through baptism, as I said, we have become a land of the living and not of the dead, a land of virtues and not of vices—unless, by being baptized, we return to the mire of vices; unless, having become the land of the living, we do not do the shameful and destructive deeds of death. [And go] to the land that I will show you, says the Lord. And it is true that we will then gladly enter the land that the Lord will show us when, with His help, we first expel sins and vices from our land, that is, our body, ”writes Caesar of Arles.

The words: "and Lot went with him" - it must be understood that Lot did not follow God, but his uncle, that is, "for the company."

It says here that Abram is 75 years old. Usually people think that 50 years, 60 - and that's it, life is already ending. Avram's life is just beginning! He will live 175 years! All life ahead - a whole century!

Jews believe that he should have lived 180 years. Why do they insist on it? After all, the Scripture directly says that he died at 175! Because it is said that Abraham died in a “good old age” (Gen. 15:15). What is meant? His son Ishmael, the eldest son born of Hagar, led a life of crime. But towards the end of his life, he experienced repentance and conversion to God. And when it is said about the burial of Abraham, it is said: “And Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite, which is against Mamre” (Gen. 25: 9). And the fact that the name of Isaac comes first, and Ishmael - the second, means that Ishmael recognized the spiritual primacy of Isaac, as he experienced repentance. Indeed, it is a good old age. But where does the five years, about which the Jews sometimes argue?

If after us there are bad grandchildren, ill-bred children, this means: an unkind old age

At this time, a boy named Esau was running in Abraham's family. He was young (15 years old). Esau and Jacob are the children of Isaac, the son of Abraham. The Jews say: “Esau - oh, he was a nice, kosher, pretty boy! Understanding what is permitted and what is not permitted. It hasn't gone bad yet! But if it had deteriorated and grandfather Abraham saw it, it would have been bad old age!" That is, if we die and after us there are bad grandchildren, ill-bred children, this is what it means: an unkind old age. But if we die and our loved ones bury us with prayer, with reverence, with zeal, this is a good old age, which can be expected for every person.

As I said, if the Bible gives a person's age, it wants to praise him. For example, when the Bible speaks of the circumcision of Ishmael, the son of Hagar, it is said that he was 13 years old (see: Gen. 17:25). And the commentators asked the question: why did Moses specify that he was exactly 13 years old? what can this teach us?

At the age of 13, he could be frightened of what was happening, he could run away - they circumcised all men! But he, as an adult, stood in line, and Abraham circumcised him. And to praise him, this clarification is given: “He was thirteen years old when his foreskin was circumcised” (Genesis 17:25). So every digit of Scripture and every letter and word is of great importance to us, just as Christ said: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled. » (Matthew 5:18).

“Not one iota or one tittle shall pass from the law until all- by comparison with this letter (י) it is shown that even that which seems to be the smallest in the law is full of spiritual mysteries and everything will be condensedly repeated in the Gospel,” writes Blessed Jerome.

What god do you believe in?

And Abram - and this was a man to whom it was foretold that in him all the tribes of the earth would be blessed - comes out of Haran. In the Book of Genesis, Abram is the ancestor of the Jews, the first Jew, together with his father Terah, wife Sarah and nephew Lot went to Canaan (see: Gen. 11: 31).

Farrah ( Terah) died on the way to Harran. There, God commanded Abram to leave the country, promising to make his offspring a great nation.

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran (see Gen. 12:4). A Farre ( Terahu) was 70 years old when Abram was born (see: 11:26). So Terah was 145 years old when Abram left Haran, and he still had many years to live. Why does Scripture speak of Terah's death before Abram's departure? So that everyone would not know about this, so that they would not say that Abram did not fulfill the duty of honoring his father, left him in his old age and left. Therefore Scripture speaks of him as dead. It must be understood that he was spiritually dead, that is, he remained a pagan. Therefore, Abram could leave him; cf.: “And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him” (Matt. 4:22); and again: “And whoever leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for the sake of my name, will receive an hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19: 29).

Abraham, then a 75-year-old man, went to Canaan with Sarah and Lot. Near Shechem, God appeared to him again and promised the whole country as an inheritance to his descendants (see: Gen. 12:1-9). It was not just an exodus, but rather it looked like an escape, an exile.

How does this exile take place?

This is not described in the Bible, but legends have been preserved about this event, which are the same for different ethnic and religious groups. Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike tell about the flight of Abram, referring to the ancients. These are stories about Abram's childhood, very interesting stories. We find something similar in the Facial Vault of John IV the Terrible (XVI century), in Blessed Jerome and in the Tolkova Paley (XI-XII centuries), in St. Demetrius of Rostov in his wonderful “Kelein Chronicler”.

When Abram was a little boy, his father Terah (Terah) was engaged in selling idols: he made them and sold them. And so little Abram once sat, looked out the window and thought about God: “Which of the gods to choose, who to worship?” He saw the stars, the moon. What a beauty! And he thought: “Here is my god - the moon! The stars will help her!

But the moon and stars had set, and Abram said:

I don't like the gods that come in!

The sun appeared - the ancient Egyptians revered the sun as the god Ra, the Slavs, our ancestors, revered the sun as the god Yarilo. But the sun has set...

And then the little boy understood what many could not understand, how can we read it from; the inner voice of conscience prompted this little boy idea of ​​the unity of God. Young Abram realized that God is the One who created the sun, and the stars, and the moon, and the earth.

And he destroyed in his father's shop, while he was not at home, all the idols. There was also a large idol that Abram could not move. And when the father returned, looked at the mess he had made, and sternly asked little Abram: “Who did this?” Abram replied:

This big one killed all the little ones!

The father then exclaimed:

Are you laughing at me? He can't walk!

To which Abram, this servant of God, reasonably remarked:

And what, father, do you worship him if he cannot even walk?

There was a scandal: the inhabitants of Ur of the Chaldees learned about what had happened. According to ancient tradition, the ruler of Ur of the Chaldees was then none other than Nimrod, the builder of the Tower of Babel. And so he called Abram for interrogation.

Little Abram stands before the tyrant, and he asks him:

What God do you believe in? Answer child!

And Abram said:

I believe in a God who gives life and takes it away.

Then Nimrod says:

So it's me! I give life when I abolish execution, and I put to death when I pronounce the death sentence!

The boy looked at this pagan monster and said to him:

And then the boy said to the ruler: “The sun rises in the east. Command it to rise in the west!”

The sun rises in the east. Command it to rise in the west!

And this ruler became terribly angry and ordered to kindle the hearth that he had, and threw Abram into this furnace.

The fact is that the word "ur" can mean "fire", and this name Ur Kazdim (Ur of the Chaldees) can mean "Chaldean fire". And when the Scripture says that he left Ur of the Chaldees, it can be translated so that he fled from there, fleeing the fire.

St. Demetrius of Rostov wrote in the “Secret Chronicler”: “... the Chaldeans were angry with Abram for the destruction of their idols and threw him into the fire, but he came out of there, preserved by the power of God unharmed from the fire.”

And now this tyrant looks at Abram, Abram, like those three youths in the oven in the days of the prophet Daniel (see: Dan. 3: 92), walks, prays, glorifies the one Lord ... Then Nimrod calls him from there and says:

Get out with your family so you're not here!

Blessed Jerome wrote: “Thus, the tradition of the Jews, about which I said above, is true, that Terah went out with his sons from the “Chaldean fire” and that Abram, being in the midst of the Babylonian fire, because he did not wish him (the fire - the deity of the Chaldeans. - prot. O.S.) to worship, was freed thanks to God's help; and from the time when he confessed the Lord ... the days of his life and age are calculated.

“And from the time when he confessed the Lord, the days of life and age are numbered”

That is, no matter how old you are - 15 or 70 - true life begins when ("the days of his life and age are numbered"), when a person turns from the darkness of unbelief to the Divine light ("from the time when he confessed the Lord").

I remember when I was a child my grandmother called me to the church gatehouse:

Let's go have tea with the girls.

I happily agreed. We go into the gatehouse, and there are only grandmothers of 70-80 years old. And I asked:

Where are the girls?

Grandma said:

Everything is in front of you! - And pointed to the old women.

One of them says:

We are all girls here! I became a believer ten years ago, someone else is younger.

We cannot buy eternal life at the price of temporal life. We cannot buy imperishable life at the price of a perishable life, no matter how well we live here! We cannot buy life in Heaven at the cost of life on earth! These are incommensurable and incomparable things! Therefore, whether there were exploits of Abram, were there not these exploits - God chose this man! And this man followed Him.

A few words about the "stolen saints"

By the way, the Russian people most of all love those saints who have not been stolen from us. I will explain what I mean. I completely agree with Professor A.I. Osipov, who says that when the lives of the saints were compiled in the 17th century, many texts were copied from Catholic sources, where there were many incredible fantasies. And as a result, now we have stolen saints. What does "the stolen saint" mean? Here Simeon the New Theologian writes (I did not dare to quote his text without abbreviations):

I was a killer - listen up everyone!…
I was, alas, an adulterer in my heart...
I was a fornicator, a magician ...
The user of oaths and the money-grubber,
Thief, liar, shameless, kidnapper - woe is me! -
Offender, brother-hater,
filled with envy
Money-lover and doer
Any other kind of evil.
Yes, believe me, I'm telling the truth about it.
Without pretense and without deceit!

I read it and think: I should read his biography - when did he manage to do it? I open his biography: “From childhood, he attended a monastery, flourished with the greatest piety, reached the heights of spiritual life, was transferred to another monastery ... there he reached an even greater height and was returned to his monastery, where he labored in piety until death.”

Or, for example, I read Macarius the Great: “Everyone considers me holy and righteous, I am already many years old, and still lustful passions overcome me ...”

Saints have been stolen from us! This is a very serious problem. And the people feel it. Previously, in Russia, a book was read every day during the service, which was called the "Prologue". In this book, the life of a saint of one day or another was read. The Russian people now do not read anything from the Prologue, except for just one life! This life Reverend Mary Egyptian. Because nothing was stolen here, she is what she was. And such a life can inspire a sinful person to ask himself the question: “Why am I standing still? Why am I not doing anything to change my life?”

"And all the people they made"

And Abram took Sarah with him his wife, Lot , his brother's son (His brother is dead. - prot. O.S.), and all the property that they acquired, and all the people that they had in Haran"(Gen. 12:5).

Here, from Hebrew, you need to translate literally like this: "and all the people they made in Haran." And how to understand this: "made in Haran"?

If they say about a person: “He makes money”, this does not mean that he is a counterfeiter, right? He just knows how to earn them. And the words: “they took all the people they made in Haran” should be understood as follows: Abram preached Monotheism to men, faith in one God, and Sarah preached to women.

“This holy pair, coupled with flesh and spirit, Abraham and Sarah, was among the unfaithful generation like a creen in thorns, like a spark in ashes, and like gold between blat. While all the peoples turned away into idolatry and lived godlessly, committing unspeakable evil and unholy iniquities, they both knew the one God and believed in Him and faithfully served Him, pleasing good deeds. They praised and preached holy name Him and others to whom they could, instructing them in the knowledge of God. For the sake of this, God led them from one place to another.

And they, Abram and Sarah, created a religious community. And the word "Jew", indeed, in its original meaning does not mean a nation, but a religious affiliation. And Christians have never taken the word "Jew" or "Jew" as a designation of nationality.

The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans writes: “For it is not the Jew who is such in outward appearance, nor the circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh; but that Jew who is such inwardly, and that circumcision which is in the heart, according to the spirit, and not according to the letter: his praise is not from men, but from God” (Rom. 2:28-29). And the ancient prophets called on the so-called ethnic Jews (Jews): "Circumcise yourself for the Lord, and remove the foreskin from your heart" (Jer. 4: 4). Yes, they were circumcised - thus external form was kept, but their hearts were not circumcised to God.

In the land of Canaan

“And they went out to go into the land of Canaan; and came to the land of Canaan. And Abram went through this land [along its length] to the place of Shechem, to the oak forest of Sea. In this land then [lived] the Canaanites.(Gen. 12:5-6).

Abram seemed to be praying for places in which significant, and sometimes extremely dangerous events for his descendants then took place.

If we carefully write down all the stations of Abram, where he made altars, where he simply stopped for a while, and see where these places are found in the Bible, we will see that he, as it were, painted places in which some kind of very significant, and sometimes extremely dangerous events for his descendants.

Here is Seachem. In Shechem, nine-year-old Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, was raped when she went to see how the inhabitants of this area live. The prince of Shechem fell in love with this little Dinah, took her to him, abused her, but then he was frightened because of what he had done, and negotiations began.

Dinah's brothers Levi and Simeon, who were her brothers both by father and mother, found out what had been done to the nine-year-old Dina and decided to take revenge. They said to the inhabitants of Shechem: “We cannot do this, to marry our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for it is dishonorable for us” (Gen. 34:14).

And all the inhabitants of Shechem were circumcised. And when a person is circumcised, due to the peculiarities of physiology, he lies in a fever for three days, it is very difficult for him to move around. And when the circumcised inhabitants were in a fever, Levi and Simeon, the brothers of this girl, massacred all the men of Shechem. And then they gave the whole city to be plundered by their other brothers (see: Gen. 34: 18-31).

Of course, they had the right to take revenge on the rapist for their sister, but without this extreme cruelty! Later, the patriarch Jacob will say about them: “Cursed is their anger, for it is cruel, and their fury, for it is fierce” (Gen. 49: 7).

Shechem is also the "Oak Forest of the Sea", a place between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Upon entering the Promised Land, the descendants of Abraham cursed sinners on Mount Ebal and blessed on Mount Gerizim (Deut. 11:29).

And Abram stops at Shechem, he - God's prophet.

“And Abram went through this land [along its length] to the place of Shechem, to the oak forest of Sea. In this land then [lived] the Canaanites.(Gen. 12:6).

And why does Moses use this phrase: "there were Canaanites [living] in this land"?

Now, if, for example, we go out into the street, and I say: “But Uzbeks and Chechens recently stood here,” what does this mean? This means they are gone! And when Moses writes that the Canaanites were still living on that land, it means that they still continued to live when Moses wrote these words.

By this, the writer of everyday life Moses shows that the Canaanites captured this land. Remember how the Book of Acts says: “From one blood (that is, from the blood of Adam. - prot. O.S.) He (that is, the Lord. - prot. O.S.) made the whole human race to dwell on all the face of the earth, appointing predetermined times and limits for their dwelling ”(Acts 17: 26)? And this land, the holy land, was intended for the descendants of Shem, Eber and Abraham. Therefore, it is said here: “The Canaanites then lived in this land” - that is, they lived illegally.

“And the Lord appeared to Abram and said [to him], I will give this land to your offspring. And [Abram] built there an altar to the Lord who appeared to him.”(Gen. 12:7).

An altar is being built in Shechem to the Lord, and the Lord says that He will take care of Abram's offspring: "I will give this land to your offspring." That is, I’ll give it back later when I drive strangers off it.

“From there he moved to the mountain, east of Bethel; and pitched his tent so that from it Bethel was to the west, and Ai to the east; and built there an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.”(Gen. 12:8).

The words: "his tent" - must be understood in such a way that first he put up his wife's tent, then his own. In the spelling אָהֳלֹה, the letter ה " hat» at the end of a word instead of ו « wav" means: "her tent." First he pitched his wife's tent, and then his own. This is a lesson for husbands: take care of your wife first, then yourself. It is said: "Likewise, you husbands, treat your wives wisely, as with a weaker vessel, showing honor to them, as heirs together with the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered" (1 Pet. 3: 7). It turns out that if someone does not give way to a woman, for example, on a bus or subway, his prayers are imperfect.

Interesting lessons family life left for us these two righteous - Abraham and Sarah!

After the mixing of languages ​​\u200b\u200bof God in V-vi-lon, people, dividing into many nations, for-whether true-tin but th God and began to worship idols. Then the Lord said to Av-ra-mu: “Get out of your land. I pro-from-ve-du from you to a ve-li-kiy people, bless-go-words-lu-you and raise-ve-li-chu your name. With a faith and in a way, having received the faith of God, Av-ram left Ur from Khal-dei-sko-go and with his wife Sa -swarm and ple-myan-no-comm Lo-tom in-se-li-sya in the land of Ha-on-an-sky. Soon Lot from-de-lis-sya from Av-ra-ma, but the city where he se-lis-sya was captured by enemies, and Lot fell in captivity. Av-ram in-arms-lived his slaves, smashed the un-I-te-lei and freed Lo-ta. When Av-ram returned with a trouble, the kings came out to meet him. Mel-khi-se-dek, the king of Sa-lim-sky, the priest-nick of God All-above-no, you carried bread and vi-no and b-go-slo-vil Av-ra -ma. The Lord himself was with Ab-ra-m and made a covenant with him, saying: “Look at the sky and honor the stars, if only I - you eat, you will have so-so-to-tom-kov. ” (Under the name of his under-ra-zu-me-va-et-sya Church of the Lord). When Av-ra-mu was half-elk 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before the Face of Mo-im and be un-ro-chen: and I will set My covenant with that battle and will give you many offspring . Now you will not call yourself Av-ra-mom, but yes, you will be called Av-ra-am; for I will make you the father of many nations. (The name Av-ra-am means “father of a multitude”). Let your wife be named Sar-ra. And he will give birth to you son, and his name will be Isa-ak.

At the oak-ra-you Ma-m-re, where Av-ra-am poured, the Lord appeared to him under the guise of three countries-no-kov (pro-image Pre -Holy Troy). Having accepted with honor and generously treated the guests, Av-ra-am found the blessings of God. One of the guests said: “Next year, when I will be with you again at this time, your wife will have a son” . It was open to Av-ra-amu and about na-me-re-nii Gos-po-yes-gu-beat the inhabitants of the cities of So-do-ma and Go- mor-ry, dirty-shih in sin-heh. Av-ra-am is-pro-strength from-adding-le-niya from the ka-ry of his-th tribe-myan-ni-ka Lo-ta, someone lived a good life new in So-do-me. Two An-ge-la came to the house of Lo-ta in the form of countries-ni-kov. So-dom-liane began to demand you-da-chi them. Then An-ge-ly in-ra-zi-li so-dom-liang sle-po-that, and Lo-tu and his relatives-no-kam in-ve-le-whether to leave go-ro-yes in the mountains. “Save your soul and don’t look back,” they said. After their departure, yes, So-dom and Go-mor-ra would be like-ra-we-we-fallen from the sky with fire and gray, and the whole country is that kind of -ti-lass in the so-le-noe lake-ro (now the Dead Sea). Zhe-na Lo-ta did not use-half-ni-la in-ve-le-niya An-ge-la. Turning back, she turned into a so-la-pillar.

When Av-ra-amu was half a hundred years old, Sar-ra gave birth to his son Isa-a-ka. Then Av-ra-am told his servant Hagar, from whom he had a son, Is-ma-il, to leave the house. Lo-bya Av-ra-ama, the Lord brought from Is-ma-i-la many-number-numbers of Arabian peoples. And now, after many years of life, the Lord in-sy-la-et Av-ra-amu after her is-py-ta-nie, pre-eminently -ly usually-but-ven-no-go-lo-ve-ka. Is-py-you-vaya faith Av-ra-am, God called to him: “Take my sons on your-e-th-only-th-no-go, someone-ro-go you love, Isa-a-ka, go to the land of Mo-ria and there bring him to all-with-burning on one of the mountains, someone I am I’ll tell you.” Despite the great sorrow, Av-ra-am in-vi-no-val-sya in the Lord-under-her. Having come with his son to Mount Mo-ria (in the center of the now-nesh-not-go Ieru-sa-li-ma), he de-lo-lived a co-ster. And Isa-ak said to Av-ra-am: “My father! Here is fire and firewood, where is the lamb for all-burning? Av-ra-am answered: “God will provide for Se-be the lamb, my son.” Having tied up Isa-a-ka, Av-ra-am put him on a victim-vein-nick and, taking a knife, stretched out his hand to stab him. But at that moment he heard the voice of God: “Av-ra-am! Do not raise your hand to yours, for now I know that you are afraid of God and did not take pity on your son-e- the only one for Me.” Av-ra-am un-vya-hall Isa-a-ka and, having seen the ov-na, for-pu-tav-she-yu-sya in the bushes, brought him to all-so-burning -tion. And the Lord said: “I swear by me that since you did this deed and didn’t take pity on your son, your only one for Me nya, then I bless you, and bless the word in your se-me-or all the peoples of the earth because you listened to the voice of Mo-e-go.

A few years later, Sar-ra died, and Av-ra-am entered into a new marriage with Het-tu-swarm, from whom he had six more sons. Having lived for one hundred and seven-de-siat five years, Av-ra-am peace-but gave his spirit to the Lord in the way of God. From him, like ro-do-na-chal-ni-ka na-ro-yes of the Jews, Christ Himself came through the flesh, and everything is true-tin-but ve-ru -y-shchy in Christ-a-hundred na-zy-va-yut-sy-na-mi Av-ra-ama.

See also: "" in from-lo-same-nii svt. Di-mit-ria Rostov-sko-go.

ABRAAM AND SARAH

Many generations after Shem, Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldees. His wife Sarah was beautiful but childless. And God said to Abram:

Go out of your land and from your father's house to a land that I will show. I will make a great nation from you, and in you all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.

Abram took his wife, his nephew Lot, and set off from Haran in Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. They came to Shechem to the oak forest Mor E and God appeared there to Abram.

I will give all this land to your offspring, - said God.

And Abram built an altar to God.

From there Abram moved to the mountain east of Bethel and set up an altar between Bethel and Ai.

Famine was everywhere in the land of Canaan, Abram continued to move south until he came to Egypt.

And Abram said to Sarah:

When the Egyptians see your beauty, they will kill me. Say that you are not my wife, but my sister, and I will be saved.

In fact, at the sight of Sarah, the nobles ran to praise her to the pharaoh, and Sarah was immediately taken to his house.

Abram was well: he had small and large cattle, and donkeys, and slaves, and horses, and camels.

But things have gone wrong in Pharaoh's house since Sarah was taken there. Over time, the pharaoh guessed that Sarah was not a sister, but the wife of Abram.

Why didn't you tell me about it? - Pharaoh asked Abram. - I almost made her my wife.

I thought that in your places they are not afraid of God and they will kill me because of her, ”Abram answered.

Take it and leave, - Pharaoh ordered.

ABRAM AND LOT

Abram went up from Egypt to the place where he had previously set up an altar to God, between Bethel and Ai. Lot was with him with his tents and flocks. The property of both was so great that the land seemed small to them. The shepherds of Abram and the shepherds of Lot quarreled among themselves.

And Abram said to Lot:

Aren't we related?! Why strife? Go right and I go left, or go left and I go right. Is not the whole earth before us?

Lot raised his eyes, saw the land, watered with water, like God's garden, and went to the east.

He pitched his tents to Sodom, though the people of Sodom were evil. Abram remained in the land of Canaan.

Again, God promised Abram the land of Canaan.

Your offspring will be as numerous as the sand of the earth. Get up, walk this land in all its breadth - all will be yours, - God said.

PROMISE OF OFFERING

After these events, Abram fell asleep, and God appeared to him in a dream.

I am your shield, Abram, said the Lord, and your reward is great.

I have no children, Abram complained. Eliezer from Damascus is the heir in my house.

You will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. And I give you all this land, - God said.

SARAH AND HAGAR

But Avramov's wife Sarah remained childless. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram:

If it is not given to me to have children, let Hagar bear you a son.

As soon as Hagar became pregnant, she began to rise above her mistress.

It's all your fault," Sarah said to Abram.

Your servant, and do with her what you please, - answered Abram.

And Sarah began to oppress Hagar. She was so tormented that the maid ran away.

An angel found her in the desert at the source and ordered her to return to Sarah, to submit to her.

And the angel said:

A son will be born to you, name him Ishmael.

Hagar bore a son to Abram, and they named him Ishmael. Abram was then eighty-six years old.

A NEW PROMISE OF OFFERING

Abram was ninety-nine years old when God appeared to him again and said:

I will make you the father of many nations, kings will come from you. And you will no longer be called Abram, but Abraham will be your name. And call your wife no more Sarah, for her name is now Sarah. I will bless her and in a year at this very time I will give you a son from her, whom you will call Isaac.

Abraham prostrated himself and laughed:

Is it possible that a hundred-year-old will have a son and a ninety-year-old Sarah will she really give birth? May Ishmael be alive and well.

Ishmael is destined to have a large offspring. Twelve princes will be in his family, - said God. - But Sarah will bear you a son.

GUESTS

In the hot part of the day, Abraham was sitting by his tent, and suddenly he saw three men in front of him. Abraham rushed to them and bowed to the ground.

Lord! - said Abraham, because all three were one God. - If I have found a blessing in your eyes, do not pass by the house of your servant!

Abraham hurried to Sarah, ordered her to take the best flour and bake unleavened bread. And he himself ran to the herd and chose a calf for a treat.

Abram went to Hebron and set up an altar there to God.

Soon there was a war in those places, and Lot and his family were captured. As soon as Abram learned about this, he armed his slaves in number of three hundred and eighteen and attacked the enemy at night. So Abram returned Lot, his kinsman, and preserved his property.

Soon he took butter, milk and a cooked calf, set it before the guests, and he himself stood by the tree when they ate.

Where is Sarah your wife? they asked him.

Here, in the tent, Abraham answered.

When I come here next time, your Sarah will have a son, one of them said.

Sarah laughed: “Shall I, an old woman, have a child?”

Why is your Sarah laughing? - God asked. - As I said, so be it.

Sarah was frightened and said from the tent:

I didn't laugh.

No, I laughed, - God said.

INTERCEPTION OF ABRAHAM

The men got up and went to Sodom. Abraham went to see them off.

People complain a lot about the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, - God said. - I'll go and see if they act as they say about them. And if so, then I will destroy them.

As the two continued on their way to Sodom, Abraham stood before God and asked him:

Will you destroy the righteous along with the wicked? Maybe fifty righteous people are found in that city. If you are the judge of all the earth, how can you destroy the innocent?

And God said to Abraham:

If there are fifty righteous in Sodom, I will spare the whole city.

Forgive me for saying this, I myself am dust and ashes, - insisted Abraham. - And if five does not reach fifty?

And for the sake of forty-five I will not touch anyone.

Well, what if there will be forty righteous people? Abraham continued.

And for the sake of forty the city will remain intact.

Do not be angry, Vladyka, at my words, but what if there will be thirty of them?

I won't do it even if there are thirty of them.

Do you regret twenty? Abraham asked.

I'm sorry, God replied.

Do not be angry, Vladyka, let me say, - Abraham said quietly. - And if there are only ten of them?

And God answered him:

I will not destroy even for the sake of ten.

God did not speak to Abraham anymore.

There were not even ten righteous people in Sodom.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH

The angels came to Sodom at the evening hour, when Lot was sitting at the city gates. Lot saw them, stood up and bowed:

Come into my house!

No, we will stay on the street, - answered the angels.

Lot begged for a long time, and they finally agreed to enter and accept the refreshment.

Before they went to bed, all the Sodomites, both young and old, surrounded Lot's house.

Lot, get out! they shouted.

Lot came out, and the Sodomites began to demand that his guests also come out.

We want to see them! people shouted.

Lot closed the entrance to his house and addressed the crowd:

My brothers, do no harm! Do not touch these people, because they came under the roof of my house.

You yourself are an alien, it's not for you to argue! the crowd shouted. “You can’t save them and you yourself will suffer.”

They dragged Lot aside and rushed to break the door.

Then the doors of the house opened and the angels appeared. They took Lot by the hands, led him into the house, and the people who were at the threshold suddenly became blind.

Take all your people and leave, - the angels said to Lot. - We are sent here to destroy the city.

Lot went to the husbands of his daughters, began to say that the city would be destroyed, but they did not believe - they thought he was joking. Lot begged them for a long time, but in vain.

When the dawn broke, the angels began to hurry Lot, but he still hesitated. Then the angels took Lot, his wife and his two unmarried daughters by the hands and led them out of the city.

Go to the mountain and do not look back at Sodom, otherwise you will perish, the angels told them.

The sun rose, and brimstone and fire rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah. Houses disappeared from the face of the earth, and the people of those cities, and everything that grows from the earth.

The destruction of Sodom and the salvation of Lot

Lot's wife, walking behind, could not stand it and looked around and immediately turned into a pillar of salt.

Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had spoken with God the day before. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke, as if from a furnace.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC

What God said was fulfilled. Sarah bore Abraham a son, and they named him Isaac.

Sarah grumbled:

Anyone who hears about me will laugh. An old woman is breastfeeding a baby!

When the child was weaned, Abraham called a great feast. And Sarah saw that Ishmael, the son of the Egyptian Hagar, was mocking Isaac.

Drive this slave girl out of the house with her son, she said to Abraham. It will not happen that he inherits with Isaac.

AGAR

Abraham did not want to drive out his firstborn, but God told him to obey Sarah.

Abraham got up early in the morning, took bread and water, put everything on the shoulders of Hagar and sent her away with the lad.

Hagar soon got lost in the desert. She wandered, wandered, until the water ran out.

She left her son under a dry bush, and she herself stepped aside so as not to see how he would die.

Hagar wept for a long time until an angel appeared and said:

Open your eyes! There is a well in front of you!

They began to live in the desert. Ishmael grew up and learned to shoot a bow well. His mother later found a wife for him in the land of Egypt.

Everything that was said about Ishmael was fulfilled. He had twelve sons who became the heads of the tribes.

SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM

God said to Abraham:

Take your son Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain, which I will let you know about.

Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled a donkey, took two slaves, his son Isaac, firewood for a burnt offering, and went where God commanded.

On the third day they came to that place. And Abraham said to his servants:

You wait here, and my son and I will be back shortly.

Abraham laid firewood on his son, took fire and a knife in his hands, and they went together.

And Isaac asks:

Here is the fire, here is the wood, where is the lamb?

God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering, Abraham answered.

They came, Abraham laid out the firewood, tied his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the firewood. Abraham took a knife and wanted to stab his son, but at that time the voice of an angel was heard:

Abraham! Abraham!

Here I am,” said Abraham.

Don't raise your hand to the boy. Now I know that you do not feel sorry for your son for God.

Abraham raised his eyes and saw a ram, whose horns were tangled in a thicket. Abraham took a ram and sacrificed it instead of his son. Again a voice came from the sky:

For your obedience, Abraham, you will have many descendants - like stars in the sky, like sand on the seashore.

SARAH'S DEATH

Sarah died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven. She died in the land of Canaan, where Abraham was a stranger. To bury her, Abraham bought a field and a cave for burial in that field. And the field became Abraham's possession.

Burial of Sarah

THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC

Abraham became a star, and the weight of his years was palpable to him. He called the slave who was in charge of everything in the house and said:

Swear that you will not marry my son from the locals, but you will go to my homeland, to Mesopotamia, and there you will choose a wife for him.

And if the girl does not want to come here, do I need to return Isaac to your homeland? - asked the slave.

No, - answered Abraham. - God bequeathed this land to my offspring. If the girl resists, you will be free from this oath.

The slave swore, took ten camels, all kinds of jewelry for gifts and set off. He came to the city of Haran in Mesopotamia in the evening and stood at the well at the time when the women went out to draw water.

“Here I am standing at the source,” thought the slave, “and women with jugs are walking past. Is there a bride of Isaac among them and how to recognize her? I’ll ask you to get drunk, and the one who says: drink yourself and give your camels to drink, that will be the bride.

Before he had time to think these words to the end, Rebekah, the daughter of Abraham's nephew, came out, beautiful and young. She took water, and the slave ran out to meet her.

Let me drink from your pitcher.

Drink, sir, - said Rebekah and tilted the jug.

The slave got drunk, and she says:

I will also draw water for your camels, let them drink.

And then she began to fetch water for the camels.

The astonished slave watched her in silence, and when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a golden earring and gold wrists.

Whose daughter are you? - he asked. - And is there a place to sleep in your house?

Rebekah told him whose daughter she was and that they had somewhere in the house to sleep and feed the camels.

The slave was surprised that he had reached the house of his master's brother by a direct route.

Rebekah ran into the house, told everything, showed her earring and wrists, and immediately her brother Laban went to meet the guest. He unsaddled the camels, gave them food, brought water for the guest to wash, and meanwhile they prepared supper.

I won't eat until I tell you why I came, - said the guest.

And he told about Abraham, about what he thought at the well.

Now tell me, do you intend to show favor to my master, or should I leave with nothing? - asked the guest.

This is the work of God, - Rebekah's brother and father answered him. - Here is Rebekah, take her and go.

The guest bowed to them to the ground, took out gold and silver things, as well as clothes, and generously bestowed them on everyone.

Then everyone ate and drank, and in the morning the guest began to get ready for the journey.

Let Rebekah stay with us for a dozen days, - said her mother.

But the guest did not want to stay. Then Laban brought Rebekah, and they asked her:

Will you go with this person?

I'll go, said Rebekah.

She received her father's blessing, took her maid, all sat on camels and set off.

In the evening, Isaac went out into the field, looked up and saw a small caravan.

Rebekah and the slave

And Rebekah saw Isaac. She quickly got down from the camel.

Who is it? Rebekah asked the servant.

My lord, said the slave.

Rebekah took a handkerchief and covered herself.

The servant told Isaac all that he had done, and Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. So Rebekah became the wife of Isaac.

ABRAHAM

Abraham took a second wife, named Keturah, and had many more children with her. But everything he had, he gave to Isaac. Abraham lived one hundred and seventy-five years and was buried next to Sarah, his wife.