Literary Devices – Bereshit 24/0
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Literary Devices – Bereshit 24
Structure
Parallels and Contrasts
Key Words
Character Titles
Hashem
Throughout the chapter, Hashem is referred to by His proper name, Hashem. At times, though this name is accompanied by an epithet:
- י"י אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם – The servant refers to Hashem as "the God of his master Avraham" when praying in verses 12 and 27 (and in the account of that prayer in verses 42 and 48). This might imply that the servant thinks of Hashem as Avraham's god specifically, perhaps because he only came to know Hashem through him.
- י״י אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ – Avraham refers to Hashem in this manner in Bereshit 24:3 and 7, the only place in Torah where this appellation is used.1 It is interesting that Avraham uses this term for Hashem when sending his servant to another part of the world to seek a wife for Yitzchak.
- Commentaries – Commentators discuss why Avraham uses this name for Hashem. Compare Rashi2, Ibn Ezra3 and Radak.4