Page "Binding of Isaac" Paragraph 11

In some later Jewish writings, most notably those of the Hasidic masters, the theology of a " divine test " is rejected, and the sacrifice of Isaac is interpreted as a " punishment " for Abraham's earlier " mistreatment " of Ishmael, his elder son, whom he expelled from his household at the request of his wife, Sarah.

According to this view, Abraham failed to show compassion for his son, so God punished him by ostensibly failing to show compassion for Abraham's son.

This is a somewhat flawed theory, since the Bible says that God agreed with Sarah, and it was only at His insistence that Abraham actually had Ishmael leave.

In The Last Trial, Shalom Spiegel argues that these commentators were interpreting the Biblical narration as an implicit rebuke against Christianity's claim that God would sacrifice His own son.