Teaching Righteousness and Justice

Yahweh chose Abram and called him from Ur. He promised a land, and enough see to fill the land and make it fruitful. With the promises came obligations. Yahweh “knew” Abram so that Abram might do something to achieve certain results.

The Abrahamic obligation is laid out succinctly in Genesis 18:19. Yahweh is considering whether to tell Abraham what He is about to do in Sodom. He determines not to hide what He is about to do because Abraham will become “a great and mighty nation,” that is, because Yahweh is determined to fulfill His promises (18:18). Verse 19 specifies the concrete way that those promises will be fulfilled.

The main verb “know” is followed by two successive purpose clauses. Yahweh knows Abraham so that (lema’an) Abraham will “command” his sons and household; the sons and household will guard (shamar) the way of Yahweh so that (lema’an) the Lord’s word will be fulfilled. Between Yahweh’s knowing Abraham and the fulfillment of promise stands Abraham the commander and teacher of his sons and daughters. The promise will be realized as Abraham and his children are faithful in commanding and guarding the way of Yahweh.

Abraham is told to command his children to keep the Lord’s ways, which involve doing “righteousness and judgment” (la’asot tzedaqah wmishpat). That is the way of Yahweh.

Several observations: Commands here are conceived as possessing cross-generational authority. Abraham commands his children and household so that they will guard Yahweh’s ways. Imperatives aim to shape future behavior. Further, this form of teaching by imperatives is the instrument for achieving justice and righteousness. When Abraham commands, and as his household guards Yahweh’s way, justice is the product. And, finally, this sequence of command-guard-do is the instrument for the achievement of Yahweh’s word among the children of Abraham. Fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise depends on Abrahamic command, Abrahamic guarding, Abrahamic justice.