In Genesis 14:22, the Masoretic Text shows Abraham swearing an oath to "YHWH, El Elyon, creator of heaven and earth." Textual evidence suggests YHWH was a later addition:
Samaritan Pentateuch & Septuagint: These earlier texts omit YHWH, referencing only "El Elyon" or "the God, El Elyon."
Dead Sea Scrolls (1QapGen): The Genesis Apocryphon excludes YHWH, focusing on El Elyon.
Melchizedek's Role: Genesis 14:18-20 identifies Melchizedek as priest of El Elyon, not YHWH, blessing Abraham in El Elyon’s name.
Scholarly Consensus: YHWH’s insertion reflects post-exilic efforts to merge the Canaanite high god El Elyon with Israel’s YHWH.
Thus, Abraham’s oath was originally tied to El Elyon, with Melchizedek as His priest, and not YHWH.
Caleb ☧
npub1v9…0tqnj
2025-08-27 02:43:10 UTC
Author Public Key
npub1v9vm3606g9dhrdemxkhx35q3m2kza5l3xzezgdjggs9fxsgyp5wqt0tqnjPublished at
2025-08-27 02:43:10 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "In Genesis 14:22, the Masoretic Text shows Abraham swearing an oath to \"YHWH, El Elyon, creator of heaven and earth.\" Textual evidence suggests YHWH was a later addition:\n\nSamaritan Pentateuch \u0026 Septuagint: These earlier texts omit YHWH, referencing only \"El Elyon\" or \"the God, El Elyon.\"\n\nDead Sea Scrolls (1QapGen): The Genesis Apocryphon excludes YHWH, focusing on El Elyon.\n\nMelchizedek's Role: Genesis 14:18-20 identifies Melchizedek as priest of El Elyon, not YHWH, blessing Abraham in El Elyon’s name.\n\nScholarly Consensus: YHWH’s insertion reflects post-exilic efforts to merge the Canaanite high god El Elyon with Israel’s YHWH.\n\nThus, Abraham’s oath was originally tied to El Elyon, with Melchizedek as His priest, and not YHWH.",
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}