יְהוָה֮ צַדִּ֪יק יִ֫בְחָ֥ן וְ֭רָשָׁע וְאֹהֵ֣ב חָמָ֑ס שָֽׂנְאָ֥ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
Yang Mahakekal menguji orang benar, tetapi orang fasik dan orang yang mencintai kekerasan dibenci oleh jiwa-Nya.
Ramban
AND G-D TRIED ABRAHAM. The matter of “trial,”364See Rambam’s discussion of this problem, ibid., III, 24. in my opinion, is as follows: Since a man’s deeds are at his absolute free command, to perform them or not to perform them at his will, on the part of one who is tried it is called “a trial.” But on the part of the One, blessed be He, who tries the person, it is a command that the one being tested should bring forth the matter from the potential into actuality so that he may be rewarded for a good deed, not for a good thought alone.
Know further that G-d trieth the righteous,365Psalms 11:5. See also Bereshith Rabbah 34:2. “The Holy One, blessed be He, trieth only the righteous.” for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make him even more upright, and so He commands him to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey. Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one who is being tried.
Know further that G-d trieth the righteous,365Psalms 11:5. See also Bereshith Rabbah 34:2. “The Holy One, blessed be He, trieth only the righteous.” for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make him even more upright, and so He commands him to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey. Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one who is being tried.
Rabbeinu Bahya
והאלוקים נסה את אברהם, “and G’d had tested Avraham.” This is the portion dealing with the binding of Yitzchak, an event which is the cornerstone of the Jewish faith throughout the ages. Jews have placed their trust in their eternal future in the merit accumulated by both Avraham and Yitzchak as protecting them against extermination by their enemies.
We must not make the mistake of thinking that G’d tested Avraham in order to find out for Himself how Avraham would respond to this trial. It was a “test” only when viewed from the vantage point of his contemporaries who could not have known in advance how Avraham would respond to a trial which conflicted so absolutely with everything he thought he knew about what G’d wanted from man. G’d used this “test” in order to demonstrate to the people of his own time as well as to his descendants the greatness of this man’s devotion to G’d. He did not flinch for a moment nor even argue with G’d as he had done when advised of the impending judgment of the people of Sodom. We read of a general principle that G’d tests the righteous in Psalms 11,5 ה' צדיק יבחן, “G’d will examine (test) the righteous.”
The reason why this paragraph follows the report about what happened to Avraham and Sarah when they were in Gerar with Avimelech has been explained in the Midrash. The word נסה is an expression similar to זעף, “to be angry, displeased.” Onkelos translates it thus in 40,6 where he explains the word זועפים as נסיסים. G’d had been displeased with the oath Avraham swore to Avimelech guaranteeing future immunity of Avimelech’s offspring from incursions by Avraham’s descendants. He should not have given the seven sheep to Avimelech. Eventually, (during the time of the High Priest Eli) the Holy Ark was captured and remained in the hands of the Philistines for seven months before the latter returned it having found that it was a source of curse for them. (compare Bereshit Rabbah 54,4).
We must not make the mistake of thinking that G’d tested Avraham in order to find out for Himself how Avraham would respond to this trial. It was a “test” only when viewed from the vantage point of his contemporaries who could not have known in advance how Avraham would respond to a trial which conflicted so absolutely with everything he thought he knew about what G’d wanted from man. G’d used this “test” in order to demonstrate to the people of his own time as well as to his descendants the greatness of this man’s devotion to G’d. He did not flinch for a moment nor even argue with G’d as he had done when advised of the impending judgment of the people of Sodom. We read of a general principle that G’d tests the righteous in Psalms 11,5 ה' צדיק יבחן, “G’d will examine (test) the righteous.”
The reason why this paragraph follows the report about what happened to Avraham and Sarah when they were in Gerar with Avimelech has been explained in the Midrash. The word נסה is an expression similar to זעף, “to be angry, displeased.” Onkelos translates it thus in 40,6 where he explains the word זועפים as נסיסים. G’d had been displeased with the oath Avraham swore to Avimelech guaranteeing future immunity of Avimelech’s offspring from incursions by Avraham’s descendants. He should not have given the seven sheep to Avimelech. Eventually, (during the time of the High Priest Eli) the Holy Ark was captured and remained in the hands of the Philistines for seven months before the latter returned it having found that it was a source of curse for them. (compare Bereshit Rabbah 54,4).
Ramban
SPEAK NOT THOU IN THY HEART. After cautioning that you should not think ‘my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth.’119Above, 8:17. but instead you are to know that the power over the vanquished was given to you by G-d, and that [the victory over] their mighty ones and fortified cities that you will have conquered [was made possible by] G-d in His Glory Who did it for you in a generally known miracle from Him, he further warned them, “Do not think that G-d did all this for you because of your righteousness; rather, He has done so for you only because of the wickedness of these nations.”120Verse 5. Now this is a cause for the destruction of these nations, but he gave no reason for Israel’s possession of the Land. Therefore he reverted and explained, Not for thy righteousness120Verse 5. that you will be righteous in conduct, nor even because of the upright heart that you will have, but only because of the wickedness of these nations will they be destroyed, and because of [His] oath to your fathers will you possess the Land, for your sin cannot annul the gift He gave to your fathers since He gave it to them by an oath. And Rashi wrote: “Speak not thou in thy heart — my righteousness and the wickedness of these nations caused me [to possess the Land]. Not for thy righteousness.” But this is not correct.121Rashi explained that they were not to think that a combination of their righteousness and the wickedness of the nations was a cause of one thing — their coming into the possession of the Land. On this Ramban comments that the verses indicate instead that there are two separate warnings here: “Do not think that because of your righteousness you are coming to possess the Land, and do not think that because of the wickedness of these nations they are driven out from it” (Mizrachi).
Now one should ask, “Has he not said, But because the Eternal loved you,122Above, 7:8. thus establishing that they are beloved on high, and, [as we know], G-d loves only those who are good, for the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth,123Psalms 11:5. and if so, [it is justifiable that] they come to possess the Land also for their [own] righteousness [so, how can he say here Not for thy righteousness, etc.]?” The answer is that there he speaks of Israel in general, and here he reproves that particular generation that has been rebellious against the Eternal from the day they were in the wilderness.
Now one should ask, “Has he not said, But because the Eternal loved you,122Above, 7:8. thus establishing that they are beloved on high, and, [as we know], G-d loves only those who are good, for the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth,123Psalms 11:5. and if so, [it is justifiable that] they come to possess the Land also for their [own] righteousness [so, how can he say here Not for thy righteousness, etc.]?” The answer is that there he speaks of Israel in general, and here he reproves that particular generation that has been rebellious against the Eternal from the day they were in the wilderness.