復合與祝福－夏甲與以實瑪利的故事

RECONCILIATION AND BLESSING: The Role of Hagar and Ishmael in the Abrahamic Cycle

胡維華(Wesley Hu)

《建道學刊》 41期 (2014/01) Pp. 103-119

摘要

上帝呼召亞伯拉罕，並應許賜福的記敘，在聖經中扮演着極為重要的角色。就承先的角度而言，亞伯拉罕的一生，特別是他與上帝的關係，顯示上帝與挪亞所立，不再滅絕大地是可以持守的約。就啟後的角度而言，之後的敘事圍繞在上帝賜給亞伯拉罕的應許會如何實現。不論是子嗣、土地、財富、美名等，成就的過程可謂高潮迭起、峰迴路轉。然而，夏甲與以實瑪利在這當中常被視為不必要的配角。他們的出現，是人在軟弱之下的不得已，而他們的離開，則是使脫軌的火車回到正途。不過，這樣的理解使得亞伯拉罕的敘事，完全無法與挪亞之約承接。上帝所呼召的亞伯拉罕，在家庭的關係上，與被洪水滅絕的人們沒有兩樣，一點也沒有成為典範。本文從字義的研究、情境的分析、語法的推敲等，重新檢視上帝對夏甲所說的話。在審酌各方論點之後，發現夏甲與以實瑪利的記敘，應視為上帝介入而成就和好的篇章。和好的關係，顯明恩慈的上帝賜福給亞伯拉罕，挪亞之約也因而得蒙堅立。

並列摘要

The call of Abraham occupies a pivotal position in the book of Genesis. On one hand, building on the preceding flood narrative, it demonstrates that the covenant God made with Noah can be established forever. Man can be obedient to God and cultivate a life style that is in congruent with God's will. As a result, God does not need to destroy the earth because of the sins of mankind. The promises God made to Abraham, on the other hand, become the focal point of the following stories. Whether it is offspring, or land, or fame, the process leading to the fulfillment is always dramatic, and the retelling, inviting. Hagar and Ishmael, however, are often seen as unnecessary intrusion in a well-constructed story. Their appearance was simply the result of human weakness, and their departure from the scene provides great relief to the reader. This line of interpretation, though often adopted, runs contrary to the understanding that in Abraham was seen the initial fulfillment of the Noahic covenant. If abuse of power manifests itself in the family of Abraham just as in those of the flood generation, the answer to God's promise not to destroy the earth has to lie in someone else. This paper seeks to re-examine the Hagar story through semantic, contextual, and syntactical analyses. It suggests that the account about Hagar and her child should be read as a narrative of peacemaking through God's intervention. The reconciliation between Issac and Ishmael is a vivid testimony to the grace of God. It seems this understanding is more in line with the role that Abrahamic cycle plays in the Book of Genesis.