The Binding of Isaac

This story raises issues about the ethical nature of God because of the element of child sacrifice. The philosopher Kierkegaard reasons that ethical standards do not apply to a divine command, but Kant argues that one cannot know whether such a command even comes from God in the first place. Another question the story raises is why God would have to test Abraham again. This problem questions God’s omniscience, and rewritings attempt to solve this problem by attributing Satan as the tester of Abraham.