8:39: The works of Abraham.
τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβρααμ = מַעֲשָׂיו של אברהם.
On the expression, see b. ʿAbod. Zar. 10B: (The emperor) Antoninus
asked Rabbi, “Will I come into the world to come?” He answered, “Yes!” He said
to him, “But it is written, ‘There will be no remnant of the house of Esau (=
Rome)’ (Obad 18).” This is about the one who does the work of Esau מעשה עשו. ‖ Exodus Rabbah 3 (69D): “God said to
Moses, ‘Cast it (the rod) upon the ground!’ And he threw it on the ground, and
it became a serpent” (Exod 4:3). Because he had done the work of the serpent מעשה נחש (with the slander of Israel; Exod 4:1),
therefore he let him see the serpent to tell him, “You have done the work of
this one (see Gen 3:5).” ‖ On the activity of a piece of cattle מ׳ בהמה, see SNum 5:15 § 8 at § John 6:9, toward
the end.
The works of Abraham are mentioned in y. Bik. 3.65D.22: R. Yohanan (†
279) said, “Whoever does not know the works of Abraham מעשיו של אברהם, let him learn the work of the fathers of this one (of Simeon
b. Abba [ca. 280]).”—With respect to content, the following are reckoned with
Abraham’s works: a benevolent eye, a modest mind, and a humble spirit. See m.
ʾAbot 5.19 at § Matt 5:3, #2, end of penultimate paragraph. The benevolent eye
corresponds to mercy in b. Beṣah 32B. (Hermann L. Strack and Paul
Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Midrash,
ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and Joseph Longarino;
Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2022], 2:601-2)
For a Latter-day
Saint understanding on the “Works of Abraham,” see, for example, Elden Watson, “Different Thoughts - #3: John
Taylor’s 1886 Revelation.”
