On the “epiphany” in Genesis 26:24

וַיֵּרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהֹוָה֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֕י אֱלֹהֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֣ אָנֹ֔כִי וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֙יךָ֙ וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֔ בַּעֲב֖וּר אַבְרָהָ֥ם עַבְדִּֽי׃

That night GOD appeared to* him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and increase your offspring for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

*See note at 12.7.

(The above rendering—and footnote—come from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation.)


The root of the highlighted verb is ראה with a Niphal stem. On the meaning of this verb when applied to a persona, and on its best rendering in English, see my comment at 12:7.