Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/397

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15-22. The heir of the Covenant.—The promise of the birth of Isaac is brought into connexion with the main idea of the chapter by the assurance (19. 21) that the covenant is to be established with him and not with Ishmael.—15. Sarai's name is changed to Sarah. The absence of an etymological motive is remarkable (v.i.).—16b. In G, Jub., V and S, the blessing on Sarah is by slight changes of text turned into a blessing on the son whose birth has just been foretold (v.i.). The MT, however, is more likely to be correct.—17. Abraham's demeanour is a strange mixture of reverence and incredulity: "partim gaudio exultans, partim admiratione extra se raptus, in risum prorumpit" is Calvin's comment. It is P's somewhat unnatural clothing of the traditional etymology of Isaac ((Symbol missingHebrew characters), v.19); cf. 1812 (J), 216 (E).—18. The prayer, O that Ishmael might live before thee!—under Thy protection and with Thy blessing (Hos. 62)—is a fine touch of nature; but the writer's interest lies rather in the 'determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,' which overrides human feeling and irrevocably decrees the election


munity, or by God in His providence. The interpretation seems to have varied in different ages. Ex. 3113f. clearly contemplates the death penalty at the hands of the community; while Lv. 179f. 20{3. 6} point as clearly to a divine interposition. The probability is that it is an archaic juridical formula for the punishment of death, which came to be used vaguely "as a strong affirmation of divine disapproval, rather than as prescribing a penalty to be actually enforced" (Dri.). See Sta. GVI, i. 421 f.; Ho. p. 127 f.—(Symbol missingHebrew characters)] pausal form for (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (G-K. § 29 q).

15. (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (G (Symbol missingGreek characters)) and (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (G (Symbol missingGreek characters))] According to Nö. (ZDMG, xl. 183, xlii. 484), [LOTE: **] is an an old fem. termin. surviving in Syr. Arab. and Eth. On this view (Symbol missingHebrew characters) may be either the same word as (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 'princess' ([root] (Symbol missingHebrew characters)), or (as the differentiation of G suggests) from [root] (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 'strive,' with which the name Israel was connected (Gn. 3229, Ho. 124: see Rob. Sm. KM2, 34 f. [Nö. dissents]). On Lagarde's (Mitth. ii. 185) attempt to connect the name with Ar. šaray = 'wild fertile spot,' and so to identify Abraham (as 'husband of Sarai') with the Nabatean god Dusares (ḏū-ššaray), see Mey. INS, 269 f., who thinks the conjecture raised beyond doubt by the discovery of the name Šarayat as consort of Dusares on an inscr. at Boṣra in the Ḥaurân. The identification remains highly problematical.—16. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] [E] (Symbol missingHebrew characters). So G Jub. VS, which consistently maintain the masc. to the end of the v.—17. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)(Symbol missingHebrew characters)] a combination of the disjunctive question with casus pendens; see G-K. § 150 g.