Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/428

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

supposes strained relations between the parties, and repeated disputes about the ownership of wells. Note (1) the frequentative (Symbol missingHebrew characters), (2) the pl. 'wells' (retained by G), (3) the fuller parallel of 2615. 18ff., which shows that the right to several wells had been contested.—And as often as Abraham took Abimelech to task about the wells . . . Abimelech would answer]—that he knew nothing of the matter (so Gu.).—27. Continuing 24 (E). Giving (or exchange?) of presents seems to have been customary when a covenant was made (1 Ki. 1519, Is. 306, Ho. 122). The action would be no suitable answer to v.26.—28-30 (J). the seven ewe lambs are set apart for the purpose explained in 30; but the art. shows that they must have been mentioned in the previous context. It is clear from 30 that the lacuna is in J, not in E; while Abimelech's question 29 proves that the lambs were not an understood part of the ceremony (Di.).—30. that it (the acceptance of the present) may be a witness, etc.] so that in future there may be no quarrel about Beersheba.—31 belongs to E: (Symbol missingHebrew characters), cf. 23f.; (Symbol missingHebrew characters), cf. 27.—(Symbol missingHebrew characters) = 'seven wells,' is here explained as 'Well of the Oath,' the oath being the central feature of the berîth. The etymology is not altogether at fault, since (Symbol missingHebrew characters) may mean lit. to 'put oneself under the influence of seven,' the sacred number (Her. iii. 8; Hom. Il. xix. 243 ff.; Paus. iii. 20. 9).—32a. J's parallel to 27b.[1]—23. The inauguration of the cult of Beersheba (J: cf.


MT is probably right, with freqve. sense of pf. given above. For the following (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (instead of (Symbol missingHebrew characters)), see Dri. T. § 114 (Symbol missingGreek characters).—(Symbol missingHebrew characters)] G (Symbol missingGreek characters), ut sup.—28. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] [E] (which also omits (Symbol missingHebrew characters)) (Symbol missingHebrew characters). De. thinks this one of the few cases (G-K. § 127 e) where art. determines only its own word, and not the whole expression.—29. Rd. (Symbol missingHebrew characters) with [E] (30).—(Symbol missingHebrew characters) ([E] (Symbol missingHebrew characters))]. On suff. cf. G-K. § 91 f. The form is chiefly pausal; and though the only other ex. in Pent. (Gn. 4236) is E, 3041 ((Symbol missingHebrew characters)) is J, and the form cannot be considered distinctive of E.—31. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] G (Symbol missingGreek characters), but in 32 (Symbol missingGreek characters). The constr. (num. in gen. after sing. noun) has been supposed by Sta. to be Canaanite idiom (cf. (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 232).—33. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] Ar. 'aṯl, Aram.

  1. 32b would be a natural conclusion to E's narrative (cf. 22), but for the fact that that source never speaks of a Philistine occupation of Gerar. The last three vv., however, seem to have been altered by a compiler.—It is probable that J gave an explanation of the name of the well, connecting it with the seven lambs; so TJ ((Symbol missingHebrew characters)).