2 than of 3a.—4. With great rhetorical effect, the reason for all these preparations—the coming of the Flood—is reserved to the end. J knows no other physical cause of the Deluge than the 40 days' rain (cf. v.12).—5. Comp. 622 (P).
7-10, 12, 16b, 17b, 22, 23.—Entrance into the ark and description of the Flood.—J's narrative has here been taken to pieces by the Redactor, who has fitted the fragments into a new connexion supplied by the combined accounts of J and P. The operation has been performed with such care and skill that it is still possible to restore the original order and recover a succinct and consecutive narrative, of which little if anything appears to be lost. The sequence of events is as follows: At the end of the seven days, the Flood comes (v.10); Noah enters the ark (7) and Yahwe shuts him in (16b). Forty days' rain ensues (12), and the waters rise and float the ark (17b). All life on the earth's surface is extinguished; only Noah and those in the ark survive (22f.).
The rearrangement here adopted (10. 7. 16b. 12. 17b. 22. 23) is due mainly
to the acute criticism of Bu. (Urg. 258 ff.), who has probably added the
last refinements to a protracted process of literary investigation. Some
points (e.g. the transposition of vv.7 and 10) are, of course, more or less
doubtful; others (e.g. 16b) are seen to be necessary as soon as the components
of J have been isolated. The most difficult thing is to clear the
text of the glosses which inevitably accompanied the work of redaction;
but this also has been accomplished with a considerable degree of
certainty and agreement amongst recent comm. The most extensive
interpolations are part of v.7, the whole of vv.8 and 9, and part of 23.
For details see the footnote.
10. At the end of the 7 days (cf. v.4)] The interval (we
may suppose) was occupied in assembling the animals and
provisioning the ark.—the waters of the Flood] (
Hebrew characters), a technical
name for the Deluge, common to both sources (v.i.).—7.
Noah enters the ark on account of the . . . Flood:
Hiph. (619f.).—(Hebrew characters)] as Jer. 3127.—4. (Hebrew characters)] On (Hebrew characters) as denoting the close of a
term (cf. v.10), see BDB, s.v. 6b.—(Hebrew characters)] a rare word (only 723, Dt. 116),
meaning 'that which subsists' ([root] (Hebrew characters)). G (Greek characters) (other exx. in Field,
(Greek characters)), V substantia, S (Syriac characters). On the form see Barth, Nom.-bild.
181; Kön. ii. 146; G-K. § 85 d.
7. (Hebrew characters)—-(Hebrew characters)] The enumeration is in the manner of P (obs. also (Hebrew characters));
