Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/515

of the 400 men (32⁷). He marshals his children (not the whole company, as 32^8f., though the motive is the same) under their mothers, and in the reverse order of his affection for them.—3. passed on before them] having previously been in the rear.—He approaches his brother with the reverence befitting a sovereign; the sevenfold prostration is a favourite formula of homage in the Tel Amarna tablets: "At the feet of my Lord, my Sun, I fall down seven and seven times" (38 ff. pass.). It does not follow, however, that Jacob acknowledged himself Esau's vassal (Nestle, MM, 12; Che. TBI, 405); cf. 1 Sa. 20⁴¹.—4. fell on his neck] 45¹⁴ 46²⁹ (J); Lu. 15²⁰.—5-7. An interesting picture: the mothers with their little ones come forward in groups to pay their respects to the grim-visaged warrior, whose name had caused such terror in the camp. 8-11. The present.—8. Esau remembers another great cavalcade—camp—which he had met. The 'present' of 32^14ff. (E) cannot be referred to, for Esau must have been told repeatedly what it was for (32^18f.). The word (Hebrew characters) points rather to the arrangement of 32^8f. (J). Gu. somewhat ingeniously explains thus: Esau had met the first division of Jacob's company; and Jacob, ashamed to avow his original motive, by a happy inspiration now offers 'this whole camp' as a present to his brother.—9. Esau at first refuses, but, 10, 11, Jacob insists on his accepting the gift.—as one sees the

Read accordingly (Hebrew characters) for the first (Hebrew characters).—4. (Hebrew characters)] The puncta extraordinaria mark some error in the text. Di. observes that elsewhere (45¹⁴ 46²⁹) 'fell on his neck' is immediately followed by 'wept.' The word should probably be inserted (with G) after (Hebrew characters) (so 29¹³; cf. 48¹⁰).—(Hebrew characters)] The sing. would be better, unless we add with G (Hebrew characters) (Hebrew characters) (Hebrew characters) seem to be variants; of which one or other will be due to E.—5. (Hebrew characters)] with double acc., lit. 'has been gracious to me (with) them' (G.-K. § 117 ff.) = 'has graciously given' (so v.¹¹); cf. Ju. 21²², Ps. 119²⁹.—7. (Hebrew characters)] Niph. for the previous Qal. Point—(Hebrew characters)?—(Hebrew characters)] G transp. as v.².

10. (Hebrew characters)] see on 18⁵. This and the preceding (Hebrew characters) mark the v. as J's, in spite of the appellative use of (Hebrew characters).—11a is a doublet of ^10a, and may be assigned to E.—(Hebrew characters)] 'blessing,' hence the gift which is meant to procure a blessing: 1 Sa. 25²⁷ 30²⁶, 2 Ki. 18³¹.—(Hebrew characters)] see G-K. § 74 g; but [E]GVS read better (Hebrew characters).