Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/567

the servant of the (Hebrew characters); the officers confined in his 'house'; Joseph 'with them' (¹⁰, cf. 40^{3. 4}); and comp. ¹¹ with 40⁵. In the first half of the chapter there is no sufficient reason to suspect a second source except in ^14b (J); the repetitions and slight variations are not greater than can be readily explained by a desire for variety in the elaboration of detail. The whole of this section (^1-28) may therefore be safely assigned to E (cf. (Hebrew characters), ⁸, (Hebrew characters), ¹⁵ with 40^8a; ¹⁶ with 40^8b).—In the second half, however, there are slight diversities of expression and representation which show that a parallel narrative (J) has been freely utilised. Thus, in ³³ Joseph recommends the appointment of a single dictator, in ³⁴ the appointment of 'overseers'; in ³⁴ a fifth part is to be stored, in ^{35. 48} all the corn of the good years; in ^35b_α the collection is to be centralised under the royal authority, in ^b__β localised in the different cities; (Hebrew characters) alternates with (Hebrew characters) (^{35b_α. 49 ‖ 35a. 48}). Further, ³⁸ seems ³⁹; ^{41 44}; and ^{45b 46b}; ^45a ((Hebrew characters) = (Hebrew characters)) can hardly be from E, who has employed the name for another person (37³⁶). Some of these differences may, no doubt, prove to be illusory; but taken cumulatively they suffice to prove that the passage is composite, although a satisfactory analysis cannot be given. For details, see the notes below; and consult Ho. 234; Gu. 380 f.; Pro. 43 f.—^46a is from P, and ^50b is a gloss.

1-8. Pharaoh's dreams.—2. from the Nile (v.i.)] the source of Egypt's fertility (Erman, LAE, 425 ff.), worshipped as 'the father of the gods,' and at times identified with Osiris or Amon-re (Erman, Handbook, 14 f., 80 ff.).—seven cows, etc.] "According to Diod. Sic. i. 51, the male ox is the symbol of the Nile, and sacred to Osiris, the inventor of agriculture (ib. i. 21). . . . The Osiris-steer often appears accompanied by seven cows, e.g. on the vignettes of the old and new Book of the Dead" (ATLO², 389).—4. The devouring of one set of cows by the other is a fantastic but suggestive feature of the dream; the symbolism is almost transparent.

1. (Hebrew characters)] Participial cl. as apodosis; see Dri. T. § 78 (3).—(Hebrew characters)] An Eg. loan-word ('iotr, 'io'r = 'stream'), used in OT of the Nile and its canals (except Is. 33²¹, Jb. 28¹⁰, Dn. 12^5ff.); found also in Ass. in the form ya'aru. See Ebers, 337 f.; Steindorff, BA, i. 612 (cf. 171).—2. (Hebrew characters) (41¹⁸, Jb. 8¹¹† ) 'Nile-grass' = Eg. aḥu, from aḥa, 'be green' (Ebers, 338). G (Greek characters) occurs also vv.^{3. 19}, Is. 19⁷, Sir. 40¹⁶.—3. (Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters) (so v.⁴). It is naturally difficult to decide which is right; but Ba. pertinently points to the alliterations as determining the choice: read therefore (Hebrew characters) in ^{3. 4. 19. 20. 27}, but (Hebrew characters) in ^{6. 23},—in other words, (Hebrew characters) always of the cows and (Hebrew characters) always of the ears.—(Hebrew characters)] G om., thus making all the 14 cows stand together.—4. (Hebrew characters)] G + (Hebrew characters); so ^{7. 20 24}. G has many similar variations (which need not be noted), revealing a tendency to introduce uniformity into the description.