Egypt for the benefit of the crown. In one year the famishing people have exhausted their money and parted with their live-stock, in exchange for bread; in the next they forfeit their lands and their personal freedom. Thus by a bold stroke of statesmanship private property in land (except in the case of the priests) is abolished throughout Egypt, and the entire population reduced to the position of serfs, paying a land-tax of 20 per cent. per annum to the king.
Source.—The section 13-26, dealing as it does with matters purely
Egyptian and without interest for the national history of Israel, occupies
an anomalous position among the Joseph-narratives, and cannot be confidently
assigned to either of the main documents (We. Comp.2 61). Linguistic
indications are on the whole in favour of J: (
Hebrew characters), 13; (Hebrew characters), 19
(422 438); (Hebrew characters), 24 (4334); (Hebrew characters), 17 (2614); (Hebrew characters), 25 (see Gu.
and Di.). But there are also traces of E's diction: (Hebrew characters), 20; (Hebrew characters), (Hebrew characters) 15f.
(2921 301,—differing from 113. 4. 7) (Di. Ho.); besides some peculiar expressions
very unusual in Pent.: (Hebrew characters), 13; (Hebrew characters), 15f. ; (Hebrew characters) (Qal), 19; (Hebrew characters), 23
(Di.). It is possible that Ho. (251 f.) and Pro. (54 f.) are right in thinking
the passage composite; but no satisfactory analysis can be effected.
That it is out of place in its present connexion is generally admitted,
but that it finds a more suitable position between chs. 41 and 42 (Di.
Gu. al.) is not at all obvious. It is not improbable that a piece of so
peculiar a character is a later addition to the original cycle of Joseph-legends,
and belongs neither to J nor E.—V.27 appears to be from P,
with glosses (see the notes).
13, 14. Joseph takes up all the money in Egypt and
Canaan. Canaan is bracketed with Egypt as far as v.15,
after which the situation is purely Egyptian. It is natural
to suppose that the references to Canaan are interpolated
(Ho. Gu.); but considering the close political relations of
the two countries, it would be rash to assume this too
easily.—15-17. The live-stock is next exhausted.—horses]
See on 1216.—18-22. The people surrender their lands and
persons for bread. This is the decisive stroke of Joseph's
statecraft, making a return to the old conditions impossible;
13. (Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters). The [root] (Hebrew characters) is Aram. (Greek characters). (Greek characters). = (Hebrew characters), 'languish.' It
is one of several rare expressions which occur in this section.—14. (Hebrew characters)]
G + (Hebrew characters) (v.12).—15. (Hebrew characters)] The vb. only here (and v.16) in Pent.: elsewhere
poetic (Is. 164 2920, Ps. 779[dagger]).—(Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters), G (Hebrew characters) (so v.16).—16.
(Hebrew characters)] [E]GV + (Hebrew characters).—17. (Hebrew characters)] Only here in the sense of 'sustain' [with
food]; elsewhere, if the [root] be the same, it means 'lead' (to watering-
