for various suggestions, v.i. Gu.'s trans. 'Then I profaned the couch which he ascended,' at least softens the harsh change from 2nd pers. to 3rd.
The 'birthright' of Reuben must rest on some early ascendancy or
prowess of the tribe which has left no traces in history. Its choice of a
settlement E of the Jordan (Nu. 32, etc.), shows an attachment to nomadic
habits, and perhaps an unfitness for the advance to civilised life which
the majority of the tribes had to make. In the Song of Deborah, Reuben
is still an important tribe, but one that had lost enthusiasm for the
national cause (Ju. 515f.). In the Blessing of Moses it still survives, but
is apparently on the verge of extinction (Dt. 336). It was doubtless
exhausted by struggles like those with the Hagarenes (1 Ch. 510. 18ff.),
but especially with the Moabites, who eventually occupied most of its
territory (cf. Nu 3237, Jos. 1316ff. with Is. 15, Jer. 48 pass., and Moabite
Stone).—The incident to which the downfall of Reuben is here traced
({{sup|4a_(
Greek characters)b}) is connected with the fragmentary notice of 3522, and is variously
interpreted: (1) According to Rob. Sm. KM2, 1092, Steuer. Einw. 16,
Ho., it records the fact that Reuben had misused its power as the
leading tribe to assail the independence of a weaker member of the
confederation (Bilhah, or one of the Bilhah-tribes),—a rather hazardous
speculation. (2) Another theory, not necessarily inconsistent with the
former (see Rob. Sm. l.c.), finds a reference to the persistence in Reuben
of an old Semitic custom of marriage with the wives or concubines of a
(deceased!) father (Di., Sta. GVI, i. 151 f.), which the general moral
sense of Israel had outgrown. In this case we must suppose that 494
contains the germ of the legend of which 3522, with its particular
mention of Bilhah, is a later phase. (3) It is probable that the form of
the legend has been partly determined by a mythological motive, to
which a striking parallel is found in the story of Phœnix and Amyntor
(Il. ix. 447 ff.: quoted above, p. 427).—Metrical Structure. The oracle is
better divided as above into three distichs, than (with MT) into two
tristichs (so Land, who assigns each to a separate author). The trimeter
measure is easily traced throughout (except l. 3) by following the Heb.
accents, supplying Maqqeph after (Hebrew characters) and (Hebrew characters) in v.4. Line 3 may be
scanned uu'|u'|u' (Siev.).
perhaps 'uncontrollableness' (ut s.).—(Hebrew characters)] For the pausal a, see
G-K. § 53 n, and cf. Ru. 214.—4b. No very acceptable rendering of this
difficult clause has been proposed. If we follow the accentuation, (Hebrew characters)
is obj. of (Hebrew characters), and (Hebrew characters) a detached sentence: 'Then thou actedst
profanely. He went up to my bed'; but apart from the harsh change
of person, this is inadmissible, because (Hebrew characters) is never used intransitively.
To read (Hebrew characters) with G is perhaps a too facile emendation; and to omit (Hebrew characters)
with V is forbidden by rhythm. On the whole it is best (with Gu.) to
point (Hebrew characters), and take (Hebrew characters) as a rel. cl. (v.s.). Other suggestions are:
(Hebrew characters) (Land); (Hebrew characters) (Geig. Kit.); (Hebrew characters) (Ba.); but all these are,
for one reason or another, objectionable.
