A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis

other does not contain a parallel.¹. What is much more remarkable, and indeed surprising, is that the _manner_ of narration changes in the two documents _pari passu_. Thus the t...

_Mythen und Epen_, in _Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek_, vi. 1 (1900), and now (1909) Gressmann, _Altorientalische Texte und Bilder zum Alten Testament_, i. 4 ff. See also Jensen...

sustained; but if it had any force it ought certainly to lead to the excision of the second member rather than of the first (Kuenen _Theologisch Tijdschrift_, 1884, 136; van Doo...

these rivers rose much nearer home than the Euphrates and Tigris. There is more to be said for the opinion that they represent the two great Indian rivers, Ganges and Indus, who...

fixed adverse conditions of the universal human lot are traced back to a primæval curse uttered by Yahwe in consequence of man’s first transgression. See, further, page 95 below...

_Critical Analysis._――Chapter 4 consists of three easily separable sections: (a) the story of Cain and Abel (¹⁻¹⁶), (b) a Cainite genealogy (¹⁷⁻²⁴),¹ and (c) a fragment of a Set...

In the Priestly Code the interval between the Creation (1¹‒2⁴ᵃ) and the Flood (6⁹ ᶠᶠᐧ) is bridged by this list of ten patriarchs, with its chronological scheme fixing the durati...

3. A connexion between LXX and _The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch_ is suggested by the fact that the first period of LXX (2242) is practically equivalent to the first tw...

the תולדת נח‎ (6⁹). How much was included under that rubric? Does it cover the whole of Priestly-Code’s narrative of the Flood (so that תולדת‎ is practically equivalent to ‘biog...

In its present form, the chapter is a redactional composition, in which are interwoven two (if not three) successive attempts to classify the known peoples of the world, and to...

ruins of Daidan, West of Teima (Dillmann). The name occurs both in Minæan and Sabæan inscriptions (Glaser, 397 ff.; Müller, _Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellsch...

Leaving his home at the command of Yahwe, Abram enters Canaan and erects altars at Shechem and Bethel (12¹⁻⁸). From Bethel he migrates to the Negeb, and thence, under stress of...

how Lot had over-reached himself by his selfish conduct.――=14‒17.= The promise of the land is now confirmed to Abram.――=14.= _Lift up thine eyes, etc._] the contrast to Lot’s se...

While Abram was at Hebron, a revolt of five petty kings in the Jordan valley against their over-lord Chedorlaomer of Elam brought from the East a great punitive expedition, in w...

550 f.). Formerly the two names and persons were confused; and Schrader’s attempt to identify Rîm-Sin with Arioch,⁵ though accepted by many, was reasonably contested by the more...

In a prolonged interview with Yahwe, Abram’s misgivings regarding the fulfilment of the divine promises are removed by solemn and explicit assurances, and by a symbolic act in w...

Sarai, having no hope of herself becoming a mother, persuades Abram to take her Egyptian maid Hagar as a concubine. Hagar, when she finds herself pregnant, becomes insolent towa...

To Abram, who is henceforth to be called Abraham (⁵), God reveals Himself under a new name (¹), entering into a covenant with him (²⁻⁸), of which the sign is the rite of circumc...

Under the terebinths of Mamre, Abraham hospitably entertains three mysterious visitors (¹⁻⁸), and is rewarded by the promise of a son to be born to Sarah in her old age (⁹⁻¹⁵)....

‎ =1.= יהוה‎] LXX ὁ θεός.――In אליו‎ the suffix may refer back directly to 13¹⁸ (see on the verse).――באלני ממרא‎] LXX πρὸς τῇ δρυῒ τῇ Μαμβρῇ; see on 13¹⁸.――=3.= Read with _The Sa...

The chapter deals with an incident closely similar to that recorded in 12¹⁰⁻²⁰. It is indeed impossible to doubt that the two are variants of the same tradition; a view which is...

_Source._――The narrative is the first continuous excerpt from Elohist; and contains several stylistic and other peculiarities of that document: especially [הָ]אֱלֹהִים‎, ³ᐧ ⁶ᐧ ¹...

from Elohist; while יהוה‎, ³³, and בַּֽעֲבוּר‎, ³⁰, show the other to be Yahwist. Since the scene is Beersheba, the Yahwistic component must be Yahwistᴮᵉᵉʳˢʰᵉᵇᵃ.――³²⁻³⁴ have bee...

The only incident in Abraham’s life expressly characterised as a ‘trial’ of his faith is the one here narrated, where the patriarch proves his readiness to offer up his only son...

On the death of Sarah at the age of 127 years (¹ᐧ ²), Abraham becomes, through formal purchase from the Ḥittites, the owner of the field and cave of Machpelah (³⁻¹⁸), and there...

Abraham on his death-bed (see below) solemnly charges his house-steward with the duty of procuring a wife for Isaac amongst his Mesopotamian relatives (¹⁻⁹). The servant is prov...

the wife of Ishmael. Glaser (ii. 450) considers the Ḳeṭureans remains of the ancient Minæan people, and not essentially different from the Ishmaelites and Edomites. See, further...

‎ =8.= ויגוע וימת‎] verse ¹⁷ 35²⁹; see on 6¹⁷.――ושבע‎] _The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch_, LXX better ושבע ימים‎, as ‎ 35²⁹.――ויאסף וגו׳‎] so 25¹⁷ 35²⁹ 49²⁹ᐧ ³³, Number...

which owe their origin to ætiological reflexion on the historic relations of Israel and Edom. The passage furnishes no support to the ingenious theory of Jacob’s (_Biblical Arch...

The chapter comprises the entire cycle of Isaac-legends properly so called; consisting, as will be seen, almost exclusively of incidents already related of Abraham (compare espe...

priority in every respect to any one of the three recensions; but it may reasonably be affirmed that in general their relative antiquity is represented by the order in which the...

24³ᐧ ³⁷.――=2.= _thy mother’s father_] The earlier affinity between the two families is again ignored by Priestly-Code: see on 25¹⁹ ᶠᐧ.――=4.= _the blessing_ (Vulgate, Peshiṭtå ‘b...

The dreaded meeting at last takes place; the brothers are reconciled, and part in friendship; Esau returning to Seir, while Jacob moves on by slow stages first to Succoth and th...

I. Shechem, son of Ḥamor, the II. Shechem dishonours Dinah, native princeling, falls in but lets her return to her love with Dinah, the daughter of family (¹⁻³*; compare ¹⁷); Le...

tribes (see page 516 f.).――The one point, indeed, which stands out with some degree of evidence from these discussions is that there was a form of the patriarchal tradition whic...

The compiler’s interest in the story of Jacob would seem to have flagged after he had brought him safely back to Canaan; and he hurries to a close with a series of fragmentary e...

The chapter consists of seven (or eight) sections: I. Esau’s wives and children, ¹⁻⁵; II. His migration to Mount Seir, ⁶⁻⁸; III. A list of Esau’s descendants, ⁹⁻¹⁴; IV. An enume...

of an unintelligent redactor; mainly on the ground that it contains the name יהוה‎ (the use of the divine names is thus after all a reliable criterion of authorship when it suit...

As the favoured child of the family, and because of dreams portending a brilliant future, Joseph becomes an object of hatred and envy to his brothers (²⁻¹¹). A favourable opport...

Judah, separating himself from his brethren, marries a Canaanitish wife, who bears to him three sons, ‛Er, ’Ônān and Shēlāh (¹⁻⁵). ‛Er and ’Onan become in succession the husband...

Joseph is sold by the Ishmaelites (37²⁸ᐧ ³⁶) to an Egyptian householder, who finds him so capable and successful that ere long he entrusts him with the whole administration of h...

Joseph is appointed to wait on two officers of the court who have been put under arrest in his master’s house (¹⁻⁴), and finds them one morning troubled by dreams for which they...

Two years after the events of chapter 40, the king of Egypt has a wonderful double dream, which none of his magicians is able to interpret (¹⁻⁸). The chief butler is naturally r...

One thing is still wanting to the dramatic completeness of the story of Joseph: the recognition of his greatness by his family, or (in Elohist) the fulfilment of his youthful dr...

Benjamin is with them” (Wellhausen). In Yahwist, moreover, the brethren do not volunteer the information that they have a younger brother, but it is drawn out of them by searchi...

The crisis so slowly matured and so skilfully led up to is at last reached, and in a scene of inimitable power and tenderness Joseph makes himself known to his brethren (¹⁻⁸). I...

note also that the suffix in בניו‎ refers back to 49³³). Verses ¹⁻¹¹ᐧ ¹⁴ are mainly Yahwist (ישראל‎, ²; מצא חן בע׳‎, ⁴; גּשֶׁן‎, ⁸; הכנעני‎, ¹¹: note the reference [⁵ ᶠᐧ] to Jos...