Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/220

 19. The two wives of Lamech.—No judgment is passed on Lamech's bigamy, and probably none was intended. The notice may be due simply to the fact that the names of the wives happened to be preserved in the song afterwards quoted.

Of the two female names by far the most attractive explanation is that of Ew. (JBBW, vi. 17), that means Dawn (Ar. ġad$in$, but G has ), and  (fem. of ) Shadow,—a relic of some nature-myth (cf. Lenorm. Orig.$2$ 183 f.). Others (Ho.) take them as actual proper names of inferior stocks incorporated in the tribe Lamech; pointing out that recurs in 36$2ff.$ as a Canaanite clan amalgamated with Esau. This ethnographic theory, however, has very little foothold in the passage. For other explanations, see Di. p. 100.

20-22. The sons of Lamech and their occupations.—At this point the genealogy breaks up into three branches, introducing (as Ew. thinks) a second age of the world. But since it is nowhere continued, all we can say is that the three sons represent three permanent social divisions, and (we must suppose) three modes of life that had some special interest for the authors of the genealogy. On the significance of this division, see at the close.—20. Yābāl, son of `Adah, became the father (i.e. originator: T$O$ ) of tent- and cattle-dwellers (v.i.); i.e. of nomadic shepherds. , however, is a wider term than (v.$2$), including all kinds of cattle, and even camels and asses (Ex. 9$3$). The whole Bedouin life is thus assigned to Jabal as its progenitor.—21. Yûbāl, also a

nom. case (G-K. § 90 o) of an old Sem. word (also Egypt. according to Erman) = 'man' (male, husband, etc.): cf. G-B. s.v.

20. ] G, perhaps reading as in 2 Ch. 14$15$ (so Ball). V (atque pastorum) takes as a ptcp.; S inserts, and T$O$ , before 'cattle'; similarly Kuenen proposed. The zeugma is somewhat hard, but is retained by most comm. for the sake of conformity with v.$21f.$; G-K. § 117 bb, 118 g.—21. ] cf. 10$25$ (J) (1 Ch. 7$16$).—] G .—] V cithara et organo; S ; T$O$ (|| ). See Benzinger, Archæol.$2$, 237-246; We. Psalms (Polychr. Bible), 219 f., 222 f.; Riehm, Hdwb. 1043 ff. The is