Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/233

 observe the prescribed form, and call for no detailed comment, except as regards the names.

6-8. Šēth: cf. 4$25$. For the Jewish, Gnostic, and Mohammedan legends about this patriarch, see Lenorm. Orig.$2$ 217-220, and Charles, Book of Jubilees, 33 ff.—9-11. Ĕnôš: see on 4$26$.—12-14.' Ḳênān is obviously a fuller form of Ḳáyin in the parallel genealogy of 4$17ff.$; and possibly, like it, means 'smith' or 'artificer' (cf. Syr. : see on 4$1$). Whether the longer or the shorter form is the more ancient, we have no means of judging. It is important to note that or  is the name of a Sabæan deity, occurring several times in inscriptions: see Mordtmann, ZDMG, xxxi. 86; Baethgen, Beitr. 127 f., 152.—15-17. Mahălal'ēl (= 'Praise of God') is a compound with the (Pr. 27$21$). But there the Vns. read the participle; and so G must have done here: =, i.e. 'Praising God.' Proper names compounded with a ptcp. are rare and late in OT (see Dri. Sam. 14$2$; Gray, HPN, 201), but are common in Assyrian. Nestle's inference that the genealogy must be late (MM, 7 f.) is not certain, because the word might have been borrowed, or first borrowed and then hebraized: Hommel conjectures (not very plausibly) that it is a corruption of Amil-Arûru in the list of Berossus (see AOD, 29). is found as a personal or family name in Neh. 11$4$.—18-20. Yéred (1 Ch. 4$18$) would signify in Heb. 'Descent'; hence the Jewish legend that in his days the angels descended to the earth (Gen. 6$2$): cf. Jub. iv. 15; En. vi. 6, cvi. 13. On Bu.'s interpretation, see p. 129 above. The question whether or be the older form must be left open. Hommel (30) traces both to an original Babylonian 'I-yarad = 'descent of fire.'

21-24. The account of Enoch contains three extraordinary features: (a) The twice repeated. in the OT such an expression (used also of Noah, 6$9$) signifies intimate companionship (1 Sa. 25$15$), and here denotes a fellowship with God morally and religiously perfect (cf. Mic. 6$8$, Mal. 2$6$ []), hardly differing from the commoner 'walk before God' (17$1$ 24$40$) or 'after God' (Dt. 13$5$, 1 Ki. 14$8$). We shall see, however, that originally it included the idea of initiation into divine mysteries. (b) Instead of the usual we read ; i.e. he was

22. —] G (G$L$ adds ), Σ, S , T$O$ : Aq. and V render literally. The art. before is unusual in P (see 6$9. 11$). The phrase must have been taken from a traditional source, and may retain an unobserved trace of the original polytheism ('with the gods').—23. ] Rd (MSS, [E]G, etc.).—24. ] indicating mysterious disappearance (37$29f.$ 42$13. 32. 36$ [E] 1 Ki. 20$40$); see G-K. § 152 m.—] G ,