Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/285

 perplexing. If the text be right (v.i.), it implies a previous account of him as addicted to (perhaps the inventor of) agriculture, which now in his hands advances to the more refined stage of vine-growing. See the note on p. 185.

Amongst other peoples this discovery was frequently attributed to a god (Dionysus among the Greeks, Osiris among the Egyptians), intoxication being regarded as a divine inspiration. The orgiastic character of the religion of the Canaanites makes it probable that the same view prevailed amongst them; and it has even been suggested that the Noah of this passage was originally a Canaanitish wine-god (see Niebuhr, Geschichte d. Ebräischen Zeitalters, 36 ff.). The native religion of Israel (like that of Mohammed) viewed this form of indulgence with abhorrence; and under strong religious enthusiasm the use of fermented drinks was entirely avoided (the Nazirites, Samson, the Rechabites). This feeling is reflected in the narrative before us, where Noah is represented as experiencing in his own person the full degradation to which his discovery had opened the way. It exhibits the repugnance of a healthy-minded race towards the excesses of a debased civilisation.—Since the vine is said to be indigenous to Armenia and Pontus (see De. Di.), it has naturally been proposed to connect the story with the landing of the ark in Ararat. But we have seen that the passage has nothing to do with the Deluge-tradition; and it is more probable that it is an independent legend, originating amidst Palestinian surroundings.

21. uncovered himself] the same result of drunkenness in Hab. 2$15$, La. 4$21$.—22. There is no reason to think (with Ho. and Gu.) that Canaan was guilty of any worse sin than the Schadenfreude implied in the words. Heb. morality called for the utmost delicacy in such matters, like that evinced by Shem and Japheth in v.$23$—24. cannot mean 'his younger son' (G V) (i.e. as compared with

following Kue. (ThT, xviii. 147), proposes for : 'Noah was the first to plough the ground.' That reading would be fatal to any connexion of the section with Gn. 3, unless we suppose a distinction between (manual tillage) and. Strangely enough, Ra. (on 5$29$) repeats the Haggadic tradition that Noah invented the ploughshare; but this is probably a conjecture based on a comparison of 3$17$ with 5$29$. —22. ] G pref. .—23. ] On the art., see G-K. § 126 r. That it was the which Canaan had previously taken away, and that this notice was deliberately omitted by J (Gu.), is certainly not to be inferred. The is the upper garment, which was also used for sleeping in (Ex. 22$26$ etc.).—24. ] on the irreg. seghol, see G-K.