Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/397

 '''15-22. The heir of the Covenant.'''—The promise of the birth of Isaac is brought into connexion with the main idea of the chapter by the assurance ($19. 21$) that the covenant is to be established with him and not with Ishmael.—15. Sarai's name is changed to Sarah. The absence of an etymological motive is remarkable (v.i.).—16b. In G, Jub., V and S, the blessing on Sarah is by slight changes of text turned into a blessing on the son whose birth has just been foretold (v.i.). The MT, however, is more likely to be correct.—17. Abraham's demeanour is a strange mixture of reverence and incredulity: "partim gaudio exultans, partim admiratione extra se raptus, in risum prorumpit" is Calvin's comment. It is P's somewhat unnatural clothing of the traditional etymology of Isaac (, v.$19$); cf. 18$12$ (J), 21$6$ (E).—18. The prayer, O that Ishmael might live before thee!—under Thy protection and with Thy blessing (Hos. 6$2$)—is a fine touch of nature; but the writer's interest lies rather in the 'determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,' which overrides human feeling and irrevocably decrees the election

munity, or by God in His providence. The interpretation seems to have varied in different ages. Ex. 31$13f.$ clearly contemplates the death penalty at the hands of the community; while Lv. 17$9f.$ 20{3. 6} point as clearly to a divine interposition. The probability is that it is an archaic juridical formula for the punishment of death, which came to be used vaguely "as a strong affirmation of divine disapproval, rather than as prescribing a penalty to be actually enforced" (Dri.). See Sta. GVI, i. 421 f.; Ho. p. 127 f.—] pausal form for (G-K. § 29 q).

15. (G ) and  (G )] According to Nö. (ZDMG, xl. 183, xlii. 484), [LOTE: **] is an an old fem. termin. surviving in Syr. Arab. and Eth. On this view may be either the same word as, 'princess' ([root] ), or (as the differentiation of G suggests) from [root], 'strive,' with which the name Israel was connected (Gn. 32$29$, Ho. 12$4$: see Rob. Sm. KM$2$, 34 f. [Nö. dissents]). On Lagarde's (Mitth. ii. 185) attempt to connect the name with Ar. šara$y$ = 'wild fertile spot,' and so to identify Abraham (as 'husband of Sarai') with the Nabatean god Dusares (ḏū-ššara$y$), see Mey. INS, 269 f., who thinks the conjecture raised beyond doubt by the discovery of the name Šarayat as consort of Dusares on an inscr. at Boṣra in the Ḥaurân. The identification remains highly problematical.—16. ] [E]. So G Jub. VS, which consistently maintain the masc. to the end of the v.—17. —] a combination of the disjunctive question with casus pendens; see G-K. § 150 g.