Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/398

 of Israel ($19$).—19a. Comp. the language with 16$11$, and observe that the naming of the child is assigned to the father.—20. ] a remote allusion to the popular explanation of, 'May God hear' (cf. 16$11$ 21$17$). Ishmael is to be endowed for Abraham's sake with every kind of blessing, except the religious privileges of the covenant.—twelve princes] (cf. 25$16$) as contrasted with the 'kings' of $6. 16$.—22. The close of the theophany.—— as 35$13$.

23-27. Circumcision of Abraham's household.—23. on that very day (cf. 7$13$)] repeated in v.$26$. Throughout the section, P excels himself in pedantic and redundant circumstantiality of narration. The circumcision of Ishmael, however, is inconsistent with the theory that the rite is a sign of the covenant, from which Ishmael is excluded (Ho. Gu.).—25. thirteen years old] This was the age of circumcision among the ancient Arabs, according to Jos. Ant. i. 214. Origen (Eus. Præp. Ev. vi. 11: cf. We. Heid.$2$ 175$3$); and Ambrose (de Abrah. ii. 348) give a similar age (14 years) for the Egyptians. It is possible that the notice here is based on a knowledge of this custom. Among the modern Arabs there is no fixed rule, the age varying from three to fifteen years: see Di. 264; Dri. in DB, ii. 504$b$.

Circumcision is a widely diffused rite of primitive religion, of whose introduction among the Hebrews there is no authentic tradition. One account (Ex. 4$24f.$) suggests a Midianite origin, another (Jos. 5$2ff.$) an Egyptian: the mention of flint knives in both these passages is a proof of the extreme antiquity of the custom (the Stone Age). The anthro-

19. ] 'Nay, but,'—a rare asseverative (42$21$, 2 Sa. 14$5$, 2 Ki. 4$14$, 1 Ki. 1$43$) and adversative (Dn. 10$7. 21$, Ezr. 10$13$, 2 Ch. 1$4$ 19$3$ 33$17$) particle. See the interesting note in Burney, Notes on Kings, p. 11; and cf. König, ii. 265.—] G appears to imply a preceding clause, which is found in many cursives. This is probably the correct reading.—20. ] G .—24. ] [E] .—] The Niph. is here either refl. or pass.; in $25$ it is pass.—26 ] irreg. pf. Niph.; G-K. § 72 ee. S takes it as act. ([root] ?) with Ishmael as obj.; and so G in v.$27$.