Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/401

 tion of the phenomenon in question must be sought than the assumption of an interweaving of a sing. and a pl. recension of the legend (see on v.$1$ and p. 303 below). With Gu. also, we may regard the chapter as the immediate sequel to 13$18$ in the legendary cycle which fixes the residence of Abraham at Hebron (J$h$). The conception of Abraham's character is closely akin to what we meet throughout that section of J, and differs appreciably from the representation of him in 12$10-20$ and 16.

1-8. The entertainment of the three wayfarers.—The description "presents a perfect picture of the manner in which a modern Bedawee sheikh receives travellers arriving at his encampment. He immediately orders his wife or women to make bread, slaughters a sheep or other animal, and dresses it in haste; and, bringing milk and any other provisions that he may have at hand, with the bread and the meat that he has dressed, sets them before his guests: if they are persons of high rank he also stands by them while they eat" (Lane, Mod. Eg.$5$ i. 364: from Dri.).—1. Yahwe appeared, etc.] This introductory clause simply means that the incident about to be related has the value of a theophany. In what way the narrator conceived that Yahwe was present in the three men—whether He was one of the three, or whether all three were Yahwe in self-manifestation (De.)—we can hardly tell. The common view that the visitors were Yahwe accompanied by two of His angels does not meet the difficulties of the exegesis; and it is more probable that to the original Yahwist the 'men' were emissaries and representatives of Yahwe, who was not visibly present (see p. 304 f.).—] at the hottest (and drowsiest) time of the day (2 Sa. 4$5$).—2. and behold] The mysteriously sudden advent of the strangers marks them as superhuman beings (Jos. 5$13$), though this makes no impression on Abraham at the time. The interest of the story turns largely on his ignorance of the real character of his guests.—3. The Mass. pointing implies that Abraham recognised Yahwe as one of the three (Tu. De. al.); but this we have just seen to be

1. ] G .—In the suff. may refer back directly to 13$18$ (see on the v.).—] G M.; see on 13$18$.—3. Read with