Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/417

 ''Ch. XX.—Abraham and Sarah at the Court of Gerar'' (E).

The chapter deals with an incident closely similar to that recorded in 12$10-20$. It is indeed impossible to doubt that the two are variants of the same tradition; a view which is confirmed rather than shaken by Strack's enumeration of petty differences. A close comparison (see p. 364 f. below) appears to show that the passage before us is written from a more advanced ethical standpoint than that represented by ch. 12: note the tendency to soften the harsher features of the incident ($4. 6. 16$), and to minimise the extent of Abraham's departure from strict veracity.

Source.—The narrative is the first continuous excerpt from E; and contains several stylistic and other peculiarities of that document: esp. [], $3. 6. 11. 13. 17$ ($18$ is a gloss);  (J ), $17$;  (J ), $5$; see also the notes on, $5$; , $2. 13$; , $6$; , $12$ (cf. Di. 279; Ho. 159; Gu. 193).—The appearing of God in a dream is characteristic of E; and the conception of Abraham as a prophet ($7$) is at least foreign to the original J (but see on 15$1$). Another circumstance proving the use of a source distinct from J$h$ or P is that Sarah is here conceived as a young woman capable of inspiring passion in the king (ct. 18$12$ 17$17$). Lastly, it is to be observed that ch. 20 is the beginning of a section (20-22) mainly Elohistic, representing a cycle of tradition belonging to the Negeb and, in particular, to Beersheba.

1, 2. Introductory notice.—The method of the narrator, Gu. points out, is to let the story unfold itself in the colloquies which follow, vv.$1f.$ containing just enough to make these intelligible.—1. the land of the Negeb] see on 12$9$.—between Ḳādēsh (14$7$) and Shûr (16$7$) would be in the extreme S of the Negeb, if not beyond its natural limits. The words (note the paronomasia) are not a nearer specification of the previous clause, but introduce a new fact,—a further stage of the patriarch's wanderings. There is therefore no reason to suppose that Gĕrār lay as far S as Ḳadesh

1. ] see 11$2$.—] only 24$62$, Jos. 15$19$, Ju. 1$15$ (J), Nu. 13$29$ (E?).—] (10$19$ 26$1. 6. 17$ [], $20. 26$, 2 Ch. 14$12f.$[*]) G , S ; commonly identified, on the authority of OS, 240$28ff.$ , with the modern Umm Ǧerār ('place of water-pots'), 6 miles SSE of Gaza (so Rowlands, Holy City, i. 464; Robinson [who did not find the name], BR, ii. 43 f. [cf. i. 189], Ho. Gu.