Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/427

 XXI. 22-34.—Abraham's Covenant with Abimelech

(E and J).

Two distinct narratives, each leading up to a covenant at Beersheba, are here combined. (A) In the first, Abraham, acceding to a request of Abimelech, enters into a covenant of permanent friendship with him, from which the place derives its name 'Well of the Oath' ($22-24. 27. 31$).—(B) In the other, the covenant closes a long-standing dispute about springs, and secures the claim of Abraham's people to the wells of Beersheba, where Abraham subsequently plants a sacred tree ($25. 26. 28-30. 32. 33$).

Sources.—The passage, except some redactional touches in $32-34$, has usually been assigned to E (We. Kue. Di. Ho. Str.). Its disjointed character has, however, been felt, and tentative solutions have been proposed by several critics (cf. KS. Anm. 92, 93; Kraetz. Bundvorstg. 14, 31; v. Gall, CSt. 46 f.; OH. ii. 30 f.). The most successful is that of Gu., who assigns $25. 26 28-30. 32-34$ to J, the rest to E: the reasons will appear in the notes. The analysis rests on the duplicates ($27a3Oa$, $27b32a$) and material discrepancies of the section; the linguistic criteria being indecisive as between J and E, though quite decisive against P (, $23$;, $27$; , $30$). But the connexion with ch. 20, and in $22. 23$, prove that the main account is from E; while, $33$, and , $30$, show the other to be J. Since the scene is Beersheba, the Yahwistic component must be J$b$.—$32-34$ have been considerably modified by R. Procksch (10 ff.) holds that in the original E v.$22ff.$ preceded $1-20$; his detailed analysis being almost identical with Gu.'s.

22-24. Abimelech proposes an oath of perpetual amity between his people and Abraham's, and the latter consents (E).—22. Pîkōl (v.i.), his commander-in-chief, seems here merely a symbol of the military importance of Gerar: otherwise 26$26ff.$, where P. is a party to the covenant.—23. Swear to me here] in the place afterwards known as Beersheba ($31$). Abraham's departure from Gerar, and Abimelech's visit to him in Beersheba, must have stood in E between 20$17$ and 21$22$ (cf. 26$13. 26$.—24. This unreserved consent is inconsistent with the expostulation of—25, 26 (J), which pre-

22. ] G pr. (fr. 26$26$). Spiegelberg (OLz, ix. 109) considers this one of the few Egyptian names in OT = p$<$Ḫ-r(j), "the Syrian."—23. ] G-K. § 149 c.—] (proles et soboles) an alliterative phrase found in Is. 14$22$, Jb. 18$19$, Sir. 41$5$ 47$22$† .—25. ] "must be corrected to " (Ba., cf. G-K. § 112 tt): [E]. But