Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/462

 Edom (see on v.$30$); similarly, all over like a mantle of hair is a play on Sē'îr, the country of the Edomites (36$8$). It is singular that the name 'Ēsāw itself (on which v.i.) finds no express etymology.—26a. with his hand holding Esau's heel] (Ho. 12$4$) a last effort (v.$22$) to secure the advantage of being born first. There are no solid grounds for thinking (with Gu. Luther [INS, 128], Nowack, al.) that Hos. 12$4a$ presupposes a different version of the legend, in which Jacob actually wrested the priority from his brother (cf. 38$28f.$). The clause is meant as an explanation of the name 'Jacob.'

27, 28. Their manner of life.—27. Esau becomes a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field] It is hardly necessary to suppose that the phrases are variants from

(also 'stupid'), though that would require as strict Heb. equivalent (Dri.). A connexion with the Phœn. , brother of Šamêmrûm, and a hero of the chase, is probable, though not certain. There is also a goddess 'Asît, figured on Eg. monuments, who has been thought to be a female form of Esau (Müller, AE, 316 f.).—] GS, as v.$26$; but [E] has pl. both times. In any case the subj. is indef.—26. is a contraction of  (cf., Jos. 15$43$), Ju. 11$1ff.$ with, Jos. 19$14. 27$;, 2 Ch. 26$6$ with, Jos. 15$11$) which occurs (a) as a place name in central Palestine on the list of Thothmes (No 102: Y'ḳb'r); and (b) as a personal name (Ya'ḳub-ilu) in a Bab. contract tablet of the age of Ḫammurabi. The most obvious interpretation of names of this type is to take them as verbal sentt., with 'Ēl as subj.: 'God overreaches,' or 'follows,' or 'rewards,' according to the sense given to the [root]  (see Gray, HPN, 218). They may, however, be nominal sentt.: 'Ya'ḳōb is God' (see Mey. 282); in which case the meaning of the name is pushed a step farther back. The question whether Jacob was originally a tribe, a deity, or an individual man, thus remains unsettled by etymology.—At end of v., G adds ,—an improvement in style.