Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/474

 Dt. 33$23$ (v.i.).—28 (E). fat places of the earth] for the image cf. Is. 5$1$ 28$1$, Nu. 13$20$. "Heaven and earth conspire to give him of their best" (Gu.).—corn and must] often combined with 'oil' in pictures of agricultural felicity (Dt. 7$13$, Ho. 2$8. 22$ etc.).—29a (J). Peoples nations] cf. 25$23$. The reference is to the neighbouring nations subdued by David (2 Sa. 8).—29a (E) resembles a tribal blessing (cf. 49$8$). At all events the mention of brethren (pl.) shows that the immediate situation is forgotten.—29b (J). Cf. 12$3$.

30-40. Esau sues in vain for a blessing.—30. Both J and E bring out how narrowly Jacob escaped being detected (v.i.). 31b. Esau's address (jussives) is if anything a little more deferential than Jacob's (v.$19$).—33. Who, then, is he?] The words express but a momentary uncertainty; before the sentence is finished Isaac knows on whom the blessing has fallen. The clause is a real parallel to $35$, but a difference of conception is scarcely to be thought of (Gu.: see above).—and blessed he shall be] Not that Isaac now acquiesces in the ruling of Providence, and refuses to withdraw the blessing; but that such an oracle once uttered is in its nature irrevocable.—34. bless me too] parallel to the same words in $38$. Here J's narrative breaks off, and $35$ (E) resumes from the standpoint of $32$.—36. Is it because he was named Overreacher]—that he must always be overreaching

ever, is rendered in GV, and should perhaps be retained.—28. ] the final Ḥ should be supplied with Qrê and [E] (see next cl.).— = ] is the common Aram. and NH form of (cf. Ph.  =, ): in OT Heb. only here, Is. 16$39$, Neh. 6$4$, Jb. 37$6$, Ec. 2$6$ 11$22$†, and (acc. to Ex. 3$3$) in the name. Its occurrence in early Heb., as here, is surprising.—] v.$14$† .—] GT$37$, wrongly.—] G after 49$O$.—On the distributive sing. , see G-K. § 145l.
 * , and therefore = +  (G-K. § 20 m), from  ($8$† ).—29. ]

30a contains two variants, of which the second is connected syntactically with $30b$. Since the form of $a$ resembles 18$33$ 24$22$ 43$2$ (all J), we may assign this to J, and the rest of the v. to E.—31. ] Pt. rather (juss.).—33. ] KS. conj. (emphatic inf. abs.).—] The emendation of Hitz. (Ols. Ba.) is hardly suitable: such a sentence would require to be preceded by another action, of which it was an aggravating or supplementary circumstance (cf. 31$15$ 46$4$, Nu. 16$13$). It is better (with [E]) to read, and (with G) to insert at the beginning of $34$.—36. ] cf. 29$15$, 2 Sa. 9$1$ (23$19$ ?), Jb. 6$22$† . The