Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/489

 the legitimisation of a natural child, and finally a form of adoption generally (50$23$). Gu., however, thinks the rite originated in cases like the present (the slave being delivered on the knees of her mistress), and was afterwards transferred to male adoption.

obtain children by her] see on 16$2$.—6. The putative mother names the adopted child.—Dân] The etymology here given ([root] ,'judge') is very probably correct, the form being an abbreviated theophorous name (cf., Abi-dan, Ass. Asshur-*dan, etc.).—8. wrestlings of God I have wrestled] The words are very obscure (see Che. 376 ff.). Either 'I have had "a veritable God's bout" (Ba.) with my sister,' or (less probably) 'I have wrestled with God (in prayer) like my sister.'—and have overcome] This seems to imply that Leah had only one son at the time (Gu.); and there is nothing to prevent the supposition that the concubinage of Bilhah followed immediately on the birth of Reuben.

9-13. Leah's adopted sons.—11. Gad is the name of an Aramæan and Phœnician god of Luck, mentioned in Is. 65$11$ (see Camb. Bible, ad loc.; cf. Baethgen, Beitr. 76 ff. 159 ff.). There is no difficulty in supposing that a hybrid tribe like Gad traced its ancestry to this deity, and was named after him; though, of course, no such idea is expressed in the text. In Leah's exclamation the word is used appellatively: With luck! (v.i.). It is probable, however, that at an earlier time it was current in the sense 'With Gad's help'

the Ḥorite clan (36$27$).—6. ] On the form, see G-K. § 26 g.—7a[Greek: b]b must be assigned to J, on account of and  (note also the expression of subj. after second vb.).—8. ]. The vb. has nowhere else the sense of 'wrestle,' but means primarily to 'twist' (cf. Pr. 8$8$, Jb. 5$13$, Ps. 18$27$† ); hence might be the 'tortuous,' 'cunning' one (BDB). But a more plausible etymology derives it from a hypothetical Naphtal (from [Jos. 17$11$† ,—if correctly vocalised], usually taken to mean 'height': cf.  fr. ), denoting the northern highlands W of the Upper Jordan (Mey. INS, 539).—The Vns. render the v. more or less paraphrastically, and give no help to the elucidation of the sense.

10. Both here and v.$12$ G gives a much fuller text.—11. ] So Keth., G, V Feliciter. But Qrê is ancient, being presupposed by S and T$OJ$. These Vns. render 'Good fortune comes' (so Ra): another translation, suggested by 49$19$, is 'A troop comes' (IEz.).