Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/500

 is not elsewhere mentioned in OT.—29. It is in my power (v.i.) to do you harm]—but for the interposition of God.—30. Thou hast gone off forsooth, because forsooth, etc.] The infs. abs. express irony (Dav. § 86).—stolen my god(s)] This is a serious matter, and leads up to the chief scene of the dispute.—32. Jacob is so sure of the innocence of his household that he offers to give up the culprit to death if the theft can be proved: a similar enhancement of dramatic interest in 44$9ff.$.—33-35. The search for the teraphim is described with a touch of humour, pointed with sarcasm at a prevalent form of idolatry.—34. Rachel had hidden the idol in the camel's litter or palanquin (Burck. Bed. ii. 85; Doughty, Ar. Des. i. 437, ii. 304; BDB, 1124), in which she was apparently resting within the tent, on account of her condition.—35. = (18$11$), J). Women in this condition were protected by a powerful taboo (cf. Lv. 15$19$ etc.).—36, 37. Jacob now turns on Laban, treating the accusation about the teraphim as mere pretext for searching his goods.—38-40 (J). A fine picture of the ideal shepherd, solicitous for his master's interests, sensitive to the least suspicion of fraud, and careless of his personal comfort.—39. I brought not to thee] as a witness (Ex. 22$12$). Jacob had thus gone far beyond his legal obligation.—made it good] lit. 'counted it

§ 75 n.—29. ] Mic. 2$1$, Pr. 3$27$, Sir. 5$1$ (Dt. 28$32$, Neh. 5$5$). The meaning is certain ('be within one's power'), but the expression is very obscure. The current explanations (both represented in the Vns.) are: (1) That is an abstract noun = 'power,' and  gen. (2) That  is subj. of the sent. and the word for God: 'my hand is for a God.' The first depends on a singular sense of ; and for the second would have been more natural. A third view has recently been propounded by Brockelmann (ZATW, xxvi. 29 ff.), who renders 'it belongs to the God of my hand,' a survival of a primitive belief in special deities or spirits animating different members of the body (cf. Tylor, Prim. Cult.$4$ ii. 127).—] [E]G have sing. suff.—30. ] G +. The should probably be restored.—31. G om. .—32. The opening words in G may be original, introducing the duplicate from E.—32b is preceded in G by the variant .—33. ] [E] + (rd. ); so G.—The cl. $33a$ disagrees with what follows, and may be a gloss. G reduces the discrepancy by omissions, and a complete rearrangement of clauses.—36. $2$] Rd. with Heb. MSS [E]GS.—39. On for, cf. G-K. § 74 k or