Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/547

 *ably] or, 'salute him.' The text is doubtful (v.i.).—5-11. Joseph's dreams (E).--6, 7. The first dream—a harvest scene—represents Jacob's family as agriculturists (see on 26$12$); in vv.$2. 13ff.$ 46$31ff.$ they are shepherds. There may be some hint of the immediate cause of its fulfilment, a failure of the harvest (Gu.), though this is questionable.—8a. Wilt thou, forsooth, be king over us?] The language points beyond the personal history of Joseph to the hegemony of the 'house of Joseph' in N Israel (Ju. 1$22f.$).—9. The second dream presages Joseph's elevation not only over his brothers, but over his father (Ho.), i.e. Israel collectively.—eleven stars] Supposed by some to be an allusion to the signs of the Zodiac (De. Gu. al., cf. Je. ATLO$2$, 383), the twelfth being either Joseph himself, or the constellation obscured by Joseph as the sun-god. The theory will stand or fall with the identification of Jacob's twelve sons with the Zodiacal signs (see pp. 534 f.); the absence of the art. here makes it, however, at least improbable that the theory was in the mind of the writer.—11. envied is the appropriate word for E's account, as 'hated' (v.$4$) is for J's ($5b$ and $8b$ are redactional).—his father kept the matter (in mind)] G. Cf. Lk. 2$19. 51$.

While significant dreams bulk largely in E's Joseph-narrative (ch. 40 f.), it is characteristic of this section of the work that the dreams contain no oracular revelations (like 20$3ff.$ 31$11. 24$), but have a meaning in themselves which is open to human interpretation. The religious spirit of these chapters (as also of ch. 24), both in J and E, is a mature faith in God's providential ruling of human affairs, which is independent of theophanies, or visible interpositions of any kind. It can scarcely be doubted that such narratives took shape at a later period of OT religion than the bulk of the patriarchal legends.

12-17. Jacob sends Joseph to inquire after his brethren.—12, 13a, 14b J 13b, 14a E (see the analysis

see Ex. 2$3$ etc.).—5b is out of place before the telling of the dream, and is om. by G.—7. Ins. at the beginning, with G.—] ;, Ps. 126$6$† .—8b. Another redactional addition, though found in G; note the pl. 'dreams' when only one has been told.—10a.  is an interpolation intended to explain what immediately follows. G omits, and seeks to gain the same end by inserting  before  in $9$.

12-14 is composite. shows that $12. 13a$ belong to J; and shows that $13b$ is from E (cf. 22$1. 7. 11$ 27$1$ 31$11$). Hence $14a$ is not a specifi