Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/570

 ('This is the announcement I [now] make to Pharaoh'). In any case 29 looks like a new commencement, and may introduce a variant from J (v.i.).—31. goes back to the of $21$.—32. If the dream is one, why was it twice repeated? Because, says Joseph, the crisis is certain and urgent. So he rounds off his finished and masterly explanation of the dreams.

33-36. Joseph's advice to Pharaoh.—Here Joseph proves himself to be no mere expert in reading dreams, but a man with a large reserve of practical wisdom and statesmanship.—33-35. There is an apparent discrepancy between the appointment of a single official ($33a$) and that of a commission of 'overseers' ($34a$); and again between the fifth part ($34b$) and the whole ($35a$); we note also the transition from sing. to pl. (, etc.). For attempts at division of sources, see below.—34. The taxing of a fifth part of the crop seems to have been a permanent Egyptian institution (see on 47$24$), whose origin the Hebrews traced to the administration of Joseph.—35. under the hand (i.e. the authority) of Pharaoh] cf. Ex. 18$10$, 2 Ki. 13$5$, Is. 3$6$.

37-46. Joseph's elevation.—37, 39 (E) 38 (J).—The thing that was pleasing to Pharaoh, etc., is not the interpreta-*

27$30$ 43$2$ 44$12$), and (12$10$ 43$1$ 47$4. 13$) as characteristic of J; but they are not decisive. Gu. limits J to $29. 30a. 32b_$ ( $27f. 30b. 31. 32ab_$ E). This is on the whole more satisfying, since  and  appear to be doublets (Di.); but a positive conclusion will hardly be reached.

33-36. The passage is certainly composite, and can be resolved into two nearly complete sequences as follows: E = $33. 34b. 35b_$ (to ). $36a_$; J = $34a. 35ab_$ (from )· $36a_b$. Characteristic of E are, , , against J's (with ),, ; and the only necessary change is to. The result corresponds pretty closely with Gu.,s analysis; that of Procksch differs widely.—33. ] see Baer-Del. p. 78; G-K. § 75 p. Str., however, holds the true reading to be .—34. ] [E]. To the peculiar idiom, De. compares the Latin fac scribas; may, however, mean 'take action,' as 1 Ki. 8$32$.—] G pl.—35. ] Ball prefixes (as v.$48$); some such expedient is necessary to make sense of the last word.—For, [E]S have ; G (?).—36. ] Lv. 5$21. 23$† ; obviously suggested here by in v.$34$.

37-46. Analysis.—To E we may pretty confidently assign $37. 39$ ( as $33$) $40$; to J $38. 44. 45$. Whether J's parallel to $40$ commences with $41$ (Pro.), or is delayed to $44$ (Gu.), it is hard to decide. $41b$ reads like a