Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/601

 Egypt for the benefit of the crown. In one year the famishing people have exhausted their money and parted with their live-stock, in exchange for bread; in the next they forfeit their lands and their personal freedom. Thus by a bold stroke of statesmanship private property in land (except in the case of the priests) is abolished throughout Egypt, and the entire population reduced to the position of serfs, paying a land-tax of 20 per cent. per annum to the king.

Source.—The section $13-26$, dealing as it does with matters purely Egyptian and without interest for the national history of Israel, occupies an anomalous position among the Joseph-narratives, and cannot be confidently assigned to either of the main documents (We. Comp.$2$ 61). Linguistic indications are on the whole in favour of J:, $13$; , $19$ (42$2$ 43$8$);, $24$ (43$34$); , $17$ (26$14$); , $25$ (see Gu. and Di.). But there are also traces of E's diction:, $2$0; , $15f.$ (29$21$ 30$1$,—differing from 11$3. 4. 7$) (Di. Ho.); besides some peculiar expressions very unusual in Pent.:, $13$; , $15f.$ ; (Qal), $19$; , $23$ (Di.). It is possible that Ho. (251 f.) and Pro. (54 f.) are right in thinking the passage composite; but no satisfactory analysis can be effected. That it is out of place in its present connexion is generally admitted, but that it finds a more suitable position between chs. 41 and 42 (Di. Gu. al.) is not at all obvious. It is not improbable that a piece of so peculiar a character is a later addition to the original cycle of Joseph-legends, and belongs neither to J nor E.—V.$27$ appears to be from P, with glosses (see the notes).

13, 14. Joseph takes up all the money in Egypt and Canaan. Canaan is bracketed with Egypt as far as v.$15$, after which the situation is purely Egyptian. It is natural to suppose that the references to Canaan are interpolated (Ho. Gu.); but considering the close political relations of the two countries, it would be rash to assume this too easily.—15-17. The live-stock is next exhausted.—horses] See on 12$16$.—18-22. The people surrender their lands and persons for bread. This is the decisive stroke of Joseph's statecraft, making a return to the old conditions impossible;

13. ] [E]. The [root] is Aram. . . =, 'languish.' It is one of several rare expressions which occur in this section.—14. ] G + (v.$12$).—15. ] The vb. only here (and v.$16$) in Pent.: elsewhere poetic (Is. 16$4$ 29$20$, Ps. 77$9$[dagger]).—] [E], G (so v.$16$).—16. ] [E]GV + .—17. ] Only here in the sense of 'sustain' [with food]; elsewhere, if the [root] be the same, it means 'lead' (to watering