Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/607

 imagined for the transposition. (See Bu. ZATW, iii. 67 f.) Bruston (in ZATW, vii. 208) puts forward the attractive suggestion (adopted by KS. Ba. Gu. Pro. al.) that the v. introduced a request to be buried in the same grave as Rachel. Such a wish is evidently impossible in P; and Bruston (followed with some hesitation by Ba. KS.) accordingly found a place for it (with the necessary alterations of text) between 47$29$ and $30$ (J): against this 50$5. 11$ seem decisive. Gu. and Pro. assign it to E, the latter placing it after v.$22$, which is certainly its most suitable position in E. But is the idea after all any more conceivable in E than in P? The writer who recorded the request, whoever he may have been, must have supposed that it was fulfilled; and it is not just likely that any writer should have believed that Jacob was buried in the grave traditionally known as Rachel's. No satisfactory solution can be given. Hupf. and Schr. consider the v. redactional; so Bu., who thinks it was inserted to correct P's original statement that Rachel was buried in Machpelah (see on 49$31$).

8, 9. E's narrative is resumed.—Observe that Jacob sees the boys (who are quite young children [41$50$]), whereas in $10a$ (J) he could not see.—9b is usually assigned to J, but for no very convincing reason.—10b, 11 (E). I had not thought, etc.] The words are charged with deep religious feeling: gratitude to the God in whose name he is to bless the lads, and whose marvellous goodness had brought his clouded life to a happy end.—12 (E). from between his (Jacob's) knees] There must be a reference to some rite of adoption not described, which being completed, Joseph removes the children and prostrates himself to receive the blessing (continued in $15$).—10a, 13, 14 (J). Whether this is a second interview in J, or a continuation of that in 47$29-31$, does not appear; in either case something has been omitted.—10a. See on 27$1$.—13 f. The crossing (v.i.) of Jacob's hands has a weird effect: the blind man is guided by a supernatural impulse, which moves unerringly in the line of destiny. The right hand conveys

arbitrary.—] G + (so [E]).—8. ] [E]G + .—9. $2$] G + .— (B-D. p. 80). On the pausal seghol, see G-K. §§ 29 q, 60 d.—11. ] G-K. § 75 n (cf. 31$28$).—] Lit. 'had not judged'; only here = 'opine.'—12. ] [E]GS have the pl.—] hardly makes sense. Rd. with GS .—14. ] [E] ins. [H].— T$O$, deriving from [root], 'be prudent' (whose Piel does not occur); but G , V commutans, S, T$J$. These Vns. may be guessing at the sense; but most moderns appeal to Ar. šakala, a secondary meaning of which is to 'plait two locks of hair together and bind them to the other