Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/634

 26a. The blessings, arranged in three parallel couplets,—the first referring to the fertility of the soil.—Blessings of heaven above] Rain and dew, the cause of fertility (so Dt. 33$13$ em.).—Tĕhôm beneath] The subterranean flood, whence springs and rivers are fed: see on 1$2$.—Blessings of breasts and womb] Contr. the terrible imprecation, Hos. 9$14$.—26a. Passing over the first four words as absolutely unintelligible (v.i.), we come to the third pair of blessings: of the eternal mountains  of the everlasting hills (Dt. 33$15$, Hab. 3$6$)] In what sense the mountains were conceived as a source of blessing is not clear,—perhaps as abodes of deity; cf. the 'dew of Hermon' (Ps. 133$3$).—The word rendered produce is uncertain; we should expect 'blessings,' as G actually reads (v.i.).—26b. Be on the head] as in benediction the hand is laid on the head (48$14$): cf. Pr. 10$6$ 11$26$.—] So Dt. 33$16$. The is either the Nazirite—one 'consecrated' to God by a vow involving unshorn hair (Ju. 13$5. 7$ etc.)—or the prince (so only La. 4$7$). For the rendering 'crowned one' there are no examples. The second interpretation is that usually adopted by recent scholars; some explaining it of the Northern monarchy, of

one remediable, the other not. The last line is to be restored with G, 'blessings of the eternal mountains' (Dt. 33$15$, Hab. 3$6$). But the first three words, though represented by all Vns., must be wrong; for to put under the regimen of  destroys the parallelism, and the vb. cuts off from its subj. What is obviously required is a line parallel to. Gu.'s suggested emendation, though far from satisfying, is the best that can be proposed: = 'Blessings of father, yea, man and child.'—] [E]G +, suggested no doubt by the previous line.—] VST$OJ$ render 'my progenitors,' by an impossible derivation from [root], 'be pregnant.'—] EV 'utmost bound' (so De., fr. [root] or ; see BDB), has no real philological or traditional justification. If the text were reliable, it might be the common word 'desire,' from [root] (G $curs.$ [E]VT$OJ$), in the sense of 'desirable things.' With some hesitation I follow above Ols. Gu. al., reading after Dt. 33$14$. But G$B$ has great weight (all the greater that the translator has lost the thread of the thought), and ought perhaps to be preferred.—] is not necessarily a derivative from the noun, 'diadem,' = 'the crowned one'; more probably it comes from the vb. directly,— = 'dedicate' (cf. )—which admits various shades of meaning. Of the Vns. GT$J$ represent the idea of 'prince' or 'ruler, T$O$ 'the separated one,' V Saad. 'the Nazirite,' S 'the crown'.