Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/233

observe the prescribed form, and call for no detailed comment, except as regards the names.

6-8. Šēth: cf. 4²⁵. For the Jewish, Gnostic, and Mohammedan legends about this patriarch, see Lenorm. Orig.² 217-220, and Charles, Book of Jubilees, 33 ff.—'9-11. Ĕnôš: see on 4²⁶.—12-14. Ḳênān is obviously a fuller form of Ḳáyin in the parallel genealogy of 4^17ff.; and possibly, like it, means 'smith' or 'artificer' (cf. Syr. (Syriac characters): see on 4¹). Whether the longer or the shorter form is the more ancient, we have no means of judging. It is important to note that (Hebrew characters) or (Hebrew characters) is the name of a Sabæan deity, occurring several times in inscriptions: see Mordtmann, ZDMG, xxxi. 86; Baethgen, Beitr. 127 f., 152.—15-17. Mahălal'ēl (= 'Praise of God') is a compound with the ἄπ. λεγ. (Hebrew characters) (Pr. 27²¹). But there the Vns. read the participle; and so G must have done here: Μαλελεηλ = (Hebrew characters), i.e. 'Praising God.' Proper names compounded with a ptcp. are rare and late in OT (see Dri. Sam. 14²; Gray, HPN, 201), but are common in Assyrian. Nestle's inference that the genealogy must be late (MM, 7 f.) is not certain, because the word might have been borrowed, or first borrowed and then hebraized: Hommel conjectures (not very plausibly) that it is a corruption of Amil-Arûru in the list of Berossus (see AOD, 29). (Hebrew characters) is found as a personal or family name in Neh. 11⁴.—18-20. Yéred (1 Ch. 4¹⁸) would signify in Heb. 'Descent'; hence the Jewish legend that in his days the angels descended to the earth (Gen. 6²): cf. Jub. iv. 15; En. vi. 6, cvi. 13. On Bu.'s interpretation, see p. 129 above. The question whether (Hebrew characters) or (Hebrew characters) be the older form must be left open. Hommel (30) traces both to an original Babylonian 'I-yarad = 'descent of fire.'

21-24. The account of Enoch contains three extraordinary features: (a) The twice repeated (Hebrew characters). in the OT such an expression (used also of Noah, 6⁹) signifies intimate companionship (1 Sa. 25¹⁵), and here denotes a fellowship with God morally and religiously perfect (cf. Mic. 6⁸, Mal. 2⁶ [(Hebrew characters)]), hardly differing from the commoner 'walk before God' (17¹ 24⁴⁰) or 'after God' (Dt. 13⁵, 1 Ki. 14⁸). We shall see, however, that originally it included the idea of initiation into divine mysteries. (b) Instead of the usual (Hebrew characters) we read (Hebrew characters); i.e. he was

22. (Hebrew characters)—(Hebrew characters)] G εὐηρέστησεν τῷ θεῷ (G^L adds καὶ ἔζησεν Ἐνωχ), Σ ἀνεστρέφετο, S (Syriac characters), T^O (Hebrew characters): Aq. and V render literally. The art. before (Hebrew characters) is unusual in P (see 6^{9. 11}). The phrase must have been taken from a traditional source, and may retain an unobserved trace of the original polytheism ('with the gods').—23. (Hebrew characters)] Rd (Hebrew characters) (MSS, [E]G, etc.).—24. (Hebrew characters)] indicating mysterious disappearance (37^29f. 42^{13. 32. 36} [E] 1 Ki. 20⁴⁰); see G-K. § 152 m.—(Hebrew characters)] G μετέθηκεν,