Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/369

This name originated in the period of the Judges (Jos. 19⁴⁷, Ju. 18²⁹); and it is singular that such a prolepsis should occur in a document elsewhere so careful of the appearance of antiquity.—15. He divided himself] i.e. (as usually understood) into three bands,—the favourite tactical manœuvre in Hebrew warfare (Ju. 7¹⁶, 1 Sa. 11¹¹ 13¹⁷, Jb. 1¹⁷, 1 Mac. 5³³): but see the footnote.—smote and pursued them as far as Hobah] Hobah (cf. Jth. 15⁵) has been identified by Wetzstein with Hoba, c. 20 hours' journey N of Damascus. Sellin (934) takes it to be the Ubi of the TA Tablets, the district in which Damascus was situated (KIB, v. 139, 63; 146, 12). The pursuit must in any case have been a long one, since Damascus itself is about 15 hours from Dan. It is idle to pretend that Abram's victory was merely a surprise attack on the rearguard, and the recovery of part of the booty. A pursuit carried so far implies the rout of the main body of the enemy.

17, 18-20. Abram and Melkiẓedeḳ.—"The scene between Abram and Melkiẓedeḳ is not without poetic charm: the two ideals (Grösse) which were afterwards to be so intimately united, the holy people and the holy city, are here brought together for the first time: here for the first time Israel receives the gift of its sanctuary" (Gu. 253). 17. The scene of the meeting is (Hebrew characters), interpreted as the king's vale. A place of this name is mentioned in 2 Sa. 18¹⁸ as the site of Absalom's pillar, which, according to Josephus (Ant. vii. 243), was two stadia from Jerusalem. The situation harmonises with the common view that Šalem is Jerusalem (see below); and other information does not exist.—18. Melkîẓedeḳ, king of Šālēm, etc.] The primitive

and Jer. 2¹⁴.—15. (Hebrew characters)] (cf. 1 Ki. 16²¹). The sense given above is not altogether natural. Ball emends (Hebrew characters). Wi. (GI, ii. 27²) suggests a precarious Ass. etymology, pointing as Piel, and rendering 'and he fell upon them by night': so Sellin.—(Hebrew characters)] Lit. 'on the left.' The sense 'north' is rare: Jos. 19²⁷ (P), Ezk. 16⁴⁶, Jb. 23⁹.

17. (Hebrew characters) (without art.) must apparently be a different word from that in v.⁵. Hommel and Wi. emend (Hebrew characters) (šarrē, the Ass. word for 'king').—18. (Hebrew characters)] usually explained as 'King of Righteousness' (Heb. 7²), with î as old gen. ending retained by the annexion; but more probably = 'My king is Ẓidḳ,' Ẓidḳ being the name of a S