anxiety on the part of Abram, following on some meritorious
action performed by him. It is not certain that any
definite set of circumstances was present to the mind of the
writer, though the conditions are fairly well satisfied by
Abram's defenceless position amongst the Canaanites immediately
after his heroic obedience to the divine call (Gu.).
The attempts to establish a connexion with the events of
ch. 14 (Jewish Comm. and a few moderns) are far-fetched
and misleading.—the word of Yahwe came] On the formula
v.i. The conception of Abram as a prophet has no parallel
in J; and even E, though he speaks vaguely of Abram as a
(
Hebrew characters) (207, q.v.), does not describe his intercourse with God
in technical prophetic phraseology. The representation is
not likely to have arisen before the age of written prophecy.—in a vision] probably a night-vision (see v.5), in which case
the expression must be attributed to E. The mediate
character of revelation, as contrasted with the directness of
the older theophanies (e.g. ch. 18), is at all events characteristic
of E.—thy shield] a figure for protection common in
later writings: Dt. 3329, Ps. 34 711 oft., Pr. 27 305.—thy reward [will be] very great] a new sentence (GS), not (as V,
EV) a second predicate to (Hebrew characters)—2. seeing I go hence childless]
found occasionally in the older writings (1 Sa. 1510, 2 Sa. 2411), but
chiefly in later prophets and superscriptions: specially common in Jer.
and Ezk.—(Hebrew characters)] Only Nu. 244. 16, Ezk. 137. The word is thus not at
all characteristic of E, though the idea of revelation through dreams
and visions ((Hebrew characters), Nu. 126; (Hebrew characters), Gn. 462) undoubtedly is. Considering
the many traces of late editing in the chapter, it is highly
precarious to divide the phrases of v.1 between J and E.—(Hebrew characters) (inf.
abs.) as pred. is unusual and late (Ps. 1307, Ec. 118). [E] (Hebrew characters), 'I will
multiply,' is perhaps preferable.—2. (Hebrew characters)] (cf. 8) is common in the
elevated style of prophecy (esp. Ezk.), but rare in the Pss. In the
historical books it occurs only as a vocative (exc. 1 Ki. 226): Jos. 77, Ju.
622 1628,—Dt. 324 926, 2 Sa. 718. 19. 20. 28. 29, 1 Ki. 853. Of these the first
three are possibly J; the rest are Deuteronomic.—(Hebrew characters)] G has (Greek characters),—a
meaningless sentence in the connexion, unless supplemented by (Greek characters), as in some
MSS of Philo (before (Greek characters)). S paraphrases: (Syriac characters).
(Hebrew characters) is a (Greek characters), which appears not to
have been understood by any of the Vns. G treats it as the name of
Eliezer's mother, Aq. ((Greek characters)) as = (Hebrew characters); ΘVTOJ give it the sense
