Pal. 41). It is quite a plausible supposition, though the thoroughness
of the redaction has effaced the proof of it, that (
Hebrew characters) was peculiar to J
and (Hebrew characters) to E.—Outside of Gen. (with the exception of the citations
1 Ch. 127, Neh. 97) the form Abraham alone is found in OT.
6. The promise of kings among Abraham's descendants
is again peculiar to P (3511). The reference is to the
Hebrew monarchy: the rulers of Ishmael are only 'princes'
((Hebrew characters), v.20), and those of Edom (3640) are styled (Hebrew characters)—7.
to be to thee a God] The essence of the covenant relation is
expressed by this frequently recurring formula.[1] It is
important for P's notion of the covenant that the correlative
'they (ye) shall be to me a people,' which is always added
in other writings (ex. Ezk. 3424), is usually omitted by P
(ex. Ex. 67, Lv. 2612). The bĕrîth is conceived as a self-determination
of God to be to one particular race all that the
word God implies, a reciprocal act of choice on man's part
being no essential feature of the relation.—8. land of thy sojourning] 284 367 371 479, Ex. 64 (all P).
9-14. The sign of the Covenant.—To the promises of
vv.2-8 there is attached a single command, with regard to
which it is difficult to say whether it belongs to the content
of the covenant (v.10), or is merely an adjunct,—an external
mark of the invisible bond which united every Jew to
Yahwe (11): see p. 297. The theme at all events is the
institution of circumcision. The legal style of the section is
so pronounced that it reads like a stray leaf from the book
of Leviticus (note the address in 2nd p. pl. from 10 onwards).—9.
And God said] marks a new section (cf. 15), (Hebrew characters) being
the antithesis to (Hebrew characters) in 4.—keep my covenant] (Hebrew characters) is opposed
to (Hebrew characters), 'break,' in 14; hence it cannot mean 'watch over'
(Valeton), but must be used in the extremely common sense
of 'observe' or 'act according to.' The question would
6. (Hebrew characters)] S (Syriac characters) = (Hebrew characters); see on 154.—8. (Hebrew characters)] a common word
in P; elsewhere only Ps. 28, Ezk. 4428, 1 Ch. 728.
- ↑ The list of passages as given by Dri. (p. 186) is as follows: In P, Ex. 67 2945, Lv. 1145; in Ph, Lv. 2233 2538 2612. 45, Nu. 1541; elsewhere, Dt. 2913 (cf. 2617f.), Jer. 723 114 247 3022 311. 33, Ezk. 1120 1411 3424 3628 3723. 27, 2 Sa. 224 (= 1 Ch. 1722), Zec. 88.
