26-33. The treaty with Abimelech.—26. 'Aḥuzzath
(v.i.) his friend] his confidential adviser, or 'vizier,'—an
official title common in Egypt from an early period, and
amongst the Ptolemies and Seleucids (1 Mac. 218 1065; cf.
2 Sa. 1616f., 1 Ki. 45, 1 Ch. 2733).—Pîkōl] see on 2122.—27.
See vv. 14. 16.—28. The (
Hebrew characters) is properly the curse invoked on
the violation of the covenant; (Hebrew characters) refers to the symbolic
ceremony (not here described) by which it was ratified (see
on 1517f.).—29. Abimelech dictates the terms of the covenant:
cf. 2123.—30, 31. The common meal seems to be a feature of
the covenant ceremony (cf. 3153f.), though here the essential
transaction takes place on the morning of the following day.—32, 33. The naming of the well (25b). The peculiar form
Šib`āh (v.i.) is perhaps chosen as a compromise between
(Hebrew characters), 'oath' (as Gu. points), and (Hebrew characters), the actual name of the
place.
It is possible to recognise in these imperfectly preserved legends a
reflexion of historic or pre-historic relations between nomadic tribes of
the Negeb (afterwards incorporated in Israel) and the settled population
of Gerar. The ownership of certain wells was disputed by the two
parties; others were the acknowledged possession of the Hebrew
ancestors. In the oldest tradition (Jb) the original purpose of the
covenant of Beersheba still appears: it was to put a stop to these
disputes, and secure the right of Israel at least to the important sanctuary
of Beersheba (2130). In the later variations this connexion is lost sight
26. (Hebrew characters)] (for the ending, see Dri. Sam. 107) has sometimes been
mistaken for the noun meaning 'possession' (178), taken in the sense
of a body holding together (see Ra. ad loc.); so TO (Hebrew characters), 'company
of his friends'; Jer. collegium amicorum ejus; Gr.-Ven. (Greek characters)
(Greek characters) (Field).—(Hebrew characters)] a rare word for 'companion,' sodalis (Ju. 1411. 20 152. 6,
2 Sa. 38, Pr. 1226 (?) 197† ), whose use in the story of Samson suggested
the (Greek characters) of G here.—28. (Hebrew characters)] need not be deleted (GSV, al.).
The form (Hebrew characters) (4223, Jos. 2234, Ju. 1110, 2 Sa. 217, Jer. 2516, Ezk. 102. 6f.† )
is always two-sided, and is here resolved into the commoner (Hebrew characters) . . . (Hebrew characters),
exactly as 2 Sa. 217. Hence in the first case "us" means all the parties
to the covenant, in the second only the Philistine representatives.—29.
(Hebrew characters)] On the [H], see G-K. § 75 hh.—(Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters), G (Hebrew characters),
a more natural order.—32. (Hebrew characters)] G strangely reads (Greek characters) [(Greek characters)].—33.
(Hebrew characters)] GS better (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] G (Greek characters); but Aq. Σ. (Greek characters),
V Abundantiam, S (Syriac characters) ((Hebrew characters), Ezk. 1649). In spite of the interchange
of sibilants, one is tempted to agree with these authorities: Jerome
pertinently asks: 'Quæ enim etymologia est, propterea vocari juramentum,
quod aquam non (cf. G) invenissent?'—(Hebrew characters)] GS pr. (Hebrew characters).
