of, and the covenant becomes a general treaty of peace and amity, which may also have had historic importance for a later period. In E there is no mention of contested wells at all, nor even a hint that Abraham had dug the well of Beersheba; while Jh seems expressly to bar any connexion between the covenant and the discovery of the well.
34, 35. Esau's Ḥittite wives (P).—In P, Esau is
represented as still living with Isaac at Mamre (3529).—Ḥittite
for 'Canaanite': see on 233. It is possible, however,
that in the case of Basemath the true text was 'Ḥivvite' (so
(GS).—On the names, see on 362f..
XXVII. 1–45.—How Jacob secured his Father's Blessing (JE).
This vivid and circumstantial narrative, which is to be read immediately after 2534 (or 2528), gives yet another explanation of the historical fact that Israel, the younger people, had outstripped Edom in the race for power and prosperity. The clever but heartless stratagem by which Rebekah succeeds in thwarting the intention of Isaac, and diverting the blessing from Esau to Jacob, is related with great vivacity, and with an indifference to moral considerations which has been thought surprising in a writer with the fine ethical insight of J (Di.). It must be remembered, however, that "J" is a collective symbol, and embraces many tales which sink to the level of ordinary popular morality. We may fairly conclude with Gu. (272) that narratives of this stamp were too firmly rooted in the mind of the people to be omitted from any collection of national traditions.
Sources.—The presence of a dual narrative is rendered probable by
the following duplicates (see We. Comp.2 34-36): (a) 33. 34 || 35-38. In 35
((
Hebrew characters)) we are recalled to the same stage as the (Hebrew characters) of 33; and 34 (Esau's
cry) carries us forward to the same point as 38.—(b) 21-23 || 24-27a: here
again (Hebrew characters) commences two sections which must be alternative, since
both lead up to the blessing ((Hebrew characters)).—(c) A less obvious doublet may
be discovered in 11-13. 16 || 15: in the one case Jacob is disguised by the
skin of the kids, in the other by wearing Esau's clothes.—(d) 30aα || 30bβ.—(e)
44b || 45aα (to (Hebrew characters)).—The language is predominantly that of J, with occasional
traces of E; and that the incident was actually recorded in both
these documents appears from chs. 32, 353. 7. In the parallels just en-
