(Ba. Gu.).—'13. The name Āšēr naturally suggested to Heb. writers a word for happiness; hence the two etymologies: (Hebrew characters) 'In my happiness,' and (Hebrew characters) '(women) count me happy.' It is possible that the name is historically related to the Canaanite goddess 'Ašērāh (Ba. Ho.), as Gad is to the Aramæan deity. Aser appears in Eg. monuments as the name of a district in NW Palestine as early as Seti and Ramses II. (Müller, AE, 236 ff.).
14-24. The later children.—14-16. The incident of the love-apples is a piece of folklore, adopted with reserve by the writer (J), and so curtailed as to be shorn of its original significance. The story must have gone on to tell how Rachel partook of the fruit and in consequence became pregnant, while Leah also conceived through the restoration of her marriage rights (see We. Comp.2 38 f.). How much of this stood in J and has been suppressed in the history of the text we cannot say; we here read just what is necessary to explain the name of Leah's child.—14. (Hebrew characters) (v.i.) is the round, greenish-yellow, plum-like fruit of mandragora vernalis, which in Syria ripens in May—the days of wheat harvest—and is still eagerly sought in the East to promote conception (see Tuch's note, 385 ff.). Reuben is named, probably as the only child old enough to follow the reapers in the field (cf. 2 Ki. 418). The agricultural background shows that the episode is out of place in its present nomadic setting.—15. he shall lie with thee to-night] Jacob, therefore, had wrongly withheld from Leah her conjugal rights ((Hebrew characters), Ex. 2110).—16. I have hired thee ((Hebrew characters))] Obviously an anticipation of
13. (Hebrew characters) is (Greek characters).—(Hebrew characters)] pf. of confidence (G-K. § 106 n). It is
to be noted that pfs. greatly preponderate in E's etymologies, and impfs.
in those of J; the two exceptions (2932f.) may be only apparent, and due
to the absence of definite stylistic criteria.
14. (Hebrew characters) (Ca. 714† )] G (Greek characters), S (Syriac characters), TOJ (Hebrew characters) (= Ar. yabrūh, explained to be the root of the plant). The sing. is (Hebrew characters), from the same [root] as (Hebrew characters), 'lover,' and (Hebrew characters) 'love'; and very probably associated with the love-god (Hebrew characters) (Meša, l. 12). Cheyne plausibly suggests (379) that this deity was worshipped by the Reubenites; hence Reuben is the finder of the apples.—15. (Hebrew characters)] G (Hebrew characters), S (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters) (inf.)] Dri. T. § 204; but (Hebrew characters) (pf. f.) would be easier.—16. (Hebrew characters)] [E]G + (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters)] see on 1933.—17a is from E; but 17b probably from