Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/528

(Hebrew characters) (⁹) is superfluous after we have read (^6a) that he had reached a spot (Hebrew characters). (3) That two consecutive vv. (^{10. 11}) should commence with (Hebrew characters) is unnatural even in P (so KS.). (4) The self-disclosure of the divine speaker (¹¹) must introduce the revelation (cf. 17¹). (5) The (Hebrew characters) of v.⁹ (generally treated as redactional) presupposes a former revelation. The one difficulty in this theory of Gu. is to imagine an adequate reason for the dislocation of P.

16-20. Rachel dies in child-birth (E).—16. The event took place on the journey from Bethel to 'Ephrāth, an unknown locality in the later territory of Benjamin (see after v.²⁰).—17. This also is a son for thee] So the nurse cheers the dying woman by recalling her prayer at the birth of Joseph (30²⁴).—18. With her last breath Rachel names her son Ben-'ônî; but the father, to avert the omen, calls him Bin-yāmîn. The pathos of the narrative flows in sympathy with the feelings of the mother: a notice of Jacob's life-long grief for the loss of Rachel is reserved for 48⁷.—19. on the way to 'Ephrāth] The next clause, that is Bethlehem, is a gloss (see Sta. ZATW, iii. 1 ff.).—20. See on v.¹⁴.

The site of Rachel's grave is determined by 1 Sa. 10² (on the border of Benjamin, between Ramah and Gibeah) and Jer. 31¹⁴ (cf. 40¹). Christian tradition places it about a mile N of Bethlehem, in accordance with the gloss at the end of ¹⁹. This, however, rests on a confusion of Ephrath and the better known clan-name (Hebrew characters), which is always connected with Bethlehem. It is unnecessary to assume a divergence of ancient tradition regarding the site. The beautiful verse of Jeremiah 31¹⁴ shows how vivid and persistent was the hold of these legends on the popular mind.—The birth of Benjamin in Canaan is interpreted by many critics to mean that this tribe, unlike the rest, was formed after

16. (Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters). + (Greek characters) (fr. ²¹), showing the influence of the theory that (Hebrew characters) was at Jerusalem, which Jacob would naturally pass on the way to Bethlehem.—(Hebrew characters)] 48⁷, 2 Ki. 5¹⁹ † (without art.). Apparently a measure of distance (S a parasang); but nothing is certain. Acc. to Hoffmann (GGA, 1890, 23 ff.), 'as far as one can see.'—17. (Hebrew characters) (Hi.) (Hebrew characters) (Pi.) in ¹⁶,—possibly variants from E and J.—Another trace of J is (Hebrew characters), pointing back to 30^24b.—18. (Hebrew characters)] 'son of my sorrow,' from (Hebrew characters), 'trouble.' Not improbably it is an obsolete proper name, having some connexion with (Hebrew characters), a city and valley in Benjamin (Ben. 325; Che. 420).—(Hebrew characters)] Usually understood as 'son of good fortune,' the right hand being in antiquity the lucky or fortunate side. The original meaning is probably 'son of the south' (cf. 1 Sa. 23^{19. 24}, Ps. 89¹³ etc.), Benjamin being the most southerly of the Rachel tribes.