*ably] or, 'salute him.' The text is doubtful (v.i.).—5-11.
Joseph's dreams (E).--6, 7. The first dream—a harvest scene—represents
Jacob's family as agriculturists (see on 2612);
in vv.2. 13ff. 4631ff. they are shepherds. There may be some
hint of the immediate cause of its fulfilment, a failure of the
harvest (Gu.), though this is questionable.—8a. Wilt thou, forsooth, be king over us?] The language points beyond the
personal history of Joseph to the hegemony of the 'house of
Joseph' in N Israel (Ju. 122f.).—9. The second dream presages
Joseph's elevation not only over his brothers, but over
his father (Ho.), i.e. Israel collectively.—eleven stars] Supposed
by some to be an allusion to the signs of the Zodiac
(De. Gu. al., cf. Je. ATLO2, 383), the twelfth being either
Joseph himself, or the constellation obscured by Joseph as the
sun-god. The theory will stand or fall with the identification
of Jacob's twelve sons with the Zodiacal signs (see pp. 534 f.);
the absence of the art. here makes it, however, at least improbable
that the theory was in the mind of the writer.—11.
envied is the appropriate word for E's account, as 'hated'
(v.4) is for J's (5b and 8b are redactional).—his father kept the matter (in mind)] G (
Greek characters). Cf. Lk. 219. 51.
While significant dreams bulk largely in E's Joseph-narrative
(ch. 40 f.), it is characteristic of this section of the work that the dreams
contain no oracular revelations (like 203ff. 3111. 24), but have a meaning
in themselves which is open to human interpretation. The religious
spirit of these chapters (as also of ch. 24), both in J and E, is a mature
faith in God's providential ruling of human affairs, which is independent
of theophanies, or visible interpositions of any kind. It can scarcely be
doubted that such narratives took shape at a later period of OT religion
than the bulk of the patriarchal legends.
12-17. Jacob sends Joseph to inquire after his brethren.—12, 13a, 14b J 13b, 14a E (see the analysis
see Ex. 23 etc.).—5b is out of place before the telling of the dream, and is
om. by G.—7. Ins. (Hebrew characters) at the beginning, with G.—(Hebrew characters)] (Greek characters); (Hebrew characters),
Ps. 1266† .—8b. Another redactional addition, though found in G; note
the pl. 'dreams' when only one has been told.—10a. (Hebrew characters) is an interpolation
intended to explain what immediately follows. G omits, and
seeks to gain the same end by inserting (Hebrew characters) before (Hebrew characters) in 9.
12-14 is composite. (Hebrew characters) shows that 12. 13a belong to J; and (Hebrew characters)
shows that 13b is from E (cf. 221. 7. 11 271 3111). Hence 14a is not a specifi-
