the device by which it was to be concealed.—19. on master-dreamer] a mocking epithet; cf. 20b.—20. and throw him (his dead body) into one of the pits] The idea would suit either narrative; and we cannot be sure that the indefinite 'one of the pits' does not come from J (see 22).—21 J ‖ 22 E. In 21 we must read Judah for Reuben.—and delivered him out of their hand] is premature (v.23): the clause might stand more naturally in J between 23 and 25, though the rest of the v. must be left where it is (so Gu.).—we will not killy him outright] Judah has as yet no counter-proposal.—22. Reuben, on the other hand, has his scheme ready: he appeals to the antique horror of shed blood, which cries for vengeance on the murderer (411).—this pit] a particular cistern which Reuben knew to be empty of water (24b). It is probable that one of the numerous pits round Dothan was traditionally associated with the fate of Joseph (Gu.): cf. the Khan Ǧubb Yūsuf near Safed, incorrectly identified with the Dothan cistern (BR, ii. 418 f.).—24 (E).—25-27, 28aβ (J). The fate of Joseph is apparently still undecided, when Judah makes an appeal to the cupidity of his brothers (what profit, etc.?), by proposing to sell him to some passing Ishmaelites.—25. a caravan . . . from Gilead] The plain of Dothan is traversed by a regular trade route from Gilead through Beisan to Ramleh, and thence (by the coast) to Egypt (Buhl, GP, 127). Shechem also lies on several routes from the E of the Jordan to the coast.—The natural products mentioned (v.i.) were much in request in Egypt for embalming, as well as
and Ass.—On the accus., see G-K. § 117 w.—19. (
Hebrew characters) The rendering
above is a little too strong; for the use of (Hebrew characters) as 'n. of relation,' see
BDB, 127 b.—21. (Hebrew characters)] Second acc. of respect, G-K. § 117 ll.—22.
(Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters), a false assimilation to v.20.—23.
(Hebrew characters)] G om. It is impossible to say whether this and the following
appositional phrase are variants from E and J respectively, or whether
the second is a (correct) gloss on J. V combines both in the rendering
tunica talari et polymita.—25. (Hebrew characters)] Assigned by many critics
(Di. al.) to E, and certainly not necessary in J. But we still miss a
statement in E that the brothers had moved away from the pit.—(Hebrew characters)
(4311† )] supposed to be 'gum-tragacanth'; Ar. naka'at.—(Hebrew characters)[(Hebrew characters)] = (Hebrew characters)] the
resinous gum for which Gilead was famous (4311, Jer. 822 4611 518,
Ezk. 2717† ); possibly that exuded by the mastic-tree; but see EB, 465 f.
