for medicinal and other purposes.—26. cover his blood] Ezk. 247, Is. 2621, Jb. 1618.—28. twenty (shekels) of silver] cf. Lv. 275 with Ex. 2132 (see Dri.).—28aαb, 29, 30 (E). Joseph is kidnapped by trading Midianites, who pass unobserved after the brothers have left the spot.—30. Only now does Reuben reveal his secret design of delivering Joseph. It is interesting to note his own later confusion of the intention with the act, in 4222.
That the last section is from another source than 25-27 appears from
(a) the different designation of the merchants, (b) the absence of the art.
showing that they have not been mentioned before, (c) Reuben's surprise
at finding the pit empty. The composite narrative requires us to
assume that the brethren are the subj. of (
Hebrew characters), against the natural
construction of the sentence.
31-36. The deceiving of Jacob.—31, 32. Gu. remarks
that the sending of a bloody token is a favourite motive in
popular tales. Whether the incident is peculiar to J, or
common to J and E, can hardly be determined (v.i.)—33. an
evil beast has devoured him] Exactly as v.20 (E). A slight
change of text in 32 (v.i.) would enable us to take the words
as spoken by the sons to Jacob (so Gu.). 34, 35. The grief
of Jacob is depicted in both sources, but with a difference.
E (34a. 35b) hardly goes beyond the conventional signs of
mourning—'the trappings and the suits of woe'; but J
(34b. 35a) dwells on the inconsolable and life-long sorrow of
—(Hebrew characters) (4311† ) Gk. (Greek characters), Lat. ladanum, the gum of a species of cistus-rose
(EB, 2692 f.). Mentioned amongst objects of Syrian tribute (ladunu)
by Tiglath-pileser iv. (KAT2, 151).—27. (Hebrew characters)] G + (Hebrew characters). The word
is apparently used in the general sense of 'Bedouin,' as Ju. 824 (cf.
61 etc.): see on 1612.—(Hebrew characters)] [E]GSV prefix (Hebrew characters).—28b is assigned to E
because of (Hebrew characters), J using (Hebrew characters) in this connexion (25 391 4311 etc.).—29. (Hebrew characters)]
G (Greek characters).
31. The reason for assigning the v. to J (Gu.) is the precarious assumption
that Joseph's coat plays no part at all in E. There is a good
deal to be said for the view that it belongs to E (Di. Ho. al.).—32. (Hebrew characters)]
Gu. (Hebrew characters), 'and they came' (see on 33 above), which would be an excellent
continuation of 31: in E they dip the coat in blood, come to their father,
and say 'an evil beast,' etc.; in J they send the coat unstained, and let
Jacob form his own conclusion.—In any case (Hebrew characters) is E's parallel to J's
(Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters) (cf. 3825), and the disjunctive question (cf. 1821 2421) point
distinctly to J (Di.).—(Hebrew characters)] G-K. § 100 l.—33. After (Hebrew characters), [E]GS ins (Hebrew characters).—*
