15-24. Pharaoh's recital of his dreams.—15. thou canst hear a dream to interpret it] i.e., 'thou canst interpret
a dream when thou hearest it': Heb. subordinates the emphatic
clause where we would subordinate the condition.—16.
Comp. 408.—The answer (on the form, v.i.) exhibits a
fine combination of religious sincerity and courtly deference.—17-21.
The first dream.—The king gives a vivid subjective
colouring to the recital by expressing the feelings which the
dream excited. This is natural, and creates no presumption
that a parallel narrative is drawn upon. Similarly, the slight
differences in phraseology ((
Hebrew characters) for (Hebrew characters), etc.) are due to
the literary instinct for variety.—22-24. The second dream.
25-32. The interpretation.—25-27a. The general outline
of the interpretation: the dream is one; it is a presage
of what is to happen; the number seven refers to years.
The methodical exposition is meant to be impressive.—27b
brings the climax: There shall be seven years of famine (so
Pro. v.i.).—28. It is uncertain whether (Hebrew characters) refers back to 25b
'This is what [I meant when] I said to Pharaoh'), or to 27b
15. (Hebrew characters)] Oratio obliqua after (Hebrew characters) (without (Hebrew characters)), G-K. § 157 a; Dav.
§ 146, R. 1.—16. (Hebrew characters)] lit. 'Apart from me' (TO (Hebrew characters)), used as
1424. [E]G read (Hebrew characters) = 'Apart from God, one will not be
answered,' etc.; cf. S (Syriac characters) ('Dost
thou expect that apart from God one will answer?' etc.). V Absque me Deus respondebit, shifting the accent. There seems a double entendre in
the use of (Hebrew characters): 'answer' and 'correspond': 'God will give an answer
corresponding to the welfare,' etc.—19. (Hebrew characters)] 'flaccid'; G om.—21. (Hebrew characters)]
On the suff. cf. G-K. § 91 f.—(Hebrew characters)] Sing. (ib. § 93 ss).—23. (Hebrew characters)] Aram.
= 'dried,' 'hardened.' The word is (Greek characters) in OT, and is omitted by
GVS.—(Hebrew characters)] MSS and [E] (Hebrew characters)—. The irregular gender of MT only
here in this chapter.
26. (Hebrew characters)] Om. of art. may be justified on the ground that the numeral
is equivalent to a determinant (G-K. § 126 x); but [E] (Hebrew characters) is much to be
preferred.—27. (Hebrew characters)] 'empty.' The pointing is suggested partly by the
contrast to (Hebrew characters) (22 etc.), partly by the fact that (in MT) (Hebrew characters) has not been
used of the ears. We ought undoubtedly to read (Hebrew characters) ([E]S).—(Hebrew characters)]
The translation above is not free from difficulty; it omits a prediction
of unusual plenty preceding the famine, which is, nevertheless, presupposed
by what follows. But the ordinary rendering is also weak:
why should the seven thin ears alone be fully interpreted? Besides,
(Hebrew characters) is fem.—28-32. The critical difficulties of the ch. commence in
this section. Pro. assigns 29-31 to J ( 27f. [E]), instancing (Hebrew characters) (cf. 1833 2415. 19
