literary tact that Joseph never presses the question as to the fate of the missing brother.—14. This is what I said] 'It is as I have said' (cf. 4128). Joseph maintains his opinion with well-feigned official obstinacy (Di.).—15, 16. By this shall ye be tested] The pretext covers a real desire to see Benjamin, which is explicitly avowed in J (4421b 4330).—By the life of Pharaoh] In Egypt the king was honoured as a god (Diod. i. 90; Erman, Handb. 36 f.); and the oath by his life is attested by an inscription of the 20th dynasty. The OT analogies cited by Kn. (1 Sa. 1755, 2 Sa. 1111) are not in point, since they do not differ from the same formula addressed to private persons (1 Sa. 203 2526).—17. The three days' imprisonment is rather meaningless after v.16 (see p. 477). Gu. remarks on the prominence of imprisonment in the Joseph narratives, and surmises that a good many Hebrews had known the inside of an Egyptian jail.
18-26. The second interview.—After three days
Joseph appears to relent, and to entertain the idea that they
may after all be telling the truth. He now proposes to
retain only one of them as a hostage, and let the rest carry
corn for their starving households.—18. I fear God] the
guardian of 'international religious morality' (Gu.), which
is presupposed throughout the patriarchal history; see on
203 399.—21. Nay, but we are guilty] The confession is
wrung from them by the distress ((
Hebrew characters)) which has overtaken
them, reminding them of Joseph's distress of soul ((Hebrew characters))
when they left him to die,—when he pleaded with us] This
touch of pathos is not recorded in ch. 37.—22. Reuben had
a right to dissociate himself from the confession of guilt,
for he had meant to save Joseph; but like many another
rightly; cf. the v.11.—16. (Hebrew characters)] Impv. expressing a determination,
G-K. § 110 c.—(Hebrew characters)] G-K. § 93 aa1. The distinction between (Hebrew characters) and (Hebrew characters)
is a Massoretic caprice (Di.).—At the end of the v. [E] inserts a refusal
of the condition in the exact terms of 4422aβ (J), which undoubtedly
smooths the transition to v.17, but cannot be original.
18. (Hebrew characters)] See G-K. § 110 f.—19. (Hebrew characters)] without art. ([E] (Hebrew characters)) ib.
§ 134 d; cf. 4314; ct. 4233.—20. (Hebrew characters)] The words are out of place (cf.
25b). Did they stand originally after v.16?—21. (Hebrew characters)] 'Nay, but—,' indicating
an affirmation of what one would gladly deny (see on 1719).—
