Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/601

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Egypt for the benefit of the crown. In one year the famishing people have exhausted their money and parted with their live-stock, in exchange for bread; in the next they forfeit their lands and their personal freedom. Thus by a bold stroke of statesmanship private property in land (except in the case of the priests) is abolished throughout Egypt, and the entire population reduced to the position of serfs, paying a land-tax of 20 per cent. per annum to the king.


Source.—The section 13-26, dealing as it does with matters purely Egyptian and without interest for the national history of Israel, occupies an anomalous position among the Joseph-narratives, and cannot be confidently assigned to either of the main documents (We. Comp.2 61). Linguistic indications are on the whole in favour of J: (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 13; (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 19 (422 438); (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 24 (4334); (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 17 (2614); (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 25 (see Gu. and Di.). But there are also traces of E's diction: (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 20; (Symbol missingHebrew characters), (Symbol missingHebrew characters) 15f. (2921 301,—differing from 113. 4. 7) (Di. Ho.); besides some peculiar expressions very unusual in Pent.: (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 13; (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 15f. ; (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (Qal), 19; (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 23 (Di.). It is possible that Ho. (251 f.) and Pro. (54 f.) are right in thinking the passage composite; but no satisfactory analysis can be effected. That it is out of place in its present connexion is generally admitted, but that it finds a more suitable position between chs. 41 and 42 (Di. Gu. al.) is not at all obvious. It is not improbable that a piece of so peculiar a character is a later addition to the original cycle of Joseph-legends, and belongs neither to J nor E.—V.27 appears to be from P, with glosses (see the notes).


13, 14. Joseph takes up all the money in Egypt and Canaan. Canaan is bracketed with Egypt as far as v.15, after which the situation is purely Egyptian. It is natural to suppose that the references to Canaan are interpolated (Ho. Gu.); but considering the close political relations of the two countries, it would be rash to assume this too easily.—15-17. The live-stock is next exhausted.—horses] See on 1216.—18-22. The people surrender their lands and persons for bread. This is the decisive stroke of Joseph's statecraft, making a return to the old conditions impossible;


13. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] [E] (Symbol missingHebrew characters). The [root] (Symbol missingHebrew characters) is Aram. (Symbol missingGreek characters). (Symbol missingGreek characters). = (Symbol missingHebrew characters), 'languish.' It is one of several rare expressions which occur in this section.—14. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] G + (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (v.12).—15. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] The vb. only here (and v.16) in Pent.: elsewhere poetic (Is. 164 2920, Ps. 779[dagger]).—(Symbol missingHebrew characters)] [E] (Symbol missingHebrew characters), G (Symbol missingHebrew characters) (so v.16).—16. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] [E]GV + (Symbol missingHebrew characters).—17. (Symbol missingHebrew characters)] Only here in the sense of 'sustain' [with food]; elsewhere, if the [root] be the same, it means 'lead' (to watering-