imagined for the transposition. (See Bu. ZATW, iii. 67 f.) Bruston (in ZATW, vii. 208) puts forward the attractive suggestion (adopted by KS. Ba. Gu. Pro. al.) that the v. introduced a request to be buried in the same grave as Rachel. Such a wish is evidently impossible in P; and Bruston (followed with some hesitation by Ba. KS.) accordingly found a place for it (with the necessary alterations of text) between 4729 and 30 (J): against this 505. 11 seem decisive. Gu. and Pro. assign it to E, the latter placing it after v.22, which is certainly its most suitable position in E. But is the idea after all any more conceivable in E than in P? The writer who recorded the request, whoever he may have been, must have supposed that it was fulfilled; and it is not just likely that any writer should have believed that Jacob was buried in the grave traditionally known as Rachel's. No satisfactory solution can be given. Hupf. and Schr. consider the v. redactional; so Bu., who thinks it was inserted to correct P's original statement that Rachel was buried in Machpelah (see on 4931).
8, 9. E's narrative is resumed.—Observe that Jacob
sees the boys (who are quite young children [4150]), whereas
in 10a (J) he could not see.—9b is usually assigned to J, but
for no very convincing reason.—10b, 11 (E). I had not thought,
etc.] The words are charged with deep religious feeling:
gratitude to the God in whose name he is to bless the lads,
and whose marvellous goodness had brought his clouded life
to a happy end.—12 (E). from between his (Jacob's) knees]
There must be a reference to some rite of adoption not described,
which being completed, Joseph removes the children
and prostrates himself to receive the blessing (continued in 15).—10a, 13, 14 (J). Whether this is a second interview in J, or
a continuation of that in 4729-31, does not appear; in either
case something has been omitted.—10a. See on 271.—13 f.
The crossing (v.i.) of Jacob's hands has a weird effect: the
blind man is guided by a supernatural impulse, which moves
unerringly in the line of destiny. The right hand conveys
arbitrary.—(
Hebrew characters)] G + (Greek characters) (so [E]).—8. (Hebrew characters)] [E]G + (Hebrew characters).—9. (Hebrew characters)2]
G + (Greek characters).—(Hebrew characters) (B-D. p. 80). On the pausal seghol, see G-K. §§ 29 q,
60 d.—11. (Hebrew characters)] G-K. § 75 n (cf. 3128).—(Hebrew characters)] Lit. 'had not judged'; only
here = 'opine.'—12. (Hebrew characters)] [E]GS have the pl.—(Hebrew characters)] hardly makes sense.
Rd. with GS (Hebrew characters).—14. (Hebrew characters)] [E] ins. [H].—(Hebrew characters) TO (Hebrew characters), deriving
from [root] (Hebrew characters), 'be prudent' (whose Piel does not occur); but G (Greek characters), V
commutans, S (Syriac characters), TJ (Hebrew characters). These Vns. may be guessing at the
sense; but most moderns appeal to Ar. šakala, a secondary meaning of
which is to 'plait two locks of hair together and bind them to the other
