Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/633

some Vns. is approved by several scholars (v.i.).—Strong One of Jacob] A poetic title of Yahwe, recurring Is. 49²⁶ 60¹⁶, Ps. 132^{2. 5}, and (with Israel for Jacob) Is. 1²⁴. See, further, the footnote below.—Through the name] (Hebrew characters), the reading of S and T^O, though not entirely satisfactory, is at least preferable to the meaningless (Hebrew characters) of MT.—the Shepherd of the Israel-Stone] A second designation of Yahwe as the Guardian of the Stone of Israel,—either the sacred stone of Bethel, or (better) that of Shechem (Jos. 24^26f.), which was the religious rendezvous of the tribes in early times (see p. 416): so Luther, INS, 284¹. Both text and translation are, however, uncertain (v.i.).—25, 26. The construction is ambiguous: it is not clear whether the lines beginning with Blessings are a series of accusatives depending on the (Hebrew characters) of ^25a ('may he bless thee with blessings,' etc.), or subjects to (Hebrew characters) in ^26b. The second view is adopted above; but the ambiguity may be an intentional refinement.—25aαβ. 'Ēl Shaddai] For the reading, v.i.; and see on 17¹.—25aγδb,

combination, but perhaps not too bold.—24b. (Hebrew characters)] occurs only in the pass. cited above. It is reasonably suspected that the Mass. changed the punctuation to avoid association of ideas with (Hebrew characters), 'bull,' the idolatrous emblem of Yahwe in N Israel. Whether the name as applied to Yahwe be really a survival of the bull-worship of Bethel and Dan is another question; (Hebrew characters) (strong) is an epithet of men (Ju. 5²², Jb. 24²² 34²⁰, Je. 46¹⁵, 1 Sa. 21⁸ etc.), and horses (Jer. 8¹⁶ 47³ 50¹¹) much more often than of bulls (Ps. 22¹³ 68³¹ 50¹³, Is. 34⁷), and might have been transferred to Yahwe in its adj. sense. On the other hand, the parallelism with 'Stone of Israel' in the next line favours the idea that the title is derived from the cult of the Bull at Bethel, which may have had a more ancient significance than an image of Yahwe (cf. Mey. INS, 282 ff.; Luther, ZATW, xxi. 70 ff.). The further inference (Nö. Lut. Mey.) that Jacob was the deity originally worshipped in the bull is perhaps too adventurous.—(Hebrew characters)] So GV; but ST^O (Hebrew characters).—(Hebrew characters)] Cf. (Hebrew characters), 2 Sa. 23³, Is. 30²⁹; also (Hebrew characters), 1 Sa. 4¹ 5¹ 7¹². The translation above agrees with S; MT puts (Hebrew characters) in apposition with (Hebrew characters) (so V); G (Greek characters) omits (Hebrew characters), and may have read (Hebrew characters) (Ba.). The line is too long for the metre, but (Hebrew characters) is the one word that should not be omitted.—25. (Hebrew characters) . . . (Hebrew characters)] Cf. Ps. 69³³, and see Ew. § 347 a.—(Hebrew characters)] Read with [E]G ((Greek characters)), S (Hebrew characters): though (Hebrew characters) alone (Nu. 24^{4. 16}) would be suitable in an ancient poem.—(Hebrew characters)] Metrically necessary in Dt. 33¹³, but here redundant; probably, therefore, a gloss from the other recension (Siev.).—26. (Hebrew characters)] There are two stages of corruption,