12, 13. The account of the actual burial (from P).—It is significant that here the Egyptians take no part in the obsequies: the final redactor may have assumed that they were left behind at the mourning place E of the Jordan.—See further on 4929ff..—14 (J). The return to Egypt.
15-21. Joseph removes his brethren's fears.—The vv. contain a variation of the theme of 455ff. (Gu.), as if to emphasize the lesson of the whole story, that out of a base intent God brought good to His people.—15. saw] i.e. 'realised,'—took in the full significance of the fact (cf. 301). If it were meant that they 'learned' for the first time that their father was dead, the inference would surely be not merely that the brethren had not been present at the funeral (Gu.), but that E had not recorded it at all.—16, 17. They send a message to Joseph, recalling a dying request of their father (not elsewhere mentioned).—the servants of the God of thy father] Religion is a stronger plea than even kinship (Gu.).—18. Cf. 4416. The v. may have been inserted from J (v.i.).—19. am I in God's stead?] (302): to judge and punish at my pleasure.—20. Cf. 455. 7. 8.—21. The continuance of the famine seems presupposed, in opposition to the chronology of P (4728).
22-26. Joseph's old age and death.—22. a hundred and ten years] Cf. Jos. 2429. It is hardly a mere coincidence, but
- tuted for (
Hebrew characters) (so VTJ, Gu.).—12. (Hebrew characters)] The suff. find no suitable
antecedents nearer than 4933, the last excerpt from P.—(
Hebrew characters)] GB, al.
(Greek characters).—13. (Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters), and so again for (Hebrew characters).—14.
(Hebrew characters)] G om.
15. (Hebrew characters)] Cond. sent. with suppressed apodosis, G-K. § 159 y.—16.
(Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters), and S (Syriac characters), seem to have read (Hebrew characters), which if
correct would make the excision of v.18 from E almost imperative (see
on the v.). But the sense of (Hebrew characters), 'to commission,' is justified by Ex. 613,
Jer. 274, Est. 312 etc.; and (Hebrew characters) would not properly be followed by (Hebrew characters).—17.
(Hebrew characters)] a strong particle of entreaty; in Pent. only Ex. 3231.—18.
(Hebrew characters)] G om.—For (Hebrew characters), Ba. (after Vatke) reads (Hebrew characters), which would give
point to the following (Hebrew characters). But the change is not necessary: (Hebrew characters) would
mean 'they went away' only if they had previously been present. That
certainly seems implied in 17b (apart from the reading of GS in 16); and
hence there is much to be said for assigning v.18 to J (Di. Ho. Pro.).—19b.
G reads (Greek characters).—20. (Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters): GSV also have
the copula.—21. (Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters).—-22. (Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters)
