Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/narrativesofbegiOOkent_O TIbe Stubent’s ©lb Testament NARRATIVES OF THE BEGINNINGS OF HEBREW HISTORY THE STUDENT’S OLD TESTAMENT LOGICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED AND TRANSLATED BY CHARLES FOSTER KENT, Ph.D., Litt.D. WOOLSEY PROFESSOR OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE IN YALE UNIVERSITY ARRANGEMENT OF VOLUMES I. Narratives of the Beginnings of Hebrew History. (Now Ready.) Introduction. The Beginnings of Human History. Traditional Ancestors of the Hebrews. Deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. Life of the Hebrews in the Wilderness and East of the Jordan. Con- quest and Settlement of Canaan. II. Historical and Biographical Narratives. ( Now Ready.) Introduction. The United Monarchy. History of Northern Israel. History of Judah. Re-establishment of the Jewish Community in Palestine. The Maecabean Struggle. Life of the Jews of the Dis- persion. III. Sermons, Epistles, and Apocalypses of Israel’s Prophets. (Now Ready.) Introduction. The Prophets of the Assyrian Period. Prophets of Judah’s Decline. Prophets of the Babylonian Exile. Prophets of the Persian Period. Prophets of the Greek and Maecabean Periods. IV. Israel’s Laws and Legal Precedents. (Now Ready.) Introduction. Constitutional Laws. Criminal Laws. Private Laws. Humanitarian Laws. Religious Laws. Ceremonial Laws. V. The Songs, Hymns, and Prayers of the Old Testament. (Now Ready.) Introduction. Tribal and National Songs. Songs of Lamentation. Songs of Love and Marriage. The Kingly and Messianic Psalms. Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving. Hymns of Adoration and Trust. Prayers. Reflective and Didactic Psalms. VI. Proverbs and Didactic Poems. Introduction. Practical and Ethical Observations and Precepts. Religious Proverbs. Gnomic Essays. Numerical Enigmas. Dis- cussions of the Problem of Evil. Discussions Regarding the Value of Life and Its Wise Enjoyment. Poems Describing Wisdom. $be Stu&ent's ©lb Testament NARRATIVES OF THE BEGINNINGS OF HEBREW HISTORY FROM THE CREATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HEBREW KINGDOM BY CHARLES FOSTER KENT, Ph.D. Wooltey Professor of Biblical Literature in Yale University WITH MAPS AND CHRONOLOGICAL CHART NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER S SONS 1918 Copyright, 1904 * ty CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS Published, April, 1904 PREFACE The Old Testament is a library containing the most varied and valu- able literary heritages of the Israelitish race. It is the product of ten centuries of intense political, social, and religious activity. It is the record of man’s effort to know the character and realize the will of the Infinite, and of God’s unceasing revelation of himself in the heart and life of man. In its present form it includes the contributions of scores of inspired prophets, priests, and sages, who lived at periods far re- moved from each other, and who wrote from widely different points of view. What is true of this unique library as a whole is equally true of many of its individual books. Proverbs, for example, is itself a library of gnomic literature, embodying the crystallized experiences of many generations of wise men. The Psalter contains the prayers and hymns of a race. Furthermore, these composite writings come to us from the ancient East, where men arrived at conclusions by intuition, not by the obvious, systematic processes of reasoning, that alone appeal to the modern Occidental. Logical classification is distinctly the gift of the Aryan rather than of the Semite. Without exception, the literary products of the East, and especially of the Semitic world, are conspicuously lacking in systematic arrangement. The Koran, for example, is a medley of commands, stories, prayers, and exhortations. To this general rule the Old Testament is no exception. Its later editors, and especially the translators of the Septuagint and Vulgate, to whom the present order of the books in our English Bible is chiefly due, have roughly classified them as historical, poetical, and prophetic ; but no principle of arrange- ment is applied consistently throughout. Thus Ecclesiastes is found among the poetical books and Lamentations among the prophetic. In the first five books of the Old Testament prophetic and priestly tradi- tions, ancient songs, ethnological tables, patriarchial stories, traditional derivations of proper names, genealogical lists, prophetic exhortations, laws, judicial precedents, and historical narratives, written by different classes of writers, are all mingled together. In such books as Proverbs and Psalms the lack of systematic arrangement is still more confus- ing to the modern English reader. Maxims, practical observations, prayers, and hymns, on the greatest variety of themes, and written from many different points of view, follow each other in close succes- sion, so that one idea is no sooner fixed than it is displaced by another entirely different. The inevitable result is that no complete and definite conception is gained regarding the teachings either of the book or of the Old Testament concerning any one of the subjects treated. It is v PREFACE obvious why, after many years of study, the ordinary Bible student has no comprehensive knowledge of the literature and teachings of this great library. Introductions, commentaries, Bible dictionaries and lesson-helps all have their place; but the most desirable results can never be obtained by readers accustomed to logical methods of thought and investigation, while the subject-matter lacks that which is funda- mental to all profitable study. Systematic classification is the first step in the practical use of any library. Pre-eminently is it necessary in the case of such a large and varied collection of writings as is found in the Old Testament, for only by this means can the beauty and the permanent messages of ancient Israel’s teachers be fully appreciated and appropriated by their modern disciples. Moreover, the classification must be more fundamental than that of a mere rearrangement of the books, for many of them are composite, containing the most varied material drawn from originally distinct sources. Fortunately at last, as the cumulative result of many cen- turies of careful biblical scholarship, the date, authorship, and original form of the more important books and sections of the Old Testament have been determined with reasonable certainty. Upon these great fundamental questions there is now very general agreement among the scholars of Christendom. The destructive stage, when time-honored traditions were being rudely set aside, has already been succeeded by the constructive. At the same time it is being widely recognized that these positive conclusions possess not only a theoretical, but also a prac- tical value. Unfortunately, however, they have nowhere been presented in such concise, simple form that they can be understood, and therefore utilized, except by a comparatively small body of students. That the problems and the processes whereby these results are reached are com- plex must be frankly admitted; but this fact does not preclude the possibility nor lessen the need of a presentation so plain that he who runs may read enough to understand the method and appropriate the practical conclusions. Until modern biblical scholarship) has achieved this most difficult task, it will never cease to be regarded with suspicion by certain classes, and to fail in doing its full duty toward those who, because of other pressing demands, cannot afford the time for special research. Furthermore, the Old Testament presents to-day many problems that require for their solution not merely the knowledge of specialists, but also the sane good judgment of the general students of history and literature. Only by their intelligent co-operation can the ultimate truths regarding its origin and structure be attained. Then the definite and established results will be sure of a wide acceptance, notwithstanding the keen opposition of dogmatists and the discrediting influence of certain extremists whose methods are neither scientific nor truly critical. Many attempts have been made to represent graphically and by the aid of conventional signs the analysis, especially of the first six books of the Old Testament. Of these the latest and most intelligible is the vi PREFACE Hexateuch (2 vols.), edited by Carpenter and Harford-Battersby ; but this covers only a limited portion of the Old Testament, and its expense, as well as the technical character of its notes, preclude its use by the ordinary Bible reader. Moreover, these analyses, being based on the present unchronological order of the Old Testament books, are necessarily perplexing. On the other hand, a merely chronological re- arrangement of the literature is not sufficient. It would be interesting, but would not furnish the most useful basis for study, since the same age produced such a heterogeneous variety of writings that the result- ing order would be more confusing than the present. For practical purposes a logical arrangement is more important than a chronological. The canons of scientific literary classification, in which community of theme, point of view, authorship, and literary style are the guide, must first be applied. Upon this specific task I have been working for many years, and partial results have been presented in the Wise Men of Ancient Israel and Their Proverbs (1895), and in The Messages of Israel’s Lawgivers (1902). When kindred narratives, laws, prophetic addresses, and proverbs have been grouped together, it is then possible and practicable to arrange the material within each group and subdivision in its chrono- logical order — placing older and later versions of the same story or law side by side — thus making it easy to follow systematically and compre- hensively the growth of a given tradition, institution, or belief. In this way the principles of logical and chronological classification can be profitably combined, and the many valuable results of modern critical scholarship utilized in furnishing a sound basis for the literary, his- torical, and devotional study of the Old Testament. The conviction is also held that some such arrangement of its varied literature as is here proposed is destined before long to be adopted by the rapidly increas- ing body of students who are justly dissatisfied with the present methods of study. Within recent years the Hebrew classics and his- tory have again been accorded a place in the curricula of our colleges and universities. It is also believed that conditions favor, and that intelligent public opinion will soon demand the introduction into our primary, grammar, and high schools of the study of that literature and life, which have moulded the past and are still capable of in- fluencing our modern civilization more fundamentally and helpfully than any other. Inasmuch as the Old Testament is a library, including many com- posite books, it is not surprising that there are frequent repetitions. When the same law or proverb or historical narrative (as in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles) is repeated absolutely or nearly verbatim, it is introduced but once. Attention is called to all important variations. Since this work is intended not primarily for the technical but for the general Bible student, genealogical lists, which possess no marked his- torical value, are transferred to the Appendix. Otherwise all of the subject-matter in the Old Testament has been included. vii PREFACE While Protestant Christianity will probably never entirely reverse the decision of Luther and his associates in rejecting the apocryphal writings from the Old Testament canon, it is obvious to the impartial reader that certain of these books, because of their intrinsic merit and historical significance, as linking the Old Testament writings to those of the New, do not deserve the neglect with which they are treated. Already their great value is being appreciated by the historian and ethical teacher. The records of Israel’s history are sadly incomplete without the First Book of Maccabees, supplemented as it is by the Sec- ond Book. Because of the importance of the events which it records and the deeply religious spirit which pervades it, this dramatic account of one of the most significant epochs in the life of Judaism is surely worthy of a place in a student’s Old Testament side by side with the earlier books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. As a reflection of the life and thought of the Jews of the dispersion, the book of Tobit also belongs beside Esther. The later development of wisdom-thought is represented by the practical maxims of Ben Sira and the majestic Wis- dom of Solomon. Our knowledge of later prophecy and psalmody is enriched by II. Esdras, Baruch, and the Prayer of Manasses. While the work of the English, and especially that of the American, revisers is most highly appreciated, the necessity of a new translation, adapted to the needs of the ordinary reader, has become apparent as the plans for the Student’s Old Testament have gradually grown out of the practical experiences in connection with university and Bible classes. The magnitude and difficulties of the task are fully recognized. The only justification of such an attempt is the hope that the result will convey more completely to the English reader the ideas in the minds of the original writers. A true translation translates not merely words but thoughts. When these are clear, the need for commentaries almost ceases. Since language is at the best an imperfect medium, new translations will constantly be demanded in the future, as they have been in the past, as man’s knowledge of the original tongues increases and the language into which the translation is made assumes new forms and meanings. That the American Revised Version (1901) has made marked advances beyond all previous translations is already generally recognized. The debt which every subsequent version will owe to it is necessarily great. In the translation here offered the first aim has been to conserve all that is good in previous translations. The varia- tions will not be found to be radical. Whenever a fundamentally dif- ferent reading is adopted attention is called to the fact and the reasons carefully stated. The Revised Versions, however, in common with all the standard English translations, are based upon a long line of earlier ver- sions, most of which were made when the vocabulary and idioms of the language were very different from what they are at present. Where it has been possible, without detracting from the dignity of the current readings, to give simpler and more modern renderings, this has been done. Exactness and clearness have above all been sought, for they viii PREFACE are the first essentials in a work of this kind. The aim has been to reproduce in a clear, idiomatic English the exact thought of the orig- inal text. Whenever the Hebrew idiom has been thoroughly natural- ized in the English, it is retained, because of its picturesqueness and expressiveness. In other cases greater lucidity is attained by employ- ing the corresponding English idiom, although in actual form its words differ from the original Hebrew. A literal translation of the latter is also given in the foot-notes. Greater clearness and literary finish are often secured by conforming strictly to the English order of words in sentences. Since the Hebrew is a comparatively primitive language, it lacks distinctive particles and conjunctions. The exact relation of sentences and clauses is usually indicated by the syntax or context rather than by the connectives. Thus the conjunction usually trans- lated and is employed in a great variety of senses. To translate it monotonously by its most common equivalent, as is done in the older versions, is to reproduce only imperfectly the thought of the original. The American revisers have done well to recognize — although not uniformly — its other equivalents. Thus, for example, in Genesis they properly translate it according to the context: now (12 1 , introducing a story), wherefore (21 10 ), but ( 1 8 27 ), then (19 24 ), when (19 23 ), as (18 1 ), and that (19 32 )- Frequently the corresponding English idiom is best reproduced by simply ignoring the connective (27 34 , when Esau heard . . . he cried out — Lit., and he cried out ). It is believed that a consistent recognition of these varied meanings will prove helpful in revealing the logical connection of thought in the original. Even since the time when the work of the American revisers was begun, important results have also been attained in the fields of Hebrew grammar and philology which should be at the command of the English reader. The semi-archaic “ thou,” “ thee,” and “ thy,” with the correspond- ing forms of the verb, have been retained only in three connections: (1) in poetical passages; (2) in all statements addressed to the Deity, for here they have a recognized meaning and appropriateness; (3) in passages in which Jehovah or his inspired representatives address the nation or people with commands, exhortations, or warnings, for here also a certain dignity and solemnity are imparted by their use. Else- where they are discarded, that the translation may be in accord with modern forms of expression. Furthermore, this restriction strength- ens their force when employed, and aids materially in making clear the thought in the original. Similarly, the corresponding ending (-eth) of the third person singular is used only when the Deity is the subject. With reluctance the popular form of the name of Israel’s God has been employed. As is well known, the word Jehovah probably first came into existence during the sixteenth century of the Christian era, when it was coined by a Christian scholar, who combined the vowels of the Hebrew word for “ Lord ” ( Adonai ) with the consonants ( yhv or yhwh ) of the distinctive name of Israel’s God, which later Jews re- garded as too sacred to be pronounced. From a Greek transliteration IX PREFACE ('Ia{3e) it is inferred that its original form was Yahweh or Yahve. There is, however, still considerable difference of opinion and usage among modern scholars. It is because of this uncertainty, and be- cause the form Jehovah has become firmly fixed in popular usage, in prayers, in hymns, and in current literature, that I have here retained it, feeling that those who preferred one of the more exact readings or the Lord of the Authorized and Revised Versions could easily make the substitution for themselves. The basis of the present translation is the standard Hebrew text. I will frankly confess that I have little sympathy with certain scholars who regard this as thoroughly corrupt, and therefore requiring emenda- tion at every turn. The confusion which arises, when the various changes proposed are compared, at once arouses suspicion of the meth- ods; and when these are investigated they are often found to rest upon arbitrary presuppositions. Above all, they fail to recognize the sig- nificant fact that the original writers were primitive Orientals, who cannot be expected to have conformed in every detail to twentieth cen- tury Western standards. At the same time no one will seriously claim that we have to-day the original copies which came from their hands. That certain scribal errors have crept in during the long process of transmission is obvious, so that a sane, careful reconstruction of the received text is often absolutely necessary and results in great gain. That the early translations, and especially the Greek, which was made centuries before the oldest extant Hebrew manuscripts, and which was the text used by most of the New Testament writers, have frequently preserved original readings or else furnished suggestions which are valuable in restoring the text, is equally clear. To ignore their testi- mony, where the Hebrew text is incomplete, obscure, or unintelligible, is a serious mistake. Whenever these versions are followed, attention is called to the fact in the notes. Important variant readings of the Greek, Samaritan, Syriac, and Latin texts are also given, that the student may have the data at hand for forming an independent judg- ment. The consideration of the history and value of the different ver- sions and of the principles which should regulate their use is reserved for the second volume, where the Hebrew text is frequently very defective. While this work aims to do three things, ( 1 ) to rearrange the writings of the Old Testament in a logical order, (2) to indicate their approxi- mate dates and the classes of writers from which they come, and the more important reasons for the critical analysis of the different books, and (3) to introduce the reader by means of a clear translation to the beauty and thought of the original, it also seeks by occasional interpre- tative notes upon obscure passages, and by titles and brief side-head- ings, to make clear the thought of each section and the logical relations of the parts to the whole. Brief suggestions are sometimes offered regarding the vital significance and value of certain stories, but the supremely important task of deriving from them their practical teach- PREFACE ings and of applying them to life is left to the teacher and individual reader. The attempt has been made to simplify in every possible way. Especial attention is called to the Explanations of Typograph- ical Symbols and Abbreviations following the Table of Contents. The magnitude of the debt which I owe to previous writers on these subjects is indicated in the classified list of books of reference in the appendices of each volume. The works which have proved of most service have been Kautzsch’s edition of Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, the admirable Hebrew Lexicon edited by Brown, Driver, and Briggs, the volumes of the International Critical Commentary , and the two new Bible dictionaries edited by Hastings and Cheyne. Of recent translations the most suggestive are the French, by Segond, and the two German, one by Kautzsch and the other by the contributors to the Handkommentar zum Allen Testament. The translation has been made with the helpful collaboration of the Reverend Frederick Lent, M.A., of Yale University. The analysis of the Old Testament books found in this volume, and the solutions of the critical problems, repre- sent in part work done in my Biblical Seminar. To the interest and suggestions of its members I have been constantly indebted, and es- pecially to those of Mr. George D. Castor, M.A., whose collaboration in this department of the work has been of the greatest assistance. I also feel a deep sense of obligation to the three or four hundred biblical specialists and teachers who generously volunteered their criti- cisms and suggestions in connection with the advanced sheets sent out by the publishers. For valuable detailed notes I am above all indebted to Professors Driver and Cheyne of Oxford University, to Professor Henry Preserved Smith, D.D., of Amherst College, and especially to Professor McFadyen of Knox College, who has read the proofs of this volume. C. F. K. Yale University, January, 1904. a CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION INTRODUCTION THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS I. Israel’s Heritage of Oral Traditions 3 II. Their Transmission and Crystallization into Literature 13 III. The Present Literary Form and Contents of Israel’s Early Records 21 IV. Characteristics, Dates, and History of the Different Prophetic and Priestly Narratives. 1. The Judean Prophetic 31 2. The Ephraimite Prophetic 37 3. The Late Prophetic or Deuteronomic 42 4. The Late Priestly 43 THE BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN HISTORY, Gen. I 1 -!! 9 I. The Beginnings of Life and Sin. § 1. The Priestly Story of the Creation §2. The Primitive Story of Man’s Creation and Fall II. The Beginnings of Human Civili- zation and Moral Degeneracy § 3. Lists of the Traditional Fore- fathers of the Human Race. . . § 4. The Story of Lamech, the Father of those who De- veloped the Nomadic Arts — § 5. The Story of Noah, the First Vineyard-Keeper, and his Sons § 6. The Story of Cain, the First Murderer Classification Early Judean Pro- phetic Gen. 2 4b ‘ 9 ( 10 ‘ 15 ), 16_3l9, 23, 21 (22, 24 )* 425 320 426, 1, 16b- 18’ g28b, 29 of the Narratives Late Priestly PAGE Gen.l 1 ^ 51 53 57 gl-28a, 30-32 57 419 - 24 . 920-27. 60 60 (j_2-16a) 61 * References in parentheses are to later additions to the earlier narratives. xiii CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. Consequences op Human Degen- eracy and the New Beginning Inaugurated by the Flood. § 7. The Story of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men .... § 8. The Two Biblical Stories of the Flood IV. The Beginnings of the Nations. § 9. The Story of the Tower of Babel § 10. Origin and Relationships of the Nations. Classification of the Narratives Early Judean Pro- phetic Gen. 6 1-4 (©5-8, 7 1 ' 5 - 10 - 7-9, 16b, 12, 17b, 22, 23 g6a, 2b, 3a, 6b-12, 13b, 20-22) ll 19 ( 9 18a, 19a, l 0 lb, 9 19b, 18b, iq 8 (9), 10-15 (16-18a), 18b! 19, 21, 24-30) Late Priestly PAGE 62 ©11, 12, 9, 10, 13-22 76, 11, 13-16a (17a)! 18-21, 24 gl, 2a, 3b- 5, 13a, 14-19 98-17 1-7, 28, 29 ’ ’ 03 68 IQla, 32, 2-7, 20, 22, 23, 31 69 THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTORS OF THE HEBREWS, I. The Abraham (Abram) Narratives. § 11. Ancestry and Family § 12. Migration t o Canaan § 13. Deception Re- garding Sarah (and Rebekah) . . . § 14. Covenant with A bi me lech at Beersheba Gen. ll 10 ^ 1 a, 28b_5Q26 Early Prophetic Judean Ephramite Gen. II 28 ' 29 . . J2l-4a, 6-8 (129-13 1 ), 26 1 - 3a 20 1 ' 17 ( 18 ) (3b-5), 6-14 (3^25,26,28-30,32- 3122-24, 27, 31 . . . 34 ), 26 ( 15 ), 16 ’ 17 (18), 19-33 I32 (3, 4) 5, 6b- 11 a, 12b, 13 Late Priestly PAGE ll 10 ' 27 73 ll 31 - 32 , 125,4b.. 75 76 79 I § 15. Separation of Abram and Lot. . xiv 136 a, lib, 12 a . . g] CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION I. The Abraham (Abram) Narratives — Cont’d. § 16. The Divine Cov- enant and Promise § 17. Victory over the Four Eastern Kings § 18. Birth of Ish- mael § 19. Promise of a Son to Sarah § 20. Destruction of Sodom and De- liverance of Lot. . § 21. Origin of the Moabites and Ammonites § 22. Birth of Isaac and Expulsion of Hagar § 23. Sac r i f ice of Isaac § 24. Securing a Wife for Isaac § 25. Death of Sarah and Purchase of the Cave of Mach- pelah § 26. Death of Abra- ham §27. His Arabian Descendants II. The Jacob (Israel) Stories. § 28. Birth of Jacob and Esau Early P Judean Gen. (13( 14 - 17 ), 18 15 lb, d, 2 a, 3b, 4, 6 , 7-12a, c, 17, 18 (19-21) ) rophetic Ephraimite jgla, 12b, lc, 3a, 2b, 5, 13-16 1130, 16 lb, 2, 4-14 18 1 ' 15 1 8 16 (17-19) ) 20- 22a(22b-33a) ) 33b ) 191-28 1 q30-38 ptl la, 2a, 7 21 lb, 6 , 8-21 321-14 (15-18), 19. (3320-24, 24) 355 , 6 . lib') (35 1 " 4 ' 18 ) 3,^21-27 a, c, 28 Late Priestly 17 1 " 14 . PAGE 82 (I ndependent Jewish Tradi- tion, 14) 84 10la, 3, 15, 16 86 Y] 15-27 1929 . 3121 ,- 5 . 88 90 92 93 94 25 19, 20 95 33 99 35 7_lla 100 35 12 ' 17 101 102 XV CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION Early Prophetic The Jacob (Israel) Stories — Continued. Judean Ephraimite Late Priestly § 29. Ja c o b’s Pur- chase of the Birthright Gen. 25 27b ' 29 ' 34 § 30. The Blessing of Jacob and his De- parture to Aram. jyjda, 2, 3, 4b, 5b, 6, 7a,e, 15, 18b, 19, 27 lb, 4a, 5a, 7b, 8- 14, 16-18a, 21-23, 2634. 35 } 2746 > 28 1-9 20, 24-27, 29a, c, 28, 29b, 30b, 31a, 30a, c, 31b, 32-34, 35, 36 -41 a, 43a, c, 41b, 42, 43b, 45a 44, 45b §31. The Revela- tion to Jacob at Bethel gglO, 13-16, 19 # 2811, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 § 32. Jacob’s Arrival in Aram and Meeting with Rachel 29 1 ' 14 § 33. Jacob’s Mar- riage with Leah and Rachel § 34. Jacob’s Chil- dren 2 9 31-35 5 3Q9-13. .. 2915-23 (24) ; 25- 28a (28b, 29) , 30 30 l-8, 14-24 3g22b-26 5 372 a § 35. Jacob’s Pros- perity. 3025 , 27 , 29 , 30, 31a, 32b, 34-39, 3026,28, 31b, 32a,c, 33, 40a, c 40b, 42, 43 §36. Jacob s Flight from Laban 3|_1, 3, 17, 18a, 19, 21a, c, 23, 25b, 27, 312, 4-16, 20, 21b, 22, 24, 25a, 26, 28, 30, 32-40 29, 31, 41, 42.. 31 lsb § 37. Jacob’s Cove- nant with Laban . 31 44, 46-48, 51-53 3143,45,49,50,54, 55 <* 9 l, 2, 13a § 38. Preparation to Meet Esau 3g3-7a (7b-12\ 13b- 23 § 39. Wrestling with God 3224-29 (30), 31, 32 § 40. Meeting with Esau. 33 1 " 17 PAGE 103 103 107 109 109 110 112 114 116 117 118 119 xvi CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION II. The Jacob (Israel) Stories — Continued . § 41. DinahandShe- chem § 42. Jacob’s Return to Bethel § 43. Domestic Ex- periences in Ca- naan § 44. Judah and Ta- mar Early Prophetic Judean Gen. 34 2b - 3a - 5 - 7, 11, 12, 14, 19, 25b, 26, 29b, 30, 31 35 21, 22 38 Ephraimite 33 18 - 20 , 34 1 * 2a - 3b, 4, 6 , 8-10, 13, 15-18, 20-25 a, 27a, c, 27b, 28, 29a 5 35 s 35 I- 4 , 6 b, 7, 14. 358 , 16-20, Late Priestly PAGE 120 356 a, 9-13, 15 _ . 122 SS 27 - 29 ^ 6 - 8 ^ 1 123 124 III. The Joseph Stories. §45. Sold by his Brothers into Egypt § 46. Tempted and Proved §47. Fame as an Inter preter of Dreams § 48. Interpretation of Pharaoh’s Dreams § 49. Made Governor of Egypt § 50. Policy during the Famine § 51. First Meeting with his Brothers § 52. Second Meeting 373 , 4, 12, 13, 14b, 18b, 21, 23, 25-27, 28b, 32a, 33b, 34b, 35a , 39 1 39 2 ' 23 . 4141 - 45 , 48 , 54a, 55, 56 4713 - 26 . 43 1 - 7 ) 43 38 ) 438 - 13, 15-34 44 I -34 372 b, 5-11, 14a, 15-18a, 19, 20, 22, 24, 28a, 29-31, 32b, 33a, 34a, 35b, 36 4 Ql- 3 a (3b ) 5 4-15a (15b) j 16-23 4ll-14a(14b) > 14c- 30(31)^32, 33 (34) ; 35a (35b) > 35c-38 4439 , 40(46a)46b, 47, 49, 50-53, 54b, 57 4gl-26 (27, 28a) 29-35, 28b, 36, 37 43 14 .’ 126 129 130 131 133 134 135 XVII 137 CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. The Joseph Stories — Continued. § 53. Joseph’s Dis- closure of his Identity § 54. Establishment of his Kinsmen in Egypt §55. Blessing of Jo- seph’s Sons by the Dying Jacob. § 56. Burial of Jacob at Hebron § 57. Later Days of Joseph Early Prophetic Judean Ephraimite Late Priestly Gen. 45 la> 2b > 4 - 451 b, 2a, c, 3, 5a, c, 7b, 10a, c, 5b, d, 6 , 7a, c, 8 , 9, 11, 12, 14, 19, 21a, 10b, 13, 15-18, 20, PAGE 27a, 28 21b-26, 27b 140 4 (}la, 28-34 47 I- 4 , 46 lb ' 5 46 6 " 2 7,47 5 , 6a, 7-11 , 6 b, 12, 27a 27b, 28 143 4729-31 4g2b, 9b, 4 gl, 2a, 7, 8 , 9a, 48 3 ' 6 , 49 la ’ 28b " 10a, 13-19 4 Q 10 b, 11 , 12 , 20-22 33 a 144 33b, c, 5 Q 1 50 2 ' 11, 14 50 12 - 13 147 50 15 - 26 148 THE DELIVERANCE OF THE HEBREWS FROM EGYPT, Ex. l l -12 13 - 21-23. 27b-41. 51, 13 17-22, 14> 15 1, 19-25a, 27, 16 1, 17 1, 19 1. 2a, Num . 33 I-I 5 I. The Bondage of the Hebrews and Rise of the Deliverer Moses. § 58. I srael’s In- crease and Op- pression §59. Birth and Preservation of Moses § 60. Moses’s Cham- pionship of his Kinsmen and Flight to Midian. Early Prophetic Judean Ephraimite Late Priestly Ex. I 6, 7b ' 8 ' 12, 4 l 5 - 20 a, 21, 22 4 I- 5 , 7a, c, 13, 14b 14a, 20b 21-10 ( 6 I 3 - 25 ) £ 11-22 PAGE 151 152 153 xviii CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION I. The Bondage of the Hebrews and Rise of the Deliverer Moses— Continued. § 61. Call and Re- turn to Deliver the Israelites.. . . § 62. The Demand that Pharaoh Al- low the Hebrews to Depart II. Plagues and Won- ders Preliminary to the Departure of the Hebrews from Egypt. §63. Changing Aaron’s Staff into a Serpent § 64. Plague upon the Waters § 65. Plague of Frogs § 66. Plague of In- sects § 67. Plague upon Man and Beast. . . § 68. Plague of Hail. § 69. Plague of Lo- custs § 70. Plague of Darkness § 71. Death of First- born Early Prophetic J udean E x> g23a 419,20a, 24-26 32,3,4a, c, 5, 7, 8a (8b), 16, 17a (17b), ’ 18, 41-12 (13-16)’ 29-31 s 3 ’ 5 - 23 ^ 1 ^14, 16,17a, 18,21a, 24 725 81-4, 8-10a (10b), ll-15a 820-22a (22b), 23- 32 . . 9 1 ’* 9I3 (14-16), 17, 18 (19-21), 23b, 24b, 25b-30,’33, 34 10 la ( lb - 2 ), 3 - n - 13b, 14b, 15a, c, 16-19 422, 23 4Q24-26, 28, 29 444-8, 42 21, 22, 23, 27b, 29-34 Ephraimite 31, 4b, d, 6, 9-15, 19-22 417, 18, 20b (21), 27, 28 51 , 2 , 4 , 715, 17b, 20b, 23 q 22, 23a, 24a, 25a, 31, 32, 35 4012, 13a, 14a, 15b, 20 4021, 22, 23, 27 Hi-3, 13 35, 36 . . Late Priestly PAGE 2 23b-25, 6 2-12, 7 15 154 7 6, 7 159 Ex. 7 8 " 13 161 719, 20a, 21b, 22 85-7 , 15b 4g3 8 16 - 19 164 9 8 ' 12 165 166 167 169 (ll 9 - 10 ), 12 1 ' 13 - 28 169 XIX CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION Early Prophetic III. The Exodus. § 72. Journey to the Judean Ephraimite Red Sea. § 73. Pursuit of the Egyptians and the Ex. 12 37b ' 39 , 13 21, 22 13 17 " 19 Great Deliverance 145, 6, 7b, 10a, 11- 4 4 3, 7a, c, 8b, 10b, 14, 19b, 20b, 21b, 15a, 16a, 19a, 20a, 24a, 25, 27b, 28b, 23a, 24b, 31 15 § 74. Journey from the Red Sea to 30 , 15 1 20, 21 Sinai 15 22-25a, 27 ; ( 16 la , 17 lb , 19 2a ) Late Priestly PAGE 1237a (40, 41, 51)^ 13 20 172 44I, 2, 4, 8a, c, 9, 15b, 16b, 17, 18, 21a, c, 22, 23b, 26. 27a, 28a, 29 19 .’. . . 173 16 lb , 17 la , 19 1 , (Num. 33 1 ' 15 ) 176 THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS AND EAST OF THE JORDAN, Ex. 16 2 — Dt. 34 12 ( exclusive 0 / legal material ) I. At Sinai-Horeb. § 75. Revelation of Jehovah to the Israelites § 76. The Establish- ment of the Cove- nant between Je- hovah and Israel § 77. Apostasy of the People Early Prophetic La Judean Ephraimite Prophetic Ex. 19 llb - 4 g2b, 3a (3b- 13a, 18,20-22 6). 9-lla, (23) ^ 24, 25 13b, 14-17, 19 , 20 18 ' 20 E x . 34 la Ex. 20 21 ’ Dt. 5 18a (lb) 2-4 (5a) 22a, 23a, lla,12a,16a, 5b, 10a (10b). 24a 2229- 31.23^ 15, 17-21a, 22- 11a, 14a, 17, 33 ( g9, 10 18a, 19a, 20c, 16a, IS, 19b 21a, 22a, c, 243 (4a) 4b- 25, 26-28, 6 (7). 8, 12- 19 7, 8 ,24 1 ’ 15a, 18b 2, 9-11 Slisb E x . 32 18 Dt. 9 11 ' 14 ’ (9-14) ^ 15-29 26-29, 15-17, (30-34) > 35 21 , 18-20 10 8 - 11 . . . .’ Priestly PAGE 34 15b-17 .... 181 Ex. 24 18a , 31 18a , 34 29 " 33 (34 , 35) 183 189 XX CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION I. At Sinai-Horeb — Continued. §78. Jehovah’s Promise to Lead His People § 79. Tent of Meet- ing. § SO.Visitof Moses’s Father-in-law . . . §81. Judicial Organ- ization § 82. Appointment of the Seventy Prophetic Elders § 83. Divine Confir- mation of Moses’s Authority § 84. Census of the Israelites. § 85. Arrangements of the Camp II. Life of the Hebrews in the Wilderness ABOUT KADESH. §86. Departure from Sinai Early Prophetic La Judean Ephraimite Prophetic Ex. 33 1 - 3a - 2320-22 (23- 17b, 12-17a 25a), 25b, 26 (18, 19), 20- (27), 28-3 la 23 346 a ( 6 b, (31b-33), 33 7) , 8 , 9a (9b) 3b, 4 Ex. 33 5 - 11 . Num. 10 29 ~ Ex. 18 la 32 (lb), 2-12 Ex. I 8 13 - 27 Dt.l 918 . . (Num.ll 16 ’ 17, 24b-30) _ (Num. 12 1-15) Num. 10 33 - 35, 36 Dt. I i9 . . . Priestly PAGE 192 Ex. 25 1 ' 9 , 2043-46 (35 4, 20-23) ; 40 17 (18-33) ( 34,35(36-38) 195 197 199 200 201 Num. I 1-16 (17-49), 54, 314-28,’ 33* 34, 39 202 (Num. 2, 3 23-26, 29-32, 35-38) 204 Num. 10 11, 12(13-28,34) g 06 XXI CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION II. Life of the Hebrews in the Wilderness about Kadesh — Continued. §87. Provision of Manna and Quails § 88 . Drawing Water from the Rock. . § 89. Conflict with the Amalekites. . § 90. Mission and Re- port of the Spies § 91. Punishment and Defeat of the Rebellious People § 92. Destruction of the Rebels Da- than and Abiram § 93. Divine Confir- mation of the Prerogatives of the Aaronic Priesthood Early Prophetic Lo Judean Ephraimite Prophetic Num. II 46 Nurn.il 1 - 3 , Dt. 8 2 ' 4 - lla ' ( 7-9 ) ; 10b, Ex. 15 25b 15, 16 10a, 11-15, ( 2 6), 16 4 ' 5. 18-24a, 31-35 14b, 15, 21, 27, 28, 35a Num. 12 16 , Num. 20 lb , Ex. 17 3 - Ex. 17 lc ' 2b, 7a, c 2a , Num. 20 5 ,Ex.17 4 - 6 , 7b Ex. 17 8 -16 Num. 13 Num. 13 17c ' Dt. I 20 ' 32 .. 17b, 18, 19, 20, 21a, 23, 22, 27a, 28, 24, 26b, 27b, 30, 31 14 IC, 29,33 141 b, 3, 8 4, 9b Num. 14 Num. 14 Dt. I 34 ’ 46 .. (11-241 31- (25a) ( 25b, 33a (33b) > 39b-45 21 1 ( 2 - 3 ) Num. 16 lb - 2a, 12, 13-15, 25, 26, 27b- 31a (32 a) ^ 33a (33b, 34) Dt. II 6 ' 7 .. xxii Priestly PAGE Ex. 16 2 ’ 3 - 9-12,6-7 ( 8 ^ 13, 14a, 16- 20(22-26) 31- 34, 35b (36) 208 Num. 20 la - 2, 3b, 4, 6-13 212 214 Num. 13 1 - 17a, 21b, 25, 26a, 32 44 la, 2, 5-7, 9a ' 10 215 Num. 14 26 " 30, 34-39 a 219 222 Num. 16 la - 2b-7a (7b-ll, 16-18) ; 19- 24,27a’ (32b, 33c) ^ 35 (36- 40 ),’ 41 T 8 7 223 CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. From Kadesh to the Jordan. § 94. Journey from the Wilderness.. § 95. Death of Aaron § 96. Advance tow- ards the East Jor- dan §97. Conquest of the East-Jordan Territory §98. Balaam’s Prophecy Con- cerning Israel. . . § 99. Idolatry and Immorality of the Hebrews. . . . § 100. The Second Census § 101. War with Midian § 102. Settlement of the East-Jor- dan Tribes Early Prophetic Lc Judean Ephraimite Prophetic Num. 20 19 - Num. 20 14 ' Dt. 2 1_8a . . 20, 21b 18, 21a, 22a 21 4b ' 9 Dt. 10 6 - 7 . . Num. 21 16a Num. 21 Dt. 2 8b ‘ 23 .. (16b) > 17-20 llb-15 Num. 21 32 ’ Num. 21 21 * Dt.2 24 " 37 ,3 24b-30 32 39 ' 42 , Josh. 13 13 24a, 31 '■"(Num. 21 33 -35) _ . Num. 22 3b - Num. 22 2 - 4, 5b, 6a, 7, 3a, 5a, 6b, 8- 11, 17, 18, 10, 12-16, 19- 21b, 22-35a 21, a, c, 37a, (35b ) f 36, 38, 40, 41 231-22 (23)’ 37b, 39 > 23( 27 ), 28 24-26 24.25 (29, 30) ( 24 1-19 Num.25 lb_ Num.25 la - 2, 3b, 4 3a, 5 Dt. 3 12 - 20 . . Priestly (Num. 33 18-37) Num. 20 22b-28a ( qq -VS 28b, 29 (Num. 41-49) 33 Num. 22 1 , 25 6 ' 15 .... (Num. 26). (Num. 25 16 ' 18 31) . (Num. 32 1 ' 38 ) xxiii PAGE 226 228 229 231 233 239 240 243 246 CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. From Kadesh to the Jordan — Cont’d. § 103. Directions Regarding the A s signmen t of the Land of Ca- naan § 104. Moses’s Fare- well and Appoint- ment of Joshua as his Successor §105. Death of Moses Early Prophetic La Judean Ephraimite Prophetic Dt.31 14 ’ 15> Dt. 3 21 - 22 - 23 24 -29, 31 l-8 Dt. 34 lb ' d Dt. 34 5a ’ 6 - (2, 3), 4 10 (11, 12) , Priestly PAGE (Num. 33 50 -34 29 ) . . . 248 Dt. 32 48 - 52 , Num. 27 (12-14), 15- 23 . Dt. 34 la c - 5b, 7-9 250 252 CONQUEST AND SETTLEMENT OF CANAAN, Joshua, Judges, Ruth I. Initial Conquests of Canaan. § 106. The Sum- mons to Con- quest § 107. Spies at Jericho § 108. Passage of the Jordan.. . . Early Later Early Late Judean Judean Ephraim- Prophetic ite Josh. 1 Josh. 2 2 ’ «jl, 3b, 4a, 3a, c, 4b, 5a,c,7,13, 5b, 6, 8,9a 14a, 20, ( 9b_1 1 ), 15,16(17), 12, 14b, 18, 19, 21 2 2 - 2 4 a ( 24b ). . . 3 lb, 2, 3 3 la,c, 5, 9, 10a (10b), (4), 12 , 11, 13a, c, (4 2 ),3 6>14 15a, 16b, (17b), 44, 41a (lb), 5, 7b, 8a, 20 3, 6, 7a, 8b, 10b, 11, 18 (21-24, 5I) Late Priestly PAGE 255 257 3 7. 8 15b. 13b, 16a, 17a, 49, 10, 12 -17. 19... 258 XXIV CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION I. Initial Conquests of Canaan — Con- tinued. § 109. Religious Ceremonies at Gilgai § 110. Capture of Jericho § 111. Defeat at Ai and Sin of Achan § 112. Capture of Ai § 113. The Treaty with the Gib- eonites and their Allies. . . § 114. Conquests in Southern Canaan Early Later Early Judean Judean Ephraim- ite Josh. 5 2, 3, 9 Josh.5 13 0l , 4a,c-6, -15 02,3, 8, 9, 12b, 4b, 5b, 7, 13, 15b, 10-12a,14, 16a, 20b, 15a, 16b, 22, 23a 17, (18, (23b) 24a 19) 20a, c, 21,’ 25-27 7(1) 2, 18a (15b), 19a (19b)’ 20- ( 24b )... 25a (25b) 26 8 la ( lb ' 2 ), g lib - 13, 3-6, 7a 14b, 15a, (7b), 8- 16b, 17a, 11a, 14a, c, 18, 19b, 15b, 16a, 21a,c,24a, 17b, 19a, 2 5, 26 20, 21b, 22, 23, 29 ( 27 ), 28 . Josh.9 4 ' g3, 6a, 8, 5, 6b, 7, 9a(9b,10) ; 12, 13, lib, 11a, 15a, 14, 15b 16a (16c) ( 15 °) , 16b, d, 22b, 23a (23b, 22a, 24a ( 2 4 b ) , 2 5 - 2 7 a ( 27b ). . . Judg. 1 Josh. 10 Josh. 10 ( la ), lb - 3 ( 4 ), 6-7 la, 3 , lb, 2, 4, 5b, 6a, 7a 5a, c, 6b, 9b, ( 8 ),Josh. (7b, 8) 9a, 10a, 11, 15 15 63 . 10b, 12a Judg. 1 (12b) ,12c, 9, 10, 20, 13,14, 16, 11-17(18) ; 24(25) 26, 19 27 ,15( 13 ), 14-19 Late Prophetic 5 4 (5) 6-8 Josh. 9 1,2,28-43, 13 2 ' 4a . . Late Priestly PAGE 5 10 - 12 . ... 262 263 265 267 269 271 XXV CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION I. Initial Conquests of Canaan — Con- tinued. § 115. Conquests in Northern Canaan § 116. Late Edi- torial Review of the Con- quest II. Final Location of the Hebrew Tribes. § 117. Tradition- al Assignment of Territory . . § 118. Location of the East- Jor- dan Tribes. . . . § 119. The South- ern Tribes. . . . § 120. The Joseph Tribes § 121. The Benja- mites § 122. Northern Tribes § 123. The Le- vites Early Judean Later Judean Early Ephraim- ite Late Prophetic Judg. 1 22-26 4 2b V23, 24) , 127- 36 Josh. 11 1,4-9. Josh. 11 2, 3, 10- 15 , 13 2a ’ 4b-6 1116-23,12 1 - 24 , 21 43 - 45 ' 13 1 ’ 7 , lg2, 3a (3b) 4-6 ( 7 ),’ 8 - 10 13 8 ’ 12 , 22 1-6 (7,8) 15 13 .... I46-15. I 6 1 - 3 , 17 (la) lb, 2, 8, 11-18 1049b, 50 24 32 . . .’ 13 14 .... Late Priestly PAGE 276 279 Josh. 14 l-5 ; i 9 5!a 281 igl5-21a (21b, 22) , 23-32 _ _ 282 lgl-12, 20- 62 , 19 1 ' 9 284 I 6 4 - 8 ( 9 ), 173-7; 9, 10 286 18 11 - 28 .. 289 19 10 - 48 . . 289 2li- 10 (H. 12) 13-42, 1049a, 51b gpj XXVI CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. Religious and Social Life of the H EBREWS AFTER THEIR IN- ITIAL Conquests in Canaan. § 124. Transfer of the Centre of Religious Life § 125. Establish- ment of Cities of Refuge Early Judean Judg.2 la ^lb-5a) 5b § 126. Altar on Mount Ebal. . . § 127. Alta r by the Jordan.. . . § 128. Joshua’s Farewell Ad- dress § 129. Death of Joshua and Eleazar § 130. The Sanc- tuary of Mi- cali the Ephra- imite* Judg. 17 1, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5,6,8- 11a, 12b, 13 ( 18 la) Later Judean Early Late Ephraim- Prophetic ite Late Priestly Josh.18 1 20 '-' ! ( 4 - 6 ), Josh. 8 30-35 , Josh. 22 9-34, (Josh. 24 1-5 ^6 a) 6b, 7-1 la ( llb ), 12 (13), 14- 17a (17b), 17c, 18, 25a^25 b) 26 - 28 ’ Judg.2 6 ) Josh. 24 29-30, 33. Josh. 23 !-!6 Judg. 17 2b, 3a, 4b, 7, lib, 12a * In the text §§ 130 and 131 are printed as one document, xxvii PAGE 293 294 294 295 297 300 300 CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION III. Religious and Social Life of the Hebrews AFTER THEIR IN- ITIAL Conquests in Canaan — Con- tinued. § 131. Establish- ment of the Sanctuary a t Dan § 132. Crime of the Gibeath- ites § 133. Punish- ment of the Crime of the Gibeathites. . . § 134. Devotion of Ruth, the Moabitess .... Early Judean Later Judean Early Ephraim- ite Late Prophetic Judg. 18 lb, 2b, d, Judg. 18 2a,c,3a,b, 3c, 4b-6, 4a, 7a, c, 7b, d, 8b, 8a, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11, 12b, 13,17, 12a, 14-16, lSb-29, 31 18a, 30 Judg. 19 l-16a (16 b) 5 17-30 . Judg. 20 la, c, 3b- 8a, 3a, 14, 19,29,31b, 32, 36b, 37a, 38, 39 a (39b) ^ 40 - 42a, 47,48^ 21 l,15(16a). 16b - 18’ ( 19 ), 20 ' 23 (25) (Book of Ruth) xxviii Late Priestly PAGE 301 303 Judg. 20 lb, 2, 8b- 13, 15-18, 20-28, 30, 31a, 33-35 ( 36a ), 37b, 42b (43 a), 43b, 44 ‘ 46 , 21 2-5 a (5b) ^ 6-14, 24. 306 310 CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION IV. Hebrew Deliverers and the Gradual Consolidation of the Tribes. § 135. Traditional Conceptions of the Period of Set- tlement § 136. Victory of Qthniel over the Arameans § 137. Victory of Ehud over the Moabites §138. Achievements of Shamgar § 139. Victory of Deb- orah and Barak over the Canaanites § 140. Gideon’s (Je- rubbaal’s) Victory over the Midian- ites § 141. Kingdom and Sanctuary of Gid- eon § 142. Kingdom and Reign of Abime- lech § 143. Tola and Jair. § 144. Jephthah’s Victory over the Ammonites Early Judean Judg. 2 23a ( 23b ), 32 a (2b) ^ 5a (5b) 6 Early Ephraimite ( 3 8 a, 10, 13, 20-22, 3 la ( lb ), 3 ( 4 ) 3(12-15a) ( 15b-27a (27b) , 28 (29,30) sO, 2 ^ 1 * 4(1-3), 4a (4b, 5) > 6-22 5( 31b ),6( 1 ), 3a - 4b * g(2a) 2b, 3b, 4a, 5a, 6 a, 11, 12, 13a 5b ( 6 b) ( 7-10, 25- 33, 35-40 yl-15, (13b), 14-24, 34 f 8 4-10a (10b) ^ 11 ? 7 16b, 17b, 18a, 19b, 16a, c, 17a, 18b, 21a,22-25a (25b)^ 19a, c, 20, 21b 8 12-21 Sl-3, 29 824-26 a (26b) ^ 27 (28) ^ 30-32 822, 23, 29 8(33-35) ^ gl-5, 26, g6-16a (16b-19a)^ 27b, 28-33, 34b, 19b-25, 27a, 34a, 35-41, 50-55 (56) 42-49 (57) Judg. 10( 18 ), 11 10 17 , 1112-28,30, la (lb, 2), 3-lla, 29 a (29b) 32 31, lib, 29c, 33- 40 l-4a (4b) 5, 6 a ( 6 b, 7) / Late Prophetic PAGE 3 7. 11. 12. 14-19. . 315 3 7 " 11 318 318 3 31 319 320 324 330 331 Judg. 10 1 ' 5 . . . . 335 10 6 ' 16 335 XXIX CONTENTS AND CLASSIFICATION IV. Hebrew Deliverers and the Gradual Consolidation of the Tribes — Cont'd. Early Judean Early Ephraimite Late Prophetic § 145. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon § 146. Samson’s Birth § 147. Samson’s Marriage with the Philistine Woman § 148. Samson’s Vengeance upon the Philistines. . . §149. Samson’s Feat with the Gates of Gaza §150. Samson and Delilah Judg. 13 ( 1 ) > 2 - 5a (5b) , 6-25 H.l-4a (4b) 5b, 6a (6b) > 7-20 ’ 15 1 ' 19 ( 20 ) 16 1 ' 3 . 104-27 a (27b) # 28- 31a (31b) CAGE Judg. 12 8 " 15 . .. 339 340 341 343 344 344 APPENDIX I. Selected Bibliography and Detailed References 349 II. Words and Expressions Peculiar to the Different Narratives 357 III. The Babylonian Accounts of Creation 360 IV. Parallels to the Story of Paradise and of Man’s Fall 360 V. The Babylonian Parallels to the Flood Story 373 VI. Ancient Babylonian Laws Regarding Marriages with Household Slaves 378 VII. Esau’s Descendants and the Early Edomite Kings 379 VIII. The Location of Sinai-Horeb , 381 IX. Tables of Weights and Measures 382 XXX CONTENTS CHART AND MAPS Growth and Approximate Dates of the Old Testament and Apocryphal Writings Frontispiece The Old Testament World Opposite page 49 The Primitive Hebrew Conception of the Universe Page 52 Pre-Hebrew Canaan in the Light of the Egyptian Monuments and the Amarna Letters Opposite page 71 The Land of the Exodus and Wilderness Wandering Opposite page 179 Canaan during the Period of Conquest and Settlement Opposite page 253 INDEX OF BIBLICAL PASSAGES Explanation of Typographical Symbols and Abbreviations Page xxxv xxxl INDEX OF BIBLICAL PASSAGES Genesis CHAPTERS PAGES P-2 3 51-53 2 4a 51 2 4b -3 19 53-56 3 20 57 32 1-24 56 4 1 58 ,4.2 a 61 42b 58 ^.3-16a 61,62 4l6b-18 58,59 419-24 60 425 57 426 58 5 57-59 6 4 -9 17 62-68 t)18, 19 69 Q20-27 60,61 10 69,70 11 1 - 9 68, 69 1 1 10-29 73,74 ll 39 86 ll 31 -^ 1 75-78 13 2 -1424 81-86 15 82-84 16 86-88 17 1 " 14 1715-27 89 18,19 88-93 20 76-78 211-21 93, 94 21 22-34 79, 80 22 94-96 23 99, 100 24 96-99 251- 4 25 s ’ 6 99 25 7 'U a 100, 101 25 llb 99 2512-18 101 Genesis CHAPTERS PAGES 25i®- 20.. 95, 96 2521- 34 ... 102, 103 26i- 33 . . . 76-81 26 34 ’ 35 .. 103, 104 27 103-107 28-34 . . . 105-122 35i- 4 . . . . 122, 123 35 s 122 35 6 - 2 2a. . . 122-124 35 2 2 b -26 110, 111 35 27 -29. . . 124 36i- 5 . . . . 379 36 6 " 8 . . . . 124 36 9-43 . . . 379-381 37i 124 37 2 - 36 . . . 126-129 38 124-126 39-41 . . . 129-134 42 135-137 43l-i 3 . . . 137, 138 43i 4 . . . . 137 4315.4712 138-144 47 13-26 134, 135 47 27 -49i a 144-146 4glb-27 49 28 -50 26 146-148 Exodus li-4 2 l . . . 151-159 422, 23 169 424-26 155 4 27 -6i . . . 158-160 6 2 -i 2 . . . . 155-157 R13-25 152, 153 «26-30 157 Note 1 71-5 157, 158 76 , 7 159 7 8 -12i 3 . . 161-171 xxxiii Exodus CHAPTERS PAGES 4321-23^ . . .170, 171 1227b-41 . . .171-173 IS 51 173 13 17 ' 22 . . .172, 173 14 1 -15 1 . . .173, 176 45 19-25 a . . .176, 177 1.cj25b-26 . . .209, 210 15 27 177 16 1 . . .176, 177 16 2 ' 36 . . .208-212 471a, b . . . 177, 178 47IC-I6 . . .213-215 18 . . . 197-200 19 1 ' 6 . . .177-182 19 7, 8 187 19 9 - 25 . . .182, 183 20 18-22 a . . .183, 184 2g23, 24a 185 22 29 ' 31 186 3312, 15, 16a, 18, 19b 186 23 2 °-33 . . .193, 194 24l-15a . . .186-188 24l5b-17 . . .181, 182 24 18a . . .183, 184 24 18b 188 25 1 " 9 195 29 43 ' 46 195 31 18a 184 31 18b 188 32-33 Sa . . . 189-193 33 3b - 4 .. 194,195 33 5 ' 11 . . . 195-197 33 12 ' 23 . . . 193, 194 34 1 " 5 . . .183-185 34 6-9 194 34IO, lla, 14a, 17, 18a, 19a, 2 °c 183-186 * For omitted passages in Ex., Num., and Dt., cf. vol. IV. INDEX OF BIBLICAL PASSAGES Exodus CHAPTERS PAGES 34.21a, 22a, c, 25, 26a, 26b- 28 3429-35 184, 185 35 4 ’ 20- 23 . . . . 196 4Q17-38 196 Numbers 1 202, 203 2 204-206 314-22 203 3 2 3-26 205 327, 28 203 329-32 205 333, 34 203 335-38 206 3 39 203 10 11 - 28 206, 207 10 29 -32 198 103 3 -11 15 206-210 ll 16 - 17 200 Hl8-24a 210, 211 4424b-30 200, 201 1431-35 211, 212 12 1 - 16 201-203 ^-lJ 10 215-218 4411-45 219-221 16L18 7 222-226 20 1 " 13 212-214 20 14 - 29 226-229 21 1 - 3 221 21 4b - 9 228 2ll0b-35 229-233 22 1 239 22 a -24 19 . . . . . 233-239 24 25 239 25 1 - 15 239, 240 25 16 ' 18 243 26 240-243 2712-23 250-252 Numbers CHAPTERS PAGES 31 243-245 32 1-38 246-248 3239-42 232, 233 33 1 ' 17 176-178 33 18 - 37 226-228 33 38 - 49 229,230 3350.3429 248,249 Deuteronomy I 9 ' 18 199,200 l 19 206,207 l 20 ' 32 215-218 134-46 219-221 2!- 8a 226-228 2 8b -3 n 229-233 3 12 - 20 246,247 3 21 ' 29 250,251 ftl-8. 10, 12a, 16a iqqiqo 5l7-21a, 22-33... .Wise-lss 8 2-4,lla, 15, 16 208-210 9 9> 10 188 911-21, 26-29 190-192 10 6 ' 7 228, 229 10 8 - 11 192 II 5 - 7 223 31 l-8, 14, 15, 23 250, 251 3248-52 250 34 ..252 Joshua l 1 - 8 29 255-269 8 30 ' 35 294, 295 9 1 - 2 271, 272 93-13 1 269-281 13 2 ' 4a 276 134b -6 278 13 7 281 13 8 " 12 282,283 Joshua CHAPTERS PAGES 13 13 . .233 13 14 ( 33 ). ...291 1315-32. . 282-284 14 1 -5. . . , 281,282 146-15 12 . 284,285 1513-19 . . 274-276 1520-62 . 285, 286 15 63 . . . . 273 I 6 1 - 9 . .. . 286,287 16 10 278 Note b 17 287,288 18 1 293, 294 18 2 " 10 . . . 281,282 1811-28. 289 19 1 " 9 . . . . 286 1910-48 289-291 19 49a 293 1949b, 50 288 19 51 293 20 294 21 1 ' 42 . . . 291-293 2143-45 280 22 1 " 8 . . . . 283, 284 22 9 " 34 . . . 295-297 23,24. . . 297-300 Judges 1 271-278 2 1 - 5 293, 294 2 6 300 Note m 2 7 -4 2a . .. 315-324 42b 277 43-22 320-324 423 , 24 277 5L16 31 . . 320-346 17-21. . . 300-310 Ruth 1-5 310-315 EXPLANATION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS Text ni roman type. Supplemental and editorial additions to an older section in smaller type. Superscriptions in small capitals. Poetical passages are distinguished by smaller type and broken lines. Explanatory clauses, found in the original, in ( ). English equivalents of the more significant Hebrew proper names in [ ]. Words implied by the context or supplied to restore the original narratives, where these have been abridged in the process of editorial fusion, in italics. Foot-notes, presenting the reasons for the analysis and classification of the mate- rial, significant alternate readings, and explanatory material, in small roman type. Interpretative side-headings, giving a condensed summary of the accompanying text, on the margins in small roman type. Chapter numbers in arabic figures. Verse numbers in small figures placed above the line. Successive portions of a verse indicated by “■ b or c , placed after the verse number. Thus, Genesis II. 4 (second part of the verse) to IV. 6 (first half) inclusive is written 2 4b -4 6 \ Complete stories or literary units (with their parallels, if any) are numbered with arabic numerals successively throughout the entire volume and are referred to as sections. Thus, § 2 refers to § 2, The Primitive Story of Man’s Creation and Fall, pp. 53-56. AmRV = American Revised Version (1901). AV = Authorized Version (1611). Apocr. = Apocrypha or apoc- ryphal. Aram. = Aramaic. Assyr. = Assyrian. Baby. = Babylonian. cf. = compare. e. g. = for example. f. = and following. Gk. = Greek B (Vatican) text of the O.T. General Abbreviations Gk.A = Alexandrian Gk. text of the O.T. Gk. N = Sinaitic Gk. text of the O.T. Heb. = Hebrew. i. e. = that is. Jos. = Josephus. Lat. = Latin (Vulgate) text of Jerome. Lit. = literally. Luc. = Lucian’s Recension of the Greek O.T. N.T. = New Testament. Old L. = Old Latin Version of the O.T. Origen = Reading found in Origen’s Hexapla. O.T. = Old Testament. Pent. = Pentateuch. RV = Revised yersion (1885). Sam. = Samaritan Version of the Pent. Sem. = Semitic. Syr. = Syriac Version of the O.T. Targ. = Targum. Vs. = verse. Abbreviations for the Old Testament and Apocryphal Books Gen. = Genesis. Ex. = Exodus. Lev. = Leviticus. Num. = Numbers. Dt. = Deuteronomy. Josh. = Joshua. Judg. = Judges. Sam. = Samuel. Kgs. = Kings. Chr. = Chronicles. Neh. = Nehemiah. Esth. = Esther. Ps. = Psalms. Pr. = Proverbs. Ecc. = Ecclesiastes. Sg. of Sgs. = Song of Songs. Is. = Isaiah. _ Jer. = Jeremiah. Lam. = Lamentations. Ezek. = Ezekiel. Dan. = Daniel. Hos. = Hosea. Am. = Amos. Ob. = Obadiah. Jonah = Jonah. Mi. = Micah. Nah. = Nahum. Hab. = Habakkuk. Zeph. = Zephaniah. Hag. = Haggai. Zeeh. = Zechariah. Mai. = Malachi. Esdr. = Esdras. Wisd. Sol. = Wisdom of Solo- mon. B. Sir. = Ben Sira or Ecelesi- astieus. Bar. = Baruch. Sg. of Three = Song of the Three Children. Sus. = Susanna. Pryr. of Man. = Prayer of Manasses. Mac. = Maccabees. Enoch = Book of Enoch. Ps. of Sol. = Psalms of Solo- mon. THE HISTORY OF ISRAELS EARLY RECORDS INTRODUCTION I ISRAEL’S HERITAGE OF ORAL TRADITIONS “Prove all things and hold fast that which is good” is the guiding principle of the present age. The Bible least of all demands exemp- tion from this, its own canon. What it is and what its teachings have done and are capable of doing for mankind, constitute its supreme claim to authority. Tested by intrinsic merit, the stories preserved in the opening books of the Old Testament are found to possess a unique value, for they reflect not merely the experiences, but also those early ideas and ideals of the Israelites which embody God’s personal revela- tion through them to the human race. History is simply an accurate representation of facts, while into popular traditions are projected the beliefs, the aspirations and the eternal truths held by the generations which received and treasured them. They portray, therefore, not merely the external but also the mental and spiritual life of the Israel- itish people, whom God was training by varied experiences to make known his gracious purpose to the world. Furthermore, their chief function in the past, as in the present, is to appeal to the minds and wills of men and thus, by inspiring noble thoughts and acts, to make history, rather than merely record it. That they will always continue to be powerful religious and ethical forces in the life of humanity needs no demonstration. Acquaintance with them in their original beauty and simplicity will increase rather than diminish their efficiency. Their influence is all the more potent because there is little moralizing. By the deeds, character, and words of the personages who figure in the narratives, their lessons are imparted clearly, effectively, and yet almost unconsciously to those who receive them. One of the reasons why they have a perennially helpful message for men to-day is because, unlike the heroes of other primitive peoples, those of the Old Testament are not men of brute strength— Samson stands almost alone — but, like Abraham, they are dominated by a con- suming desire to live in harmony with the Eternal. Their struggles are not with panoplied warriors, but, as in the case of Jacob, with the baser instincts within them. Their mastering ambitions are not to achieve possessions or glory for themselves, but to secure divine favor and blessings for their race. If, like Joseph or Moses, their circum- stances made them men of affairs, they won success by their faithful, unselfish devotion to every duty and opportunity which presented 3 Histor- ical val- ue of popular tradi- tions As re- ligious and moral forces Ar ar- chaeolog- ical sources As liter- ature The real charac- ter of tradi- tions HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS itself, and success attained was simply made in turn the instrument of helpfulness to others. The Old Testament stories also contain illustrations of almost every phase of Israel’s social and institutional life. Unconsciously, but faithfully, they reflect the conditions existing during the periods from which they come. Without them our knowledge of that marvellous people, who have so fundamentally moulded and vitalized modern civili- zation, would be very imperfect. Viewed as literature they have a peculiar charm which is the result of the long process of simplification, attrition, and embellishment to which they have for centuries been subjected. Their appreciation as literature, instead of being a sin, “as some have ignorantly imagined,” is the duty and privilege of every lover of the Bible. Like the poems of Homer or the earliest literary products of every truly great people, they are the priceless pearls of thought and diction, which the Hebrew race had long treasured in its memory and at last intrusted to the written page. Little wonder that they fascinate old and young alike by their lucidity, vividness, and dramatic interest. No other writings are more simple and yet so instructive, more concrete and yet so universal in their application. They were Israel’s richest heritage from antiquity, and are among the most valuable of the many contributions which the He- brews have made to the common literature of mankind. Fortunately, the present age is beginning to listen to the testimony which the Bible itself gives regarding its origin and real character. At the same time the popular misconception that the word “tradition” implies that the literature thus designated is necessarily untrustworthy and unhistorical is fast disappearing. True to its derivation, the term only means “that which is transmitted or handed down orally from generation to generation.” It ordinarily implies a period of oral trans- mission. When it is recalled that during the first quarter century fob- lowing the death of Jesus, while hearers and eyewitnesses lived to re- count the facts, probably not one of his acts or teachings was recorded in writing, the value and possibilities of oral tradition are strikingly revealed. The amount of historical data thus transmitted naturally depends upon the character of the material, the length of the period, and the ability of those who handed them down to retain the original facts. It is obvious, therefore, that some traditions preserve little strictly historical data, while others contain much. No sharp distinc- tion can be drawn in this respect between traditions and historical rec- ords, for at best it is only relative. In the Old Testament the one gradually merges into the other. While the Hebrews were nomads, without a definite national organization and probably personally un- acquainted with the art of writing, it would appear that they had few if any written records. Moreover, popular memory was able satisfac- torily to answer all questions which might be raised regarding the past. When, however, they settled in Canaan and passed through thrilling tribal and national experiences, which made a deep impression upon 4 ISRAEL’S HERITAGE OF ORAL TRADITIONS their memories, the historical element in their traditions became more prominent. The result is that the records which relate to later events, as, for example, those in the book of Judges, do not differ greatly from the sober written records of a later literary age. The establishment of the Hebrew monarchy in the days of Saul (about 1050 b.c.) and the beginning of the great struggle for national independence, which resulted in the union of all the tribes under the victorious rule of David, marks in general the transition from the age of popular song and story to that of historical narration. A com- parison of the story of Eden, in which Jehovah and the serpent are represented as speaking (Gen. 2-3), with the realistic account of Ab- salom’s rebellion (II Sam. 13-20), illustrates the fundamental differ- ences in form and representation between the literary products of these two very different eras. The one suggests the ancient bard, the seer, and the camp-fire; the other the court annalist and the prophetic his- torian. In the one the concrete details are but the clothing of the primitive beliefs and ideals; while in the other the bald historical facts are simply portrayed. The latter is limited to certain dates and themes; while the narratives which come from the age of song and story know no such limits, but go back millenniums before the begin- nings of Hebrew history to the origin of the universe, of sin, and of human civilization. Wars, the rise and fall of dynasties and the social and institutional life of their nation, command the attention of later historians; but the themes which interested the early Hebrews and their Semitic ancestors were much more varied. Like children, they asked innumerable ques- tions regarding everything which they saw and heard, and especially those things which personally concerned them, and, like children to- day, did not always stop to investigate whether the answer was based on fact or fancy. They who asked were also obliged to answer their own inquiries in the light of their imperfect knowledge. Some of these answers must be recognized in the light of fuller historical and scien- tific truth to have been originally but crude guesses at the riddles of existence, or else the attempt to record in picturesque outlines the his- tory of the ages regarding which human memory has retained little definite information. It is fortunate that their permanent value de- pends upon something far more abiding than the amount of historical information which they may contain. Since the Israelites were among the youngest of the Semitic nations, it was to be expected that they derived certain traditions, as well as institutions, from their ancestors and kinsmen, already thousands of years old in experience. Modern discoveries have strikingly confirmed the truth of this conclusion. Divine revelation was not entirely limited to one race or age in the past, any more than in the present. Through the Babylonian and Assyrian inscriptions it is now possible to tap the current of ancient Semitic tradition centuries before the days of Moses, and to determine approximately the earlier forms of certain of the Old 5 The age of song and story Origin of popu- lar tra- ditions Israel's debt to the oldet Semitic nations HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Natural- ization of tradi- tions Classifi- cation of tradi- tions : trans- formed myths Testament stories. From the Babylonians, whose civilization had reached its zenith and was already growing old before the Hebrews entered Canaan, they may also have received directly or indirectly many of their narratives regarding the beginnings of universal history. For at least five centuries the civilizations of the Tigris-Euphrates val- ley had dominated Palestine, which had long been settled by Semitic peoples. Not only did they find it regnant in the land, which ulti- mately became their home, but their records also assert that their an- cestors originally migrated from the same seat of ancient Semitic culture. That they should bear with them and later receive anew through the Canaanites the traditional inheritances from the common ancestors of their race was an inevitable result of the historical situa- tion. Also in the older Semitic inhabitants of Palestine, whom they ultimately conquered and absorbed, but whose civilization in turn con- quered them, they found teachers who not only instructed them in the arts, but also imparted to them many of their varied traditions. The origin, therefore, of certain of the familiar narratives in Genesis un- doubtedly lies far back in the Semitic past. They represent not three but at least thirty centuries of human thought and divine revelation. If age and the indorsement of countless generations imparts authority, they certainly possess it in the highest degree. They are the unbroken links which bind the present to the pre-historie past, and enable us to think again the thoughts in the mind of primitive man. Popular traditions, like proverbs, are often migratory and are readily adopted and adapted to the point of view of a later age. Thus assimi- lated, they become in a very true sense a new creation. In the Old Testament, instead of many gods or the local deities of Canaan and the desert, Jehovah, the one God of the Hebrews, appears, and with him an infinitely nobler religious atmosphere. Ancient traditions also receive a new and distinctively Israelitish setting. Thus the story of the visit of the three heavenly beings, which the Hebrews share with the Greeks (Ovid, Fast. V. 495 ff.), is localized at Hebron (Gen. 18). Egypt’s immemorial agrarian policy is attributed to Joseph, § 50. Un- consciously the old stories are modified and made to reflect the later ex- periences of the Hebrews. Thus Abraham’s adventure at the Egyptian court contains suggestions of the bondage and deliverance of the Israel- ites from Egypt, § 13 ; the Jacob-Laban stories reveal the attitude of the Hebrews toward the Aramean foes in the days following the death of Solomon. As will be shown later (p. 19, 20), it was their transforma- tion in Hebrew minds, and at the hand of Israel’s inspired teachers, that gave these ancient traditions their permanent and unique religious value. A general classification of the narratives found in the opening books of the Old Testament makes evident their diverse character and rela- tionships, and suggests their origin and history. That the early Hebrews received, along with their other inheritances from their Semitic forefathers, many popular myths, is shown by the frequent 6 ISRAEL’S HERITAGE OF ORAL TRADITIONS references to them in the prophetic, and especially the poetic books, like Job and the later apocalyptic writings ( e . g.. Is. 51 9 , Job. 3 s , 9 13 , 2 6 12 , Ps. 89 10 )- Of these the story of Jehovah’s combat with Rahab or the Leviathan was the best known (Appendix III.). Naturally myths figured more prominently in the minds of the common people than in the thought of their inspired teachers. While the earlier prophets neither accepted nor openly attacked them, they usually indicated their mild dis- approval by ignoring them. Only later poets and prophets, who lived when the popular belief in myths was dead, dared employ their imagery as illustrations, very much as modern writers utilize the figures sug- gested by Greek mythology. Israel’s belief in one supreme God was irreconcilable with the premises assumed in most of the Semitic myths which the monuments have disclosed. The exalted ethical standards of the Hebrew teachers were also hostile to their often immoral impli- cations. The result is that the Old Testament is characterized among the literary collections coming from antiquity by the comparative ab- sence of the mythological element. Only traces of this are found in the earliest stories, where the dependence upon ancient Semitic tradi- tion is greatest, as, for example, in the narratives of the creation, the garden of Eden, the flood, and the tower of Babel. Since in certain cases it is now possible -to compare the older versions (Appendices III.-V.) with the Hebrew, the care with which the biblical writers elim- inated polytheistic and immoral elements is clearly apparent. Purified, ennobled, and consecrated to an exalted purpose, these ancient myths have almost entirely lost their mythological character and have become the apt medium through which are conveyed some of the noblest spirit- ual truths ever presented to man. The secondary aim which influenced Israel’s teachers thus to utilize them was evidently that they might save the people from the debasing influence of these popular myths. Thus, in the story of the sons of God and the daughters of men (Gen. 6 1 ' 4 , § 7), where the mythological character of the tradition is most evi- dent, the familiar folk-tale is briefly introduced by the prophet that he may brand its immoral teaching with Jehovah’s disapproval. Like the great Teacher of Nazareth, the prophets indicated their claim to be God’s spokesmen by using those things, which were regarded as com- mon or unclean, to make clear to men the character and purpose of the eternal Father. The perennial questions, “Why” and “How,” which are the main- spring of all scientific research, gave rise in their original form to some of the traditions found in the Old Testament. Crude though their conclusions sometimes seem, they possess a deep interest because they represent the beginnings of human science. Here the analogies are closest with the traditions of other peoples, for to similar questions much the same answers were given by races on like stages of culture. Thus almost every primitive people had its stories of the creation and the flood. These traditions, as a whole, may be classified as getiolog- ical, for they deal with the origin and development of things. They 7 Proto scien tific HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Ethno- logical may, however, be. divided into several distinct groups. To the first, which is concerned with the origin of the material universe and natural phenomena, properly belong the accounts of creation; many elements in the story of the garden of Eden, as, for example, the suggested origin of the pains of childbirth, and the reason why serpents, unlike other animals, are not provided with legs ; the various explanations of the diversity of nations, language, and occupations given in the traditions of the sons of Adam, of the flood, and of the tower of Babel; and the popular tradition regarding the origin of the barren waste to the north of the Dead Sea. Parallel to the interest which the ancients took in the natural world about them was their curiosity regarding the origin, characteristics, and relationships of peoples whose territory and history touched their own. A large number of the stories of Genesis are therefore ethnolog- ical. They embody the popular beliefs regarding the origin of the Hebrews, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the Ishmaelites, the Arameans and the nature of their relationship to each other. Tradi- tion also ever had a ready answer to such queries as to why the different peoples and tribes were located in the particular territory which they later held, or why the Ishmaelites were wanderers, while the Hebrews were in possession of Canaan. True to the natural instincts of a race whose ancestors were nomads and whose social unit was the family, national and tribal traditions usually took the form of individual biographies. Even in the ethnological tables, like that found in Genesis 10, peoples, as, for example, the Egyptians and Canaanites, or cities like Tarshish and Sidon, are spoken of as individuals. In verses 13 and 14 it is stated that Egypt begat six nations, the plural ending of whose names clearly indicates that the tradition is dealing not with individuals but races. The first chapter of Judges also contains strik- ing illustrations of the same common Semitic usage, § 114. It de- scribes the initial conquests of the different Israelitish tribes, but each tribe is represented as an individual. Thus the conversation between Judah and “his brother” Simeon is reported in 3 . Judah, however, in 4 takes both a singular and a plural verb. This characteristic Semitic method of presenting tribal relationships and experiences must con- stantly be borne in mind in interpreting the stories associated with the names of Abraham, Jacob-Israel, and Joseph. The majority of these ethnological traditions are also localized in the hazy, undefined age of the patriarchs, which is removed at least four or five centuries from the period when they were committed to writing, and the only connecting link appears to have been the memory of wandering tribes. In relative point of time the period of the patriarchs corresponds in Hebrew his- tory to the age of myth and legend among other primitive peoples. These facts suggest the much-debated problem which must be consid- ered in connection with each of these traditions: “Are the experiences which are therein portrayed those of an individual or of a tribe?” and “Where does the realm of legend end and that of history begin?” 8 ISRAEL’S HERITAGE OF ORAL TRADITIONS That a large proportion of the traditions, contained in the first eight books of the Old Testament, can properly be classified as historical in the sense that they reflect authentic facts and experiences, seems both reasonable and probable. Traditions are readily modified in the process of transmission, but ordinarily those which relate to detailed events and persons contain at least an historical nucleus. Although these ancient stories subserve far higher ends than merely perpetuating the memory of early man and his achievements, the patient investigator, after subjecting them to the searching tests of historical criticism, finds there a valuable body of data to aid him in reconstructing the outlines of early Israelitish history. Especially is this true of tlie stories which relate to the period beginning with the exodus. The character of the traditions changes likewise: instead of being general pictures equally true to certain stages of culture in all ages, they are filled with local details. Instead of standing independently, they are more closely knit together, as they trace the successive steps in the evolution of the Hebrew nation. Finally in the book of Judges events are usually rep- resented as taking place as a result of ordinary rather than extraor- dinary means. There, through men’s minds and works, Jehovah gradu- ally, but none the less effectually, realizes his purpose in human history, not by special revelations and supernatural interventions. Three distinct types of historical traditions may be distinguished. The first relates to the history of the Israelitish race. To this class certainly belong some, if not most, of the stories of the patriarchs. The migration of Abraham to Canaan, for example, represents the greater Aramean movement which brought the ancestors of the Hebrews to Palestine. This group also includes most of the stories in Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua. Another class, which includes tribal traditions, is illustrated by the stories of Dinah and Tamar (Gen. 34, 38). Here the conflicts and alliances between tribes are recorded in the form of individual biographies. In the book of Judges, however, which contains many similar narratives, the tribes themselves are the actors in the stormy dramas therein recounted. The first chapter of Judges marks the transition from the older to the later form of tribal tradition. The third class of historical traditions relates the experi- ences and achievements of individual heroes. Although many stories, which at first glance might be assigned to this group, properly belong to the first or second, it is obvious that the Old Testament contains many biographical sketches of the men and women who were influential in shaping Hebrew history. It is reasonable to believe that back of the varied stories associated with the name of Abraham, was a man of strong personality — probably a leader of one of the earliest Aramean migrations — who made a deep impression upon his own and later gen- erations. Recent discoveries have also established the strong proba- bility that the outlines of the Joseph stories are historical. The same is true of the thrilling tales told of Israel’s early champions and re- corded in the book of Judges. Histor- ical Differ- ent types of histor- ical tra- ditions 9 I HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS institu- Another large group of traditions was intended to explain the origin and nature of existing customs and institutions. Thus the majestic first chapter of Genesis gives one of the several explanations of the origin and sanctity of the sabbath, which are found in the Old Testa- ment. The striking details of the Feast of the Passover (which ap- pears to have been a very old Semitic institution, cf. § 71) were all associated with the events immediately preceding the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt. In the same way the fact that the Hebrews did not eat the muscle of the thigh was explained by the story of Jacob’s wrestling with the divine messenger, § 39; the peculiar limping in the sacred dances at Penuel was because Jacob’s hip was lamed in the same struggle ; the annual lamentation of the Gileadite women was traced to the sacrifice of JejDhthah’s daughter, § 14*4. Certain impor- tant religious customs were differently explained by different tradi- tions. For exanqile, in one passage circumcision is connected with Moses, § 6l, while in another it is represented as first revealed to Abra- ham, § 19- Illustrations might be multiplied to show how early and how deep was the interest among the Israelites in the origins, especially of their religious institutions. These traditions mark the beginning of the study of religion. The same interest which prompted the question, “Why are certain institutions observed as they are?” doubtless led the people to ask, “Why are certain places, like Hebron, Shechem, Bethel, Beersheba, Penuel, and Mahanaim, regarded as holy and provided with sanctuaries to which the people make frequent pilgrimages? Why, also, are certain stones or trees or wells at these shrines regarded with especial awe and veneration?” Modern comparative religion offers a variety of answers and history demonstrates that far back in pre- Hebrew times these spots and objects had been held to be sacred, but the reply which satisfied the minds of the Israelites and confirmed their title to Canaan was that at these different places God had revealed himself to some one of their ancestors. As Jacob lay at night pillowed on a stone at Bethel, he saw the angels descending to earth from the abode of God, § 31. Hence that stone was regarded as the very thresh- old of heaven. At Hebron the divine beings became the guests of Abraham, § 19- Through the thorn bush on the sacred mountain Jehovah spoke to Moses, § 6l, and later amidst the manifestations of his presence revealed his law through his servant to the Israelitish race, § 75. At Ophrah the messenger of God appeared to Gideon, who on his return as victor established a sanctuary there, § 141. Each holy place probably treasured some such tradition as its divine charter. Age Similarly the Ishmaelites had a tradition regarding their sacred well which Lahai-roi. This would perhaps suggest that certain of these stories come associated with the shrines of Palestine were older than the Hebrews. They all bespeak an age of reflection and advanced religious thought, when a god was no longer conceived of as dwelling in every sacred stone or tree. In their present form, also, they point to the belief in one God who at various times and places had revealed and would reveal 10 ISRAEL’S HERITAGE OF ORAL TRADITIONS himself to those who needed and sought to know him. They mark, therefore, a great step forward in the history of religious faith. Another interesting group of stories is primarily concerned with the origin and meaning of proper names. They reveal the beginnings of the science of language, although modern comparative philology has demonstrated that most of the popular etymologies therein suggested are based simply on similarity of sound between the ancient names and current Hebrew words, and not on their etymological derivation. The motive which gave rise to these peculiar traditions was obviously not philological, but rather the firm Semitic belief that the name possessed a deep significance and was indicative of the origin or character of the person or object bearing it. The number of these popular etymolo- gies is surprisingly great. Especially in the patriarchal stories the attempt is made to explain nearly every important proper name. Thus Abraham is interpreted in Genesis 17 6 as “the father of a multitude” ( Ab-hamon). Jacob is the “heel-holder,” because at his birth he held his twin brother by the heel (Gen. 25 26 ). Often two distinct origins are given for the same word: in Genesis 18 12 Isaac is so named because his mother laughed ( sahak ) when his birth was promised, while in 17 17 it is Abraham who laughed; according to Genesis 21 28 " 30 , the famous sanctuary of Beersheba is “the well of seven” (Beer-sheba‘ ), because there Abraham gave Abimelech seven lambs; but according to 21 31 it is “the well of the oath” (Beer-sheba ), because there Abraham and Abimelech took oath with each other. In cases like the latter it would seem that the tradition arose as the result of a naive endeavor to explain the name. Ordinarily, however, the etymologies are introduced simply as supplemental elements in a longer tradition. A few traditions cannot be classified under any of the above head- ings. The chief motive which produced them seems simply to have been the desire to entertain. Of this character is the long and elabor- ate story of the successful journey of Abraham’s servant to secure Rebekah as a wife for Isaac, § 24 ; the detailed account of the tricks which Jacob and Laban played upon each other, §§ 33-37 ; and the familiar tales regarding Samson, §§ 147 - 150 . Obviously they were great favorites with the people. Many stories consist of diverse ele- ments, which probably once existed independently. Thus in the narra- tive of the garden of Eden, § 2,. it seems clear that remnants of certain old Semitic myths are to be recognized (cf. Appendix IV.). Back of the story, as a whole, is the historical fact that the lower waters of the Tigris and Euphrates were the seat of the earliest Semitic civilization. A scientific motive is revealed in the explanation that is offered of why serpents crawl in the dust, why women suffer the pains of childbirth, and why men must toil to eat. An interest in institutions appears in the reason given for the nature and sanctity of the marriage bond. Finally, the name of Eve (Heb. Hawrva ) is derived from the Hebrew word to live (hawa ), “because she was the mother of all living.” Thus mythological, historical, proto-scientific, institutional, and etymological 11 Etymc logical tradi- tions Popular tradi- tions HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Conclu- sion traditions are all drawn upon by the great prophet who with a few bold strokes portrayed in immortal colors the origin, essence, and con- sequences of human sin. In the same way it is possible to analyze the constituent elements in such mixed traditions as the flight of Hagar, § 22, the stories regarding Beersheba, § 39, and the sin at Meribah, § 88 . This general survey of the Old Testament traditions has suggested how great was Israel’s debt to earlier Semitic civilizations and to its own age of song and story. In the picturesque, concrete form of popu- lar traditions were transmitted the thoughts, the beliefs, the fancies, and the experiences of preceding generations. The variety of the motives and influences which gave rise to these is astonishing. Some were at first intended simply to entertain, others to enlighten, to kindle patriot- ism, to instruct in the ritual, and to inspire true faith and action. They touch almost every side of human experience and meet in a remarkable manner man’s varied needs. In different ages, in different circum- stances, and in different minds they took form gradually under the divine direction. Coming, as many of them do, from extreme antiquity, when ethical principles were only imperfectly developed, it is not strange that they retain a few of their birthmarks. Like a mirror, they faithfully reflect every important phase in the early culture of the Hebrew race. While they demonstrate conclusively that Israel’s re- ligious and ethical education, like that of other less favored nations, was gradual and progressive, they also show with equal clearness that at a very early period the seeds of spiritual truth began to germinate and bear attractive fruits in the stories which were found on the lips of the people. Simply, naturally, and majestically the divine purpose and revelation for mankind were beginning to unfold. II THE TRANSMISSION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF ISRAEL’S TRADITIONS INTO LITERATURE A primitive tradition, like a proverb or a folk-song, usually has a long history. Many of Israel’s traditions undoubtedly continued for centuries to be recorded simply in the minds of the people. As among the nomadic Arabs to-day they were recounted during the long evenings beside the camp-fires, or as the shepherds watched their slow-moving flocks, or in the secret of the harem, or at the wells as the maidens went out to draw water, or at marriage feasts and religious festivals. Pos- sibly, as throughout all the towns of modern Palestine, there were found professional story-tellers who, whenever men were gathered together for recreation, recited with gesture and action their bundle of tales. The stories appealed strongly to the imagination of the people, for they told of courtship, of marriage, of intrigue, and of the achievements of their ancestors, or else answered the questions which were uppermost in their minds. Other traditions, embodying the experiences of the tribe, were transmitted as sacred possessions from father to son. An- other large group was treasured at the many local sanctuaries scattered throughout the land. Each time that the worshippers made a pil- grimage to the shrine, its especial cycle of traditions relating to its history and ceremonies would be recounted or recalled and thus kept fresh in the popular memory. Later survivals of this ancient custom are recorded. Thus in Exodus 12 26, 27 Moses is represented as in- structing the people, “when their children say to them, ‘What do you mean by this ceremony?’ ” to tell them the story of how their ancestors were delivered from the bondage of Egypt. The same command is repeated in IS 14, 15 . In Joshua 4 6, 7 the Israelites are likewise told to recount, when their children in later generations inquire the meaning of the heap of twelve memorial stones beside the Jordan,, the story of the miraculous crossing of the river. It requires little imagination to con- ceive how similar traditions were perpetuated among a people who de- pended upon the memory rather than upon literary writings. In the process of transmission these stories were constantly being recast and supplemented, for they were being told in an age and by a race, which, true to its oriental instincts, possessed a fertile imagination, but was not regardful of exact details. The essential and dra- matic elements, impressing themselves upon the memory, were retained. Technical details and all that was unnecessary were soon forgotten. This fact largely explains their picturesqueness and striking literary form. They each tell their tale clearly and dramatically, but usually in the fewest possible words. The brevity of many of them is a 13 Method of trans- mission Effects of trans- mission upon the literary form : absence of tech- nical details Few charac- ters Only a few striking charac- teristics pre- sented Charac- ters treated as types HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS marked characteristic. Some of them are condensed into five or six verses, where a modern historian, or even a later Hebrew writer, would have required almost as many chapters (cf., e. g., the account of Ab- salom’s rebellion). In the account of the tower of Babel we ask in vain a score of questions which are left unanswered. The same is true of the majority of the traditions in the first eight books of the Old Testament, and yet from the point of view of a popular story no essen- tial is omitted. Because of the absence of cumbersome details, all attention is focused on the main themes. Where, as in the suit for Rebekah, § 24, or in some of the Joseph stories, discursiveness takes the place of brevity, it is evident that a later tendency to expand and embellish has been at work. The same effective economy and simplicity are usually observed in the introduction of characters. The actors are always few. For ex- ample, in the drama enacted in the garden of Eden there are but four: Jehovah, the man, the woman, and the serpent; in the oldest stories of the Egyptian plagues two, Moses and Pharaoh. Attention is also con- stantly fixed upon the chief characters. Subordinate personages are introduced only when required to bring out the action, and then they are often dismissed without further notice. Little attempt is made to characterize them. Even in the case of the chief personages only the most striking characteristics are portrayed. This is done not abstractly, but, as in actual experience, by means of scenes in which the actors reveal their personality by their deeds or words. Their one or two dominant traits are thus vividly set forth. If the hero be prominent, his various quali- ties are brought out in different stories. Thus the tradition of Abra- ham’s separation from Lot, § 15, simply illustrates the patriarch’s generosity, and that of the sacrifice of Isaac, § 23, his absolute devo- tion to Jehovah. The different personages also figure as the superlative embodiments of their chief characteristic. Cain is the defiant murderer; Noah and Abraham are the Hebrew models of piety and obedience; Jacob is the worthy ancestor of a race, which combined in a most aston- ishing manner energy and shrewdness in attaining material pos- sessions with exalted religious aspirations; Joseph is the upright, successful man of affairs, and Pharaoh the typical oriental despot. Minor characters, like Rachel, the favorite, and Leah, the despised wife, are the representatives of the less prominent members of that ancient society. Practically every type of individual and every phase of human character known to the early Hebrew world are represented in the Old Testament traditions. It is evident that they sprang from the soil of common experience and that their roots are embedded in reality. The fact that many of the actors who figure in the earlier stories, like the man and the woman in the third chapter of Genesis, must be re- garded as types rather than as ordinary human beings, simply gives them a universal interest. Even though the hero be an historical charac- 14 THEIR CRYSTALLIZATION INTO LITERATURE ter, the tendency to magnify his more prominent characteristics and ignore all others is irresistible. The result was a great gain rather than a loss. It was because they segregated, magnified, and presented in concrete form certain universal human traits, that these ancient tradi- tions lent themselves so readily to the purposes of Israel’s later teachers. The Old Testament writers always appreciated the value of contrast. This element is especially prominent in these traditions. Jehovah’s unstinted provision for the man and woman in the garden is the back- ground of their disobedience and condemnation to toil and pain. The command to slay Isaac has for its preface the glorious promises assured to Abraham through his descendants. Joseph, the slave in prison, sold by his kinsmen, is the antithesis of the man raised to a position second only to Pharaoh himself. Moses, the outlaw leader of a disorganized body of serfs, stands opposed to the despotic king of Egypt. The chief charm of these stories for their ancient, as well as their modern hearers, lies in the fact that they are full of dramatic action. As has already been noted, the traits and feelings of the different heroes are usually indicated by their acts or conversations. The story- teller does not need to describe Abraham as a pious man ; the patriarch’s acts and the words of Jehovah himself establish the fact. Joseph’s meeting with his brothers is full of genuine pathos, but the feeling of those present is simply suggested by the action. Even such a sub- jective experience as temptation is represented by a dialogue between the woman and the serpent. Thus, the attention of the hearer is always fixed on some objective action, to which all else is subordi nated; just enough is suggested to keep the imagination alert; there are few asides; everything moves on rapidly toward the culmination on which all interest is centred. If a modern analogy were to be sought, it would be found in the historical novel. Each complete tradition is in itself a miniature drama in which dif- ferent scenes succeed each other in rapid succession and in close logical sequence, making the literary analysis exceedingly clear and simple. Thus the drama of creation contains seven scenes, representing the work of each of the six days with the impressive pause on the seventh. The account of securing a wife for Isaac, § 24, also includes seven dis- tinct scenes, which present in logical succession : ( 1 ) Abraham receiving news regarding the family of his brother Nahor, the Aramean; (2) his solemn instructions to his trusty servant; (3) the servant’s journey and arrival at a well in Aram-Naharaim ; (4) his meeting and conversation with Rebekah; (5) his reception at her home; (6) his return with Rebekah; (7) their meeting with Isaac. That this dramatic method of telling a story is very old, is shown by the fact that the ancient song of Deborah likewise consists of a succession of scenes or pictures, which vividly present the essential elements of the narrative. The same liter- ary structure is also discernible in the oldest Babylonian epics (Ap- pendices IV.-V.). This common characteristic is but one of the many indications that 15 Abound- ing in striking con- trasts Full of dramat- ic action and dia- logue Close unity of the parts HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Origi- nally current in poet- ical form Israel’s early poetical litera- ture the oldest traditions were probably once current in poetical form. This was to be anticipated on a priori grounds, for poetry is universally the earliest form of literary expression. To this rule the Hebrews were no exception, as is attested by the so-called “Blessing of Jacob” in Genesis 49, and the “Song of Deborah” in Judges 5, and by a number of ancient poems scattered through the first seven books of the Old Testament. The manner in which these are introduced into the prose narratives indicates that they usually represent the older originals from which the later story-tellers and historians drew much, and in some cases all, of their data. Thus in the story of Lamech, § 4, the detailed facts presented in verse 19 are all found in the poetical fragment quoted in 23, 24 . Similarly, the little that is known regarding the Israelitish victories over Sihon, king of the Amorites, is apparently derived from the ancient poem, fragments of which are preserved in Numbers 21. In connection witli one of these quotations (vs. 14 ) the name of the source from which it is taken is given, “The Book of the Wars of Jeho- vah.” The title suggests the contents of this primitive collection of na- tional songs, recounting Israel’s victories in the name of Jehovah. Else- where references with quotations are found (Josh. 10 12 ' 14 , II Sam. I 17 ' 27 ) to a similar poetic collection called “The Book of the Righteous One” ( i . e., Israel). The fragments, which are quoted, incidentally reveal the variety and extent of Israel’s early heritage of song and ballad, which lies back of the prose traditions. It is also significant that usually in the oldest traditions, when the chief characters speak, their words are in poetry. Thus in the story of the garden of Eden, § 2, the man’s address to his wife and Jehovah’s words of condemnation have the balanced parallelism and similarly recurring accents, which characterize all other Semitic, as well as Hebrew, poetry (cf. Introd. vol. V.). The same phenomenon repeats itself frequently throughout Genesis, and is indicated typographically in the translation. Many of these poetic passages, like 4 6, 7 , 9 25 " 27 , 25 23 , 27 27 ‘ 29, 34 ' 40 , 49 2 ' 27 , are ancient oracles, pre- cursors of the apocalyptic vision of later times (cf. Introd., vol. III.). Conclusive evidence that at least certain of Israel’s traditions were orig- inally in epic form is furnished by the older Babylonian versions of the creation and flood stories which are characterized by a highly developed poetical structure (Appendices III. -IV.). The fourth and fifth chap- ters of Judges, which contain two complete, parallel accounts of the great victory of the Hebrews over the Canaanites of central Palestine, ofl’er a good illustration of the history of many Israelitish traditions: the poetical version in the fifth chapter is readily recognized as the older, while the fourth chapter embodies the later prose parallel, § 139- The recognition that the literary form of many of the Old Testament traditions was originally poetical is important for their intelligent in- terpretation and appreciation. Although their final garb is plain prose, they have retained much of their original elegiac and epic beauty. Like all true poetry, they aim not only to reflect facts, but also to entertain, to instruct, and to inspire noble thoughts and acts. 16 THEIR CRYSTALLIZATION INTO LITERATURE Contrary to the position sometimes maintained, it seems probable Early f that most of the stories found in the first eight books of the Old Testa- thftra- ment originated before or during the age of song and story (c. 1250- ° * 1050 b.c.). While in the plastic oral stage they also appear to have assumed their present outlines. This conclusion is not only supported by analogies, but also by the character of the traditions themselves. Like watermarks, they contain within themselves the history of their origin. Many of the striking variations between the different versions of the same tradition could only have arisen while they were in the oral stage. To the same period probably belongs the association together of Growth certain originally independent traditions. Many of the individual sto- oftracu- ries themselves deal with several distinct themes and contain diverse elements. Perhaps the best illustration of this is the story of the tower of Babel. It is concerned with answering the three very different questions, “Why are there various languages and races?’’ and “What was the origin of the huge, seemingly incomplete mound which in or near Babylon rose abruptly from the level plain?” and, finally, “What is the derivation of the name Babylon?” Into the story two originally distinct traditions seem to have been woven: one which told of the building of a city (Babylon) with the aim of gaining renown thereby, and another which described the rearing of a huge tower with its top in the sky. From Hebrew and other primitive literatures might be cited many examples of the natural tendency to combine distinct stories, because they have certain points in common. Thus naturally arose the earliest cycles of tradition found in the Old Testament. The uniting bond at first may have been that they were associated witli the same sanctuary. Thus, for example, the Abraham and Lot stories centre about Hebron, where they were originally treasured; or oftener they are joined together because they relate to the same leading character or characters. In this way apparently arose the original groups of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson stories. It is probable, also, that in the age of song and story the more impor- Union tant cycles of patriarchal stories were brought into conjunction with patri- each other and the relationships between Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, stones and Joseph traced. When the different Hebrew tribes began to recog- nize the common bond of blood and religion and to unite — a process which was not complete until the days of David — the amalgamation of their various traditions doubtless proceeded rapidly. The most important work of the succeeding period, which may be Literary designated as the creative age of prophetic narration (cf. Chart, during 7 frontispiece), beginning with the establishment of the Hebrew king- of pro- 6 dom, about 1050, and continuing until about 750 b.c., when Amos and Karra 6 Hosea, by their preaching, inaugurated a new epoch in the literary and tlon religious life of the Hebrews, was to collect and put into permanent written form the great body of narratives which recorded the past ex- periences and thought of the race. The age was also filled with stirring 17 Influ- ences which led to the crys- talliza- tion of tradi- tion into lit- erature Intro- duction of writ- ing Favor- able po- litical condi- tions Recogni- tion of the need of his- torical records HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS deeds which commanded the attention of these writers, so that their first task was to record the events which stood nearest to them in point of time. The conditions and influences which led certain Israelitish writers to transcribe the popular traditions of their race can be traced in the light of history and the testimony of the traditions themselves. As long as the different tribes lived their life apart, as they did until the end of the so-called period of the Judges, they were each able to remember their own traditions ; but when they were all united under David the common inheritance of ancient lore became too great for the mind of man to retain. At the same time the Hebrew system of writing, which seems itself to have been an inheritance through the highly civilized Canaanites and Phoenicians, appears for the first time to have come into use. Pioneers struggling for homes have little need or time for literary pur- suits. A stable government, certain progress in the arts of civilization, and national experiences, which are worthy of recording, are the neces- sary precursors of literature. These conditions were first developed among the Hebrews after the establishment of the monarchy. The days of Saul and David were filled with protracted wars which engrossed the attention of the people. History was still in the making. The peaceful reign of Solomon, when king and people turned to build- ing and development of the arts therefore, furnishes the earliest back- ground for the beginnings of a native Hebrew literature. The recorder became an important official in the court, which suggests that state annals, probably containing brief memoranda of the more important events in the reign, began to be kept. These were in all probability the basis of the later “Acts of Solomon” and “The Chronicles (lit. Book of Days ) of the Kings of Israel and Judah,” to which frequent reference is made in Samuel-Kings. In antiquity the events of one period are usually first recorded by the historian of the next. While eye-witnesses survive, who can bear per- sonal testimony to the facts, little need is felt for a written history. In the days after the division of the Hebrew empire (about 930 b.c.), when its glories were only memories of the past, the incentives were strong to preserve the traditions which had already sprung up concerning them. The products of this activity are the narratives of the wars and family history of Israel’s first three kings, in the book of Samuel-Kings. Kindred interests and impulses in turn led the same or later writers to collect in succession the traditions regarding the immediately preceding periods. The final limit was the creation of the universe and man, for, regarding this far-distant event, primitive tradition spoke with assur- ance. Thus all the indications contained in Israel’s history point to the century or two beginning with about 950 b.c. as the era when the oral traditions of an earlier age were collected and woven into connected groups of narratives. Although their individual names will never be known, the character- 18 THEIR CRYSTALLIZATION INTO LITERATURE istics and aims of the writers who gatlxered the earliest groups of the traditions can be definitely determined. They were patriots interested in the past experiences of their race; but they were more than his- torians, they were prophets who looked backward, that they might find there truths and illustrations which would be helpful in moulding the life and thoughts of the present and future. This is shown by the fact that from an historical point of view their narratives are not propor- tionate. Political events of far-reaching national importance are ig- nored or passed over with only a brief notice, while, for example, the account of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac or David’s private sins and their consequences, are treated with great detail. Incidentally, these early prophetic writers have given us a vast amount of historical data, and for that reason they are sometimes called historians, but the title represents only a secondary element in their work. To them the past history and floating traditions of their race were simply a valuable col- lection of familiar, effective illustrations with which to enforce upon the minds of their contemporaries the significant religious truths which it was their mission to impart. Whether or not the primitive traditions were in every detail historical was of no concern to them. In common with their uncritical contemporaries they doubtless considered them to be authentic; and yet the freedom with which they modified and adapted them to their purpose shows how little they regarded the ques- tion of exact historicity. They used them very much as the Great Teacher employed parables, and for the same reasons, namely, because they were simple and therefore intelligible to the most obtuse, familiar and therefore sure to kindle interest, and, above all, marvellously fitted to be a medium for imparting religious truths. Many popular traditions they undoubtedly rejected as unsuited to their uses. Out of the vast storehouse of the popular memory they selected those which were worthy of perpetuation. As the stories come from their hands, each illustrates its own individual teaching. Some, like the narrative of the garden of Eden, present in most concise form the main essentials of the prophetic doctrine. The ethical and religious value of others, as, for example, certain of the Joseph stories, is found in the fact that they are constituent elements in a greater narration. Since Israel’s history, as a whole, was a supreme illustration of Jehovah’s attitude toward the race and of man’s duty to God, the vari- ous traditions were also in time woven together into continuous narra- tives. In general, it is noticeable that in the oldest sections of Joshua and Judges, which were probably the first to be crystallized into literature, the historical purpose is very prominent, and the religious far less sig- nificant. On the other hand, the traditions in the preceding books, which deal with earlier periods, but which were later committed to writing, reveal at every point the prophetic aim and teaching, while they furnish comparatively little historical data concerning the themes which they treat. The first explanation, of course, is that oral tradi- 19 Aims of the men who com- mitted Israel’s tradi- tions to writing Princi- ple of s» lection Relative amount of his- torical data The real value of Old Tes- tament tradi- tions Conclu- sion HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS tion is not skilled in retaining details, but is interested in types. Hence the longer the period of transmission, the less the amount of exact data and the more striking the typical elements. But the prophets were able also more perfectly to adapt to their purpose the plastic material of primitive tradition. Moreover, the polytheistic and im- moral elements in those ancient stories often made a fundamental re- vision and purification absolutely necessary. It is obvious, therefore, that in interpreting and estimating the value of an Old Testament tradition two distinct questions must be consid- ered: (1) “What was its original form and significance?” and (2) “What were the teachings which the prophetic or priestly writer, who adapted it to his ends, was seeking thereby to enforce?” The first is primarily of interest to the historian, the archaeologist and the student of comparative religion, and by them it must be answered; the second vitally concerns all who find in the Bible a message from God through man to man. It is also clear that the answer to the second is little affected by the replies which may be given to the first. A modern preacher’s hearers do not stop to inquire what was the genesis of the stories which he uses in illustrating his sermon or whether or not they are strictly scientific or historical. If they aid in making clear his message it suffices. The permanent religious value of the majority of the Old Testament traditions is likewise entirely independent of their origin or their scientific and historical accuracy. It depends upon the use made of it by the inspired teacher who appropriated it, and, there- fore, ultimately upon the nature of the God-given message he had to convey. In order to study the Old Testament traditions intelligently and profitably, it is therefore important to remember that they represent the work not of one writer but of scores. Transmitted through the medium of many different minds, they gradually assumed their present unique form. The generations, which in transmitting have trans- formed them, have contributed fully as much as the age which produced them. Finally, to Israel’s inspired teachers who committed them to writing, adapting them to their noble purpose, they owe their perma- nent religious value and authority. Their present literary form sug- gests their later history. Guided by these indications, one of the first aims of modern biblical scholarship is to recover as far as possible the different groups of narratives, as they came from the pens of th# prophets and priests who first wrote them down. 20 THE PRESENT LITERARY FORM AND CONTENTS OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS The majority of Israel’s early traditions are recorded in the first eight books of the Old Testament. Of these eight, all of Leviticus, most of Deuteronomy, and nearly half of Exodus and Numbers consist of laws or else of traditional precedents, intended to illustrate the origin or to establish the authority of certain institutions. Their theme and purpose are so different from those of the popular narratives that they constitute a distinct group by themselves (cf. vol. IV.). With the exception of certain national songs, like Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 32 and 33, practically all the rest of the material found in Genesis to Ruth inclusive, consists of stories, most of which were probably once current as oral traditions. These have been grouped in the Old Testament according to subject- matter. The order in general is that of the events treated. Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Ruth stand by themselves ; but the remaining books, Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, and Judges, each represent dis- tinct stages in the evolution of the Israelitish race and together form a reasonably complete and continuous record. The book of Genesis constitutes a most fitting introduction to the Old Testament. It has been appropriately called the “Book of Origins.” The traditional origin of the universe, of man, of sin, of murder, of civilization, of the different nations and languages, of the Hebrews, of their neighbors in southwestern Asia, and of the primitive institutions and sanctuaries of Canaan are its chief themes. The book contains four distinct groups of narratives : ( 1 ) traditions regarding the beginnings of human history, D-ll 9 ; (2) the Abraham stories, ll 10 -25 20 ; (3) the Jacob stories, 25 21 -36, 38; (4) the Joseph stories, 37, 39-50. The first, F-ll 9 , includes certain universal traditions which serve as an introduction to the subsequent narratives. With the possible excep- tion of the story of Cain and Abel, the elements which enter into them appear to have been originally derived from the cycle of primitive tra- ditions inherited by the Israelites from their older Semitic ancestors. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is no close unity between the individual stories within this group. It is rather a bundle of traditions. Chapters 1 and 2 contain two variant accounts of the creation, 4 and 5 two distinct lists of the antediluvians, and 6-9 two versions of the flood- story (cf. § 8). While a few assume the facts presented in others, as a rule, each individual narrative is complete in itself, and often con- 21 Position of the tradi- tions in the Old Testa- ment Present princi- ple of ar- range- ment . Literary- analysis of Gene- sis Intro- duction, tradi- tions re- garding the be- ginnings of hu- man his- tory HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Struct- ure of the Abra- ham stories Their origin The Isaac stories Struct- ure of the Jacob stories Early cycles tains statements which reveal a lack of acquaintance with the contents of those which precede and follow it in the present context. The second group, ll 10 -25 20 , includes the various stories in which Abraham (Abram) figures as the chief character. Here attention for the first time begins to be focused on themes primarily of interest to the Hebrews. Again, the unity is the result of arrangement rather than of any innate relationship between the different narratives. Many in- consistencies, due to the distinct points of view reflected in the indi- vidual stories, are also discernible. Thus, for example in 20, Sarah is represented as a young and attractive woman, but in 1 8 11 it has already been stated that she was “old and advanced in years.” A close ex- amination discloses at least nine examples of duplicate versions. Thus, for example, chapter 17 contains a variant account of the divine promise and covenant with Abraham, which is already recorded in 15. Chapters 16 and 21 each have their own account of the departure of Hagar. While each of the traditions was probably once current in independ- ent form, there are indications that they were grouped together in cycles before they were committed to writing. In one of these cycles Abraham and Lot figure, and the geographical background is south- eastern Canaan ; in another Abram and Ishmael or Abraham and Abimelech, and the background is the territory to the south of Pales- tine; and in still another Abraham and Isaac. Hebron appears to have been the common sanctuary to which Moabites, Ammonites, Ishmael- ites, Hagarites, as well as Canaanites, resorted, bringing their tribal traditions, which became in time the property of the ancient shrine. Later, together with the soil and institutions of Canaan, they passed into the possession of the Hebrews, in whose keeping they remained until they were utilized by the prophetic and priestly historians. The third group, 25 21 -36 43 , 38, contains the stories which centre about Jacob-Israel. The traditions regarding Isaac are few in num- ber; the two important ones are but variants of those associated with Abraham, §§ 13, 14, and the others are closely attached as mere episodes in the Abraham and Jacob narratives. The character of Isaac is dimly sketched. The stories concerning him are localized at Beer- sheba, indicating that he was probably the local hero or deity of the nomadic tribes which frequented this southern shrine. In the few traditions which survive, Isaac is simply a connecting link between the Abraham and Jacob stories. The latter have been very closely welded together. Ten or more duplicates have been discovered, but they are amalgamated so perfectly that the analysis is often difficult and the results unsatisfactory. Certain lines of cleavage suggest the older cycles of tradition which were thus united. Four may be distinguished. The largest collection includes the Jacob-Esau stories. Into the middle of these has been introduced the Jacob-Laban cycle. Both are enriched by a collection of traditions, originally treasured at the sanctuaries which, like Bethel, 22 THEIR PRESENT LITERARY FORM AND CONTENTS Penuel, and Mahanaim, claimed Jacob as their hero. The fourth cycle includes the local traditions of certain tribes which traced their descent from Jaeob-Israel. Their connection with the other stories is very loose. In the tradition of Judah and Tamar in 38, for example, there is no reference to Jacob, and, as far as its contents and connec- tion with the context is concerned, it might be transferred to the book of Judges and joined to the primitive tribal records found in the first chapter. The character and contents of these early cycles indicate that the Jacob traditions were originally drawn from a great variety of sources, most of which were very ancient. Although adapted by the Hebrews so as to reflect their own relations with the Edomites, the Jacob-Esau stories in their original outlines appear to be pre-Israelitish. The same is probably true of the nucleus of the Jacob-Laban collection, although their form was modified in the light of the later relations be- tween the Hebrews and the Arameans.' In common with most of the shrine-stories, the third cycle may be assigned to a very early period. The fourth collection, which is concerned with the relations between the Hebrew tribes and their Canaanite neighbors, may well have originated among the Israelites themselves. In the fourth and last group of stories in Genesis, 37, 39-50, Joseph is the chief figure. As a whole, they are far more closely knit together than those in the other divisions of the book. Interest is constantly concentrated upon the varied fortunes of one individual. Succeeding narratives assume the facts presented in the preceding. Few of the stories are entirely complete in themselves. Variant versions of the same traditions are not prominently in evidence; but on closer examina- tion at least nine distinct duplicates appear and traces of others are discernible. The atmosphere and setting are Egyptian. The story of Joseph’s temptation embodies elements found in the old Egyptian tale of the “Two Brothers” (cf. Appendix VIII.). Other individual stories may have been suggested by Egyptian and earlier Semitic models, but the point of view throughout and the character of Joseph himself are dis- tinctly Hebrew. The book of Exodus introduces a new type of narrative. Instead of tribal traditions in the form of personal biographies and family chroni- cles, it records the experiences of an incipient nation. Interest still centres about an individual (Moses), who stands as the representative of the period; but henceforth it is the unfolding life of the Hebrew people which gives unity to the different stories. As a result, the nar- rative becomes more connected and the traditions more homogeneous. They are also, for the most part, of native rather than of foreign origin. Duplicate versions of the same incidents are common. Of the more important events there are usually three distinct accounts, which agree in general, but differ decidedly in details and point of view. Exodus consists of eight groups of narratives, which relate to: (1) 23 Origin The Joseph stories Origin Genera] charac- teristics of Ex- odus HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Literary analysis Nature of the contents Relation of Num- bers to the rest of the Penta- teuch Literary analysis Charac- ter of the con- tents the bondage of the Hebrews in Egypt and the rise of the deliverer Moses, l 1 -? 7 ; (2) the plagues and wonders, 7 8 -12 36 ; (3) the exodus, 12 37 -15 21 ; (4) the journey from the Red Sea to Sinai, 1 5 22 -l 8 ; (5) the covenant and giving of the law at Sinai, 19-24; (6) directions regarding the construction of the tabernacle and the consecration of priests, 25-31 ; (7) the apostasy of the people and renewal of the broken tables of the law, 32-34; (8) the making of the tabernacle and the visible en- trance of Jehovah’s glory, 35-40. In the first half of the book the interest is in the history of the Israel- ites, but in the second half it is fixed upon their laws and institutions, and the historical narratives are introduced simply to furnish a setting for the legal material. Transitions are often abrupt, and there is very little connection between the different groups of traditions, especially in the second part of the book. Some reflect the point of view and aims of the patriotic prophet; while others reveal the very different interests of the priest and the legalist. In connection with the divine revelation at Sinai, recorded in Ex. 19, 20, are placed the great body of Israel’s laws, found in Exodus, Leviti- cus, and Numbers. Leviticus contains no narrative material; but Num- bers, like Exodus, consists of mingled laws and traditions. The laws and precedents in Numbers L-IO 10 are the natural continuation of the legal material in Exodus 35-40 and Leviticus; while the rest of the book is the immediate sequel to Jehovah’s promise to lead his people, recorded in Exodus 33. In its present arrangement the book of Numbers falls into four divisions: (l) L-IO 10 , the census, arrangement of the camp, and certain laws and regulations given at Sinai; (2) 10 u -20 13 , events and laws associated with Kadesh, and the adjacent wilderness; (3) 20 14 -27 22 , events, connected with the march from Kadesh and the conquest of the east- Jordan territory, and the appointment of Joshua as Moses’s suc- cessor; (4) 28-36, laws and regulations promulgated on the plains of Moab. The plan of arrangement is therefore primarily geographical — incidents and institutions associated by tradition with the same locality being loosely joined together. The groups of laws in Numbers stand by themselves. The individual traditions reflect different purposes and points of view. Three accounts of the more important events, like the sending out of the spies, or the smiting of the rock at Meribali, can readily be distinguished. The book represents a period of approximately forty years (cf. I 1 , 10 11 , 33 3S ). The events centre about Sinai, the arrival at Kadesh, and the journey to the east- Jordan. There is little concerning the traditional forty years of wandering. The connection between the different nar- ratives is not close. The book contains rather a collection of individual scenes in the life of the Hebrew people, selected to conserve either a religious or a legal purpose. The immediate sequel to the announcement of Moses’s death and the appointment of Joshua as his successor in Numbers 27 12 ' 23 is the account 24 THEIR PRESENT LITERARY FORM AND CONTENTS of the death of the great leader in Deuteronomy 34. The closing scene of Moses’s life furnishes the setting of a large body of laws (Num. 28-36 and Dt. 5-26, 28). The legal code of Deuteronomy is prefaced by two condensed retrospects, placed in the mouth of Moses: the one, l 6 - 3 29 , covering the period from the departure of the Hebrews from Horeb to their arrival in Moab, and the other, 9 8 -10 n , the apostasy at Sinai and the incidents immediately following (Ex. 32-31). These simply reproduce the facts already presented in the prophetic narra- tives of Exodus and Numbers. Sometimes entire verses are transcribed word for word. While the resumes of the wilderness history add prac- tically no new data, they are exceedingly valuable in determining the original order of the events. Although the book of Joshua is placed in the Jewish canon, not under The Law, but at the beginning of the second collection, The Prophets, it is not an appendix, but rather the sequel, to the books which precede. The different threads of narrative, which run through them, all re- appear. Originally it constituted one of the sections of that extended history, which began with the creation and ended with the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Gen. — II. Kgs.). It was probably classified under The Prophets because, with a few exceptions (e. g., 20 3 ' 6 ), it contains no laws, and, above all, because, unlike the first five books, it was not associated by the later Jews, who made the different collections, with the authoritative name of Moses. Its classification under The Prophets is in general felicitous, for, although it contains no oral prophecies except the addresses in the mouth of Joshua, it consists for the most part of stories, drawn from Israel’s traditions to illustrate and enforce vital prophetic teachings. Its theme is the conquest and establishment of the Hebrews in Canaan, and its title, like that of many of the historical books,, is the name of the chief figure and representative of the epoch and movement which it records. Its plan of arrangement is partially chronological and partially ac- cording to theme. It includes: (1) traditions regarding the conquest, 1-12; (2) accounts of the distribution of the land of Canaan, 13-22; (3) Joshua’s farewell addresses, 23, 24. It shows at every point the marks of careful editorship. It opens with a general introduction (chap. 1), and contains several editorial summaries (e. g., 12). The first group of traditions, 1-12, traces the fortunes of the Israel- ites from the time they left the east- Jordan until they were masters of Canaan. Minor inconsistencies and differences in literary style point to earlier duplicate versions of the same incidents ; but the history, as a whole, moves on logically without serious breaks, each succeeding narra- tive leading up to the others, until all of Israel’s foes are vanquished. In conclusion, there is a long detailed list of the kings conquered, each entered in successive lines with the total at the bottom, as in an account book, 12 (cf. § 1 1 6, note). The statements which figure so prominently 25 Narra- tive por- tions of Deuter- onomy Place of Joshua in the Bible Why classi- fied as pro- phetic Theme Literary analysis Joshua 1-12 HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Joshua 13-22 Joshua 23, 24 General charac- teristics of Judges Literary analysis Judges l»-3 6 in Judges 1, that most of the cities of Canaan remained in the possession of the Canaanites, find no place in this carefully harmonized division of the book. The second group describes the territory assigned and occupied by the different tribes. Certain passages (e. g., 13 1 ' 13 ) contain statements that not all the land of Canaan was conquered ; but the rest assume that the only problem remaining was its equable division. Duplicate and variant accounts of the assignment of territory are also found. Chap- ters 23 and 24 contain two very different versions of Joshua’s farewell address, the one hortatory, the other an exalted and instructive review of the past experiences of the nation. Their relationship to the sim- ilar addresses, attributed to Moses in Deuteronomy, and to the sermons of an Amos or Jeremiah is very close. The opening words of Judges, Now it came to pass after the death of Joshua, were probably intended by the one who wrote them to convey the impression that the book was the sequel to Joshua; but its contents demonstrate that many of the incidents which it records were contem- porary. In the first chapter, for example, is found a brief primitive account of the invasion of Canaan by the different tribes. Several verses are identical with the corresponding accounts of the conquest in Joshua (ef., e. g., Judg. l 20b ' 10b ' 15 and Josh. 15 14 ' 19 ; Judg. I 21 and Josh- 15 63 ). The rest of the book is devoted to a description of the victories by which the individual tribes gained and maintained their local su- premacy. Parallel accounts of the same events are often found. While the different stories are loosely fitted into a chronological frame- work, it becomes evident on examination that they are neither continuous nor closely connected. They rather contain flash-light pictures of the more important actors and events in that stirring period when the Hebrews were not only securing homes in Canaan, but also gaining valuable experiences which were absolutely necessary before they could crystallize into a nation. Later generations styled the popular leaders judges (cf. § 135), and consequently the period and book are called that of the Judges. The period of conquest and settlement is a more exact title. The epoch corresponded in many ways to the colonial period in American history. The book of Judges consists of three unequal groups of narratives: (l) a brief account of the conquests and location of the different tribes, l 1 -2 5 ; (2) stories regarding the Hebrew deliverers and the gradual establishment and consolidation of the tribes, 2 6 -l6 31 ; (3) an appendix, containing the account of the migration of the Danites and establish- ment of their sanctuary, and the crime of the Gibeathites and its pun- ishment, 17-21. The book at once suggests careful and repeated edit- ing. In a sense, it is complete and stands apart by itself. Instead of merely continuing the narratives of Joshua and the Penta- teuch, l x -2 5 presents a summary of the events following the crossing of the Jordan until the tribes had gained a foothold in the territory which each later possessed. This is followed in 2 6 -3 6 by a detailed introduc- 26 THEIR PRESENT LITERARY FORM AND CONTENTS tion to the second group of stories which constitutes the real book of Judges, 3 7 -l6 31 . In 2 11 ' 19 are formulated the lessons which the editor, who combined the stories, drew from them. They are that, when the Israelites were unfaithful to Jehovah and worshipped other gods, he punished them at the hands of their heathen neighbors ; but, when his people repented, he raised champions who delivered them. Each narrative is fitted into a setting which embodies this religious philosophy of history, even though the contents of the primitive stories do not always confirm this theory. To this same framework also belong the statements regarding the duration of the rule of each judge or deliverer. It is assumed that they ruled over all Israel and that their reigns were in succession, although the original stories make it perfectly clear that the judges were local deliverers, often contemporaneous with each other, and that the extent of their territory was very different from that of the kings of a later day. The stories in the appendix, 17-21, are very loosely joined to the rest of the book and, like l x -2 5 , do not appear to have been an original part of it. Furthermore, they differ from those which precede in that their interest is in religious and ethical institutions rather than in political events. It is not difficult to infer from their character and contents what was the origin of the stories in Judges. They were at first the possessions of the different clans or tribes, which figure in them, and they kept alive the memory of the deeds of the tribal champions. Different tradi- tions were doubtless cherished at different centres. Eliud was the local hero of Gilgal. Deborah and Barak apparently belonged to the tribe of Issachar (cf. note § 139); Gideon and Abimelech to Ophrah and Shechem; Jephthah to Mizpah in Gilead. The character of the Sam- son stories proclaims that they were the possession of the common peo- ple, especially of southwestern Canaan. The union of all the tribes gave a universal value to these pojmlar records of an almost pre-historic age. Later editors, who employed them with a view to influencing the national conscience, naturally read back into this early period the ideas and institutions of their day, but they carefully preserved the integrity of the original narratives as they found them. The result is that the book of Judges is a bundle of tribal traditions, some of them antedat- ing the birth of the Hebrew kingdom and presenting marvellously realistic portraits of the nation in the making. Ruth is one of the few books in the Old Testament which constitutes a single, literary unit. Its contents, as well as its position in the Greek Old Testament, strongly suggest that it was once a part of the appen- dix to the book of Judges, 17-21, for, like the stories found there, it is concerned not with political but with religious and social themes. Whether this be true or not (cf. § 134), it seems exceedingly proba- ble that Judges 17-21 and Ruth are from a little cycle of stories origi- nally treasured at Bethlehem of Judah. It is significant that each is .27 The didactic teaching of the book The ap- pendix, 17-21 Ulti- mate origin of the tra- ditions in Judges Book of Ruth Origin Evi- dence of compila- tion Indica- tions which led to the dis- covery of the original groups of narra- tives The work of discov- ery HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS intimately associated with that important southern town. In Judges 17 it is repeatedly stated that the young Levite, who became the priest of Micah the Ephraimite and later presided at the sanctuary of Dan, was from Bethlehem of Judah. The victim of the lust of the Gibeathites in Judges 19 was from the same place, and the opening scene in the trag- edy is located there. It is also distinctly stated that the husband and mother-in-law of Ruth were from Bethlehem of Judah (l 1, 2 ), and most of the story finds its setting in this famous little town. It is fortunate, therefore, that the Latin and English translators followed the Greek in placing it immediately after Judges. This general survey has incidentally revealed a few of the many and complex data which must be considered in formulating a working hypothesis regarding the history and present relations of the different narratives found in the Old Testament. The evidence is convincing that the first seven books, like most of those found in the Bible and the writings which come to us from the Orient, are the result of compila- tion — that is, their different parts have been derived from older sources, oral and written, and combined in the order in which they now appear. The presence of scores of duplicate versions of the same story, some of which agree almost verbatim, while others differ radically in language, style, general representation and point of view, confirms the testimony of the history that not one but several distinct writers or groups of writers first put these variant versions of the oral traditions into liter- ary form. Furthermore, when they are carefully examined, certain stories are found to share in common the same linguistic, stylistic, sociological, and theological characteristics. Together they constitute a connected, consistent narrative, which, as a whole, is parallel to and yet radically distinct from certain other continuous narratives, which consist likewise of groups of homogeneous stories. As is well known, the first fact to attract the attention of careful biblical scholars was that, in certain sections, God (Elohim ) was always used as the designation of the Deity, while in others only Jehovah (Yahmeh ). Further examination demonstrated that the narratives thus related consistently employed similar synonyms, such as Jacob, Horeb, and Midianite, while another group of stories used others, such as Israel, Sinai, and Ishmaelite. In addition to words, a long list of idioms and stylistic peculiarities was discovered to be characteristic of each of the different groups. These literary watermarks were in time found to be but the surface indications of more fundamental points of likeness and difference, involving method of representation, conceptions of the Deity, and didactic purpose. For at least four centuries the scholars of Christendom have devoted much of their attention to collecting and interpreting the extensive and complex data. Many different hypotheses have been propounded to explain the facts and have in turn been modified in the light of addi- tional evidence. Gradually the general conclusions, which are now almost universally held by critical students in all Christian lands, have 28 THEIR PRESENT LITERARY FORM AND CONTENTS been formulated. The list of those who have made important contribu- tions to the final results is now exceedingly long. The conclusions are not those of an individual, nor of a school, nor even of one generation of scholars. They are based not on theories, nor on the often fanciful traditions of Jewish rabbis or early church fathers, but on the solid basis of the facts presented by the Old Testa- ment books themselves. They are in turn substantiated by the inde- pendent testimony of history and comparative literature. It is safe, therefore, to regard them as no longer on trial or under suspicion, but rather as the foundations — as sure as enlightened human insight and scientific method can discover — upon which Old Testament interpreta- tion and doctrine are in the future to rest. The first of these general conclusions is that the crystallization of the Old Testament traditions into literary form was gradual and pro- gressive and that the different collections of homogeneous narratives are the work of four distinct groups or schools of writers who flourished at different periods in Israel’s history. The second is that the present arrangement of the stories is the result, first of the close amalgamation of extracts from the two older prophetic groups and then of their being combined with the late prophetic and very late priestly narratives. The third is that these composite histories have been supplemented at different stages by later additions and harmonistic and editorial notes. Thus their literary is nearly as long and fully as complex as their oral history. As is well known, Tatian, the pupil of Justin Martyr, in the second Christian century, conceived and executed the plan of combining our four gospels into one continuous narrative. Similar subject-matter he introduced but once. Ordinarily when there were two variant versions, he adopted the fuller, or where each presented independent details he combined verses or parts of verses from one with similar selections from others. Sometimes parallel passages are introduced in sequence. Cer- tain minor inconsistencies he eliminated, others he ignored. Sometimes he added a few words to bring the different narratives into harmony. Elsewhere he transposed verses and stories. Thus, for example, fol- lowing the first three gospels, he transferred the Johannine account of the cleansing of the temple (Jn. 2 13 " 16 ) from the beginning of Jesus’s ministry to his final visit to Jerusalem. Great care is exercised not to leave out any fresh material. Consequently two-thirds of the first three and all of the fourth gospel have been included. The result is an ex- ceedingly complex, composite gospel.* If this work had succeeded in so completely supplanting the original four gospels that they had been completely lost, New Testament scholars would have been confronted by a precisely similar, although somewhat more difficult problem than that presented by the first seven books of the Old Testament. * Cf. article on “Tatian’s Diatessaron and the Analysis of the Pentateuch,” by Professor G. F. Moore in Journal of Bib. Lit., 1890, pp. 201-215 ; Carpenter and Plarford Battersby, llexateuch, I 8-11; Hill, The Earliest Life of Christ, 1894; Hogg, Ante-Nicene Christian Library, 1897. 29 Value of the re- sults The three basal conclu- sions The New Testa- ment analogy: Tatian’s Diates- saron HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS The problem of Old Testa- ment analysis Practi- cal re- fill ts of the analysis Fortunately in the case of the Old Testament, the individual charac- teristics of the four originals are more marked, the amalgamation is not so close, the transpositions are not many, and more duplicate versions of the same incidents have been retained. Similar reverence for the writ- ten word and a corresponding desire to preserve everything which con- tained additional material explain why, after the analysis has been made, the four resulting narratives are each approximately complete. If they should be discovered in their original form, it is possible that they would add little to our present knowledge. Like the one-third of the synoptic gospels, which is omitted by Tatian, the remaining parts would probably be found to consist of exceedingly close parallels to the versions which have been retained. Thus, as a result of the work of more than two centuries of biblical scholarship, we have to-day, instead of one, four parallel historical nar- ratives in the Old, as well as in the New Testament. A modern history of the Hebrew people rests therefore not on one but four corner-stones. Variations and contradictions no longer produce doubt and alarm, when their true explanation is understood, any more than they do in the case of the four gospels. Above all, the critical historian is able to avail himself of the testimony of witnesses who lived many centuries before the completion of the books in which their writings are now embodied. When the analysis has disclosed the different narratives, they can be studied in their original literary simplicity and unity, free from the abrupt transitions and seeming inconsistencies which characterize them in their present form. Only when the older is distinguished from the later, it is possible intelligently and constructively to trace the marvel- lous unfolding of Israel’s faith and of that noble moral and religious sense which made the Hebrews a race of prophets. 30 IV CHARACTERISTICS, DATES, AND HISTORY OF THE DIF- FERENT PROPHETIC AND PRIESTLY NARRATIVES i. The Judean Prophetic Narratives The oldest homogeneous narratives in the Old Testament are conven- tionally designated as the Judean, Jehovistic prophetic. They are called the Judean because their authors are especially interested in Judah and acquainted with the details of the tribal and local history of the south- ern kingdom; Jehovistic, because Jehovah is almost universally em- ployed as the designation of the Deity ; and prophetic, because the pre- vailing point of view and aim throughout are those of the earlier prophets. Of these three distinguishing designations, Jehovistic is per- haps the least exact, for the name Jehovah is prevailingly employed in the other narratives after the revelation to Moses, recorded in Exodus 3 (cf. § 6l). For practical use the title Judean prophetic narratives is sufficiently distinctive and at the same time clearly intelligible. These narratives open with the brief account of the creation of man and of his temptation and fall in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2 4b -3 24 ). They then trace by means of distinct stories the beginning of human civilization and moral degeneracy, which in time make necessary the divine judgment and the new beginning inaugurated by the flood. These, with the popular traditions regarding the origin of the nations (Gen. 10, 11), serve as an introduction to the detailed stories of the patriarchs. Beginning in the first chapter of Exodus, the Judean nar- ratives present concisely and graphically each important event in the life of the Hebrews in Egypt, in the wilderness, and finally in the land of Canaan. In the form of more or less closely connected stories, they thus furnish a complete history of Israel from the creation to at least the death of David. They are found in Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy 34, Joshua, Judges, and Samuel-Kings (for details cf. Table of Contents, first column), and represent more than one-third of the total contents of these books. A comprehensive purpose runs through and binds together all the Judean prophetic stories: it is to trace from its remotest beginnings, and on its every side, the history of the covenant people of Jehovah. The historical motive is much more prominent than in the other groups of narratives. Everything which concerns the nation Israel, whether it be the primitive origin of the arts, or of its neighbors, or of its insti- tutions, or the achievements of its champions, here finds a place. The oldest traditions in the possession of the race are incorporated, irrespec- tive of their origin, provided they throw light upon Israel’s early life, 31 Origin of the name Scope and contents Purpose HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Literary style General charac- teristics Concep- tions of Jehovah and Jehovah’s relation to his people. All classes and institutions, secular and ceremonial, are presented with equal impartiality; and events in the history of the northern kingdom are treated almost as fully as those of the southern. The point of view and purpose of the patriotic prophet are also revealed in that deep, broad religious philoso- phy of history which underlies and finds expression in many of the narratives. The opening stories are in reality the history of the origin and consequences of sin, as illustrated in the life of primitive man. The individual incidents and Israel’s history, as it is presented in its entirety, unobtrusively, yet powerfully, proclaim those germinal truths regarding Jehovah’s character and gracious rule which later teachers expounded by word of mouth. At certain critical points in the history are also introduced those inspired interpretations of the divine purpose being realized in it, which are pecidiar to the prophets (cf. Gen. 3 15 , 5 29 , 8 21 , 9 25 ' 27 , 12 3, 3 , 18 18, 19 ). Thus in a most effective manner the Judean narratives conserve the exalted aims of the patriotic historian and the devoted prophet. The literary style is singularly free and flowing. There is nothing of the repetitiousness and formality of the priest. The stories move on rapidly to the climax ; the characters are sketched distinctly, but with a few strokes. Dialogues are frequent, and especially effective in pre- senting in concise, vivid form the salient elements of the story. The vocabulary is as picturesque and dramatic as the style. It is also large and diversified. Onomatopoetic words are constantly employed. Sol- emn plays upon words abound. Quotations from ancient songs are fre- quently introduced. The many expressions peculiar to this source, as, for exanqale, “a land flowing with milk and honey,” or “Jehovah’s anger was kindled,” are also exceedingly picturesque (cf. Appendix II. for words and expressions peculiar to the Judean narratives). The result is that many of the Judean stories are prose poems, unsurpassed in simple literary beauty by anything in the Old Testament. Many general characteristics distinguish the Judean prophetic narratives. Thus, for example, they usually call the ancient inhabi- tants of Palestine Canaanites, the sacred mountain Sinai, and the tradi- tional father of the twelve tribes, Israel. Great interest is also shown in the popular etymologies of the names of persons and places. On the other hand, little attention is paid to genealogy and chronology. The religious conceptions are also equally distinctive. Jehovah is not portrayed merely as a Spirit, far removed from intimate contact with human affairs, but as a Being, who walks in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3 8 ), who comes down to see with his eyes the tower of Babel (ll 5 ), who goes to investigate personally the guilt of Sodom (18 21 ), who comes to deliver Israel from its bondage (Ex. 3 s ), and who descends upon Mount Sinai to speak by word of mouth to his people (19 11, 18, 30 , 34 5 ). Sometimes he reveals himself through his Mes- senger (Gen. 16 7 , 24* 7, 10 ), or through the burning thorn bush (Ex. 3 2 ), or in the pillar of cloud and fire (13 21 ). The language is that of the in- 32 THE JUDEAN PROPHETIC NARRATIVES spired poet rather than of the theologian. Although the terms employed to describe the Deity are inherited from a primitive, naive stage in hu- man thought, the God therein described is full of majesty and dignity. He rules supreme over Egypt and Israel’s neighbors as he did in the garden of Eden and at the flood. His purpose determines the history of the Edomites and Ishmaelites, as well as that of the Israelites. The as- scription to him of human attributes only deepens the impression that he is a living, present personality to be loved and obeyed by the individual as well as by the covenant nation. The simplicity and naturalness of the theological conceptions of these early narratives are among the most fertile sources of their charm and dramatic beauty; and, after all, it is only through the study of man, the reflection and image of God, that it is possible to attain a definite conception of the Infinite, and to describe those divine attributes which appeal most ■ strongly to the human heart. The authors of the later narratives in eliminating the anthropomorphisms gained something, but they divested their stories of that personal element which is one of the chief attractions of the older traditions. The conception of Jehovah’s personal presence is the foundation of the ethical teachings of the Judean narratives. Right and wrong are not measured by conformity to abstract principles or specific laws; they depend upon whether the individual or nation has faithfully met the demands of the divine Friend and Patron. Ethics are thus placed upon a concrete, personal basis. Abraham, the friend of God, is the type of the ideal man, because he was responsive to every indication of Jehovah’s will. Adam and Eve are opposite types, because they dis- obeyed, even though the sin inherent in the eating from the tree of knowledge was not apparent. To do Jehovah’s will in thought and deed is the whole duty of man. Thus that direct personal relation between God and the individual which is central in the teachings of Jesus is first clearly expressed in the old Judean narratives. Embodying as they do many very ancient traditions, it is surprising that their practices do not more often fall below the perfect Christian standards. The deceptions practised by Abraham in regard to his wife, the crafty devices of Jacob, and the robbery of the Egyptians (Ex. 12 36 ) cannot for a moment be justified; but they are only marks of the mould in which the stories were originally cast. So, also, the position of woman, concubinage, and the treatment of heathen foes are oriental survivals. That which is really characteristic is the genuine piety and the intense desire to do the will of God which dominates the repre- sentative actors in these primitive classics. While with the later prophets these narratives define religion as an at- titude toward God to be made manifest by just and loving acts, they do not ignore religious forms and ceremonies. Worship and sacrifice are assumed to have existed at the very beginnings of human history (Gen. 4). Priests are also referred to in Exodus 19 22 ' 24 ; but they are not prominent. In keeping with early Hebrew usage, it is assumed that S3 Ethical stand- ards Marks of early origin Attitude toward early re- ligious institu- tions HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Real charac- ter and origin Place of composi- tion any individual may offer sacrifice, although the local shrines were sup- posed to have their district priests (cf., e. g., Judg. 17, 18, §§ 130, 131). While great interest is shown in the origin of secular institutions, com- paratively little attention is devoted to the beginnings of ceremonial customs. The traditional origins of holy places, like Hebron and Beersheba, and of sacred objects, such as the altar at Bethel, are given in the stories associated with the patriarchs or else, if it be a later shrine, like that at Dan, in a detailed historical narrative. While all the Judean prophetic narratives are bound together by a large number of common characteristics, different stories betray differ- ent points of view and are often not entirely consistent with each other. Thus, for example, the narrative of Genesis 4 16 ' 24 knows nothing of the Judean story of the flood (§ 8), for it states that all nomads, musicians, and metal-workers were the direct descendants of the sons of the ante- diluvian Lamech (cf. note § 4). Some also reflect exceedingly primi- tive ideas and usages, while others in language and representation are related to the writings of a maturer age. These constantly recurring phenomena point to two facts: (1) that the stories in the Judean group were collected from many different places and originated in different periods. The spirit and breadth of those who put them in their present literary form led them to retain the peculiarities of the original oral tradition. (2) The Judean narratives were not (as has sometimes been claimed in the past) from one prophet, but rather from a school of prophets who worked with a common purpose, wrote from the same point of view, and probably from the same geographical centre, and influenced each other’s literary style so powerfully that they all em- ployed certain similar words and expressions. That they were all con- temporaries or even lived during the same century cannot be main- tained, although the bulk of their work was probably done during the same half century. This main body of narratives is called, for sake of distinction, the early Judean prophetic (technically represented sim- ply by J), and the subsequent additions or supplements, the later Judean (technically represented by J s or J 2 , J 3 or J b , J c ). The evidence is conclusive that the other great collection of prophetic writings in the Old Testament came from the northern kingdom; but in the case of the first group the data are less obvious. Almost as much interest is shown in the history and sanctuaries of the North as of the South. On general principles, however, it is to be expected that these narratives, which constantly parallel and yet differ in form and details from those which can be traced to northern Israel, are from Judah. Outside tradition throws no light upon the question; but the internal evidence, on the whole, favors the conclusion adopted above. Thus, for example, great prominence is given to Abraham’s sojourning at Hebron. In the Joseph stories it is Judah, not Reuben, who takes the lead and is represented as the first-born (Gen. 37 26 , 43 8 , 44 16, 18 , §§ 45, 52). In Genesis 49 10 " 12 Judah is also assigned the position of leader- ship among the tribes. The strange tribal tale in Genesis 38 regarding 34 THE JUDEAN PROPHETIC NARRATIVES Judah would scarcely have been preserved except in the South. Num- bers 24 17 appears to contain an unmistakable reference to the rule and conquests of David. More significant still is the absence of any clear references to Joshua, the northern Israelitish leader, in the early Judean narratives. Caleb, the traditional ancestor of one of the lead- ing tribes of the South takes his place in the story of the spies, although in the parallel northern Israelitish version Joshua is assigned the chief role (§90). In the books of Samuel the interest in the Judean king- dom and in the house of David becomes even more obvious. The authors, therefore, appear to have been patriotic Judean prophets, prob- ably resident in Jerusalem, who wrote under the shadow of the sanctu- ary reared by Solomon. From the nature of their origin it is impossible to determine the exact date of the narratives. They were of gradual growth. Their roots extended far back to the beginnings of Hebrew and early Semitic his- tory. The approximate date, when the early Judean prophetic narra- tives were combined together in a connected writing, may, however, be ascertained from certain references which they contain. The general considerations which point to some period after the reign of David have already been noted (cf. p. 18). To this may be added the fact that not until the days of the united kingdom does the divine designa- tion, Jehovah, begin to take the place of the older El (as, for example, SamueZ) in proper names. The belief, reflected in the Judean narra- tives, that the name Jehovah was employed universally from the earliest times, would naturally not arise until still later. The statement in Genesis 36 31 , before any king ruled over the children of Israel, obvi- ously implies the existence of the Hebrew kingdom. The subjugation of the Canaanites, which was not complete until the days of Solomon (cf. I Kgs. 9 20 ' 21 ), is assumed in many passages ( e . g., Gen. 15 18 ). The boundaries of the territory assigned to the Hebrews in Genesis 1 5 18 are those of Solomon’s empire (I Kgs. 4 21 ). The allusions to the friendly relations between the sons of Shem and Japheth in Genesis 9 27 were probably suggested by the alliances between the Hebrews and the col- onizing Phoenicians in the days of David and Solomon. Not until David conquered Edom did the allusions in Genesis 25 23 and Numbers 24 18 possess a definite meaning; and the reference in Genesis 27 40 to Esau’s shaking off" the yoke of Jacob seems to be to the successful revolt of the Edomites in the middle of the ninth century b.c. The curse upon the one who should rebuild Jericho in Joshua 6 26 also points to the same century, when Hiel the Bethelite laid the foundation of Jericho with the loss of his first-born (I Kgs. l6 34 ). The account of the relations between Jacob and Laban seems to reflect the protracted wars between the Hebrews and the Arameans in the days following the death of Solomon. The spirit of the Judean narratives, however, is that of the ancient monarchy. They reflect the old hostilities with the Edom- ites and Moabites. They give no indications of the suspicious attitude toward the high places and popular forms of worship which begins to 35 Date of composi tion HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Later addi- tions to the early Judean narra- tives The three types of addi- tions find expression in the sermons of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah during the latter part of the eighth century b.c., and which in 621 b.c. led to the sweeping reformation of Josiah. The conceptions of Jehovah and of his demands are those of the century before Amos. Such passages as Amos 2 9, 10 , Hosea 12 3, 4| 12, 13 , 9 10 , and Micah 6 4, 5 , contain references to the traditions recorded in the Judean narratives. Thus the evidence of history and later literature points to the century between 850 and 750 b.c. as their probable date. They suggest a period of comparative prosperity (cf. Gen. 15 18 , Ex. 23 31 ), when the relations between the two Hebrew kingdoms were friendly. Such a period was that which fol- lowed the reformation inaugurated by Elijah and carried through in northern Israel by Elisha and Jehu about 842. Six years later a sim- ilar reformation was instituted in Judah which resulted in the over- throw of Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the heathen cults which she fostered. Under the leadership of Jehoiada, the priest, and his protege, the young king Joasli, Israelitish and prophetic princi- ples again gained the ascendency. It was probably under the inspira- tion of this reformation, that, about 825 b.c., the Judean prophets began their great task of writing that comprehensive history which was in- tended to enforce the covenant then made between Jehovah and the Icing and the people, that they should be Jehovah’s people (2 Kgs. II 17 ). In order to understand its later history, it must be remembered that the main strand of the Judean narratives, when completed, did not pos- sess the authority and sanctity which were attributed to them by later Judaism. The prophetic writings were not canonized until the fourth century b.c. For four centuries at least later prophets and editors were therefore at liberty to supplement and revise them as they thought best. It is probable that at first only one or, at the most, a very few copies were made (cf. the book of the covenant discovered in the days of Josiah II Kgs. 22 8 ' 10 , and the one copy of the first edition of Jere- miah’s prophecies, Jer. 36). Additions would, therefore, readily gain equal acceptance with the original, especially if they were written in the same spirit and style. Divine revelation also did not cease, but ever became more complete, so that in reality the later possess authority equal to or greater than the earlier. As a matter of fact, many of the most deeply spiritual and helpful passages in the Old Testament are found in these additions. The contributions of the later Judean writers took three distinct forms. In the first place, they expanded certain passages by the addi- tion of explanatory, geographical, or archaeological notes. Thus the detailed statements regarding the river of Eden with its four branches in Genesis 2 10 ' 15 introduce an archaeological motive which is foreign to the purpose of the original story (cf. § 2, note 6 ). To this class proba- bly belong the frequently recurring list of the early inhabitants of Canaan (Gen. 10 15 ' 18 , 15 19 ' 21 , Ex. 3 8 ’ 17 , 13 5 , 23 23 - 28 , 33 2 , 34 11 , Josh. 3 10 , 9 1 , ll 3 , 12 s , 24 u ), and explanatory statements, as, for example, that 36 THE EPHRAIMITE PROPHETIC NARRATIVES Kiriath-arba is identical with Hebron (Gen. 23 2 * , Judg. I 10 ). The sec- ond type of additions includes the hortatory expansions which interrupt the sequence of thought in the early tradition and introduce a more spiritual teaching and a new form of expression. Illustrations of this type are Abraham’s exhortations in behalf of Sodom in Genesis 18 17 " 19, 22b-33a ( no t e g 20) and Moses’s prayer in Exodus 34 6, 7 ■ 9b (note § 78). The third class comprises the later supplemental narratives. Of this character is the story of the murder of Abel by Cain in Genesis 4, which is distinct from the older tradition where Cain is represented, not as the guilty outlaw, but as the father of those who developed the arts of civilization (note § 3). Another example is the story of Abram’s de- ception regarding Sarai, his wife, at Pharaoh’s court, in Genesis 12 9 -13 4 * * * * . The characters and setting are different, but the incident is the same, as is told in simpler terms regarding Isaac and Rebekah at the court of Abimelech king of Gerar in Genesis 26 (note § 13). From the same later age probably come the stories in Joshua, which, contrary to the representation of the early Judean narratives, make Joshua the leader of all the tribes in the initial conquests of Canaan (note § 106). It is obvious that these later additions came from different writers and periods. The language and spirit of the more important are those of the prophets of the eighth century b.c. It was probably under the inspiration of their teaching that the later revisers supplemented the earlier narratives. The prophetic account of the flood apparently re- flects the renewed contact with the civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates valley, which resulted from the Assyrian conquest of Palestine during the same and the early part of the succeeding century (Appendix V.). The later Judean narratives may therefore be dated approximately be- tween 750 and 650 b.c. Thus during the century and a half preceding the great trials and national upheavals which came to the Hebrew peo- ple, certain of their prophets were in divine providence collecting the records of their past that illustrated those everlasting principles which alone would guide the nation throughout the impending crises. Al- though their names are unknown and their methods very different, their aims and influence were the same as those of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah, who presented their God-given messages to their contemporaries by the spoken address rather than by the pen. 2. The Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives The parallel homogeneous narratives are conventionally known as the Elohistic prophetic , the title Elohistic representing the fact that in all the stories antecedent to the account of the divine revelation to Moses, recorded in Exodus 3, the Deity is designated by the name Elohim (God). The same usage, however, appears in another group of narratives, and in the passages following Exodus 3 the name Jehovah is prevailingly used. The term Elohistic, therefore, is not entirely dis- tinctive and is also subject to the additional objection of not being 37 Date of the adds tions Origin of the name HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Scope and con- tents Purpose readily understood. A more fundamentally characteristic and felici- tous designation is suggested by the fact that the interest in these narra- tives centres in the northern kingdom. Hebron is ignored, but the northern shrines. Bethel and Shechem, are especially prominent. In the Joseph stories Reuben, not Judah, is the leader. The Ephraimite hero, Joshua, is represented as the successor of Moses and the leader of all the tribes in the conquest of Canaan. In the hill country of Ephraim he assembles them for his farewell address (Josh. 24). Especial attention is also given to Joseph, the traditional ancestor of Ephraim, and to the Joseph tribes. By general consent these narra- tives are, therefore, traced to the northern kingdom. The name Ephraim, by which its greatest prophet, Hosea, constantly addressed northern Israel (Hos. 4 17 , 5 3, Bi 9| u ' 14 , 6 4 , etc.), furnishes a distinctive and appropriate title for the stories which represent the activity and teachings of the early prophets of the north. The Ephraimite prophetic narratives open with the divine promise and covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. Subsequent references (Gen. 20 13 , Josh. 24 2 ) suggest that they originally began with the an- cestry of the patriarch in Aram; but there is no evidence that, like the Judean, they included an introductory survey of universal history. Throughout the remainder of Genesis and succeeding books, probably even to the Elisha stories in II Kings, the Ephraimite strand runs par- allel to the Judean (cf. Table of Contents, second column). Regarding the more important events each has its distinct version. When these are very similar, the Judean is usually quoted more fully, with the result that the Ephraimite account is often curtailed. Hence, of the four dis- tinct groups of narratives in the Old Testament, this is by far the most fragmentary. It has, however, in addition to the parallels, many inci- dents peculiar to itself, such as the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22, § 23), the making of the golden calf at Sinai (Ex. 32, § 78), and the appoint- ment of the seventy elders (Num. II 16, 17, 25 ' 30 , § 82). In the Ephraimite narratives the didactic and religious motives are most prominent. Interest is focused on the ideal theocracy rather than on the nation. The history is concerned not so much with events as with the divinely chosen leaders who are instrumental in realizing God’s purpose in the life of his people. The prophets and their work overshadow that of the secular rulers and the priests. Even Abraham and Moses are styled prophets,, and Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph on the threshold of death are granted visions regarding the future of their descendants (Gen. 27, 48, 50 25 ). The victories and achievements of the theocratic people are attained not so much by human effort and natural means (as in the Judean), but by divine interposition. Their acts of apostasy, on the other hand, are punished by overwhelming dis- aster. The chief purpose which actuated the Ephraimite writers, therefore, appears to have been to show how, by submission to God’s rule and to the counsels of his theocratic representatives, the prophets, Israel in the past enjoyed peace, prosperity, and, above all, the happy 38 THE EPHRAIMITE PROPHETIC NARRATIVES assurance of divine favor, and that, when they rebelled, disaster speedily overtook them. The whole is an instructive retrospect, of which the farewell address of Joshua, in Joshua 24, is a worthy epitome. It is also a prophetic retrospect with an intensely practical application to the present and the future. While the analogies between the two groups of narratives, both of which came from schools of prophets not far removed from each other in place and time, and which utilize common traditions, are many and close, yet the characteristic points of difference are none the less strik- ing. In the Ephraimite, Horeb or the mountain is used instead of Sinai, Amorites instead of Canaanites, and Jacob instead of Israel. (For lin- guistic peculiarities, cf. Table of Words and Expressions Peculiar to the Different Narratives, Appendix II.) The picturesque anthropomorphisms of the Judean narratives are almost entirely absent; instead God reveals himself usually in dreams or through his angelic Messenger. The visit of the Deity to the tent of Abraham and the story of the wrestling at Penuel are wanting. Only to the great prophet Moses does he reveal himself face to face (Ex. S3 11 ). Ordinarily his Messenger goes before to lead the host of Israel (Ex. 14 19 ). In the thick darkness of the mountain, and later, when he descends in the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the tent of meeting, God delivers his commands directly to his people. Front the first, and ever more prominently, his prophetic spokesmen stand before the na- tion as the recipients of his messages and as his heralds to the people. The Ephraimite prophets proclaim the fact that divine revelation in the past was progressive, corresponding to the awakening consciousness of those who received it. In distinction from the Judean historians, who assume that Jehovah was worshipped long before the flood (Gen. 4 26 ), they state repeatedly that the ancestors of the Hebrews were idolaters in Aram (e. g.. Josh. 24 2 ), and even report that Rachel stole her father’s family idols to bear them to her new home (Gen. 31 19 ). Abraham, how- ever, is represented as the worshipper of the one God, whose prophet he is (Gen. 20 7 ). Conforming to the divine command, Jacob directed his household to put away the foreign gods that were among them (35 2 ), as he returned to Bethel, the scene of God’s former revelation to him. The final stage in the revelation is recorded in Exodus 3 15 , where God makes himself known to Moses as Jehovah. Their more spiritual and, on the whole, more exalted conceptions of the Deity, led the Ephraimite writers to purge the ancient stories of everything which reflected unfavorably upon the characters of their prophetic heroes. Thus, for example, Abraham does not expel Hagar until he receives a divine command to do so (Gen. 21 12 ) ; in the story of the deception regarding the wife, Abraham does not utter a falsehood, because Sarah is indeed his sister ; and God’s intervention, not Jacob’s questionable shrewdness, gives the patriarch success in his contest with Laban. These evidences of more advanced ethical standards and maturer 39 General charac- teristics Concep- tions of the Deity Pro- gressive revela- tion Ethical stand- ards HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S EARLY RECORDS Date of conceptions of the divine character and methods of revelation point tion clearly to a somewhat later date than the Judean narratives. The old, naive, poetic forms of expression have begun to disappear as the result of theological reflection. Half a century or a century of progressive revelation lies between the two main prophetic narratives. The lan- guage, the deep spirituality, the peculiar attitude toward the monarchy, and the evangelical purpose which characterize the Ephraimite, are shared in common with Amos and Hosea. The period in which they were written appears to have been one of national prosperity. The dreams of Joseph, the Blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 33, and the predictions of Balaam in Numbers 23, reflect the victories of Israel and the exalted rule of the house of Joseph. These national expectations were realized as never before or after in the long, prosper- ous reign of Jeroboam II. (781-740 b.c.). The covenant between Jacob and Laban reflects the peace between northern Israel and her fallen foe, Aram, which was first firmly established during the earlier part of that reign. The holy places, such as Bethel and Shechem, and the sacred pillars (e. g., §§ 31, 42) are still regarded as legitimate, but stories, like that of the golden calf in Exodus 32, indicate that the rep- resentation of the Deity by images was already condemned. Thus all the data point to the middle of the eighth century b.c. as the period in which the main collection of northern Israel’s traditions (technically designated as E) was made. Later Like the Judean, the Ephraimite narratives are clearly not all from tions one writer or age. The influences which gave rise to the first collec- tion continued to operate during the next century. The northern king- dom fell in 722 b.c. before Assyria, so that the work of revising and supplementing the Ephraimite narratives seems to have fallen to the prophets of the south. The character of the additions (which are technically represented by E s or E 2 , E 3 ) favors this conclusion. Less sympathy is shown with the sanctuaries of the north, and the prophetic gift is extended and given still greater prominence (cf. Num. 11, 12, §§ 82, 83). It is impossible to date the later Ephraimite sections with assurance. They probably come from the first half of the seventh century, when the prophets, suppressed in public, worked in private, preparing the way for the reformation of Josiah, which reinstated them and the prophetic teachings regarding Jehovah. Union of To the same school of prophets is probably due the close fusion of dean the two great prophetic groups of narratives. The combination may Ephra- be traced to the fact that after the fall of northern Israel its traditions, prophet- like the prophecy of the Ephraimite, Hosea, became the possession of tives rr . 29 (cf. note e ), the lists of the early Judean group of stories reveal all the elements which enter into the late priestly tradition in 5. The relation of the two lists to each other, and the number of years assigned to each ante- diluvian (before the birth of his eldest son) in the Sam., Heb., and Gk. versions of 5, and in the ten antediluvian dynasties of Berosus, are shown in the following: TABLE OF THE ANTEDILUVIANS.— FROM THE CREATION TO THE FLOOD Prophetic, 4 Priestly , 5 Sam. Heb. Gk. Babylonian (Berosus) 130 130 230 36,000 105 105 205 10,800 90 90 190 46,800 70 70 170 43,200 65 65 165 64,800 62 162 162 36,000 Mehuiael 65 65 165 64,800 Methushael 67 187 187 36,000 53 182 188 28,800 Noah Noah (to flood) . 600 600 600 Xisuthros 64,800 Totals 1,307 1,656 2,262 432,000 c 426 b Heb. reads, Then began men to call upon Jehovah. The reading given is that suggested by the Gk. and Sam. Cf. Gen. 10 s . d 4 1 A slight change in the text gives the more natural reading, I have got a son whom I desired, or a change in the vowels, / have obtained a child, the bearer of the Jehovah sign. Cf. 15 . e 4 17b A change in the Heb. text makes it possible to translate, He (Enoch) built a city and called the name of the city Enoch, after his own name. 58 Irad Mebu- Jiel Methu- ihael Lamech Noah Gen. 4.18] FOREFATHERS OF THE HUMAN RACE [Gen. 5« Early Judean Prophetic 18a Also to Enoch was born Irad. 18b And Irad begat Mehujael. 18o And Mehujael begat Methushael. 18d And Methushael begat Lamech. 5 28b And Lamech be- gat a son ; e 29 and he called his name Noah, saying, This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because Jeho- vah hath cursed the ground. Late Priestly Narratives 15 And when Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years Jared he begat Jared. 16 And Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years ; then he died. 18 And when Jared had lived a hundred and Enoch sixty-two years he begat Enoch. 19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. "Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years ; then he died. 21 And when Enoch had lived sixty-five years he Methu- begat Methuselah. "And Enoch walked with selah God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. "Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty- five years. "And Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him. 5 "And when Methuselah had lived a hundred Lamech and eighty-seven years be begat Lamech. "And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begat sons and daughters. "Thus all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years ; then he died. 28a And when Lamech had lived a hundred Noah and eighty-two years he begat Noah. "And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and begat sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years ; then he died. 32 And when Noah was five hundred years old, Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. • 5 28b . "These verses interrupt the systematic structure of the priestly narrative and intro- duce an entirely different style and theme. The play on the sound of the name Noah is after the manner of the early Judean prophetic narratives. It is impossible to determine absolutely what was the original context of the passage. Its present position in 5 cannot be a mere accident. The priestly, 5 28 , may well be based upon the older prophetic tradition, which is thus preserved. The reference to Noah as the one who will comfort us from the toil of our hands , because Jehovah hath cursed the ground , looks back to the curse of 3 17 - 19 , and forward, not to the later stories of Noah, the hero of the flood, but to the early Judean prophetic narrative ot Noah, the first to cultivate the vine and to make wine, § 5. 59 Origin of polyg- amy Of nomads Of musi- cians Of metal- workers Of the law of blood- revenge Origin of agri- culture Lewd- ness of Canaan Piety of Shem and Japheth Gen. 4 19 ] BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION § 4. The Story of Lamech, the Father of Those who Developed the No- madic Arts, Gen. 4 19_2i Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 4 19 Now Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah [Light], and the name of the other Zillah [Shadow], 20 And Adah bore Jabal [Shepherd] ; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and with cattle. "And his brother’s name was Jubal [Ram’s Horn] ; he was the father of all those who handle the harp and pipe. "And Zillah also bore 1 ubal-eain [Smith] ; he was the father of all those who forge copper and iron. f And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah [Grace], 23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, hearken to my voice, Wives of Lamech, give ear to my saying : A man I slay for wounding me. And a youth for bruising me. ,4 If Cain be avenged seven times, Lamech shall be seventy and seven. 5. The Story of Noah, the First Vineyard-Keeper, and His Son, Gen. 9 20 -* 7 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 9 "Now Noah, the farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21 And when he drank of the wine he became drunken, and lay uncov- ered within his tent. "Then Ham, the father of ? Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told it outside to his two brothers. "But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backward to cover the nakedness of their father, their faces being turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. "When Noah awoke from his wme and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, § 4 This narrative is found embedded in the early Judean prophetic list of the forefathers of the human race. It is characteristic of the prophetic authors to associate with the names of their characters any facts which tradition has preserved. In the present case they have also incorporated at least a portion of the ancient song, which probably furnished them most, if not all, the data which appear in the prose narrative. The story is introduced here because of its evident antiquity, and because it gives the traditional origin of the nomadic, the earliest stage of human civilization. 1 4- The Heb. reads. Tubal Cain, a smith, every forger of copper and iron. Smith seems to have been originally a marginal note, intended either to indicate the meaning of the word Cain, or else his occupation. The Gk. adds, and he was, which suggests that the original reading was, as restored above, analogous to the idiom in 20 and 21 . § 5 This story continues the early Judean prophetic narrative of 4 M - 24 , which knows nothing of the later accounts of the flood; for it states that Lamech’s sons were the direct ancestors of nomads, musicians, and metal-workers. This statement, of course, is incompatible with the tradition that the flood later destroyed all the sons of Lamech except Noah. Noah in this older group of narratives figures simply as a farmer (lit., man of the cultivated ground), the first to de- velop the culture of the vine, which represented the next higher stage of civilization. His character, as revealed by his acts, is very different from that of the hero of the later flood stories, § 8 ; cf . Ezek. 14 14 . By means of this strange story its prophetic author evidently aimed to throw iight upon the perplexing problem presented by early Israelitish history, namely, Why the Canaanites, the original owners of the land and far more advanced in civilization, became the slaves of the Hebrews, the heirs of Shem. His suggestion that it was because of the moral depravity of the former reveals the true prophet, who appreciated the eternal principles which govern the life of nations and individuals. g 922 The words Ham the father of , appear to have been added to bring this ancient story into harmony with the other associated with the name of Noah. In 24 Canaan is called the youngest son of Noah, and in the poetical passage 25-27 , which represents the still older source upon which the prophetic story appears to have been based, he figures as the brother of Shem and Japheth. Except in this verse Ham is nowhere else mentioned in the story. 60 NOAH THE FIRST VINEYARD-KEEPER [Gen. 9 25 Cursed be Canaan ; May he be a servant of servants 11 to his brothers. 26 Also he said, Blessed of Jehovah be Shem And let Canaan be a servant to him. 27 God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem ; Let Canaan also be a servant to him. § 6. The Story of Cain, the First Murderer, Gen. 4 1 -' 6 * Later Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 4 J And the man knew Eve his wife ; and she conceived and bore Cain. 2 And she also bore his brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the soil. 3 Now in course of time it came to pass, that Cain brought the fruit of the ground as an offering to Jehovah. 4 And Abel, also, brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And Jehovah looked favorably upon Abel and his offering ; 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no re- gard. Therefore Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. 6 And Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou angry ? And why is thy countenance fallen ? 7 If thou doest well, Is there not acceptance ?i But if thou doest not well, Does not sin crouch at the door ? And to thee shall be its desire. But thou shouldst rule over it. k h 9" Lit., slave of slaves; i. e., lowest of servants. > The ordinary translation of this line: Blessed be Jehovah the God of Shem, not only leaves Shem, the traditional ancestor of the Hebrews, wit hout a blessing, but also is not in harmony with the striking parallelism of the passage. A slight change in the Heb. text gives Blessed of Jehovah God be Shem, which was probably the original reading. Another slight emendation furnishes the possible reading: Bless, 0 Jehovah, the tent of Shem. § 6 The reasons why this story is distinct and later than those found in the remainder of 4 have already been indicated in note § 3. Moreover, this narrative assumes the different stages of civilization, the beginnings of which are recorded in §§ 4 and 5. Men have already formed the habit of calling upon the name of Jehovah, 4®. Nothing is apparently known concerning the curse upon the ground because of the sin of the first, man; ef. 3 17 and 4 12 . The geographical background also is not Babylonia, but southern Palestine, where the agriculturist and shepherd live side by side, and where tribal organization and the law of blood-revenge are prominent. Cain and Abel, like Canaan and Sidon, in Gen. 10 15 , evidently represent tribes or peoples, else Cain would have had no fear of blood-vengeance after he had slain his victim. Whether Cain represents the tribe of the Kenites and Abel the Hebrews, as has been strongly urged by Stade and others, or Cain = Canaan (cf. § 3) = the Canaanites, it is exceedingly probable that the story originally reflected the early experiences of the Hebrews, and their relations with their neighbors in the struggle for the possession of Canaan. If the second explanation be the true one, the story, like that regarding Noah in 9 2c_27 , suggests still another reason why the older agricultural Canaanites were ultimately dispossessed by the Hebrews. The theme, the style, and the varia- tions from the picture of Cain in 17 all indicate that the story is later than the early Judean group of narratives to which it was subsequently added because its chief character bore the name Cain. Emphasizing, however, as it does, the great prophetic truths, that it is the character of the offerer, not the sacrifice, which is essential, that man is a free agent, and hence responsible, and that God’s mercy far surpasses that of man, it is obvious that the grim old story was told by a prophet who may well have been a contemporary of Amos, Hosea. and Isaiah. ‘ 4 7a Lit., lifting up. This may refer to Cain’s countenance, which would thus be an index that he was conscious of having done rightly, or it may mean a lifting up of sin, and equals forgiveness. k 47b This verse as a whole presents many difficulties to the translator. The Gk. version reads, If thou bringcst rightly, but dost not rightly divide, hast thou not sinned? Be still; to thee shall be his return, and thou shall rule over him. The Vulgate supports the translation of the Heb. 61 Slavery Ca- naan's punish- ment Reward of Shem and Japheth Birth and occupa- tions of Cain and Abel Their offerings and Je- hovah’s recep- tion of them Cain’s anger and Je- hovah’s counsel The first murder Convic- tion of Cain Con- demned to fruit- less labor His com- plaint Divine decree and sign for his protec- tion Union between divine and human beings Gen. 4.8] BEGINNINGS OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION 8 Then Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go to the field. 1 And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain attacked Abel his brother and slew him. 9 And when Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel, thy brother ? he said, I do not know ; am I my brother’s keeper ? 10 Then he said, What hast thou done ? the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. 11 Now, therefore, cursed art thou ; away from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. 12 Whenever thou tillest the ground, it shall no longer yield to thee its strength ; a vagabond and wanderer shalt thou be on the earth. 13 Then Cain said to Jehovah, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground,™ and from thy face shall I be hid ; and I shall become a vagabond and a wanderer on the earth ; and it will come to pass, that whoever finds me will kill me. 15 But Jehovah said to him. Not so ! n if any one kill Cain, Vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. So Jehovah granted Cain a sign, 0 that any one finding him should not kill him. 16a Thus Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah and dwelt in the land of Nod [Wandering ]. p III CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN DEGENERACY, AND THE NEW BEGINNING INAUGURATED BY THE FLOOD, Gen. 6!-9 17 - 2S - 29 § 7. The Story of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men, Gen. 6 1-4 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen 6 4 Now it came to pass when men had begun to be many on the face of the ground, and daughters had been born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took to themselves as wives whomsoever they chose. given above. The meaning of the first part of the verse is clear: right acts insure Jehovah’s favor; but the last two lines can be translated only conjecturally. They may represent simply an explanatory or parenthetic note, which has suffered in transmission. The poetic parallelism of the verse is obvious, but in several instances the Heb. lacks the corresponding number of beats which are characteristic of Hebrew poetry, also indicating that the original text has been partially lost. '4 s The Heb. has the incomplete reading. Then Cain said . . . . All other versions, including the Sam., Gk., and Lat., have preserved what was probably in the original: Let us go into the field. m 4 14 Heb. lit., tilled or tillable ground. n 415a Following the Syr., Gk., and Lat. A slight emendation in the Heb. gives a similar reading, which is both intelligible and strong. 0415b This is a tribal mark, not as a punishment but as a protection, as the context clearly implies. p 18a A brief epilogue, possibly added by a later prophet. § 7 This short section has well been styled a torso. It now stands as an introduction to the story of the flood, but its details have nothing in common with the flood stories, which begin with 6 5 (cf . § 8), except Jehovah’s disapproval of the acts of men. _ Its language indicates that it belongs to the early Judean prophetic narratives. Short though it is, it contains several frag- 62 SONS OF GOD AND DAUGHTERS OF MEN [Gen. 6 3 3 Then said Jehovah, My spirit shall not abide in a man forever, be- cause he also is flesh ; therefore his days shall be one hundred and twenty years. 4 The Nephilim [giants] were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards,* * * §5 when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them ; these were the heroes who were fa- mous in olden time. § 8. The Two Biblical Stories of the Flood, Gen. 6 5_ 9 n ' 28 Later Judean Prophetic Gen. 6 5 YVhen Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every purpose of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, e Jeho- vah regretted that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart. 7 Therefore Jehovah said, I will destroy from the face of the ground man whom I have created, — not only man, but also beasts and creep- ing things, and the birds of the heavens, c — for I re- gret that I have made them. Late Priestly Narratives 6 **Now the earth be- came corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and, behold, it had become corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Noah, Make THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH 9b But Noah was a righteous man, perfect among his contemporaries ; Noah walked with God. 13 Therefore God said to Noah, I have determined to make d an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled ments of what were probably originally complete popular legends, handed down from hoary antiquity. Nowhere in Gen. do we gain a clearer conception of the great volume of ancient stories which were in the minds of the contemporaries of the early prophets, cf. Introd., p. 7. The many attempts to explain away the legendary elements are as futile as unnecessary. The prophet here refers briefly to the familiar legend in order to eliminate its immoral teaching by branding it with Jehovah’s disapproval. It was, perhaps, also intended to give another explanation of the origin of sin and death. Vs. 4 seems to be simply parenthetic, and more naturally follows 2 . a 6 3 Following the Gk., Syr., and Lat. The verb in the Heb. is not found elsewhere in the O.T. The translation of the AV and RV, strive with , can hardly be justified. The verb may mean rule in or abide in. b 6 4 Probably added by a later editor who had in mind Num. 13 33 . § 8 Two distinct and nearly complete accounts of the flood are found closely woven together in these chapters. The one uses the term Jehovah throughout, and has the characteristics of the Judean prophetic narratives, although it apparently was not found in the earliest group (cf. note § 5). The other version has all the marked peculiarities of the late priestly narratives, and is the natural continuation of chapter 5, which connects the priestly story of the creation with that of the flood. It opens with the formula, These are the generations of Noah , and concludes with a covenant, as do all the longer sections in this history of Israel’s ceremonial institutions. While agreeing in general, these two parallel accounts present many obvious variations, not only in style but also in representation. Thus, for example, in the first, Noah is commanded to take seven, or seven pairs of clean and two of unclean animals into the ark: but in the second, only one pair of each kind. In the prophetic narrative the flood is simply the result of heavy rains; in the other it is because the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven opened. In one the duration of the flood is 61 or 68 days (40 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 [?]; cf. note i). while in the priestly it is 365 days, or a solar year. In one Noah sacrifices after leaving the ark, but not according to the priestly narrator, who conceives of sacrifice as first instituted by Moses. In each case the variations are due to the peculiar point of view and thought of each group of narratives. Cf. Appendix V. for the Babylonian versions of the common Semitic tradition. _ . c 6 7 This parenthetic sentence was evidently taken from the priestly narrative and introduced here by an editor. d 6 13 The equivalent of the Hebrew idiom, is come before me. 63 Jeho- vah’s disap- proval Origin of giants Cause of the flood Piety of Noah Com- mand to make an ark Com- mand to enter the ark with his fam- ily and with rep- resent- atives of all species or land animals Its exe- cution Begin- ning of the flood and the entrance into the ark Gen. 7 * 1 ] CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN DEGENERACY [Gen. 6 13 Later Judean Late Priestly Narratives an ark of cypress wood? .... And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him. (7 5 ) with violence through them ; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thyself an ark of cypress wood ; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt smear it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the plan according to which thou shalt make it : the length of the ark shall be three hun- dred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make for the ark, and a cubit in height f shalt thou make it ; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in its side. With lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17 For, behold, I am about to bring the flood of waters upon the earth to destroy from under heaven all flesh wherein is the breath of life; every thing that is in the earth shall die. 7 a Then Jehovah said to Noah, Enter thou and all thy house into the ark ; for thee have I found righteous before me in this genera- tion. 2 Of all clean beasts thou shalt take to thee by sevens, s male and his mate, but of the beasts that are not clean by twos, h a male and his mate ; 3 and of the clean birds of the heavens, seven by seven, male and female; 1 to keep offspring alive upon the face of the earth. 4 * For after seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights ; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground. 5 And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him. 10 And it came to pass after the seven days that the waters of the 18 But I will establish my cove- nant with thee ; and thou shalt enter the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives, with thee. 19 Also of every living thing of all flesh, two of every kind shalt thou bring into the ark to keep them alive with thee ; a male and a female shall they be. 20 Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of each shall come to thee, that they may live. 21 Take also of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee, that it may be for food for thee and for them. 22 Thus did Noah ; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. 7 6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in « Of the two versions of the command to build the ark, only the priestly remains, probably because they were very similar and because the latter was the more detailed. 1 6' 6 Lit., from to above. e 2 Heb., seven seven. The exact meaning is not clear. It may be seven pairs, as suggested by a male and his mate which follows; or simply seven, i. e., three pairs and one extra male for sacrifice. h 7 2 Gk., Syr., and Sam. Heb. has simply two. i 73, s The priestly idiom (cf. the prophetic equivalent, a male and his mate, in 2 ) . It wm evidently introduced here by the editor who combined the two versions. 64 TWO BIBLICAL STORIES OF THE FLOOD [Gen. 7 n Late Priestly Narratives the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day. All the fountains of the great deep were broken up And the windows of heaven were opened. 13 On that very day, Noah, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ark, 14 together with every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, all birds of every species. 15 And they went in to Noah into the ark, two by two of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16a And those that entered, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded. Gen. 7 10 ] Later Judean Prophetic flood came upon the earth. 7 Then Noah, to- gether with his sons and his wife, and his sons’ wives, entered into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of every thing that creeps upon the ground, 9 there went in two by two to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God 1 com- manded Noah. 16b And Jehovah shut him in. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights, 17b and the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it was lifted high above the earth. 22 A11 in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was on the land, died. 23 Thus [Jehovah] destroyed every thing that existed upon the face of the ground, both man and animals, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens, so that they were destroyed from the earth ; and Noah only was left and they that were with him in the ark. 8 6a But it came to pass at the end of forty days 2b that the rain from heaven ceased, 3a and the waters retired continually from off the land.i 18 Then the waters rose high, and Nature, increased greatly upon the earth ; and ef- and the ark moved on the face of the flood the waters. 19 And the waters rose higher and higher over the earth, until all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. 20 Fifteen cubits above their tops rose the waters, so that the mountains were completely covered. 21 Then all flesh died that moved upon the earth, including birds, and animals, and every creep- ing thing that creeps upon the earth, and all mankind. 24 Thus the waters rose high above the earth for a Cesna- f hundred and fifty days. 8 'Then God remembered the flood Noah, and all the beasts, and all the animals that were with him in the ark ; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, so that the waters began to sub- side, 2 the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed ; 3b and at the end of the hun- dred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 And the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month upon the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the 2 b -3a Jt appears that, as a result of the process of combining the two narratives, the original order of the first has been slightly disturbed. 7 17 *, And the flood was forty days on the earth, seems to be an editorial addition intended to harmonize the priestly with the prophetic story. 65 Gen. 8 6 ] CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN DEGENERACY [Gen. 8* Later Judean Late Priestly Narratives waters decreased continually until the tenth month ; on the first day of the tenth month were the tops of the mountains seen. Sending out the raven and dove Dis- appear- ance of the flood Depart- ure from the ark 6b Then Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made ; 7 and he sent forth a raven, and it kept going to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off' the earth. 8 And he sent forth from him a dove k to see if the waters had subsided from off the face of the ground ; 9 but the dove found no rest for the sole of its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, — for the waters were on the face of the whole earth, — and he stretched forth his hand and took her and brought her to him into the ark. 10 Then he waited seven days more and again sent forth the dove from the ark. 1 1 And the dove came in to him at eventide ; and, lo, there was in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from off the earth. 12 And he waited seven days more and sent forth the dove ; but it did not return to him again. i3b r rhen Noah removed the cov- ering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 13a And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters were dried up from off the earth. 14 And on the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was dry. 15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 Go forth from the ark, together with thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. 17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, even birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth ; that they may swarm over the earth, and be fruitfid and become numerous upon the earth. 18 So Noah went forth and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creep- ing thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went forth from the ark. Divine 20 And Noah built an altar to Je- notto 36 hovah, and took of every clean nipt the beast, and of every clean bird, and nature f offered burnt-offerings on the altar. 9 8 And God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 Be- hold, now I establish my covenant with you, and with your descend- k 8 s The formula, repeated at the beginning of 10 . l2 , seems to be implied here. It is generally believed that the words, and he waited, seven days, have dropped out. If this conclusion be accepted, the duration of the flood, according to the prophetic narrative, was sixty-eight days. 66 Gen. 8 21 ] TWO BIBLICAL STORIES OF THE FLOOD [Gen. 9 9 Later Judean Narratives Late Priestly 21 And when Jehovah smelled the pleasant odor, Jehovah said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the pur- pose of man’s heart is evil from his youth ; nor will I again smite every thing that lives, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Summer and winter. Day and night Shall not cease. ants after you, 10 and with every liv- ing creature that is with you, the birds, the animals, and every beast of the earth with you of all that have gone out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 And I establish my covenant with you that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of the flood, and that never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the sign of the covenant Rain- which I make between me and you and every living remind- creature that is with you, to endless generations : promise 13 I place my bow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth and the bow is seen in the cloud, 15 then I will remember my covenant, which is be- tween me and you and every living creature of all flesh ; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow shall ap- pear in the cloud, I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every liv- ing creature of all flesh that is on the earth. 17 And God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth. 1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to R e - them. Be fruitful, and become numerous, that ye may S' of fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of sion mis ' you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens, together with every thing which moves 1 upon the ground, and all the fishes of the sea ; into your power are they delivered. 3 Every Permis- moving thing that lives shall be food for you ; as I eat meat gave the green herb, I give you all. 4 Only flesh in which is its life,™ — that is, its blood, — shall ye not eat. 5 Moreover, your own life-blood will I require ; Penalty from every beast will I require it, and at the hand ding of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, blood will I require the life of man. 1 9 2 Following the Gk. and Lat. The Heb. has, all with which the ground teems. m 9 4 For a specific illustration of this law, cf. II. Sam. 4 11 . 67 Gen. II 1 ] CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN DEGENERACY [Gen. 9 P Age of Noah Late Priestly Narratives 6 Whoever sheds man's blood, By man shall his blood be shed ; For in the image of God made he man. 7 But do you be fruitful and become numerous ; swarm over the earth and become numerous upon it. 28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 Thus all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years ; then he died. IV THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NATIONS, Gen. KB-ll 9 §9. The Story of the Tower of Babel, Gen. ll 1 - 9 Early Judean N arratives original Gen. 11 x Now the earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 And the race it came to pass as they journeyed from the east a that they found a plain in the land of Shinar [Babylonia], 19 and dwelt there. 3 Then said they one to another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. 4 They also Building said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower, with its top in the sky ; and ty thus let us make ourselves a name, so that we may not be scattered t° wer a ) )roa( ] U pon the face of the whole earth. 0 5 But Jehovah came down to Jeho- see the city and the tower, which the children of men had built. 6 Then disap- Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people and they all have one lan- proval guage ; and this is the beginning of their achievement, but henceforth nothing which they purpose to do will be too difficult for them. 7 Come, origin let us go down and there confound their language, that they may not entian^ understand one another’s speech. 8 So Jehovah scattered them abroad fuages f rom t}j ence U pon the face of all the earth ; and they ceased building races the city. 9 Therefore they called its name Babel [Confusion], d because § 9 Although this section, as it now stands in Genesis, follows, it logically precedes the table of the nations in 10, for it begins with the statement that all people spoke the same language and dwelt together. Its style, representation, and primitive conceptions of Jehovah all indicate that it belongs to the earliest group of Judean prophetic narratives. It is the logical continuation of the stories of man’s fall, of Lamech, of Noah, the first vineyard-keeper, and of the sons of God and the daughters of men. It gives the earliest explanation of the origin of the different races, and this in turn furnishes the natural introduction to the prophetic narratives concerning the origin and experiences of the ancestors and kinsmen of the Hebrews which follow. The con- clusions of the later Judean prophetic and the priestly accounts of the flood, together with their continuations in the table of the nations, 10, contain parallel but very different explanations of how the various races came into existence. a ll 2 So Gk., Syr., and Lat. The Heb., although usually translated eastward, reads literally from eastward. b ll 2 The biblical designation of ancient Babylonia. Possibly a later abbreviation of the old Babylonian name, “Sumer and Akkad . 'I c ll 4 There are suggestions in this section — and especially in this verse — that the present story is made up of two different narratives, one of which told of the building of a city (Babylon) with the view to gaining renown thereby, and the other of the construction of a tower, with its top in the sky, that it might become a rallying point. dip From similarity of sound to the Hebrew word, balal meaning confusion. The Babylo- nian inscriptions have shown that the name Babylon is composed of two words, meaning Gate o the Gods. 68 THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL [Gen. 13» there Jehovah confounded the language of the whole earth and there Jehovah scattered them over the face of the whole earth. § 10. Origin and Relationships Later Judean Prophetic Gen. 9 18a And the sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 19a These three were the sons of Noah, 10 lb and to them were sons born after the flood, 9 19b and of these was the whole earth overspread. of the Nations, Gen. 9 18 - ,9 ’ 10 Late Priestly Narratives THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE SONS OF NOAH, SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH 10 32 These are the families of Origin the sons of Noah, after their gen- different erations, in their nations : and of raceb these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth : Gomer, Distant Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Me- ancf ern shech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of^sterr Gomer : Ashkenaz, Riphath, and peoples Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan : Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. 5 From these were spread abroad the maritime nations. These are the sons of Japheth e in their lands, each according to his language, ac- § 10 That this table of the nations is composite is shown by the presence of two general introductions and also duplicate introductions to the genealogy of Ham, Cush, and Shem. Fur- thermore, in the one Havilah and Sheba are sons of Cush, 10\ and in the other they are sons of Joktan, 10 28 - 29 , the descendant of Shem. The style of the two lists is also distinct. One list is that of the later Judean prophetic writers, and continues their version of the flood tradition, 9 18 ' 19 . It is interspersed with supplemental traditions, 10 8 > 10 ' 12 - 14 ' 19 , and plays on the sound of words, 10 25 . The other consists simply of a list of names in the characteristic form and with the formulas of the late priestly narrators (cf. 10 1 ' 31 . 32 ). The prophetic, which is the older, reflects the limited knowledge of the Hebrews regarding their neighbors in the days before the exile; while the priestly, coming after that great event which brought the Jews into contact with more distant peoples, includes the nations of Asia Minor and the coast lands of the Mediterranean, 10 2 ’ 4 , mentioned first by O.T. writers like Ezekiel, who lived after 586 B.c. As they are pre- served, the two narratives have been so closely welded together that in certain places in each extracts from the other have been substituted, so that we probably have neither in its original completeness. While the principle of arrangement is nominally ethnological, and all the nations (like the Egyptians and Canaanites) and cities (like Sidon) are treated as individuals, the real canon of classification is obviously roughly geographical, cf . Map opp. p. 49. Thus the Canaan- ites, whose language and institutions all proclaim their Semitic origin, are classified with the Egyptians and Philistines as sons of Ham, 10 6 ' 19 , while the Elamites are associated with the Assyrians as sons of Shem, 10 22 . The sons of Japheth (the wide or far extended) are the distant peoples to the north and west of Palestine, including the Phcenieian colonies on the shores and islands of the Mediterranean: the sons of Ham (the hot or burned ) are the peoples to the south, southeast and southwest of Palestine, including the old inhabitants of Canaan and the tribes living in the hot desert, and the inhabitants of Africa who came within the horizon of the Hebrews. The sons of Shem (name) , the renowned races, include the people to the east of Canaan , who figure C rominently in antiquity, and whom the Hebrews regarded as ancestors or kinsmen. In the iblical classification the usual order of the sons of Noah is reversed, that the table may culminate in the descendants of Shem. The primary aim of this chapter was clearly to explain the origin and relationship of the nations known to the Israelites; its permanent religious signifi- cance, however, is the recognition and concrete declaration that all the races of the earth belong to the same great family, and therefore are kinsmen. • 10 5b The fixed formula of the priestly writer in 2 °. 31 indicates that these words have fallen out of the original text. The antecedent of these in 6a is clearly the sons of Javan in 4 , not all the Hons of Japheth, for those mentioned in 2 ' 3 are inland peoples. 69 South- eastern, south- ern and Canaan- itish peoples Babylo- nian, Arame- an and Arabian ances- tors of the Hebrews Gen. 9 18 ] BEGINNINGS OF THE NATIONS [Gen. 10 5 Later Judean Prophetic 9 18h And Ham was the father of Cush, Mizraim [Egypt], and Canaan. 10 8 And Cush begat Nimrod ; he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah : wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter be- fore Jehovah. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land he went forth into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, 12 Resen, be- tween Nineveh and Calah (that is the great city). 13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (whence went forth the Philistines), and Caphtorim. 15 And Canaan begat Sidon, his first-born, and Heth, 16 and the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite : f and afterward the families of the Ca- naanite were spread abroad, 19 so that the boundary of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as far as sGerar (to Gaza). 11 and as far as Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, to Lasha. 1 21 And children were also born to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth. 24 And Arpachshad begat Shelah, and She- lah begat Eber. 25 And to Eber were born two sons : the name of the one was Peleg [Division], for in his days was the earth divided ; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 And Joktan begat Almodad, She- leph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 7 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 0bal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 0phir, Havilah, and Jobab ; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha, as far as Sephar, the mountain of the East. Late Priestly Narratives cording to their families by their peoples. G And the sons Mizraim [Egypt], of Ham : Cush, Put, and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush : Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sab- teca; and the sons of Raamah : She- ba and Dedan. 20 These are the sons of Ham, ac- cording to their families, accord- ing to their tongues, in their lands by their people. 22 The sons of Shem : Elam, Asshur, Arpach- shad, Lud, and Aram. 23 And the sons of Aram : Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands by their people. I ip 19 - 18 * These words seem to be a later explanatory note, anticipating the spreading abroad of the Canaanites recorded in 18b . Similar facts are inserted in the subsequent narratives, e. g. t 15 19 ' 21 . Cf. Introd., p. 36. * 10 19 Lit., as you go toward. h 10 19 Gaza, the larger and better known town, seems to have been added to identify the location of Gerar, which was to the south. Cf. Gen. 20 1 . 4 10 19 Lasha probably = Laish = Dan (cf. Judg. 18 29 ). 70 Siduna Siduna SIDON, Dimash ] ku DAMASCUS HER MON TYRE ACCHO] c , Astlrat ,*SHTAROTH-KARNAIM cHinatuni HANNATHON 1 CsEAjO'F \CH1NNERET1I M jkida, Magid MEGIDDO Otara'i EDREI 3 Sakema .SHECHEM ,la Irbok,^ 'SUCCOTH Yapu Yap ii / JOPP A PENUELX A>ial nun 'A JALON -Urnsaliiih ^JERUSALEM imli. Oiiiti / i GATH Sauk o - SOCHO Ga$a y Azzati \ Lakish LACHISH HEBRON Hinianabi 'ANAB « Sharahan SHARUHPN 1 Arad ARAD SCALE OF MILES o Araru AROER SOUTH COUNTRY REHOBOTH, (JTEGEB) bormay & PRE-HEBRBEW CANAAN IN THE LIGHT OF THE EGYPTIAN MONUMENTS (1600-1300 B.C.) AND THE ARMARNA LETTERS (About 1400 B.C. ) TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLISM : Egyptian Names r Amama- Letter Names U. BIBLICAL NAMES. / : . A s h k a ru n Ashkftlunc ASHKELQ THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTORS OF THE HEBREWS Gen. ll 10 -49 la , 49 28b -50 26 THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTORS OF THE HEBREWS I THE ABRAHAM (ABRAM) STORIES— THE BEGINNINGS OF HEBREW RACIAL LIFE, Gen. ll 10 -25 20 §11. Ancestry and Family — Origin, and Aramean Kinsmen of the Hebrews, Gen. II 10 - 29 Late Priestly Narratives THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM Gen. 11 10b Wiien Shem was a hundred years old he begat Arpachshad, two years after the flood; 11 and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 12 And when Arpachshad had lived thirty -five years, he begat Shelah; 13 and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. The Abraham (Abram) Stories — The majority of these stories come from the prophets of Judah and Northern Israel, who for political and religious reasons were more interested in preserving the traditions of the early ancestors of the race than were the priestly writers, who conceived of the law and the institutions which commanded their attention, as being first revealed through Moses. Cf. Introd., chap. IV. To Abraham they attributed alone the or- igin of the rite of circumcision and in connection with its first establishment their narrative suddenly becomes very full. Cf. §§ 16-19. Standing as the traditional father of the race among the mists of dim antiquity, it was in- evitable that the character of Abraham should be idealized. In the stories which they have preserved each group of biblical writers has sketched its ideal. In the Judean prophetic narratives Abraham is the friend of God, the man of perfect faith who in a cruel, selfish, warring age lived at peace with all men. Indifferent concerning the present, his supreme joy was in the divine promises regarding his descendants. Although a son of Adam he is represented as attaining that intimate and harmonious acquaintance with God which was originally the possession of the first man. In the Ephraimite narratives he is called (20 7 ) and is pictured as a prophet, in dreams foreseeing the future, intent only upon carrying out the divine command, even though it cost him his dearest possession (22), and ever personally directed and protected by God. In the priestly narrative he is the ideal servant of the law, conforming punctiliously according to his dim light to the demands of the ritual. In the independent narrative of Gen. 14 he figures in a very different role. Instead of being afraid to call his wife his own, he is the fearless knight, who with a handful of men puts to flight the allied armies of Elam and Baby- lonia, and magnanimously restores to the plundered cities all the captured spoil, retaining simply a portion for the priest of the Most High. Later Jewish traditions make him also the conqueror of Damascus; while another group of stories pictures him as the apostle of mono- theism, preaching to the idolatrous Babylonians and Egyptians the one true God. Another represents him as being borne in a fiery chariot to heaven, where he abides, receiving the faithful to his bosom (Lk. 16 22 ). Christians and Moslems further modified and enlarged the portrait. Thus in succeeding ages prophets, priests, patriots, and theologians all projected their ideals into these concrete portraits of the father of their race. It is comparatively unimportant whether or not there was a man at the beginning of Hebrew history who possessed all the virtues and § 11 This section continues the priestly history, tracing the ancestry of the Hebrews through Abraham and Noah to Adam. Its formulas are precisely the same as in the priestly list of the antediluvians, § 3. Shem Arpach- shad 73 Shelah Eber Peleg Keu Serug Nahor Terah Domes- tic histo- ry of the house of Terah Gen. 10 14 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES Late Priestly Narratives 14 And when Shelah had lived thirty years he begat Eber; 15 and Shelah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 16 And when Eber had lived thirty -four years, he begat Peleg; 17 and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18 And when Peleg had lived thirty years, he begat Reu; 19 and Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. 20 And when Reu had lived thirty-two years, he begat Serug; 21 and Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 22 And when Serug had lived thirty years, he begat Nahor; 23 and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 24 And when Nahor had lived twenty -nine years, he begat Terah; 25 and Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 26 And when Terah had lived seventy years, he begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 11 28 And Haran a died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. b 29 And Abram and Nahor took for themselves wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Jiseah , c the spiritual enlightenment attributed to him by later generations. Abraham is more than an historical figure, he is the embodiment of those exalted ideals which made the Israelites what they were. In men like Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and Judas Maccabaeus the Abraham of the O .T. traditions certainly lived. The great and permanent value of these stories is, therefore , manifestly found in the vital religious truth which they illustrate and in the noble types of character which they present. The student of Israel’s past also finds embedded in them many historical facts. Some of them clearly preserve the early beliefs and memories of the Hebrews regarding their origin, migra- tions, and relations with their Semitic neighbors. Others are more local, giving the traditional origin of shrines, like Beersheba and Beer-lahai-roi. As has already been suggested (p. 9), it is also possible that the Abraham, about whose name the floating popular traditions and the pride and hopes of later generations centred, is an historical character. For the origin and early history of these stories, cf. Introd., p. 22. » 1128, 29 The sudden change of style reveals the work of a prophetic writer. The representa- tion is also consistent with that of the Judean narratives in § 24. These verses appear to be a fragment of the originally longer Judean genealogy for which the priestly has been substituted. b II 28 It seems probable, although it is by no means certain, that, this reference to Ur of the Chaldees was not found in the original Judean narratives. In 24 4 ' 7 ■ 10 Abraham speaks of Aram as the land of his nativity (§ 24). In 22 20 , 27 43 , 28 10 , 29 s his kinsmen are all found in Haran. The earliest Hebrew traditions seem without exceptipn to have traced back the ancestors of the race to Aram, not to the southernmost Babylonian city of Ur. The attempt to identify Ur with some Aramean city has been made, but not with great success. Ur of Babylonia and Haran were both located on the border of the desert and were famous for the worship of the moon god Sin. The origin, however, of the present tradition, which is repro- duced in the priestly, is not clear. It may, like that of the flood, belong to a later JudeaB story, in which case its presence here and in 15 7 are due to an editor. “II 30 Regarding the setting of ll 30 , cf. note §17. 74 Gen. 12 1 ] THE MIGRATION TO CANAAN [Gen. II 31 Abram’s call and depart- ure for Canaan Experi- ences in Canaan § 12. Migration to Canaan— -Movements Westward toward the Promised Land, Gen. U 31 - 3! , 12 1 * 8 Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 12 4 * * Now Jehovah said to Abram, Go out from thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, to the land that I will show thee, 2 that I may make of thee a great na- tion; and I will surely bless thee, and make thy name great, so that thou shalt be a blessing.® 3 X will also bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; so that all the families of the earth shall invoke a blessing like thine for themselves/ 4a So Abram went, as Jehovah had commanded him, and Lot went with him. 6 Then Abram passed through the land to the district of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh [Divi- nation]. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7 And Jehovah revealed himself to Abram, saying, To thy descendants will I give this land; and there he built an altar to Jehovah, who had revealed himself to him. 8 And he removed thence to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to Jehovah and called upon the name of Jehovah. Late Priestly Narratives 11 31 Now Terah took Depart- a i i • j t a lire from Abram ins son, and .Lot Urana his grandson, the son lt j Ha- Q of Haran, and Sarai ran his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Can- aan. So they came to Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the length of Te- rah ’s life d was two hun- dred and five years; and Terah died in Haran. 12 5 Then Abram took. Abram’s Sarai his wife, and Lot mSm his brother’s son, and all amiar- their goods that they had Canaan acquired and the persons whom they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan ; 4b and Abram was seven- ty-five years old when he departed from Haran. i 12 Chap. 12 contains two distinct accounts of Abram’s migration to Canaan. 12 1 - 4 is in the flowing narrative style of the Judean prophetic writer, cf. Jehovah, 4 . 1 2 ,b . 6 * , like ll 81 - s2 ' reveals the priestly vocabulary and interest in the exact age of the patriarchs. The logical order of these verses has here been restored. Vss. 6 * - 8 continue the prophetic narrative of ui , representing Abram as frequently receiving personal revelations from Jehovah, and as rearing altars at the places thus rendered sacred by divine presence. Cf. Introd., pp. 33, 34. d ll 32 Heb., days of Terah. The Sam. has probably preserved the original reading, 175 in- stead of 205 years. * 12 2 Syr., Gk., and Lat. have the passive blessed. While the form of the verb is that of a command, the construction expresses the idea of result. Blessing seems to have a double meaning, as interpreted in the succeeding verse; (1) an object of blessing, and (2) the embodi- ment and superlative illustration of the benign effects of Jehovah’s favor. f 12 3 Lit., in thee shall all . . . be blessed or bless themselves . Parallels show that the latter meaning is here intended, 22 18 * , 26'. This conclusion is also confirmed by the attitude toward other peoples which characterizes the early Judean narratives. They recognize the unity of the human race; but the recognition of Israel’s universal mission to mankind belongs to_a later stage in divine revelation. The idea contained in this peculiar idiom is illustrated in 48 20 . Cf. also 18 18 , 28 14 . It is: so altogether desirable shall be the lot of the descendants of Abram, that all other peoples will invoke for themselves a similar blessing. 75 Abram’s resi- dence in Egypt Isaac at Gerar Gen. 12 9 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES [Gen. 20 1 § 13. Deception regarding Sarah (Rebekah) — Relations with the South Ara- bian Tribes, Gen. 12 9 -13\ 20 Later Judean Gen. 13 9 Now Abram still journeyed toward the South Country. g 19 And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was severe in the land. Gen. 26 1 ] Isaac’s Deception regarding Rebekah, Gen. 26 1_u Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 36 x Now when a famine came in the land, (besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham) , Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines to Gerar. Early Ephraimite Prophetic Nar- ratives 30 x Now Abraham journeyed thence 11 toward the land of the South Country and he dwelt between Ka- desh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. § 13 The three narratives 12 9 -13*' 3 - 4 , 20 and 26 1-14 , are obviously variants of the same pe- culiar story. The background and the actors change, but the themes are the same. None of the narratives stand in close logical connection with those which immediately precede and follow them. In the first, 12 9 -13'. 3 . 4 , there is no place for Lot, who figures in 12 and 13 4 - 13 . This fact is recognized in 13 lb ' 3 . 4 which were evidently introduced by later editors to harmonize the story with the following verses. The first account of Abram’s deception is in the style and spirit of the Judean narratives, but seems to be from a later strand, and was probably intended to explain the wealth of the patriarch in 13'L 4 - 13 . It is also more elaborate than the corre- sponding Judean story in 26 1 " 14 . As it stands in Gen., the second version, 20, follows the account of the birth of Isaac in Sarah’s old age; although it assumes that she was young and attractive. Moreover it is diffi- cult to imagine that Abraham twice practised the same deception with the same disastrous results. The explanation of the two variants is found in the fact that in 20 the designation of the Deity is God ( Elohim ), and the revelation to Abimelech is through a dream. Abraham is also called a prophet, and the conception of Jehovah is more developed than in the Judean stories. These and other peculiarities of the narrative indicate that it was the version current among the prophets of Northern Israel. Cf. Introd., pp. 37-40. The third variant is in many ways the simplest and most primitive. No religious motive appears. To supply this defect and to reconcile the story with 20, a late prophetic editor, whose peculiar expressions and deep religious spirit indicate that he lived in the age of Jeremiah, amplified 1 - 6 . In its original form this narrative probably represents the oldest version of the story. Similar transferences of a tradition from one character and setting to another are famil- iar phenomena in the literary history of the ancient East. No one can unhesitatingly indorse the ethical standards reflected in these stories. They must be recognized as an index of the imperfectly developed moral consciousness of the age which gave them birth. Back of them are probably historical experiences, not of an individual but of a tribe. The narrative of the journey to Egypt because of a famine and of the plagues sent by Jehovah upon the Egyptians, which render them eager to hasten with gifts the de- parture of the Abraham clan, may well represent a dim, popular memory of the sojourn and exo- dus of the Hebrews from Egypt. At least the details of this version reveal the influence of that more familiar tradition. Likewise the stories of the wrongs suffered at the court of Abimelech of Gerar, who is later described as king of the Philistines, 26 1 , may be simply a later popular tradition of the oppression of the Hebrews by the Philistines in the days preceding Saul and David. It is probable, however, that a still older tradition lies back of all these later ariants. The Assyrian historical inscriptions have demonstrated that there was an Arabian district in the south of Canaan which bore the name of Mucri (cf . map opp. p. 71) . Since this was practically identical in form wit h, the Hebrew name of Egypt (Mizraim ) , it was natural that later generations should confuse the two and only remember the more prominent. Further- more, since the Philistines did not enter Canaan until a comparatively late period, it is more than probable that in the original tradition Abimelech was king of Mucri . not of the Philistines. If so, the striking points of likeness and difference in the three versions of the story are explained. It preserves the memoirs of the early relations between the nomadic ancestors of the Hebrews and the kindred Arabian tribe of Mufri, and therefore is analogous to the stories concerning Hagar, who seems to have come from this tribe, not from Egypt. Cf. §§ 17, 21. e 12 9 Heb., Negeb, the barren, rolling, grazing lands to the south of Judah. Cf. map opp. p. 71. h 20 1 The preceding chapter tells of the deliverance of Lot. The context therefore gives no suggestion regarding the antecedent of thence. Evidently the narrative is only an extract from the larger Ephraimite prophetic history. Abra- ham at G-erar Recep- tion re- garding Sarai and its conse- quences Gen. 12 11 ] THE DECEPTION REGARDING SARAH [Gen. 20 2 Later Judean ] 1 Then, when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife. Behold now, I know that you are a woman fair to look upon; 12 so that when the Egyptians see you , they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but will let you live. 13 I pray you, say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake and that my life may be spared because of you. 14 And it came to pass that when Abram had arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 And he dealt well with Abram for her sake so that he had sheep, and oxen and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. 17 But Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Early Ephraimite 2 Then Abraham said concerning Sarah his wife. She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou must die , * 1 because of the woman whom thou hast taken, for she is married d 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; therefore he said, Lord, wilt thou slay even a righteous nation? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister?’ and even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the inno- cency of my hands have I done this. 6 Then God said to him in the dream, I indeed know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also prevented thee from sinning against me, since I did not allow thee to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man’s wife, (for he is a prophet), and he can intercede for thee, and thou shalt live. But if [Gen. 26 2 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 2 And Jehovah appeared to him and said, Go not down into Egypt ; dwell in the land of which I shall tell thee, 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and bless thee; for to thee, and to thy descendants, I will give all these lands, and will estab- lish the oath which I swore to Abraham thy father; 4 and I will make thy descendants as many as the stars of heaven, and give to thy descendants all these lands ; and all the nations of the earth shall invoke for themselves a blessing like that of thy descendants, 11 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 Then the men of the place asked him about his wife; and he said, She is my sister; for he was afraid to say, My wife; lest the men of the place kill him 1 for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 9 Now after he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines once looked out of the window, and saw Isaac just as he was caressing™ Rebekah his wife. | 20 3 Lit., dead or about to die > 20 3 Heb., wife of a husband. k 26 4 Cf. § 12, note'. 1 26 7 Heb. , me. The Heb. , contrary to Eng. usage, often retains the first person in indirect address. “ 26 s The Heb. vers, contains a play on the words Isaac; ylshak mesahek. 77 Decep- tion re- garding Sarah and the divine warning to Abim- elech Revela- tion and divine Decep- tion re- garding Rebekah The dis- closure and Abram’s depart- ure from Egypt The pub- lic dis- closure of Isaac’s decep- tion Gen. 12 18 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES [Gen. 20 7 Later Judean 18 Therefore Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? why did you not tell me that she was your wife ? 19 why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife ? Now therefore here is your wife, take her and go. 20 And Pharaoh gave his men charge concerning him, to conduct him on his way with his wife, and all that he had. Early Ephraimile thou restore her not at once, know that thou shalt surely die, together with all that are thine. 8 And Abim- elech rose early in the morning, and summoned all his servants, and when he had told all these things in their hearing, the men were greatly afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, Thepub- What have you done to us ? and wherein have I sinned closure against you, that you would have brought on me and my Abra- kingdom a great sin ? you have done to me deeds that contes- ought not to be done. 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, slon What did you have in view that you have done this thing ? 11 And Abraham answered, Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.’ 12 Moreover, she is indeed my sis- ter, the daughter of my father, though not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 So it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my fa- ther’s house that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you shall do me; at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother” ’. 14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen, and male Abime- and female servants and gave them to Abraham, and requital restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 Also Abimelech said 5 ham and Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever you war! please. 16 And to Sarah he said, See, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is a compensation for all that has befallen you; n and in Gen. 26 9 ] Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 9 Then Abimelech called to Isaac, and said, Surely now she is your wife; therefore why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’ Isaac answered him, Verily, I said it, that I might not die because of her. 10 And Abimelech said. What is this you have done to us ? One of the people might have lain with your wife and so you would have brought guilt upon us. 11 And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year an increase of Isaac’s a hundred fold, for Jehovah blessed him. 13 And the man became rich , 0 and ty and grew richer and richer until he became very rich 0 ; 14 for he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; so that the Philis- tines envied him. “ 20 16 Heb. lit., a covering of the eyes for all that are with you. A slight emendation of the text gives the above reading. ° 26 13 Heb., great. 78 Gen. 13 1 ] THE COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH [Gen. 20' 6 Later Judean 13 x Thus Abram went up out of Egypt, together with his wife and all that he had , and Lot with him, into the South Country. Early Ephraimite every respect you are vindicated. 11 17 Thereupon Abra- ham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, so that they bore children ( 18 for Jehovah had completely closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife). § 14. Abraham’s (Isaac’s) Covenant with Abimelech at Beersheba — Alliances with the South Arabian Tribes, Gen. 2 l 22-84 Later Judean Prophetic Agree- Gen. 21 25 Now as often as Abra- gardinj* ham reproved Abimelech because of at Beer- the well of water which Abimelech ’s 3 e a servants had appropriated, 26 Abim- elech said, I do not know who has done this thing, neither have you told Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narra- tives 21 22 Now it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke to Abra- ham, saying, God is with you in all you do . 23 Now therefore take oath to Gen. 26 15 Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech at Beersheba— Gen. 26 15-33 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 26 15 Now all the wells which Isaac’s father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. 1 -’And Abim- elech said to Isaac, Go from us; for you are much mightier than we. 17 So Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. ISThen Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of p 20 16 Am. R V in respect of all you are righted. Another possible translation is, before all you are vindicated. § 14 Three distinct versions of this story are found, each localized at Beersheba, and each suggesting an independent tradition regarding the origin of the name of that famous well and sanctuary. One derives the word sheba from the Heb. root meaning seven ( Well of seven), because Abraham sealed his covenant with Abimelech by giving him seven lambs, 2 1 28 -30 . 32. 33_ The other two versions derive it from the similar Heb. word to swear ( Well of swearing) . In each the covenant is made with Abimelech, but in 21 25ff - his servants quarrel about the wells with those of Abraham, while in 26 15ff - with the servants of Isaac. In 21 22 - 24 . 27 ■ 3i there is no suggestion of a quarrel, but Abimelech, not Abraham, takes the initiative in establishing a covenant. These verses make a complete unit, continuing the Ephraimite story of Abraham’s sojourn in Gerar 20. The term used for the Deity and other indications confirm this conclusion. The remaining verses of 21 present quite a different picture. While 25 cannot originally have followed 22_24 , it has nothing in common with the story of Hagar’s flight, recounted in the first part of the chapter, except that both are localized in the South Country — which fact probably explains why it was introduced in its present setting. Like the Ephraimite version and the narrative of 26 15-33 , it is the logical continuation of the story of the patriarch’s deception re- garding his wife. 13’ furnishes the connecting link with the later Judean prophetic tradition of 12. The term Jehovah in 33 and the similarity in representation confirm the relationship. Furthermore it is only in the later Judean stories that Abraham is found south of Hebron, while in the early Judean, which precede and follow 21 25ff -, he is definitely established near that ancient city. In combining the two prophetic stories, the later Judean has evidently been abbreviated, so that it begins very abruptly. 26 15-33 continues the story found in the first part of the chapter; but 15 and 18 are plainly from the hands of a later editor, who thus sought to harmonize this with the story of Abraham’s having dug the wells. In its origin the story, which appears in these three versions, was probably very old and may well have been derived from the pre-Hebrew inhabitants of Canaan. In its present form it explains the origin of the name and sanctuary at Beersheba and its possession' by the Hebrews, even though it lay in the territory of the Arab tribes. Agree- ment to regard each other’s rights Depart- ure from Gerar 79 Strife over the wells Revela- tion at Beer- aheba Cove- nant at Beer- sheba Gen. 21 26 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES [Gen. 21 23 Later Judean Prophetic me nor have I heard of it until to-day. 28 But when Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves, 29 Abimelech said to Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves ? 30 And he said, You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand that you may be my witness that I dug this well. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba, and Abimelech arose with Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 He, however, planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abra- ham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days. Gen. 2S 18 ] Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Abraham his father — for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham — and he gave them the same names as his father had given them. 1 9 And when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, they found there a well of living water. 20 Bu the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, The water u ours. Hence he called the name of the well Esek [Contention], because they contended with him. 21 And when they digged another well, they strove for that also. So he called the name of it Sitnah [Enmity]. 22 And here- moved from these and dug another well; and for that one they did not strive. Therefore he called the name of it Rehoboth [Room], and said, For now Jehovah hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land 23 And he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 Then Jehovah appeared tc him the same night and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father, fear noi for I am with thee, and will bless thee and make thy descendants numerou for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25 And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent there. There also Isaac’? servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend, ano Phicol the captain of his host. 27 And Isaac said to them, Why have you come to me, since you hated me and have driven me away from you ? 28 And they said, We saw plainly that Jehovah was with you, so we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in 80 Early Ephraimite Prophetic me here by God that you will not be false to me, nor to my son nor to my descendants; but that according to the kindness which I have shown you, you will treat me, and the land wherein you have sojourned. 24 And Abraham said, I will take oath. 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and they two made a covenant with each other. 31 Therefore he called the place Beer- sheba [Well of the oath], because there they two took oath with each other. The rea- sons for the sepa- tion Lot’s choice of the lower Jordan valley SEPARATION OF ABRAM AND LOT [Gen. 2630 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives peace.’ You are now blessed of Jehovah. 30 And he made them a feast and they ate and drank. 31 Then in the morning they arose early and took oaths with each other; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, We have found water. 33 And he called it Sheba [Oath], therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. § 15. Separation of Abram and Lot — Location of the Kindred Peoples of Palestine, Gen. 13 s-13 Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 13 2 Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. ’And he went on his journeys from the South Country even to Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and Ai, Ho the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first, and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah. 5 And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents, 6b so that they could not dwell together. 7 And when there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle (and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land), 8 Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I beg of you, between me and you and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you ? separate yourself, I pray you, from me. If you go to the left then I will go to the right ; or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left. 10 Then Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain q of the Jordan that it was well watered everywhere (before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) , like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar. r lla So Lot chose for himself all the Plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; 12b and dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 (Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Jehovah.) 3 Priestly Narra- tives 13 6a Now the land was not able to bear them that they might dwell to- gether for their goods were many. ub So they separated themselves the one from the other. 12a Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan. § 15 The main narrative which illustrates Abram’s generosity and disregard for material possessions, is obviously from the Judean source, as is shown by the name of the Deity and by such expressions as, garden of Jehovah , in 10 , which recalls the prophetic story of the garden of Eden in Gen. 2. Vss. 3 - 4 connect the story of the sojourn in Egypt with the older account of the separation from Lot. Vs. 5 is the original sequel of 2 . Vs. 13 looks forward to the prophetic account of the destruction of Sodom in 19. Vss. 6a - llb - 12a , however, represent the brief priestly account of the separation, for they state in the language of the later writers facts previously presented in the prophetic version. Cf. 2 - 6b - lla . 13 10 Lit., Circle of the Jordan. Basin would perhaps be a more appropriate translation of the Heb. and more descriptive of the southern end of the Jordan valley which broadens out so that it is about fourteen miles across opposite Jericho. r 13 10 Lit., As you go toward. ■ 13 13 Introduced parenthetically in anticipation of the story of Sodom’s destruction, § 20. 81 Gen. 13 18 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES [Gen. 17 1 § 16. The Divine Covenant and Promise — Title of the Hebrews to Canaan, g Gen. 13 14 ~ 18 , 15, 17 M4 Later Judean Promise Gen. 13 18 Then Abram’s Abram moved his descend- , , , ants tent, and came be many and dwelt by the and thSit 1 t* -» r they oaks oi Mamre, possess which are in lleb- of0* nd ron, and built naan there an altar to Jehovah. 15 lb ’ d Then the Earlxj Ephraimite 15 la After these things, 12b a deep sleep fell upon Abram lc andGod spoke in a vision saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield. 3a But Abram said, Be- hold , to me thou Late Prophetic 13 14 Jehovah said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him. Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, north- ward, south- Priestly Narra- tives 17 1 W h e n Abram was nine- ty-nine years old, Jehovah revealed himself to Abram and said to him, I am El-Shaddai [God Almighty] ; t walk before me, § 16 Gen. 15, like Gen. 4, presents many complex and perplexing problems. The evidence that it is composed of two different narratives, closely woven together, is conclusive. Thus 2a is a duplicate of 3a and 2b of 3b . The analysis also reveals two complete narratives, in general closely parallel, yet differing radically in details. As the chapter now reads, certain parts are inconsistent with others. Thus the vision in 1 suggests the night and in 5 Abram is asked to look up and see the stars; but in 12 the sun has not set. The prediction in 16 that the bondage will last but three generations is not consistent with the 400 years of 13 . Linguistic differences appear in the different sections. Each of the narratives represented in Gen. seems to have had its distinct version of the promise to the Israelitish race through Abraham of possessing ultimately the land of Canaan. The oldest and simplest version is from the early Judean prophetic source, 12 ; Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said, To thy seed will I give this land; and there he built an altar to Jehovah, who appeared, to him. It localizes the revelation at the oak of Moreh at Shechem, when Abram first arrived in Canaan. The fifteenth chapter seems to contain (1) a later more detailed Judean prophetic account of the same, and (2) extracts from the early Ephraimite narratives. The later Judean narrative is characterized by the peculiar expression , the word of J . came, in *• 4 , found nowhere else in the Pentateuch, but very common in all the other pre-exilic prophetic writings. Cf. 2 Sam. 7 4 , Hos. I 1 ; Is. 28 13 ; Jer. I 2 , 2 1 . So also the idioms; I am Jehovah that drought thee out, and to give thee this land to possess it, in 7 , and great river in 18 , are water-marks, not of the earlier, but of the later pre-exilic prophetic writings. Furthermore the mode of symboliz- ing a covenant by passing between the severed pieces of the sacrifice ,is similar to that in vogue in the days of Jeremiah. Cf. Jer. 34 18 . It is generally recognized that Gen. 14 contains a story derived from a source entirely distinct from those represented in the preceding and following chapters. Logically 15 immediately follows 13: the original sequence of Abram’s generous act in yielding to Lot was the divine assurance that his reward should be exceedingly great, 15 1 , and the promise of a lineal heir, who should inherit the land, the title to which is conferred by the divine covenant. The remaining verses of 15 also constitute a complete and consistent unit. The revelation comes to Abram, not in the daytime, as in the Judean version of the story, but in a vision at night (cf. la ' 6 ), as usually in the Ephraimite narratives. In response to Abram’s complaint that he has no heirs 3a , he is assured that his descendants shall be as numerous as the stars 3 , and shall return to occupy Canaan after residing for three generations 16 in a foreign land. Idi- oms such as after these times, 1 and Amorite, K confirm the conclusion that here and in connection with the all-important promises to the race, the citations from the early Ephraimite prophetic narratives are first introduced into Genesis. The definite statement that the sojourn in Egypt would last just 400 years (which conflicts with the estimate in 16 ) and the last clause in 14 (cf. goods, 13 6a ) are evidently from a later priestly editor. The importance of this traditional title to Canaan in the minds of the Hebrews is further demonstrated by the presence of still another brief version of the story in 13 14-17 . Its flowing style and use of the term Jehovah indicates that it comes from the prophets of Judah. Its promises exceed those found in the preceding versions. Its hortatory tone also suggests that it is from the evangelical school of writers, which wrote the book of Deuteronomy. Cf. Introd., pp. 42, 43. Gen. 17 contains the late priestly version of the divine promise to Abram and culminates in the third great covenant thus far recorded in this gioup of narratives. It is sealed by the rite of circumcision, which is represented as being first revealed to Abraham. For the prophetic theories regarding the origin of this widespread institution, cf. §§ 61 and 109. 1 17 1 The priestly narratives suggest the orderly, progressive nature of divine revelation by the different names whereby, according to them, the Deity was known in succeeding ages. They assume that at the creation, it was simply, God, Elohim; to the patriarchs, El-Shaddai, 28 3 , 35 11 , 48 3 , Ex. 8 3 ; and to Moses, Jehovah, Ex. 8 2 - 7 . The derivation of Shaddai is not certain. It may come from the verb to destroy, hence the Destroyer, the Almighty, or to throw, or it may be composite and equivalent to the Sufficient (Ho Hikanos of Aquila and Theodotion). 82 Gen. 15 1 ] THE DIVINE COVENANT PROMISE [Gen. 13 14 , 17 1 Later Judean word of Jehovah came to Abram saying, Thy re- ward is exceed- ingly great. 2a But Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? I go childless, 3b and, indeed, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 Thereupon the word of Jehovah came to him, say- ing, this man shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth from thine own body shall be thine heir. 6 And he be- lieved in Jehovah; and Jehovah reck- oned it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, I am Jeho- vah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give to thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, O Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall in- herit it ? Early Ephraimite hast given no off- spring, 2b and he that shall be pos- sessor of my house is Eliezer of Da- mascus. 11 5 Then [God] caused him to go outside and said. Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou art able to number them ; and he said to him, So shall thy descendants be. 13 He also said to Abram, Know certainly that thy descendants shall be resident aliens in a land that is not theirs , and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. 14 But also that na- tion, whom they shall serve, will I judge, and after- ward they shall come out with many goods. 15 But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a Late Prophetic Priestly Narra- ward, eastward, " ‘ and westward; and be perfect, 15 for all the land 2 and I will make which thou my covenant seest, I will give between me and to thee and to thee and will thy descendants make thy de- forever. 16 And scendants exceed- I will make thy ingly numerous, descendants as 3 Then Abram fell the dust of the on his face: and earth, so that if God talked with a man can num- him saying, 4 As ber the dust of for me, behold, the earth, then my covenant is may thy de- with thee, and scendants also thou shalt be the be numbered. father of a mul- 17 Arise, walk titude of nations, through the 5 Neither shall thy length and name any longer breadth of the be called Abram, land ; for to thee but thy name will I give it. shall be Abra- ham; 4 for the fa- ther of a multi- t u d e of nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and will make nations of thee, and kings shall spring from thee. 7 And I will establish my cove- nant between me and thee and thy descendants after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to thee and to thy descendants after thee. 8 And I will give to thee, and to thy descend- ants after thee, the land of thy so- u 15 2b Heb. is obscure. Syr. and Chaldee, Eliezer the Damascene. v 17 5 According to the priestly writers the new stage in revelation is marked, not only by the change in the name of God, but also by that of the patriarch and later that of his wife, 17 16 . Cl. that of Jacob to Israel in 32 M . They represent the later attempts to explain these double names. For another explanation cf. note § 17. While the popular derivation of the name, Abraham, here suggested rests simply on similarity of sound, its real etymology cannot be definitely de- termined. Possibly it is simply a longer form of Abram, which is itself a compound word, meaning Lofty father , or Father of the lofty one, or, more probably, The lofty one ( Ham ) is father. The name appears on a contract tablet of the reign of Apil-Sin, the grandfather of Hammurabi, who lived about 2250 b.c. and who figures as Amraphel in Gen. 14. 83 THE ABRAHAM STORIES [Gen. 17 8 The di- vine cov- enant confirm- ing the promise Rebel lion of the five kings Early Ephraimite good old age . 16 A n d in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. 9 And he said to him, Take for me a heifer of three years old, and a she- goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took for him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half over against the other; but the birds he did not divide. 11 And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12a ’ c And when the sun was going down, w lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. 17 And it came to pass that, when the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed be- tween these pieces. 18 At that time Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates x 19 (the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, 20 the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and Jebusite). Priestly Narratives journings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. 9 God also said to Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my cove- nant, thou, and thy descendants after thee throughout their genera- tions. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy descendants after thee : every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 Whenever ye are circumcised, the flesh of your foreskin shall be a sign of a covenant between me and you. 12 And every male when he is eight days old, shall be circumcised throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who is not of thine offspring. 13 He who is born in thy house and he who is bought with thy money must surely be circum- cised. Thus my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 As for the uncircumcised male, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that one shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. Gen. 15 15 ] Later Judean § 17. Victory over the Four Eastern Kings — Achievements of the Ancestor of the Hebrews, Gen. 14 Independent Jewish Tradition Gen. 14 x Now it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of w 15 12 Syr. and Lat. read, terror and great darkness. 1 15 18b Except in Ex. 23 31 the exact definition of the boundaries of Israel is found only in the later prophetic passages. § 17 Gen. 14 has few points of contact either in contents or literary style with the other Abraham narratives. It is generally recognized that it is derived from an independent source. 84 VICTORY OVER THE FOUR EASTERN KINGS [Gen. 14 2 Independent Jewish Tradition Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 * All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they had rebelled. 5 Therefore in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, came and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth- Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6 and the Ho- rites in their Mount Seir, to El-Paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they returned and came to En-Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and smote all the coun- try of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who dwelt in Hazazon-Tamar. 8 Thereupon the king of Sodom went out together with the king of Gomor- rah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar); and they set themselves in battle array against them in the valley of It represents the patriarch in the unparalleled role of a chivalrous knight, valiant, generous, very different from the Abram who in Egypt and in the court of Abimelech was afraid to acknowledge Sarah as his wife, § 13, or the prophet whose eyes were fixed alone on God and the future of his descendants. The references within the story suggest that it logically belongs after the separation from Lot and before the account of the destruction of Sodom, § 20. Wide differences of opinion exist regarding the origin and historical value of this chapter. Its assumption that populous cities once skirted the Dead Sea seems to be disproved by the testimony of geology. The improbabilities in the story are also patent and become all the more glaring when the eastern invaders are identified with the kings of Elam and Baby- lonia. The only parallels to the story appear in the late Jewish traditions which represent Abraham as conquering and occupying Damascus. The literary style of the narrative also resembles more the late priestly than the earlier prophetic stories. In its present form at least the narrative appears to come from a post- rather than a pre-exilic writer. It is not improbable, also, that it combines originally distinct stories regarding, (1) the invasion of the Eastern kings, (2) a victory of the Hebron chieftain Abram, and (3) the blessing of Melchizedek. Although in their present literary form, these stories seem to be late, it does not necessarily follow that they do not embody very old traditions. Chedorlaomer is clearly an Elamite name (Kudur- Lagamar) . Amraphel may well be the later form of the name of the famous Babylonian king Hammurabi who ultimately delivered his nation from the Elamite yoke. Ellasar is perhaps the Hebrew form of Larsa, one of the important towns of southern Babylonia. Goiim may be a variant for Gutium, an ancient state lying between Babylonia and Media. The fact that the Elamites ruled Babylonia prior to 2200 b.c. and that these eastern powers at times extended their authority to the Mediterranean is established by the testimony of the Babylonian in- scriptions. The evidence, therefore, is reasonably conclusive that the story of the four kings embodies genuine historical data. The record was most probably kept in Babylonia, where the cuneiform system of writing was in use from an early period. The names of the Palestinian cities might have been preserved by Canaanitish tradition — possibly in written records. Like- wise the references to Melchizedek, although probably introduced later into the present stcpry, may rest upon a historical basis. The site of Solomon’s temple was probably an ancient Canaanitish sacred place. El Elyon (God Most High) was worshipped by the Phoenicians, and therefore by the Canaanites as well as the Hebrews. Priest-kings appear in earliest Semitic history. The name Melchizedek is strikingly similar to Adonizedek, a later king of Jerusalem, mentioned in Josh. 10 l . Melchizedek’s words are in the form of an ancient oracle, which prob- ably represents the original nucleus of the tradition. It must be remembered, however, that all of the identifications suggested above are only possibilities, not certainties. Until they are further proved or disproved by the testimony of the monuments, it is exceedingly hazardous to base important conclusions upon them. The presence of Abraham in a story, the back ground of which antedates the beginnings of Hebrew history by many centuries, is variously explained. By some it is regarded simply as the result of the later Jewish tendency to exalt the traditional ancestor of the race by making him the conqueror of mighty world-powers and the patron of kings. It is perhaps more natural to expect here also a basis of historical fact, in which case Abram would be an early Canaanit- ish or possibly Aramean hero who led a successful attack against the eastern kings. It is by no means incredible that the record of the incident was preserved in some of the Canaanitish cities like Jerusalem, which appears as an important Palestinian town long before the advent of the Hebrews. The presence of the two names Abram and Abraham may be due to the fact that one of them belonged to this early hero and the other to the immediate ancestor of the Hebrews. Cf., however, note § 16. Unfortunately later editors have conformed the usage of the name to the priestly explanation of 17 5 (cf. § 16), so that before 17 5 Abram always appears and after that verse Abraham. The result is that it is impossible to determine what name was original to the different narratives. Thus, at almost every point, exact data are lacking for the definite solution of the intricate problems with which this remarkable chapter is crowded. 85 The pre- ceding conquest of Pales- tine by the east- ern kings Battle in the valley of Siddim Gen. 14 s ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES Independent Jewish Tradition Siddim; 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Am. raphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim is full of bitumen pits; when therefore the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, but those who remained fled to the mountain. Sack of n Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their and Go- provisions and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s morrah gon> w } 10 ( ] we ]t i n Sodom, and his goods and departed. Abram’s 13 But one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he ouspur- dwelt by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of SIXI^ ^ Aner, and these were supporters of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. 15 Then, dividing his band in order to attack the kings by night, y he with his servants smote them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also his kinsman Lot, with his goods, as well as the women and the people. Meeting 17 Then the Icing of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the w ith ~ . , Meichiz- defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Vale) . 18 Melchizedek king of Salem also brought out bread and wine; and he was priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him saying, Blessed be Abram before God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who hath delivered thy foes into thy power. Restora- t ion of the poods of the Sod- omites Then Abram gave him a tenth of all. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself. 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread nor a sandal-thong nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. 24 By no means! Only that which the servants have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre — let them take their portion. § 18. Birth of Ishmael — Origin of the Ishmaelites, Gen. II 30 , 16 1 16 Sarai’s presen- tation of Hagar to Abram Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 11 30 Now Sarai was barren; children; 16 lb but she had j Late Priestly Narratives she had 16 la Now Sarai, Sarai’s Esvp- Abram’s wife, bore him tatkfnof * Hagar to y 14 15 Heb., He divided himself against them by night , he and his servants and smote them. The original is here so elliptical that the meaning is obscure, if translated with bare literalness. § 18 The presence of two parallel narratives in Gen. 16 is readily recognized. The chronologi- cal data and the formal, repetitious style of 3 - 15 * 16 indicate that they contain the priestly account of the birth of Ishmael to whom reference is made in 17 20 * 25 . The formula Sarai Ab- ram’s wife , in la is also the same as that in 3a . The rest of the chapter clearly is from the Judean prophetic group of narratives, to which also belongs ll 30 , for it is the natural introduction to the story and here finds its true setting as the parallel to 16 la . Vss. 9 - 10 interrupt the divine 86 Gen. 16 * 1 ] BIRTH OF ISHMAEL [Gen. 16 3 Early Judean Prophetic tian z maid-servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jeho- vah hath denied me children ; yy 3 go in, I pray you, to my maid-servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. zz Sarai’s Then Abram heeded the voice of Sarai 4 and andHaJ went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And ffght when she saw that she had conceived, her mis- tress was despised in her eyes. 5 Therefore Sarai said to Abram, May the wrong I suffer be upon you. a I myself gave my maid-servant into your bosom; and now that she sees that she has con- ceived, I am despised in her eyes; Jehovah judge between me and you . 6 But Abram said to Sarai , Behold, your maid-servant is in your power , b do to her whatever seems right to you. Then Sarai ill-treated her so that she fled from her presence. Divine 7 And the Messengerof Jehovah found her by a spring of water in the wilder- teHa^ar ness, by the spring in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid- inf dV servant, whence earnest thou ? and whither art thou going ? And she said, I dante am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai . 9 Then the Messenger of Jehovah said to her, Return to thy mistress and submit thyself to her authori- ty.® 10 Moreover the Messenger of Jehovah said to her, 1 will make thy de- scendants so many that they can not be numbered because they are so numer- ous. 11 The Messenger of Jehovah also said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael [God hears], because Jehovah hath heard of thy ill-treatment. promise given by the angelic messenger in 11 • 12 , and appear to have been added by a later editor, who recognized that the other account of Hagar’s expulsion in 21 required that she be brought back to Abram's home, and who sought in this way to harmonize the two narratives. That they are widely variant versions of the same tradition, which aimed to explain the origin of the Ishmaelites and to indicate their relationship to the Hebrews, seems probable. Chap. 21 evidently contains the Ephraimite parallel, cf. §21. The details of the two stories, however, differ so radically that it is difficult to introduce them side by side. In 21 Isaac has been born and Ishmael is a lad, when his mother is driven by Sarah and Abraham into the desert. The stories regarding Ishmael stand in no very close relation to those which precede and follow. The reason is probably because they were derived from a very old cycle of traditions, which preserved the memory of the relationships and alliances between the ancient Arabian tribes — the Hagarites, the Mu^rites and the Ishmaelites — and the ancestors of the Hebrews, and were probably originally distinct from the Lot cycle of stories (§§ 14, 19, 20). In 21 they are, however, interwoven with the group of narratives which relate to the direct ancestors of the Hebrews through Isaac. In general the arrangement adopted by the editor of Gen. is as satisfactory as any which can be devised; for the succeeding narratives assume events recorded in those which precede. 1 16 lb Or Mugrite. The statement that Sarai's maid was a native of Egypt (or Mufri) is in harmony with the account of Abram’s sojourn in that land (12 9 * 13 ). If in the original story Hagar was from Mu 6 > llb > 19 > 20 Later Judean Prophetic Gen. 22 20 Now it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham saying, Behold, Milcah has also borne children to your brother Nahor, 21 Uz his first born, Buz 1 22 13 Heb., behold, behind, a ram caught. A slight emendation of the text gives the above reading, which is confirmed by the Gk., Sam., Syr., Targums and many codices. y 22 14 Lit. , sees. The later Judean editor who expanded the story at this point has apparently substituted the word Jehovah for God, which would be found in the original Ephraimite narra- tive. z 22 14 I.e., it has become a -proverbial statement. Cf. Ex. 2 26 , § 61. » 22 14 The Heb. is difficult, lit. will be seen. It may also be rendered, On the mountain of Jehovah, he [Jehovah] appears, or on the mountain where Jehovah is seen. The context favors the translation given above. § 24 It is an interesting fact that this, the longest narrative in the Pentateuch, relates to a characteristic oriental courtship. The story as a whole is from the Judean prophetic historians, 95 Late Priestly Narratives 25 19 And these are the genera- Instruc- tions to his ser- vant Gen.22 21 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES Later Judean Prophetic his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo and Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. 23 (And Bethuel begat Rebekah). These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 And his concubine whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. 24 1 When Abraham was old and far advanced in years and Jehovah had blessed him b in all things, 2 Abraham said to the eldest of his house servants, who had charge of all his affairs, Put your hand under my thigh, 0 3 while I make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but that you will go to my country and to my kindred and take there a wife for my son Isaac. 5 And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came? 6 and Abraham said to him, See to it that you do not bring my son there again. 7 Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my nativity and who talked with me and who swore to me saying, ‘To thy descendants will I give this land,’ may he send his Messenger before you and may you secure there a wife for my son. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath to me; only never again bring my son back there. 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master and swore to him concerning this matter. d 10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out, having all kinds of his master’s precious things. Thus he arose and went to Aram [Gen. 25 19 Late Priestly Narratives tions of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begat Isaac. 20 A n d Isaac was forty years old, when he took Rebek- ah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Pad- dan -aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. but evidence is not lacking that two originally distinct traditions have been closely fused together; or else it has been expanded through popular transmission. Some of these indica- tions are: (1) Double questions and answers in 24 23 - 25 . Cf. single question in 47 . (2) Evident duplication or comparison in 29 . 30 in regard to Laban’s going to meet the servant. (3) Doublet in 61 . (4) In 69 Rebekah has apparently only one servant but in 61 several. (5) Variations from the style of the Judean narratives. Two complete accounts, however, are not discernible. It seems more probable that the variations are due to the successive elaboration to which the story easily and naturally lent itself. This conclusion is confirmed by its expanded and highly embellished form which is in striking contrast to the brief priestly version in 25 20 . The one resembles a picturesque historical novel with a definite purpose, the other is a bald state- ment of facts. Cf. for literary form, Introd. p. 15. The original narrative of 24 seems to have represented Bethuel and Laban as brothers. Cf. 69 . 60 , and 55 , where the Gk. has brothers. In 50 , they are mentioned together, Laban being given the precedence, which is incongruous with the theory that he was the son of Bethuel. The confusion in this regard in 24 appears to be due to a later attempt to reconcile the older story with the priestly tradition (cf. 25 20 ) that Bethuel was the father of Laban and Rebekah. Thus, although 24 may embody an old prophetic story, in its present form it comes from a later stratum of the Judean narratives. Its chief purpose seems to have been to entertain. It was undoubtedly a great favorite as told beside the camp-fire and at the wedding feasts. It also emphasized the obligation to marry within the tribe or nation. Cf. Introd. p. 13' b 24 1 Heb. idiom repeats Abraham. c 24 2 Cf. for a similar ceremony, Gen. 47 29 . The custom is also in vogue among other primi- tive peoples. d 24 9 Apparently in the original story the account of the death of Abraham was found at this point, but was left out by the later editor who inserted the priestly version, § 25. This is implied by 24 65b and 25 6 . 96 SECURING A WIFE FOR ISAAC [Gen. 24 10 Later Judean Prophetic Narratives Naharaim e to the city of Nalior. n And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at eventide, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, give me, I pray thee, good success f to-day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Eehold I am standing by the spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that the maiden to whom I shall say, ‘Fray let down your water jar that I may drink’; and she shall answer, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ let her be the one thou hast destined for thy servant Isaac; and by this shall I know that thou hast showed kindness to my master. 15 Then even before he had finished speaking, behold therecameout Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah,the wife of Nalior, Abraham’s brother, with her water jar upon her shoulder. 16 And the maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin whom no man had known. And she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her, saying, Pray let me drink a little water from your jar. 18 And she said, Drink my lord, and hastened to let down her water jar upon her hand and let him drink. 19 When she had finished giving him drink she said, I will draw for your camels also, until they are done drinking. 20 And she made haste to empty her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 Meanwhile the man was gazing at her in- tently, keeping silent in order to determine whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 Then, as soon as the camels had finished drink- ing, the man took a gold ring of a half shekel weight , and two bracelets of ten shekels weight of gold for her arms, 23 and said, Whose daughter are you? tell me, I pray you. Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in ? 24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25 She also said to him, Both straw and provender are plentiful with us and there is room to lodge in. 26 Then the man bowed his head and worshipped Jehovah, 27 saying, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham who hath not withdrawn his loving kindness and his fidelity from my master. As for me, Jehovah hath led me on the journey to the house of my master’s kinsmen. 28 Then the maiden ran, and told these words to her mother’s house. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man at the spring. 30 And it came to pass when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he heard the words of Rebekah saying, Thus the man spoke to me; that he came to the man who was still standing by the camels at the fountain. 31 And he said, Come in, you who are blessed of Jehovah! W T hy do you stand outside when I have the house and room for the camels all ready ? 32 So he brought the man into the house, and ungirded the camels; and gave straw and provender for e 24 10 Usually translated, Mesopotamia , but this name first appears much later and did not represent the same territory. Aram Naharaim [Aram of the two rivers] included the region on both sides of the middle Euphrates. Cf. map opp. p. 71. f 24 12 Heb. lit., Cause to meet before me. Gk., Make good the way before me. Am. RV., Send me good speed. The Heb. idiom means, Cause me to attain what I seek. Cf. also 27 20 . 97 The ser- vant’s journey and ar- rival m Aram His meeting and con- versa- tion with Rebekah His re- ception at her house Gen. 2432] THE ABRAHAM STORIES Later Judean Prophetic Narratives the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33j} u t w hen food was set before him to eat, he said, I will not eat until I have made known my errand. And he said, Speak on. 34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And Jehovah hath blessed my master exceedingly, so that he has become very rich. He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses. 36 Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 And my master made me swear saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred and take a wife for my son.’ 39 Then I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me. ’ 40 But he said to me, ‘ May Jehovah, before whom I walk, send his Messenger with you and prosper your mission, and may you take for my son a wife of my kindred and of my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from your oath to me; however, when you come to my kindred, if they do not give her to you, you shall also be free from your oath to me.’ ^Sol came to-day to the spring and said, ‘ O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my mission on which I am going, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water, may it be that if I shall say to the maiden who comes forth to draw, “Give me, I pray you, a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and she shall say to me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,” let that one be the woman whom Jehovah hath destined for my master’s son.” 45 Even before I had done speaking to myself, behold Rebekah came forth with her water jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew. And when I said to her, ‘Pray let me drink, 46 she made haste, and let down her water jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you ?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcahbore to him.’ Then I put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 And I bowed my head and worshipped Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 And now if you are ready to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me, and if not, tell me, that I may act accordingly. 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The matter is in the hands of Jehovah. 8 We cannot give you either an adverse or a favorable answer. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her and go and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Jehovah hath spoken. 52 And it came to pass that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before Jehovah. 53 Then the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother precious things. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and remained all night. When they rose up in the morning, he said, Send me away to my e 24 50 Heb., The thing proceeds from Jehovah. 98 SECURING A WIFE FOR ISAAC [Gen. 24 54 Later Judean Prophetic Narratives master; 55 but her brother and her mother answered, Let the maiden remain with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go. 56 But he said to them, Hinder me not, since Jehovah hath prospered my mission. Send me away that I may go to my master. 57 Then they said, We will call the maiden and con- sult her personally. 58 And when they called Rebekah and said to her. Will you go with this man ? she said, I will go. 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse with Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah, saying to her, Our sister ! may you become thousands and thousands ! And may your descendants possess the gates of their enemies. 61 Then Rebekah arose with her maids and, riding upon the camels, followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went away. 62 Now Isaac had come from the direction* * * * § * * * *1 of Beer-lahai-roi, in the South Country. 63 And as Isaac was going out to meditate in the field at eventide, he lifted up his eyes and saw that there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah too lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. 65 And she said to the servant, Who is this man walking in the field to meet us ? And when the servant said, It is my master, she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. Thus was Isaac comforted concern- ing his mother. 25 5 Now Abraham had given all that he had to Isaac. 1 6 But to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, Abraham had given gifts, while he yet lived, and had sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country.! *** ) And Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi. § 25. Death of Sarah and Purchase of the Cave of Machpelah, Gen. 23 Late Priestly Narratives Gen. 23 *Now the length of Sarah’s life was a hundred and twenty- seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And when Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is Hebron) , in the land of Canaan, Abraham went to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. h 24 62 Heb. lit., entering in, spoken from the point of the Heb. writer and therefore equiva- lent to the English idiom given above. Gk. text has Isaac proceeded through the desert to the well, etc. * 25 s Since 24 30 contains a reference to this fact, it is held by some scholars that this verse originally followed 24 1 . i 25 6 Probably an editorial expansion of 5 . In the early prophetic narratives only one concu- bine is mentioned, and the expulsion of Hagar’s son had already been recounted in each. § 25 The theme, and repetitions, formal style all proclaim the priestly origin of this chapter. Interest in the traditional graves of their ancestors, which is especially marked among Semitic peoples, doubtless explains why the story has been preserved. In this possession the Hebrews probably also felt that they had a sacred, vested right in Canaan, which all other peoples were under solemn obligations to regard. Possibly, as has been suggested (Gunkel, Genesis, 251), the priestly historians were led to give the tradition the prominence thev do, because, when they wrote, the historic cave was held by their hated enemies the Idumeans. They may also have aimed to teach that the sacred places, which continued long after the exile to be regarded with veneration by the common people, were consecrated simply by the memory of their an- cestors, not by the divine blessing, as was the true sanctuary at Jerusalem. The bare realism, which characterizes the account of the purchase of the cave, was well calculated to dispel superstitious veneration. His de- parture and re- turn with Re bekah Meeting with Isaac Death of Sara! 99 Abra- ham’s request Re- sponse of the Hittites Negotia- tions for the cave of Mach- pelah Resume of the transac- tion Burial of Sarah Death Gen. 23 3 ] THE ABRAHAM STORIES Late Priestly Narratives 3 Then Abraham rose up from the presence of his dead and spoke to the Hittites, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me pos- session of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 3 And the Hittites answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us; in the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead. None of us shall withhold from you his sepulchre, that you may bury your dead. 7 And Abraham rose up and bowed before the people of the land, the Hittites, 8 and conversed with them saying. If it is your intention that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 to give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you that I may possess a burying-place. 10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, even of all that went in and out at the gate of his city, saying, 11 Nay, my lord, hear me. I give the field to you and the cave that is in it I give to you; in the presence of the children of my people I give it to you; bury your dead. 12 Then Abraham bowed before the people of the land, 13 and spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, But if only you — pray hear me k — I will give the price of the field; take it of me that I may bury my dead there. 14 And Ephron answered Abraham saying, to him, 15 My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? Bury therefore your dead. 16 Then Abraham accepted Ephron ’s terms and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant. 17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, with all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about, were ensured 18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 Thus the field and the cave that is in it were ensured by the Hittites to Abraham that he might possess a burying-place. § 26. Death of Abraham — The Blessed End of God’s Servant, Gen. 25 7 ' 11 * Late Priestly Narratives Gen. 25 7 Now these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy -five years. 8 So Abraham breathed his last, dying in a good old age, old and satisfied with living, * 1 and was gathered to his father’s kin. k 23 13 Broken construction, but a faithful reflection of oriental methods of bargaining and of the liberal spirit which Abraham manifests throughout the interview. § 26 The sequel in the late priestly narratives of the preceding story. 1 2£> 8 I. with the full measure of his years. ] 00 DEATH OF ABRAHAM [Gen. 25° Late Pnestly Narratives 9 Then Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in Burial in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, 10 the of Mack field which Abraham purchased of the Hittites. There Abraham was buried pelah with Sarah his wife. lla And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son. § 27. Arabian Descendants of Abraham — The Relationship between the Arabians and Hebrews, Gen. 25 1-4 ’ 12-18 Later Judean Prophetic cwrai Gen. 25 1 Now Abraham had taken south another wife, whose name was Ketu- rah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midi- an, Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as far as 11 Assyria; he dwelt over against all his kinsmen. Late Priestly Narratives 25 12 Now these are the generations Theish- of Ishmael, Abraham’s son whom maelltes Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid- servant bore to Abraham. 13 These then are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named according to their generations: the first-born of Ish- mael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, Ad- beel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad,Tema, Jetur, Naph- ish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their peoples. 17 And these are the years of the Death of life of Ishmael, one hundred and Ishmael thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last, m and was gathered to his people. § 27 In 10 7 Sheba and Dedan are classified by the late priestly historians with Cush, so that 25 3 cannot be from the same source. The later Judean prophetic historians, however, make Sheba the son of Joktan in 10 28 as in 25 3 . Although these two lists are not otherwise in agree- ment, it is probable that they are from the same general source, The characteristic expression, all these were the children of , confirms this conclusion. 25 12 " 17 is originally from the priestly source. It is not improbable that Abraham in 25 1 originally read Ishmael , for the inconsistency of Abraham’s marriage after he has been described as a very old man on the verge of the grave is patent. Otherwise 25 1 ’ 4 must have earlier stood in conjunction with 16. The tradition in 25 1 ' 4 may be due to a lingering remembrance among the Hebrews that their ancestors were Arabs, but more probably it simply aimed to trace a relationship with the spice-trading Arabian tribes. m 25 17 Lit., breathed out or expired and died. n 25 18 Lit., as you go toward. Cf. 10 19 > 30 . 101 II The ora- cle con- cerning the un- born twins THE JACOB (ISRAEL) STORIES— THE EARLY TRIBAL RELATIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE ISRAELITES, Gen. 25 21 -36 4 \ 38 § 28. Birth of Jacob and Esau — Antiquity of the Rivalry between the Israelites and Edomites, Gen. 25 21-28 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 25 21 Now Isaac prayed to Jehovah in behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and Jehovah heard his prayer, so that Rebekah his wife con- ceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why has this befallen me? a Therefore she went to inquire of Jeho- vah. 23 And Jehovah said to her. Two nations are in thy womb. And the two races, which spring from thee, shall separate from each other, b And one people shall be stronger than the other. And the elder shall serve the younger. The Jacob. Israel Stories. — The prophets of Judah and Northern Israel found a rich store of illus rations in the Jacob stories. The fact that the variations between the versions are not as a rule great, explains how it was possible to weld the different narratives together so closely. The later prophet who combined them also avoided repetition, especially where the language and representation were similar in both. At other times he appears to have followed one of the two versions, almost ignoring the other. The result is that one of the versions is often very fragmentary, when the composite narrative is resolved into its constituent parts. For the structure and origin of the Jacob stories cf. Introd., pp. 22, 23. The fusion of the two prophetic strands was so early and close that the resulting portrait of the patriarch is drawn with unusual fulness and consistency. In the Judean narratives he is represented as attaining his ends by his own energy and craft, while in the Ephraimite his crimes are not presented so baldly: his mother, for example, assumes the responsibility for the deception of his aged father, 27 12 . His important acts are also done at the direct instigation of God, 31 4-13 . The late priestly narratives say nothing of his faults and give as the reason for his departure, not fear of Esau’s wrath but obedience to his father’s command to secure a wife from Paddan-Aram, 28 1-4 . The Jacob who stands out distinctly from the pages of Genesis is the Jacob of the prophets, and especially of the Judean narratives. In many ways he is the antithesis of Abraham. The latter was the embodiment of the spiritual ideals of the early Hebrew prophets; but Jacob was a type of the race, as it really was — not what its religious teaohers fain would make it. With unsparing fidelity and realism they presented in this character-sketch the faults and virtues of their contemporaries. Therein an overmastering love for material possessions, which does not hesitate to employ lying and theft to attain its selfish ends, is combined with that undaunted persistency by which Israel, though a younger brother, succeeded in supplanting the older Semitic peoples in the possession of Palestine. At the same time Jacob’s ambition is not limited to attaining material things. Faith in Jehovah guides him, as it did the people who regarded him as their ancestor, to'spiritual experiences far surpassing his aspirations. In the school of affliction he learns those vital lessons which fit him to be the father and type of a race with a peculiar destiny and mission. Thus, by the skilful adaptation of these familiar old tales, Israel’s teachers presented forcibly and concretely the morals which they sought to impress, and emphasized the supreme fact that long before they became a nation Jehovah was leading and training his people by varied and often painful experiences for the great work which awaited them. §28 This story is evidently taken from the Judean narratives. Cf., e. g., Jehovah in 11 ■ a . The reference in the sermons of the Northern Israelitish prophet Hosea (12 3 ) to it shows that it was also current in the north. According to 25a Esau was born admoni, red — probably a reference to the popular etymology of the word Edom. The statement 258 that he was born, all over like a hairy garment , is intended to give the derivation of Esau. Hairy may well be a trace of the Ephraimite narrative. Cf. 27 n - u , which is from the same. While the tradition is primarily etymological, it projects backward the characteristics of the two peoples, typified by Jacob and Esau, to their birth, and was intended, at least by its prophetic compiler, to establish the antiquity of Israel’s right to rule Edom. Cf. §§ 5 and 30. » 25 s Heb., If it is thus, why this I ; Syr., // it is thus, why do I live? Gk., If thus it is about to be to me, wherefore is this to me? A slight change in the Heb. gives, Why has this befallen me f This meaning is not only confirmed by the Gk. but also by the context. The idea seems to be Since this strange -portent has come to me what is its significance? b 25 23 Heb., And two peoples from thy bowels shall separate themselves. 102 BIRTH OF JACOB AND ESAU [Gen. 25 s4 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; so they called his name Esau [Hairy] . 26 And afterwards his brother came forth, holding fast Esau’s heel with his hand; so his name was called Jacob [Heel-holder]. And Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27a, c>j ow as th e boys grew Esau became a skillful hunter, but Jacob a dweller in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau — for he had a taste 0 for game — and Rebekah loved Jacob. § 29. Jacob’s Purchase of the Birthright — Title of the Israelites to Canaan, Gen. 2 ^’^ Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 25 27b Now Esau was a man of the field but Jacob was a quiet man. 29 Once when Jacob was preparing a stew, d Esau came in from the field, and he was faint; 30 therefore Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray, with that red stuff there e , for I am faint. (Therefore his name was called Edom [Red].) 31 But Jacob said, Sell me first of all your birthright. 32 And Esau replied, Alas! I am nearly dead, therefore of what use is this birthright to me ? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me first; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stewed lentils, and when he had eaten and drank, he rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. First scene : Isaac and Esau 30. Jacob’s Departure to Aram with his Father’s Blessing — Persistency and Craft of the Early Israelites, Gen. 26 34 ' 35 , 27, 28'~ 9 Early Judean Gen. 21 iANow it came to pass, when Isaac was so old that he could not see, that Ephraimite Prophetic 21 ] b When Isaac’s eyes were dim, he called Esau and said to him, My son; and he said to him, Here Priestly Narratives 26 34 When Esau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the c 25^ Heb., Game was in his mouth. § 29 This story is parallel to the preceding in that both seek to explain why the younger was destined to rule the older. The probability that it is from the Ephraimite narratives is confirmed by the later allusions to it. Cf. 27 s6 . Vs. 30 also gives a variant derivation of the word Edom. Vs. 27 is apparently composite, the first part being from the Judean source, which accents hunting and game, while the latter part contains the logical introduction to 2°. d 2S 29 Heb. word zidh , to stew or boil, is onomatopoetic. ® 25 30 Or possibly the Heb. has here preserved the Arabic name of a condiment used with bread by nomads. § 30 Chap. 26, which tells of Isaac’s deception regarding Rebekah because of her beauty, and of his treaty with Abimelech, interrupts the continuity of the Jacob narratives, and, as has been shown, note § 13, contains only variant versions of stories also associated with Abra^- ham. The original sequel to those in §§ 28, 29, is found in § 30. Here, as might be anticipated, two versions of the way in which Jacob furthered his ambitions have been combined. The more important evidences of two distinct sources are the parallels: 23 to 27 , 34 to 38 ; two distinct tests, one by smell 27 and the other by touch 21 ; in 3 - 5 - 25 - 31 . 33 game, but in 4.7b,9,i4, 17. 3i. savory food; in 4 before I die, but in 7 - 10 before my death; in 15 - 27 garment, but in 16 shins ; in 4 - 19 , 25 ■ 31 soul may bless , but in 7b * 10 7 may bless; in 20 • 27 Jehovah, but in 28 God. Guided by these and other peculiarities, it is possible to resolve the composite narrative into its original constitu- ents. Later references in the Judean and Ephraimite narratives, 32 and 35 3 - 7 , not only indicate that each had its version of Jacob’s theft, but also aid in the analysis. While absolute certainty is not assured at every point in the* analysis here given, the consistency of each narrative with itself is perhaps the best evidence that it is in general correct. The comparative 103 Origin of the names Esau and Ja- cob Charac- teristics of the brothers Sale of the birth- right Esau’l mar- riages Gen. 27 1 ] Early Judean he called Esau his el- der son, 2 and said, Behold I am old and know not the day of my death. 3 Now there- fore take, I pray you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me, 4b that I myself may bless you before I die. 6b So Esau went to the field to hunt game in order to bring it to him. second 6 ThenRebekah spoke scene i , t i_ i Rebekah to Jacob her son and Jacob said, I just now heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7a, c‘ Ji r ; n g m e game that I may eat and bless you in the name of Jehovah.’ 15 And Rebekah took the fine 4 - THE JACOB STORIES Ephraimite Prophetic am I. 4a Then he said, make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat. &H.ow Rebekah heard when Isa^c spoke to Esau his son [hand she said to Jacob, Behold, your fa- ther has called Esau to bless him, for I heard him say, 7b< Make me savory food that I may eat and bless you before my death . 8 Now therefore, my son, [Gen. 26 34 Priestly Narratives Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35 and they were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah. 27 46 And Rebekah Rebek- • 1 . Tf T 1 • tlll'S (IIS' said to Isaac, 1 am dis- gust gusted with life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, the women of the land, what is life to me ? completeness of each is also surprising in view of the fact that the two have been so closely combined. No religious teacher familiar with the exalted standards of Jesus, can for a moment maintain that Jacob’s conduct, as portrayed in this and subsequent stories, is morally defensible. The redeeming elements are the keen sense of humor, which characterizes them, and the fact that to a certain extent at least, Jacob suffers the consequences of his trickery and deception. Their primitive origin is obvious. They were probably current in their original form among the pre-Hebrew inhabitants of Canaan and shadowed forth early tribal relations. In that rude age, unenlightened by the teachings of the prophets, they were undoubtedly recounted with pride. The prose narratives seem to have preserved the older traditions; while the poetical passages, as Gunkel ( Genesis , 287) has pointed out, present a different and on the whole more character- istically Hebrew picture. Thus, e. g., the older traditions speak of only two, but the blessing, 29 • 37 , of many brothers; in the former Jacob is a shepherd and Esau a hunter, but in 28 the blessing concerns only agriculturists and vineyard-keepers. It would appear that the early Hebrew prophets found in these ancient stories suggestions and explanations of the relations which existed in their day between the Israelites and their immediate neighbors, especially the Edomites; they therefore adopted them, and being realists they did not conceal the imper- fections of their traditional ancestor. In the poetical passages, which they seem to have added or to have drawn from some later source (cf. Balaam oracles, § 98), they made the references to contemporary history very explicit. Thus in 40 it is easy to see that the author had in mind the conquest of the Edomites by David and their later successful revolt in the days of Joram of Judah (2 Kgs., about 840 b.c.). Vs. 40c is prose, not poetry; evidently a later addition to the original oracle. From such definite historical allusions as these it is possible to determine the approximate date of the narratives which embody them. 26 s4 ' 35 are disconnected with their context and constitute the natural introduction to the late priestly account of Jacob’s departure to Aram, 27 46 “28 9 . Later tradition under the influence of higher ethical standards and the inevitable idealizing tendency makes it an act of filial piety; while the much wronged Esau of the older narratives figures in a more unfavorable role. The transformation in both cases has been complete. 1 27 Sb Gk., for his father. 101 Third scene : Isaac and Jacob Gen. 27 1S J JACOB’S BLESSING BY HIS FATHER [Gen. 27 8 Early Judean garments of Esau her elder son, which she had with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob, her younger son, and he went to his father Ephraimite Prophetic Priestly Narratives obey my counsel as I en- join you. 9 Go now to the flock, and bring me thence two kids of the goats, and I will make of them savory food for your father such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death. "And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is hairy, whereas I am smooth. , 12 Perhaps my father will feel of me and I shall be in his sight as one who mocks K and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing. 13 But his mother said to him. Upon me be your curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me. 14 So he went, and took and brought them to his mother, and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 1G Then she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck, 17 and she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And Isaac said, 18b Who are you, my son? 19 And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your first-born. I have done according as you commanded me. Arise, I pray you, and sit and eat of my game, that you your- self may bless me. 20 And Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son ? And he said. Because Jehovah your God gave me success. 24 And he said, Are you really my son Esau ? And he said, I am. 25 Then he said, Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son’s game, in order that I myself h may bless you. So he brought 18a And he came to his father and said, My father, and he said, Here am I. 21 And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near I pray you, that I may feel you, my son: whether you are really my son Esau or not. 22 Then Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23 A nd he did not recognize him be- cause his hands were hairy, like those of his brother Esau. So he blessed him saying, 28 'Then Isaac called Jacob and Blessing blessed him, and byisaac charged him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan- aram, to the house of Bethuel your moth- er’s father; and take for yourself a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s broth- er. 3 And may God Almighty bless you, and make you fruit- ful and numerous, that you may become a company of peo- * 27 12 So also the Gk. Heb. seems to mean not merely a deceiver, as Am. RV, but one who incurred God’s displeasure by impiously devoting to himself the blessing which belonged by right of birth to the first-born; therefore one who defied the divine dispensation. h 27 4 ’ 20 Heb., my soul may bless. So 19 > 32 . The word translated soul is often used in Heb. as a designation of the individual, and cannot be exactly reproduced in English. It is prac- tically equivalent to an emphatic personal pronoun. 105 THE JACOB STORIES Fourth scene: Isaac and Esau Gen. 27 25 ] [Gen. 28 3 Early Judean it to him, and he ate. He also brought him wine and he drank. 26 And his father Isaac said to him, Come near now and kiss me, my son. 27 And as he came near and kissed him, he smelled the smell of his garment, and blessed him and said, See, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed. 29 a, cL e |. peoples serve thee. And races bow down to thee. Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee. 30a, c\ n( j ^ came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting, 31b and said to his father. Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that you your- self may bless me. 32 And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you ? And he said, I am your son, your first- born, Esau. 33 And Isaac trembled violently, and said. Who then is he that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate plentifully 1 before you came ? Verily, I have blessed him, and he shall remain blessed. 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a very loud and bitter Ephraimite Prophetic 28 May God give thee of the dew of heaven. And of the fatness of the earth, And abundance of grain and new wine. 29b Be the master over thy brethren. And may thy mother’s sons bow down to thee. Priestly Narratives pies, 4 and may he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you that you may inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham. „ 30b Now Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, when Esau came. 31a And he also had made savory food, and was bringing it to his father. 35 But [Isaac] said, Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing. 36 And he said, Is he not rightly j named Jacob ? for he has supplanted k me these two times: my birthright he took; and just now he has taken my blessing. Then he said, Have you reserved a blessing for me ? 37 And Isaac answered and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him your master and all his kindred have I given to him for ser- vants, and with grain and new wine have I furnished him the means of support; therefore what can I do for you, my son ? 38 And Esau said to his father, Is that your only blessing , * 1 my father ? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39 Then j Isaac his father answered and said to I him, ■ 27 s3 Heb., of all; but a slight emendation of text gives the above consistent rendering, i 27 36 Gk., Lat.., and Syr. add this word, which is demanded by the context. * 27^ Supplant from the same root as Jacob ; clearly a paranomasia. l 27 s8 Or,. Is there not one blessing left to thee. So Gk. 106 [Gen. 27 39 Gen. 27 34 ] JACOB’S DEPARTURE TO ARAM Early Judean cry, and said to his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Behold, far from the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling. And from the dew of heaven from above ; 40 And by thy sword must thou live, And thy brother shalt thou serve. 41b Then Esau said to himself, The days of mourning for my fa- ther are near, then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42 But when the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah, she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold your brother Esau will avenge himself 11 upon you by killing you. 43b Flee to Laban my brother at H a r a n , 45a until your brother’s anger turn away from you. (But it will be, when thou shalt break loose m , that thou shalt tear his yoke from off thy neck.) 41a Then Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Rebekah knew it, and 43a ’ c told Jacob and said. Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice and arise, flee to Laban ^and remain with him a short time until your brother’s wrath turn away from you 45b and he forget what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you thence; why should I be bereaved of you both in one day ? Late Priestly 5 So Isaac sent away Jacob’s Jacob, and he went to Pad- ure for dan-aram to Laban, the Aram son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 6 Now when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence, and that, as he blessed him ,he gave him a charge, saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother, and had gone to Paddan-aram, 8 and when Esau also saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac his father, 9 then Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Maha- lath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. § 31. The Revelation to Jacob at Bethel — The Divine Protection and Guidance of the Israelitish Race, Gen. 28 10 ~ 22 Early Judean Prophetic jeho- Gen. 28 10 Now when Jacob set out from promise Beersheba, he went toward Haran. And, andh£ b 13 behold, Jehovah stood beside him and said, descend- Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 28 11 Now when Jacob ar- Jacob’s rived at a certain place, he vision* 17 m 27 40 The Heb. word is rare and its meaning doubtful. Other renderings, strivest, shalt wish, and Syr., repentest. The original may have read, when thou becomest strong. “ 27® Heb., procure satisfaction for himself. § 31 This is the sequel of the duplicate narrative of Jacob’s departure for Aram. The different designations of the Deity and other characteristic marks of the two prophetic strands 107 Origin of tne name Bethel Gen. 28 10 ] THE JACOB STORIES [Gen. 28 u Early Judean Prophetic I am Jehovah the God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac. The land upon which thou art lying — to thee will I give it and to thy descendants. 14 And thine offspring shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and a blessing like thine and that of thy descend- ants shall all the families of the earth invoke for themselves. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee wherever thou goest, and will bring thee again to this habitable land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have promised thee. 16 And when Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place, although I did not know it. 19 Therefore he called the name of that place Bethel [House of God], although the earlier name of the city was Luz.° Early Ephraimite Prophetic N arratives passed the night there, be- cause the sun had set. And he took one of the stones which were there, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth with its top reaching to heav- en, and, behold, the Mes- sengers of God were ascend- ing and descending on it. 17 And he was tilled with awe and said, How awful is this place : this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. 18 So Jacob rose up early in the morning, and Originoi took the stone that he had put under his head, tuaryat and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon e 1 the top of it. 20 And Jacob made a vow saying, If God be with me and take care of me in this journey which I am making, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 and I return safe and sound to my father’s house, then shall Jehovah. p be my God 22 and this stone which I have set up for a pillar, shall be a house of God, and of all which thou givest me I will surely give a tenth to thee.i render it easy to distinguish the originals. As usually, the revelation in the Ephraimite narrative comes through a dream. As in Hos. 12 4 , the late priestly narratives place this revelation, after the wrestling of Penuel and on Jacob’s return from Aram, 35 9-13 . Their com- bined testimony is significant. On ethical grounds also this setting would be more fitting, for, to the J acob who has paid the penalty of his sins and learned his lesson in the trying school of experience, the divine blessing is more appropriate. The tradition is clearly very old and was treasured by the early Hebrews because it repre- sented their conception of the origin of the sanctuary at Bethel. Certainly in the days of the judges (Judg. 20 18 ' 26f ) and probably before the Hebrews entered Canaan it was regarded as a sacred place. Jeroboam I (c. 940 b.c.) made it a royal shrine (I Kgs. 12 28 f t ) . Not until the eighth century B.c. did the prophets begin to combat the half-heathen rites and traditions which gathered about this ancient sanctuary. Cf. Am. 4 4 , Hos. 10 5 . o 28 19b Possibly an editorial note. The same statement is found in Judg. I 231 ", § 115. p 28 21 Apparently added by the editor, who combined the two narratives and had in mind the Judean name of the Deity. q 28 22b The sudden transition from the third person to the direct address suggests that this verse, which emphasizes the ceremonial rather than the prophetic aspect of religion, is from a later hand. 108 JACOB’S MEETING WITH RACHEL [Gen. 29 1 § 32. Jacob’s Arrival in Aram and Meeting with Rachel — Early Relations between the Israelites and Arameans, Gen. 29 1-14 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 29 1 Then Jacob continued on his journey, and came to the land of scene at the children of the east. 2 And he looked, and saw a well in the field, and S Haran there were three flocks of sheep lying down by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks; but the stone upon the mouth of the well was large. 3 And when all the flocks were gathered here, they used to roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and then put the stone again in its place upon the mouth of the well. 4 And Jacob said to them, My friends 1- , whence are you ? And they said, Jacob’s We are from Haran. 5 Then he said to them, Do you know Laban the son sation of Nahor ? And they said, We know him. 6 And he said to them, Is it well 8hep- the with him ? And they said, It is well; indeed, see Rachel his daughter coming herda there with the sheep. 7 And he said, Behold, the sun is still high! 8 it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep and let them go to feed. 8 But they said, We can not until the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth, then we water the sheep. 9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; Meetin| for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter and of Laban, his mother’s brother, he went near and rolled the stone from the dc mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother. n Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly. 12 And when Jacob told Rachel that he was a kinsman of her father, and that he was Rebekah’s son, she ran and told her father. 13 But as soon as Laban heard the tidings regarding Jacob, his sister’s son, Jacob’s he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him, and brought him to the tionat house. "Then he recounted to Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to house him. Surely you are of my bone and of my flesh. So he remained with him about a month. § 33. Jacob’s Marriage with Leah and Rachel — Early Alliances between the Israelites and Arameans, Gen. 29 15-30 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 29 ' s '.Dsen Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my kinsman should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me what shall be your wages? § 32 The designation of the land to which Jacob fled in the Judean narratives is Haran, and in the priestly Paddan-aram , 28 5 ' 10 , so that the term land of the children of the east is perhaps peculiar to the Ephraimite. If so, 29* is from that source, and connects the story of the revelation at Bethel, § 31, with that of the marriage with Leah and Rachel, § 33. Vss. 2 ~ 14 . which contain the exquisite picture of Jacob’s meeting with Rachel, are taken from the Judean narratives. r 29 4 Lit., brothers. Lot uses the same conciliatory term in his address to the lawless in- habitants of Sodom, 19 6 , § 20. “ 29 7 Heb., The day is still great. § 33 Extracts from the late priestly narratives are found in 24 and 28b ’ 29 and from the early Ju dean in M , as is shown by the occurrence of Heb. synonyms peculiar to each, but otherwise the story as a whole is apparently from the Ephraimite source. This narrative was originally distinct from the preceding, for Rachel is again introduced, as if for the first time. Vs. 16 also 109 Agree- ment to serve Laban for Rachel Laban’s decep- tion Birth of Leah’s chil- dren: Reuben Gen.29 16 ] THE JACOB STORIES Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful in form and feature. 18 Therefore Jacob loved Rachel and he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better for me to give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me. 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, because he loved her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are completed and let me go in unto her. 22 Accordingly Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and Jacob 1 went in unto her. 24 Aud Laban gave Zilpah his maid-servant to his daughter Leah for a maid. 25 When in the morning he found it was Leah, he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me ? did I not serve you for Rachel ? Why then have you deceived me ? 26 And Laban said, It is not customary u among us to give the younger in marriage before the elder. 27 Remain with this one during the marriage week, then we will give to you the other also for the service which you shall render me for seven more years. 28 Therefore Jacob did so: he remained with Leah during the marriage week. Then [Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter as wife, 29 Laban also gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant to be her maid. 30 Then he went in to Rachel, but he loved Rachel more than Leah. Thus he had to serve him seven years more. § 34. Jacob’s Children — Origin and Relationships of the Different Israelitish Tribes, Gen. 2 9 31 - 35 ; 30 1 - 24 , 35 22t >- 26 , 37 2a Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 29 31 When Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; Rachel, however, was barren. 32 Accordingly Leah conceived and bore a son whom she named Reuben [Behold a son]; for she said, Jehovah hath beheld my afflic- Late Priestly Narra- tives 35 22b Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s first- seems to imply that Jacob has already entered Laban’s service, although there is no previous statement of the fact. The story explains why Israel’s forefather had more than one wife, and incidentally portrays the leading characteristics of Laban, who figures as a representative Aramean, regarded from the Hebrew point of view. t 2923 g 0 Gk. Heb. has simply he. u 29 26 So Gk. and Lat. Heb., It is not so done in our •place. § 34 Extracts from the two prophetic narratives are here combined as is shown by the occurrence of Jehovah, 29? 1-35 , 30 24 , and God, 30'- 8 , I7 - 23 . and by the use of the different Hebrew synonyms for maid-servant. The Leah stories are from the Judean narratives, for she was the traditional ancestress of Judah, while the Rachel traditions are appropriately drawn from the Ephraimite. _ Most scholars also find traces of the late priestly version in 30 4a ' 9t> , 22a , although the evidence is not conclusive. The priestly parallel is found in the subsequent context, but is quite independent of its setting. The prophetic stories present the popular derivation and traditional origin of the names of the different tribes, as well as the nature of their relationship to each other. Tribes descended from the same mother and father are thus represented as being most closely related; while the ancient hostility between the northern tribes, led by Ephraim and Manasseh, and the Judeans is traced back to the rivalry between Rachel and Leah. The looser relationships of distant, outlying tribes, like Asher, Dan, Gad and Naphtali, is explained on the basis that they were descended from slave mothers. It is probably in this way that later popular tradition recorded the fact that these tribes originally included a large Canaanitish element. Children bom in Aram 110 Gen. 29 32 ] JACOB’S CHILDREN Early Judean Prophetic Simeon tion; now my husband will love me. 33 And she conceived again and bore a son; and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated, he hath therefore given me this one also; hence she called his name Simeon v [Hearing], 34 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said. Now this time will my husband become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore his name was called Levi [Attached]. 35 And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, this time will I praise Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah [Praise]; then she ceased to bear children. 30 9 When Leah saw that she had ceased to bear children, she took Zilpah her maid-servant and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah’s maid-servant bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, Fortunate am I! therefore she called his name Gad Zilpah Leah’s maid-servant bore Jacob a second son Happy am I! for women are sure to call me happy; his name Asher [Happy]. Levi Judah By £il- pah: Gad Asher [Gen. 3o 23 Late Priestly Narra- tives born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and the sons of Bilhah, Ra- chel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. 37 2a These are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan- aram. These are the generations of Jacob. w [Fortune]. 12 And 13 And Leah said, therefore she called Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 30 4 And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel was jealous of her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children or else I die. 2 But Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God’s stead ? Who hath withheld offspring from thee ? 3 And she said, Here is my maid Bilhah, go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees and I also may obtain children by her x . 4 And so she gave him Bilhah her maid for a wife, and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And when Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son, 6 Rachel said, God hath judged me and hath also heard my voice and hath given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan [He judged], 7 And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, With superhuman wrestlings 5 ’ have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; therefore she called his name Naphtali [Obtained by wrestling], 14 And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found love apples 2 in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Pray give me some of your son’s love apples. 15 But she said to her, Is it a v 29 s3 Original meaning doubtful, probably bastard of the wolf and hyena. Its sound sug- gested to the Hebrew writer that it was derived from the root to hear (shama). w 30 11 Heb., In luck, or By good fortune. The word translated luck is the name of the Aramean-Phoenician god of luck or fortune. Marginal reading and Syr., Luck comes. x 30 3 Heb., he built up through her. J 3Q 8 Heb., With wrestlings of God, i. e., God-like, superhuman wrestlings. Syr., I have sought from the Lord and I have wrestled with my sister and I have found. % 30 14 Mandrakes ( Mandragora vernalis). Rachel's children by Bil- hah: Dan Naphtali in Incident of the love ap- ples and birth of Leah’s son, Issachar Zebulun Birth of Rachel’s eon, Jo- seph The new contract Gen. 30 15 ] THE JACOB STORIES Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives small matter that you have taken away my husband 3 , that you would also take away my son’s love apples ? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with you to-night for your son’s love apples. 16 So when Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, You must come in unto me, for I have hired you with my son’s love apples. And he lay with her that night. 17 And God heard Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I gave my maid to my husband; therefore she called his name Issachar [There is a hire]. 19 And Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun [Dwelling]. 21 And afterwards she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah. 22 And, God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, God hath taken away my reproach. 24 And she called his name Joseph* 5 [He will add], saying, Jehovah will add to me another son. § 35. Jacob’s Prosperity — Increase of the Israelites in Numbers and Influence, Gen. 30 25-43 Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 30 25 Now when Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. 27 But Laban said to him, If now I have found favor in your eyes - — I have divined 0 that Jehovah hath blessed me for your sake. 29 And [Jacob] answered him, You know how I have served you and what your cattle have become under my charge; 30 for it was little which you had before I came, but now it has Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives 30 Jacob said to La- ban, 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go; for you know the sendee which I have rendered you. 28 And he said, ft 30 15 Gk., Is it not enough for you to take my husband that , etc. b 30'-* 24 Two distinct popular derivations of the name Joseph are given in these verses. In 23 it is from the Heb. word gather or takeaway , while in 24 , which probably represents the Judean parallel, it is from the very similar Heb. root, meaning to add. The occurrence of the name on the early Egyptian monuments indicates that its real origin, like that of most of the names in this section, antedates the Heb. period. § 35 The Judean version has evidently been made the basis of this story and has been sup- plemented by extracts from the Ephraimite to which reference is made in 31 7_g . The apparent confusion in this passage arises largely from duplication of material and from the differences in representation in the two versions of the story. Of. 25 and 26a , 2611 and 29 », 28 and 31 . In 32 s - ° Jacob simply asks that he may separate the black sheep and the speckled and spotted goats from the flock as his wages; but in 35 • 36 it is LabaD who separates them and drives them three days' journey away into the desert. Also 40b has apparently been removed from its original context, for it states that Jacob separated the lambs and divided his flock from that of Laban, although in 35 • 36 Laban has already done this. These variations and linguistic indications suggest a division which solves most of the difficulties, although no analysis is entirely satis- factory. The early Judean version represents Jacob as outwitting by his own methods the crafty Laban. The Ephraimite conceives of Jacob as the victim of Laban's injustice and as being delivered by God's special intervention. Cf. Introd., p. 39. The parts of the latter story, which have been omitted by the editor in combining the two versions, are implied and may in part be supplied from the subsequent narratives. 0 30 27 Heb., I have observed the omens. The sentence is incomplete, as is not infrequently the case in dialogues. 112 Gen. 30 30 ] JACOB’S PROSPERITY Early Judean Prophetic greatly increased, since Jehovah hath blessed you wherever I went / 1 But now, when am I to provide for my own house as well ? 31a Then he said, What shall I give you ? And Jacob said. You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock: 32 b remove e from it every speckled and spotted one; then whatever is born to the flock henceforth speckled or spotted shall be mine. 34 And Laban said, Good, let it be as you say. 35 So he removed that day the he- goats that were striped and spotted, and all the she-goats that were striped and spotted, every one that had white on it, and all the black ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hands of his sons. 36 Thenheput the distance of a three days’ journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks. [Gen. 30 28 Early Ephrairnite Pro- phetic Narratives State exactly to me your wages, and I will pay them, if you will again keep my flock. Then Jacob answered, 31b I will again keep it, 32a, cjf j ma y g Q through all your flock to-day, and remove every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; these shall be my wages. 33 So shall my uprightness testify for me hereafter, when you come to inspect my wages: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs has been stolen by me g . 40 a,c There- fore Jacob separated the lambs, even all the black in the flock of Laban, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and he put his own droves apart and did not put them near Laban’s flock. 37 Now Jacob took fresh rods of white poplar, and of the almond and of the plane tree, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the watering-troughs b where the flocks came to drink (and they conceived when they came to drink) , 39 so that the flocks con- ceived before the rods. Therefore the flocks brought forth striped, speckled and spotted off- spring. 40b And he set the faces of the flocks toward the striped. * 1 . . . 41 And whenever the stronger ani- mals of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the animals were weakly, he did not put them in. Therefore the more weakly were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man increased in wealth exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and asses. d 30 30 Lit., At my steps. Syr., On account of me. • SO 325 Gk. translates this an imperative, and Heb. admits of the same interpretation. 1 30 S6b is apparently a fragment from the Ephrairnite version. * 30 33 Heb., 1 8 stolen with me. h 30 38 Given first in the Aramaic, with the Heb. equivalent, watering troughs, following. i 3040b Evidently a fragment of a fuller narrative. 113 [Cf. 31 7 ’ 8 ] Then all the flock of Laban bore black lambs and spotted and speckled goats. There- upon Laban changed his wages and said, the striped shall be your wages. Then all the flock bore striped off- spring. So he changed his wages ten times, but God suffered him not to hurt Jacob. Jacob’s crafty devices and abound- ing pros- perity Gen. 31 1 ] THE JACOB STORIES [Gen. 31 2 § 36. Jacob’s Flight from Laban — Later Aramean Migrations to Canaan. Gen. 31 1-42 Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 31 2 Now Jacob observed that the countenance of Laban was not toward him as formerly. 4 Then Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 and said to them, I see that your father’s countenance is not toward me as formerly; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6 And you know that I have served your father with all my might. 7 Your father, however, has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God has not allowed him to do me harm. 8 If he said: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled offspring, but if he said: ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped offspring. 9 Thus God hath taken away the possessions of your father and given them to me. 10 And it came to pass at the time when the flock conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were striped, speckled, and piebald. 11 And the Messenger of God said to me inadream, ‘Jacob :’ and I said, ‘Here am I.’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are striped, speckled, and piebald: for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst make a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of thy birth.’ 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house ? 15 Are we not considered as foreigners by him ? for he has sold us and goes on to consume the money paid for us. 16 Since all the riches which God hath taken away from our father is ours and our children's, do whatever God hath commanded you to do. § 36 The peculiarities and distinct points of view of the two prophetic narratives are readily discernible in this section. In the Judean Jacob comes out victorious in his contest with Laban because of his greater skill at deception, but in the Ephraimite, God intervenes to save him. For this reason it seems evident that the majority of scholars have been mistaken in not assign- ing the story of the theft of Laban ’s household gods in s- 40 to the Judean source. It is in harmony with the more primitive conceptions of this group of narratives. The incident also turns the tables in Jacob’s favor, as does the divine intervention in the Ephraimite version. Linguistic evidence is not decisive, but on the whole it points to the earlier source. Many other variant parallels are apparent in this section, e. g., 1 and 2 , 2311 and 2Ss , 26 and 27 . Vs. 31 breaks the close connection between 30 and 32 . Vss. 3? - 40 give one resume of Jacob’s experience and 41 another. In § 37 also the two stories of the flight are followed by two accounts of the succeeding covenant. Many characteristic indications facilitate the analysis. For example, the dreams in 4-16 reveal the Ephraimite source. Also cf. 13 with 28 18 ' 20ff . Vs. 2 is continued in 5 ; its Judean parallel is in l . Other peculiarities, like Jehovah in 3 , camels in 17 , and Mount Gilead in 23 and the reference to Laban’s absence in 19 clearly define the bounds of the earlier prophetic strand. Vs. Bb . on the other hand, which is the duplicate rather than the natural sequel of 18s , has all the linguistic marks of the late priestly narrative, in which there is no reference to the deceptions of Jacob. Whether or not there is an earlier historical basis, it is clear that these stories reflect the intrigues and hostilities between the Israelites and Arameans, which began with the days of Solomon and continued until the prophetic narratives were written. 114 Early Judean Reasons Gen . 31 7 Now [Jacobi for the , , T , , depart- heard Laban s sons say, Aram Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from that which was our father’s he has ac- quired all these riches. 3 And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. Gen. 31 17 ] JACOB’S FLIGHT FROM LABAN [Gen. 31 20 - 18b Early Judean 17 Then Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives upon the camels, 18a and drove away all his cattle. 19 And while Laban was gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole! the house- hold gods that were her father’s. 21a ’ c So he fled with all that he had; and set out on his way k toward Mount Gilead. 23 Then Laban took his tribesmen with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey, and overtook him in Mount Gilead. 25b Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban with his tribes- men encamped in Mount 'Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, 27 Why did you flee secretly, stealing away from me without telling me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp. 30 But now since you are surely going because you long so earnestly for your father’s house, why have you stolen my gods ? 32 And Jacob said to him * 1 , The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen investigate for yourself what is with me and take it. Jacob, however, did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s, and into the tent of the two maid-servants™, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household-gods' and put them in the camel ’s saddle and was sitting upon them, so that when Laban had felt all about the tent, he did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched thoroughly, but did not find the household gods.! Ephraimite Prophetic 20 So Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he was going to flee away. 21b And he rose up and passed over the River [Eu- phrates]. Late Priestly Narratives 31 18b iV oio J acob took The de- all the goods which he parture had acquired, the cattle which belonged to him, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan . 22 Wh e n it was re- Laban’s ported to Laban on the and S pro- third day that Jacob test had fled, he pursued after him. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night, and said to him. Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 25a So when Laban came up with Jacob, 26 Laban said to Jacob, What have you done in that you have deceived me and carried away my daughters as cap- tives of war, 28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and daughters? You have acted fool- ishly. 29 It was in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night saying, ‘Take care that thou speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ k 31 21c Heb. , set kis face toward. 1 13 32 And Jacob said to him , is supplied from the Gk. m 31 33 Evidently a later editorial addition, for the context states that from Leah’s tent he went at once into Rachel’s. i 31 10 ' 35 Lit., teraphim. Gk. and Syr., idols. Except in a few cases, e. g.. Ezek. -• 22 and 2 Kgs. 23 ' 24 , the teraphim appear to have belonged, as here, to a family instead of a public shrine. Their exact character is unknown. They were used for purposes of divination. 115 Jacob’s counter protest Solemn agree- ment symbol- ized by j perma- nent monu- ment Gen. 31 36 ] THE JACOB STORIES [Gen. 31 3i Early Judean 36 Then Jacob was angry and brought a charge against Laban; and Jacob went on to say to Laban, What is my trespass ? what is my sin, that you have pursued hotly after me ? 37 Although you have felt all through my things, what have you found of all your household possessions ? Declare it here be- fore my kinsmen and yours, that they may decide which of us two is in the right. 38 These twenty years have I been with you ; your ewes and she-goats have not cast their young, neither did I eat the rams of your flocks. 39 That which was tom of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself; from my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was: in the day the drought con- sumed me, and by night the frost, and my sleep fled from my eyes. Ephraimite Prophetic Narra- tives 31 Jacob answered Laban, saying, I was afraid for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 41 These twenty years have I been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you had sent me away empty. God hath seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you last night. § 37. Jacob’s Covenant with Laban — Treaties between the Israelites and Arameans, Gen. 31 43 - 55 , 32 1 ' 2 > 13a Early Judean Gen. 31 44 Then Laban answered. Come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let there be a witness between me and you. 46 Therefore Jacob 11 said to the members of his family, Gather stones. And when they had taken stones and made a heap, they ate there by the heap. 47 And La- ban called it Jegar-saha-dutha [Heap of witness]; but Jacob called it Galeed 0 [Heap of wit- ness] . 48 And Laban said , This heap is witness between me and you to-day. Therefore he Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 31 43 Then Laban answered Jacob saying, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine, but what can I do to-day for these my daughters, or for their children whom they have borne ? 45 So Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar, 49 and Laban called it Miz- pah [Place of watching], for he said, May Jehovah watch between me and you when we are absent one from another, 50 that you may not maltreat my daughters nor take other wives besides my daughters. No man is with us; beware, God is witness between me and you . And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered § 37 Here the two prophetic narratives are continued. The Judean localizes the scene at Gilead, 47 ' 48 , the Ephraimite at Mizpah, 49 . In the one the memorial of the covenant is a heap of atones , 46 -* 8 . 61 ■ 62 ; in the other it is a pillar , 44 . In one the motive is to fix the boundary, 62 ; in the other it is to protect the daughters of Laban, 43 . 32 1 ' 2 ' 13 “ complete the Ephraimite version, with the traditional account of the origin of the name Mahanaim and of the sanctuary located there. 11 31 46 According to 61 Laban set up the heap and pillar. 0 31 47 Heb. equivalent of the preceding Aram, expression. 116 Gen. 31 48 ] JACOB’S COVENANT WITH LABAN [Gen. 31 s * Early Judean called it Galeed. 61 Moreover Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pil- lar^ which I have set between me and you . 52 This heap is a witness and the pillar I 1 is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you shall not pass over this heap and this pillar p to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestors), judge be- tween us. Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives a sacrifice on the mountain and called his kinsmen to eat bread; and they ate bread and spent the night on the mountain. 55 Then early in the morning Laban arose, and , when he had kissed his grandsons and his granddaughters and blessed them, Laban departed and returned to his home. 32 x And Jacob went on his way and the Messengers of God met him. 2 And Jacob said, when he saw them, This is God’s company; therefore he called the name of that place Mahanaim q [Company]. 13a And he lodged there that night. § 38. Jacob’s Preparations to Meet Esau — Primitive Israelitish Diplomacy, Gen. 32 3 - 12 ' 13b - 23 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 32 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, the territory of Edom. 4 And he commanded them saying, Speak thus to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have prolonged my sojourn with Laban until now’ 5 and I have oxen and asses, flocks and men- servants, and maid-servants, and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’ 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob saying, We came to your brother Esau, even as he was coming to meet you with four hundred men. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. So he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and the herds, and the camels into two companies, 8 and said, If Esau comes to the one company and smites it, then the company which is left can escape. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of rqy father Isaac, O Jehovah who saidst to me, ‘Return to thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do well by thee.’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses and of all the faithfulness, which thou hast shown thy servant, for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. 1! Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, ‘I will surely do well by thee, and make thy descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude, because they shall be so numerous. Laban’s depart- ure Jacob’s experi- ence at Maha- naim Jacob’s message to Esau Division of his followers His prayer for deliv- erance p 31 61 * 52 The references to a pillar appear to have been introduced by the editor in order to reconcile the Judean with the Ephraimite narrative. q 32 2 The Heb. form of the word suggests a dual, and it is evidently so regarded by the author of the story of the two companies in 32 7b12 (cf. note § 38), but the analogies in the case of place-names seem to indicate that it is simply due to the expansion of a shorter ending. § 38 The classification of this story is difficult. Vss. 3 ' 7a may be assigned on the basis of the linguistic evidence to the Judean source. Vss. 7b ' 12 likewise have many affinities with the late prophetic strand. Cf. 16 10 and 22 17 and in general their hortatory character. The subse- quent narratives also contain no reference to the division into two companies, where it would naturally be expected. The passage apparently contains a later traditional derivation of the name Mahanaim, the form of which suggests the meaning two companies or camps. Many scholars regard 13b_22 as an Ephraimite parallel to 3-7 ; but the evidence seems rather to point to a Judean source. In 17 it is assumed that Esau is on his way to meet Jacob. Cf. 3 6 - 32 8-10 , which is generally assigned to the Judean source, is closely related to 31 21 . The confusion in the account of the crossing of the Jabbok in 22 • 23 is probably due to the blending of two versions. The narrative which leaves Jacob on the north side, 2211 • 23b , must in the light of the subsequent context belong to the Judean, while the remainder represents the remnant of the Ephraimite parallel. 117 Gen. 32 13b ] THE JACOB STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Hispres- 13b And he took from that which he had with him a present for Esau his Esau brother: 14 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. 16 And he delivered them into the care of his servants, each drove by itself, and said to his servants, Pass over before me, and leave a space between the droves. 17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meets you and asks you saying, ‘To whom do you belong? and where are you going ? and whose are these before you ?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘Your servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent to my lord, to Esau; and he himself is just behind us.’ 19 Thus he com- manded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, In this manner shall you speak to Esau, when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover thy servant Jacob is just behind us.’ (For he said to himself, ‘I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and not until then will I see his face; perhaps he will receive me.) 21 So the present passed over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp. Crossing 22 Then he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two maid- the Jab- . * “ bok servants, and his eleven children, and passed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23 And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had. § 39. Jacob’s Wrestling with God— Indomitable Courage and Ambition of the Israelitish Race, Gen. 32 24-32 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives The tong Gen. 32 24 When Jacob was left alone, one wrestled with him until day- ana tie break. 25 And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he smote divine . ^ o ^ blessing the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, Send me away, for the day is breaking. But Jacob replied, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. 27 And he said to him, What is thy name? And he replied, Jacob. 28 Then he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel [God’s struggler] r ; for thou hast struggled with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why is it that thou dost ask my name ? So he blessed him there. Origin of 30 Then Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [Face of God] ; for he said, I have seen Pemel God face to face, yet my life has been preserved. Sanctity 31 But the sun rose as soon as he had passed beyond Penuel, and he limped hip mus- upon his thigh. 32 This is why to this day the children of Israel do not eat the cle § 39 This graphic account of the divine revelation to Jacob reflects the primitive conceptions of Jehovah which appear in many other of the Judean prophetic stories. It also gives the traditional origin of the name Israel which hereafter takes the place of the name Jacob in this group of stories. The struggle is appropriately localized beside the Jabbok, which means the Struggler. Vs. 30 seems to introduce a tradition regarding the origin of the name Peniel which is distinct from the rest of the narrative. In 33 10 is found the Judean origin of the name Penuel. Vs. 30 also implies that the scene of the incident is south of the Jabbok, which is in harmony with 32 22b . It would seem (possibly together with 29 ) to represent the conclusion of an Ephraim- ite version of the revelation beside the Jabbok. r 32 23 Or, Struggler against God. This popular etymology is a striking epitome of Israel’s national spirit. The word probably means El contends or Prince of God. 118 JACOB’S WRESTLING WITH GOD [Gen. 32 32 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives hip muscle, 3 which is at the hollow of the thigh, for he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh on the hip muscle. § 40. Jacob’s Meeting with Esau — Adjustment of Rival Claims between the Israelites and Edomites, Gen. 33 1_n Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 33 *And when Jacob lifted up his eyes he saw Esau coming with Meeting four hundred men . Then he apportioned the children to Leah and to Rachel, two e and to the two maid-servants. 2 And he put the m^id-servants and their "" ers children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 Then he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept. 5 When he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, he said, Who are these with you ? And he answered, The children whom God hath graciously given your servant. 6 Then the maid-servants together with their children approached, and bowed themselves. 7 Leah also and her children approached, and bowed themselves, and afterwards Joseph and Rachel approached, and bowed themselves. 8 And [Esau] said, What do you mean by all this company which I met? Jacob’s And [Jacob] replied, To find favor in the sight of my lord. 9 And [Esau] toEsay said, I have abundance, my brother; keep what you have. 10 But Jacob replied, Nay, I pray you, if now I have found favor in your sight, then receive my present* from my hand ; for I have looked upon your face as one looks upon the face of God, and you have regarded me favorably.” 11 Take,I pray you, my gift v that is brought to you, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. Thus he urged him importunately until he took it. 12 Then Esau said, Let us set out and go on our way, and let me go before The you. 13 But he replied to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, parting 1 and that I have flocks and herds with their young; and if they overdrive them one day all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord, 1 pray you, pass over before his servant, and I will proceed leisurely w according to the pace of the cattle which I am driving, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir. 15 Then Esau said, Let me at least leave with you some of the people who are with me. But Jacob replied, What need is there ? let 8 S2 32 The muscle referred to is the nervns ischiadicus, or musculus glutceus. The latter in animals is an especially desirable portion for eating. § 40 In this section the main story is drawn from the Judean source. Cf. § 38. Traces of the parallel Ephraimite version are perhaps to be found in 4 - 6 - 11 ; although the use of the designation God by a foreigner in 5 is characteristic of both the older prophetic narratives. Linguistic evidence on the whole also points to the Judean source. t 3310 rpk e W ord is the one commonly used to describe an offering brought to God. Jacob also goes on to say that he has brought it to Esau as he would to God. u 338 -jo Evidently a common form of address in ancient Israel, when a favor was asked Cf. 2 Sam. 14". T 33 11 Lit., blessing, i. gift of greeting, intended to secure Esau’s blessing. w 33 14 The verb implies an advance with frequent stops for rest. 119 Gen.33 15 ] THE JACOB STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives me only find favor in the sight of my lord. 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. Ongmof J/ But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built there a house for himself, and made huts for his cattle ; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth [Huts]. § 41. Dinah and Shechem — Early Alliances with Canaanite Tribes, Gen. 33 18 ' 20 , 34, 35 5 Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 33 18 Now Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-Aram, and encamped before the city. 19 And he bought the piece of ground where he pitched his tent, from the sons of Harnor, the father of Shechem, for four hundred shekels; 1 20 and he erected there an altar and called it El, God of Israel. y Jacob at 34 N ow Shechem, the son of Ha- j 34 x And Dinah the daughter of chem rnor saw Dinah the daughter of Jacob ; Leah whom she had borne to Jacob, 2b and took her and humbled her, 3a but went out to make the acquaintance Early Judean § 41 The evidence is conclusive that two originally distinct narratives are closely blended together in 34. For example in 4-11 sometimes Shechem and sometimes Hamor is the subject, and again either Jacob or the sons of Jacob. In 8 it is Hamor who negotiates ; but in 11 Shechem. In 14 it is simply demanded that Shechem be circumcised; but in 15 the whole city, as the pre- liminary to marital alliances. In 26 Shechem alone is attacked, but in 27 - 29 the entire city is smitten and spoiled. The heaping up of parallel clauses in 2b . 3 also strongly suggests the com- bination of two narratives. Following the guide of these and the additional linguistic indica- tions two. variant versions of this old tribal tradition are clearly distinguishable. In the one the negotiations are conducted between Shechem and Jacob. As a preparation for marriage Shechem submits to the preliminary rite of circumcision, but is basely slain by Simeon and Levi. A subsequent Judean tradition associates with Moses (Ex. 4 24 . 25 ) the first transference of this rite from the marital to the period of infancy, § 62. Fact and the linguistic evidence point to the Judean source. It is this oldest version which is alluded to in the ancient Judean poem, Gen. 49 5 J. The classification of the other narrative, in which Hamor figures as the spokesman, and all the men of his city are circumcised and later fall a prey to the united attack of the sons of Jacob, is not so obvious. The work of an editor is apparent in 33 lsb and 34 13 . 27 , but otherwise the language is not that of the late priestly writers, nor the picture, as a whole, for they always present the patriarchs in a favorable light and regard the rite of circumcision as peculiar to the Hebrews and therefore not to be shared with their heathen neighbors. Cf. § 16. The points of affinity both in thought and language are closest with the Ephraimite narrative, although like many similar stories in Judges, its peculiarities suggest that the tradition was transmitted through different channels than the other Ephraimite narratives in Gen. before it was com- mitted to writing, or else that it comes from a later strand. The historical background of this ancient tribal tradition is evidently the early part of the period of Hebrew settlement in Canaan. Like the stories of Reuben and Bilhah and Judah and Tamar, it might more appropriately have been included m the book of Judges. Judg. 9 furnishes independent evidence of the early alliances between the Israelites and Shechemites. That Gen. 34 contains important historical data is generally recognized. It suggests that the Hebrew sub-tribe of Dinah was early absorbed by the powerful Shechemites and that the older tribes of Simeon and Levi, resenting the humiliating alliance, sought by a treacherous attack to vindicate the honor of the Israelites. Their treachery, however, aroused the Ca- naanites to united opposition, which resulted in the almost complete extinction of the tribes. Cf. Gen. 49 5 - 7 . Subsequent history confuses this tradition, for in the early Hebrew period the survivors of these tribes are found in the extreme south, affiliated with Judah, and they never later assumed an independent role. * 33 19 Lit., one hundred quislta — 400 shekels. j 33 20 Gk., called upon the God oj Israel. She- chem's passion ror Di- nah 120 Gen. 34 2b ] DINAH AND SHECHEM [Gen. 34 1 Early Judean his heart was fixed on Dinah the daughter of Jacob. 5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daugh- ter, but his sons were with his cattle in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came. 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field , when they heard of it, and the men were indignant and became very angry because [Shechem] had committed a shameful crime in lying with Jacob’s daughter: which thing ought never to be done ! Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narra- tives of z the women of the land. 2a And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, and lay with her, 3b but he loved the maiden and spoke endearingly to the maiden. 4 Therefore Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying. Get me this maiden for my wife. n But Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find fa- vor in your sight, and I will give you what you ask of me. 12 Demand of me an exceedingly large gift for yourselves and dowry for the bride, and I shall give as you shall ask of me ; only give me the maiden for my wife. 14 Then her brothers said to him, We cannot do this, namely, give our sister to one who is uncircum- cised, for that were a re- proach to us. 19 But the young man did not hesitate to do the thing demanded, because he was pleased with Ja- cob’s daughter; and he was honored above all the house of his father. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out Negotia- te Jacob to speak with him and with his sons, ninah 8 And Hamor conversed with them saying, My son Shechem has set his heart on your daughter. I pray you give her to him as wife; 9 and inter- marry with us: give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 Then you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open before you. Remain, go about, and settle down in it. 13 Tlien the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile, and declared, (because he had defiled Dinah their sister), 73 Only on this condition will we make an alliance with you: if you will be as we are, in that every male of you be circumcised . 16 Then will we give our daughters to you and take your daughters to us and will dwell with you and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us and allow yourselves to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone. 18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem Hamor ’s son. 20 Then Ilamor and Shechem his son came to Circum- the gate of their city, and conversed with the men prelimi- of their city, saying, 21 These men are peaceably themar- disposed toward us, therefore let them remain in riage the land and go about in it; for, behold, the land is broad enough for them on every side and in every direction; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us to become one people, namely, • 34 1 Gk., become acquainted with. 121 THE JACOB STORIES Gen. 3420 b] [Gen. 34 22 Early Judean Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives that every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. 23 Shall not their cattle and their goods and all their beasts be ours ? only let us make an alliance with them that they may dwell with us. 24 Then all who went in and out of the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and Shechem. And every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. treacher 25b Then two of the sons of Jacob, ousat- Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword and came upon the city unawares, 26 and put Hamor and Shechem his son to the sword, a and took Dinah out of Shechem ’s house and went forth 29b with all that was in the house. sequel 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have brought me into trouble, in that you have made me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Since I have only a few people, 0 if they gather themselves together against me they will smite me and I and my house shall be destroyed. 31 But they replied. Should he have dealt with our sister as with a harlot ? 25a And it came to pass on the third day when they were sore, that 27a ’ c the sons of Jacob came upon the cir- cumcised* 3 men and slew all the males, 27b and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 23 They took their flocks and their herds and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field. 29a And all their wealth, and all their little ones and their wives, they took captive and made a prey. 35 5 Then they departed; and a great terror came upon the cities that were round about them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. d § 42. Jacob’s Return to Bethel — Primitive Allegiance to Israel’s God, Gen. 35 1 -* * * § ’ T - »- 15 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Late Priestly Narratives com- Gen. 35 4 Then God said to Jacob, 35 6a Then Jacob came to Luz, sacrifice Arise go up to Bethel, and dwell there, which is in the land of Canaan (that at Bethel ° r * 34 26 Heb. idiom, slew at the mouth of the sword. b 34 271 Heb., slain; but this is not in harmony with the context and is probably due to the fact that a copyist read this for the very similar Heb. word meaning circumcised. c 34 30 Heb., I being few in number. 4 35 s This verse has no connection with its context. The immediate sequel of 4b is 6b . The term sons of Jacob, as well as the contents, indicates that that is the conclusion of the second version of the Dinah story. _ The suggestion of divine protection is also consonant with the representation of the Ephraimite source. Cf. Introd., p. 39. § 42 The geographical terminology, the general representation, and the unmistakable idioms at once proclaim that • 9 - 13 . it contain the late priestly account of the divine revelation 122 Divine revela- tion and promise Prepara- tions for the sac- rifice Erection of an altar and pillar Gen.35 1 ] JACOB’S RETURN TO BETHEL [Gen. 35 6a Early Ephraimite Prophetic and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau thy brother. 2 Theref ore Jacob said to his house- hold, and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves, and change your garments, 3 and let us arise, and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my dis- tress, and was with me on the jour- ney which I was making. _ 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 6b He and all the people who were with him came to Bethel. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Bethel [The God of the house of God]; because there God revealed himself to him, when he fled from the presence of his brother. 14 And Jacob set up at the place where [God] had spoken with him, a pil- lar of stone, and poured a libation and oil upon it. Late Priestly Narratives is, Bethel) . 9 And God appeared again to Jacob when he came from Paddan- aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. e So he called his name Israel. 1 'More- over God said to him, I am El-Shad- dai [God Almighty]; be fruitful and become numerous; a nation and a multitude of nations shall there be from thee and kings shall come forth from thy loins; 12 and the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee; and to thy descendants after thee will I give the land. 13 Then God went up from him at Ongnot the place where he spoke with him. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel. § 43. Jacob’s Domestic Experiences in Canaan — Incidents in Early Tribal History, Gen. 35 s - 16 - 2J < 27 - 29 , S6 6 - 8 , 37 1 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 35 8 Then Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Death oi Bethel under the oak. Therefore its name was called Allon-bacuth [Oak of bek»h’» • i nurse weepingj . to Jacob at Bethel. The remaining veises of the section are the sequel to the earlier Ephraim- ite account of the revelation at the same place, § 31. Cf. God in '• 3 ' 7 , and the reference to the pillar, which is peculiar to the Ephraimite version in § 31. Evidently either the original Ephraimite narrators or the later prophetic editor of 35 1 ' 7 had in mind the incident recorded in the preceding chapter, for in 3 > 4 the note of distress and the feeling that everything must be done to secure the divine favor are readily recognized. The deliverance of Jacob and his sons from the consequences of their guilt is recounted in 6 . The analogy with Jacob’s earlier flight to Bethel after a crime had been committed, § 31, is close. e 35’° For Judean account of the origin of the name Israel, cf. 32 28 , note § 39. | 43 It is not entirely clear from which prophetic source 16 - 20 are derived. 37 10 (Ephraimite) seems to imply that Rachel is still alive; but otherwise the indications point to the northern source. Pillar , 20 is peculiar to this narrative. Cf. 35 u . The language of 19 is also closely parallel to that of 8 and 48 10 , both of which appear to belong to the Ephraimite source. The change of the name Jacob in 20 to Israel in 21 also points clearly to a transition from the 123 TIIE JACOB STORIES Gen. 35 16 ] Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Death of 16 Then they set out from Bethel, and when they were still some distance and hel fromEphrath, f Rachel felt the pains of childbirth and had hard labor. 17 Andit Benj 1 a° f came to pass, when she had hard labor, that the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid, for now you will have another son. 18 And it came to pass, as her life was departing (for she was dying), that she called his name Benoni [Son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Benjamin [Son of the right hand]. 19 Thus Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath (that is, Beth- lehem) , -’"and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; that is the Pillarof Rachel’s grave, which stands until this day. Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 21 Then Israel journeyed, and pitched his tent beyond Migdal-Eder [Tower of the flock]. 22 And while Israel dwelt in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. g . . . Late Priestly Narratives Death 35 27 Then Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, even to Kiriath-arba lai'of " r " (that is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. 28 And the length lbaae j gaac > g [jf g h was one hundred and eighty years. 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and was gathered to his father’s kin, old and satisfied with life; and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. Esau’s 36 "Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members ureand of his household and his cattle and all his beasts and all his possessions dence in which he had gathered in the land of Canaan and went to a land away from Seir his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too many for them to dwell together, and the land where they sojourned could not support them because of their cattle. 8 SoEsau dwelt in Mount Seir (Esau is Edom 1 ); 37 1 while Jacob dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned in the land of Canaan. Reu- ben’s crime § 44. Judah and Tamar — Alliances between the Judean and Southern Canaanite Tribes, Gen. 38 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 38 : Now it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his kinsmen and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. Ephraimite to the Judean narrative which, consistently with the revelation in § 41, hereafter uses Israel, while the other retains Jacob. The remaining passages contain the idioms and ideas peculiar to the late priestly narratives. ! 35 16 Lit., there was still some distance to come to Ephrath. * 35 22 Evidently here the editor has preserved only a fragment of a longer narrative, which like that in § 41, represents a primitive tradition regarding the relations and alliances between tribes. h 35 28 Heb., days. ■ 36 s For the list of Esau’s descendants and the earlier Edomite kings found in Gen. 361-5. 9-42_ c f Appendix VII. § 44 This story has no connection with the Joseph narratives which precede and follow it in Gen. It is also only loosely classified with the Jacob traditions. Its affinities are with the Dinah and Sheehem story § 41 and with the stories of the book of Judges. It treats of the origin and history of certain southern Israelitish clans during the period of settlement in Canaan. It also illustrates and emphasizes the Levirite law which is formulated in Dt. 25 6-10 . The story belongs to the south, and certain linguistic indications point to the Judean prophetic group of narratives, although the connection is not close. Its naive moral standards reveal its very early origin. 124 JUDAH AND TAMAR [Gen. 38 2 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a Canaanite whose name was Shua; and Judah’s he took her as wife and went in unto her. i * 3 And she conceived, and bore a hy'lfca- son, and he called his name Er. 4 Then she conceived again, and bore a son, ^f" lte and called his name Onan. 5 And she bore still another son and called his name Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him. 6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his eldest son, and her name was Tamar, pivine 7 But Er, Judah’s eldest son, was so wicked in the sight of Jehovah, that Jehovah j^ e d nt slew him. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, Go in unto your brother’s wife, and and nEr perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your 0nan brother. 9 But Onan knew that the seed would not be his, therefore when he went in to his brother’s wife he. spilled it on the ground, in order not to raise up offspring for his brother. 10 And what he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah; therefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your Judah’s father’s house, until Shelah my son has grown up; for he said to himself, I to j, r2 lce will not let him go in unto her, lest he also die like his brothers. So Tamar mar went and dwelt in her father’s house. 12 After many days had passed, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Tamars And when Judah was comforted he went up to see about his sheep-shearers tkm and at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite. 13 Then it was told ^tti Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear Judah his sheep. 14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil, and thus veiled, she sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up without her being given to him as wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot, because she had veiled her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the way and said, Permit me, I pray you, to come in unto you, for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in unto me ? 17 And he said, I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge until you send it ? 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give you ? And she said Your seal- ring and your chain and your staff that is in your hand. So he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away and took off her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 Now when Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Judah’s Adullamite to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. secure to 21 Then he asked the men of her place saying, Where is the sacred prostitute” pledge who was at Enaim by the wayside ? And they said, There has been no sacred prostitute here. 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her, and moreover the men of the place said, ‘There has been no sacred prosti- tute” here.’ 33 And Judah said, Let her keep it that we may not be put to shame; behold, I have sent this kid, but you have not found her. i 3321. 22 I, it., consecrated, i. e . , a relirjious -prostitute. Although translated by the same English word in the current versions, the Heb. is entirely distinct in form and meaning from the term found in 16 . 24 . Cf. the many references in the Hammurabi Code to the devotees or those consecrated to a god. Not until much later times was the moral sense of the East aroused sufficiently to abolish this very ancient institution. Cf. Hos. 4 4 , Dt, 23 17 . 125 Gen.38 24 ] THE JACOB STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Ac- 24 Now after about three months it was told Judah: Tamar your daughter- edgment in-law has played the harlot, and moreover she is also with child by whoredom, obiiga- Then Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burnt. 25 But when she was Tamar brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these tilings belong, I am with child. She also said, See, I pray you, whose these are, the seal-ring and the chain and staff. 26 When Judah recognized them, he said, She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to Shelah my son. But he did not enter into marital relations with her again. Birth of 27 Now it came to pass in the time of her travail that twins were in her womb, and 28 And while she was bringing forth, one put out a hand and the midwife took e and bound upon his hand a bright red thread, saying, This came out first. 29 But it came to pass, just as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out, and she said, What a breach you have made for yourself! Therefore his name was called Perez [Breach], 30 And afterward his brother came out, who had the bright red thread upon his hand; therefore his name was called Zerah [Red]. Ill THE JOSEPH STORIES— MIGRATION OF CERTAIN ISRAEL- ITISH TRIBES FROM CANAAN AND THEIR ESTABLISH- MENT IN EGYPT, Gen. 37 2b - 36 , 39 1 -49 la , 28b -50 28 § 45. Joseph Sold by his Brothers into Egypt, Gen. 37 sb " 36 Early Judean Gen. 37 3 Now Israel loved Joseph Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 37 2b Joseph at the age of seventeen was a shepherd with his brothers and he was a lad with the sons of Bil- The Joseph Stories. — As might be inferred from their theme and character, the Joseph stories are derived almoet entirely from the prophetic sources. In the priestly narratives, Joseph figures simply as the one who brought his Hebrew kinsmen to Egypt, 46 6ff . The prophetic versions of these stories current in Northern Israel and Judah varied only in minor details. The characteristics of each of these groups of narratives are, however, clearly marked. Thus, for example, in the Judean, Israel is the name of the common ancestor of the tribes; in the Ephraimite it is Jacob. In the first Judah figures as the eldest: in the second Reuben. In the one Joseph is sold to the Ishmaelites; in the other to the Midianites. In the one he is imprisoned; in the other apparently not. Dreams, as usual, play an important role in the Ephraimite traditions. With the aid of these and other familiar guides it is possible readily to distinguish the different strands. The amalgamation, however, is sometimes so close and the different versions of the narratives so similar, that absolute assurance is impossible regard- ing the classification of individual verses and clauses. Since Joseph was the traditional an- cestor and hero especially of the northern tribes, it is natural that the Ephraimite narratives should be the more complete; but since he was the ideal type of the successful man of affairs, the traditions appealed also to the prophets of the south, who preserved an almost continuous parallel cycle of stories. The character of Joseph is portrayed with remarkable consistency in both groups of stories. At best he was the spoiled boy, who nevertheless possessed strong and lovable qualities, which only varied and often painful experiences could bring out. The different stories present the § 45 The more striking evidences that two narratives have here been closely amalgamated are the name Israel in 37 3 - 13 , and Jacob in 37 u ' 31 ; intervention of Judah in 2B » but of Reuben in 22 . cause of the ill-will of the brothers in 8 is Israel’s partiality, but in it is Joseph’s dreams; inconsistency between 25 - 27 and 28 . These and the well-known linguistic peculiarities of the two prophetic sources render the analysis easy and give two complete and consistent versions of the story. 126 Gen.37 3 ] JOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT [Gen. 37 2b Early Judean more than all his other children, be- cause he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic with sleeves. 4 And when his brothers saw that their fa- ther loved him more than all his other sons, they hated him, and could not speak to him in a friendly manner. Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives hah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. 5 And Joseph had a dream, and told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more. 6 And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have had; 7 for it seemed to me that we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose and remained standing, while your sheaves surrounded and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brothers said to him, Will you assured- ly be king over us ? or will you certainly rule over us ? So they hated him still more because of his dreams and his words. 9 Then he had yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, saying, Behold, I have had another dream, and it seemed to me that the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream that you have had ? Shall I and your mother and your brothers in- deed come to bow ourselves to the earth before you ? 11 And his brothers envied him; but his father kept the thing in mind. 12 And his brothers went to pasture his fa- ther’s flocks in She- chem . 13 Then Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pastur- ing the flocks in She- chem ? come now I will send you to them. 14b So he sent him out from the valley of Hebron, and he came to She- chem. And Jacob called Joseph, and he replied, Here am I. 14a And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock, and bring me word again. 15 So he set out, and a certain man found him as he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him saying, What are you seeking ? 16 And he said, I am seeking my brothers; tell me, I pray you, where they are pas- turing the flock. 17 And the man said, They have gone from this place, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Especial- ly be- loved by his father and hated by his brothers Sent by his fa- ther to visit his brothers in the north successive tests to which he was subjected. They reveal his fidelity, generosity, energy, good judgment, executive ability, and tact. In him all the qualities which make for success were combined in superlative measure. Their reward was also superlative. The powerful effect of such an ideal, constantly held up before the eyes of the Hebrew youth, cannot be over- estimated. The supreme literary beauty and dramatic charm of the stories added not a little to their effectiveness. That the character of Joseph should be idealized, as the stories were transmitted from generation to generation, was inevitable and also in harmony with the purpose of the prophets who gave them their final form. Converging lines of evidence, however, strongly suggest the probability that an historical character stands back of these later stories: their consistency and the close agreement between the parallel versions; the many faithful reflections of Egyptian customs; Egyptian proper names; and finally the fact that it was by no means uncommon for Semites to attain to positions of high authority in the Egyptian court. The famous Tell-el- Amarna letters, coming from the fourteenth century b.c., contain the names of two such officials. One of them, Yanhamu, is repeatedly referred to and appears during the reign of Amenophis IV to have had the ear of the king and to have been intrusted with almost royal prerogatives. 127 Seized by his brothers with malign intent Carried by mer- chant- men to Egypt im- ported to nis heart- broken father as dead Gen. 37 18b ] THE JOSEPH STORIES [Gen. 37 18a Early Judean 18b B u t before he came near to them, [his brothers] knavishly conspired against him to slay him. 21 Reuben, a however, when he heard it, delivered him from their hands, and said, Let us not take his life. 23 Nevertheless when Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his long tunic, the tunic with sleeves that was on him. 25 Then they sat down to eat bread, and as they lifted up their eyes and looked, behold a caravan of Ishmaelites was com- ing from Gilead, and their camels were loaded with spices and balsam and lada- num, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Thereupon Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and conceal his blood ? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers list- ened to him, 28b and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt. 32a Then they sent the tunic with sleeves to their father. And when he saw it, he said, 33b Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces. 34b So he mourned for his son many days. 35a And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, I shall go down to Sheol to my son mourning. Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 18a And when they saw him in the distance, 19 they said one to another, See, here comes that mas- ter-dreamer. 20 Now come, let us slay him, and throw him into one of the cisterns, and then we will say, A fierce beast has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 22 But Reuben said to them, Do not shed blood; throw him into this cistern that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands upon him . He said this that he might deliver him from their hands to restore him to his father. 24 Then they took him, and threw him into the cistern. The cistern, however, was empty, there being no water in it. 28a Now Midianite merchant- men passed by and, drawing up Joseph, they lifted him out. 29 So when Reuben returned to the cistern, behold, Joseph was not in the cistern. Then he rent his clothes, 30 and went back to his brothers, and said, The child is not there; and I, where shall I go? 31 Thereupon they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a he-goat and dipping the coat in the blood, 32b they brought it to their father, saying, We found this; see whether it is your son’s coat or not. 33a And he recognized it and said, It is my son’s coat! a fierce beast has devoured him! 34a Then Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins. 35b Thus his father wept for him. » 37 21 This verse is clearly the Judean parallel to 22 , and in this narrative Judah figures as the eldest. It seems probable that his name appeared here originally and that the name of Reuben was later substituted to harmonize 21 with 21 . Cf. Introd., p. 34. 128 Gen.39 1 ] JOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT [Gen. 37 36 Early Judean 89 1 Joseph, however, was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the chief executioner, b an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who hadbrought him there. Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 36 The Midianites, however, sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, the chief executioner, an officer of Pharaoh. § 46. Joseph Tempted and Proved, Gen. 39 s - 55 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 39 2 Now Jehovah was with Joseph so that he became a prosperous man, and was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 When his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah always caused everything that he did to prosper in his hands, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes as he ministered to him, so that he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his charge. 5 Then it came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of Jehovah was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 So he intrusted all that he had to Joseph’s charge, and had no knowledge of anything that he had c except the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, Behold my master has no knowledge of what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my charge; 9 he is not greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? 10 And although she talked thus to Joseph daily, he did not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her. n But once about this time when he went into the house to do his work, when none of the men of the household were at home, 12 she caught hold of his garment, d saying, lie with me ; but he left his garment in her hand and fled out of the house. 13 And it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away, 14 she called to the men of her household, and said to them, See, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to insult us. He came to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice, ls and it came to pass, when he heard me crying out loudly, he laft his garment with me and fled out of the b 39 x Probably a note added by a later editor who wished to harmonize the Judean with the Ephraimite parallel. Cf. note § 46. § 46 This story, the outlines of which appear in the ancient Egyptian tale of the “Two Brothers/* is obviously a literary unit. The prevailing use of the name Jehovah , cf. 2 « 2I * 23 , and the other linguistic peculiarities indicate that it is from the Judean source. In the Ephraimite narratives Joseph is sold to Potiphar, the chief executioner, presumably a eunuch, whose slave he becomes. As in 40, it is in the house of his master that the king’s baker and cupbearer are imprisoned, and served by. Joseph. In the Judean narratives he is bought by a married Egyptian and subsequently himself imprisoned because of his fidelity. Potiphera is the name of the father of the woman whom Pharaoh later gave to him as a wife, 41 45 . c 39® Heb., he knew not anything with him. It is not clear to whom the him refers; if to Joseph, the statement would mean that he left everything to Joseph’s care. d 39 12 Heb., caught him by his garment. Sold as a slave to an Egyp- tian master In- trusted by his master with the care of his en- tire house- hold Repeat- edly tempted by his master’s wife Falsely charged by her with in- fidelity 129 Impris- oned by his mas- ter Favored and trusted by his jailer As- signed to two official prison- ers His offer to inter- pret their dreams Gen.39 15 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives house. 16 And she kept his garment by her until his master came home; When she told him the same story , e saying, The Hebrew servant whom you have brought to us, came to me to insult me; 18 but it came to pass that when I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me and lied away. 19 Then it came to pass when his master heard the statements of his wife which she made to him, saying, After this manner your servant did to me, that he was very angry, f 20 and Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, — the place where the king’s prisoners were bound. Thus he was there in prison. 21 But Jehovah was with Joseph and showed kindness to him, and made him a favorite with 5 the keeper of the prison, 22 so that the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the prison, and for whatever they did there he was responsible. 11 23 The keeper of the prison did not attend to anything that was in his charge, because Jehovah was with Joseph, and whatever he did, Jehovah always caused it to prosper. § 47. Joseph’s Fame as an Interpreter of Dreams, Gen. 41 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 40 x Now it came to pass after these things that the cupbearer * 1 of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt, 2 so that Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers, 3 and imprisoned them in the house of the chief execu- tioner, in the same prison where-) Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard assigned Joseph to wait on them; and they remained in confinement for some time. k 5 Meanwhile the king of Egypt’s cupbearer and baker, who were confined in prison, both in the same night had a dream, each of peculiar significance. 1 6 Therefore when Joseph came in to them in the morning, he saw plainly that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were imprisoned with him in his master’s house, saying, Why do you look so sad to-day? 8 And they said to him, We have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. Then Joseph said to them, Does not the interpretation of dreams belong to God ? tell it to me, I pray you. e 39 17 Heb., spoke to him according to these words. 1 39 19 Heb., his wrath was kindled. s 39 21 Heb., gave him favor in the sight of. h S9 22 Heb., whatever they did there , he was the doer of it. § 47 Expressions like after these things, and chief executioner, are the water-marks which indicate that the story as a whole is from the Ephraimite source. The traces of a Judean paral- lel may be found in lb . 3b - 5b . 16b or else they are harmonistic additions. In the original Ephraim- ite tradition Joseph is not sold from his home but stolen, 37 128 ' 36 , and as the slave of the chief executioner, not as a prisoner, ministers to those in the keeping of his master. ■ 40 1 Heb., means one who attended not to the food, but to what was drunk by the king and his guests. i 40 3 Heb., in the prison the place where. Probably a harmonistic gloss. k 40 4 Heb., days. 1 40 5 Heb., And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison. The verbosity and awkwardness of the sentence is probably due to the amalgamation of two parallel stories. 130 JOSEPH AS AN INTERPRETER OF DREAMS [Gen. 40 9 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 9 Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him. In Thecup- my dream I seemed to see a vine before me, 10 and on the vine three branches, dream 8 and it was as though it budded, it put out blossoms and its clusters brought fnterpre- forth ripe grapes. 11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes tatl0 “ and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 12 Then Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head m and restore you to your position, and you shall give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as you used to do when you were his cupbearer." 14 But may you keep me in remembrance when it is well with you, and may you show kindness to me and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house; 15 for I was unjustly stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. 0 16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to J[jf er , g Joseph, I also saw in my dream, and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head. 18 And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three days Pharaoh will take off your head,P and hang you on a tree, and the birds shall eat your flesh from off you. "And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he Their made a feast for all his servants. Then he lifted up the head of the chief ment cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office so that he again gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 The chief baker, however, he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. tmferf" the cup- § 48. Joseph’s Interpretation of Pharaoh’s Dreams, Gen. 41 1-36 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Gen. 41 1 Now it came to pass after two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream in which he seemed to be standing by the Nile 2 and to see coming up from the dreams Nile seven cows, sleek and fat ,3 which had been feeding in the reed grass. 3 Then he seemed to see seven other cows coming up after them out of the Nile, bad-looking and lean, r and standing by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the bad-looking cows ate the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 Afterward he slept and had a second dream, and he m 40 13 I.e., take you from prison. D 40 13 Heb., after the former manner. 0 4o 1J b Another trace of the Judean version of the story. P 40 19 Heb., lift up your head from off you. § 48 The account of Pharaoh’s dreams is a continuation of 40 and is from the same source. Cf. explicit statement in 12 that Joseph is the servant of the chief executioner. Traces of the Judean parallel are discernible in 14b ' 31 • 3 c ^b. Vss. 30 and 31 are obvious parallels. Also f 3 and 34 ' 360 and 3:1 h . Two versions are also implied in the latter part of 41. The Judean tradi- tion is so fragmentary, however, that it is impossible to restore it in its original form. It was probably very similar to the Ephraimite. 1 41 2 Heb., fair in form and fat in flesh. 1 41 3 Heb., evil in form and lean in flesh. 131 Failure of his wise men to interpret them The cup- bearer’s testi- mony to Joseph’s skill as an inter- preter Joseph before Pharaoh Repeti- tion of Pha- raoh’s dreams Joseph’s interpre- tation of them Gen. 41 5 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Eph minute Prophetic Narratives seemed to see seven good ears of grain growing on one stalk. 6 Also lie seemed to see seven ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, springing up after them. 'And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and summoned all the sacred scribes and wise men of Egypt; and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh saying, My sins I now recall: 10 Pharaoh was very angry with his servants, and imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the chief executioner; n and we both had a dream the same night, each having a dream of peculiar significance. 12 And there with us was a Hebrew youth, a servant of the chief executioner; and we told him and he interpreted to us our dreams, to each man differently according to his dream. 13 And exactly as he interpreted our dreams to us so they came to pass: me they restored to my office, and him they hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and summoned Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself and changed his clothes and came to Pharaoh. ls And Pharaoh said to Joseph I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. Now I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pha- raoh, saying, Not I; God alone will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. 8 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream as I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 I saw seven cows, fat and sleek which had been feeding in the reed grass. 19 Then I seemed to see coming up after them seven more cows, thin, bad-looking and lean, worse than I ever saw* in all the land of Egypt; 20 and the lean and bad-looking cows ate the first seven fat cows; 21 and when they had eaten them up, one could not tell that they had eaten them, for they were still as bad-looking as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 Again I dreamed and seemed to see coming up on one stalk seven ears, full and good; 23 and then seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I have told it to the magicians, but there is no one who can inform me regarding it. 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, What Pharaoh has dreamed signifies the same thing ; u what God is about to do he hath declared to Pharaoh. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. It is one and the same dream. v 27 And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 That is why I said to Pharaoh, What God is about to do he hath showed to Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there are coming seven years of great plenty throughout the land of Egypt, 8 41 lfi Heb., answer of peace. 4 41 19 Heb., such as I never saw . . . for badness, u 41 25 Heb., the dream of Pharaoh is one. * 4 1 25 Heb., the dream is one. 132 THE INTERPRETATION OF PHARAOH’S DREAMS [Gen.41 30 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 30 and there shall be after them seven years of famine, so that all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land ; 31 and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it shall be very severe. 32 As for the fact that the dream came twice to Pharaoh, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh choose a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land and take up the fifth part of the produce of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 And the food shall be a provision for the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish because of the famine. 37 And the plan pleased w Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find one like this, a man in whom is the spirit of God ? § 49. Joseph made Governor of Egypt, Gen. 41 39 ' 57 Early Judean Gen. 41 41 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have appointed you over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his finger x and put it upon Joseph’s finger, x and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck, 43 and made him ride in the second chariot which he had. Then they cried before him, Bow the knee! 2 Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, I remain Pharaoh, but without your consent shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 Pharaoh also called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah, and gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives 41 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God hath showed you all this, there is no one so dis- creet and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and to your word shall all my people give heed y ; only in respect to the throne will I be greater than you. 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. * 1 And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt, So Joseph went out from the presence of Pha- raoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. * 41 37 Heb., The thing was good in the eyes of. § 49 Minor inconsistencies reveal the presence of two distinct stories. Thus 40 and 41-44 are parallels. Vs. 4,1 h is unnecessary and unnatural after 45b , which states the same fact. Vs. ib * apparently contains a different tradition regarding Potiphar, cf. 37 x . The exact analysis is not certain, for the criteria are few. The statement that Joseph was made ruler over the house of Pharaoh is characteristic of the Ephraimite narratives. The name of the Deity in 38 . 3(1 ■ sl . 62 indicates that these verses are from the same source. The idiom, began to, in 64 is found only in the Judean. Vs. “* contains the same expression as Gen. 12 10 , which is also from this strand. 1 41 42 Heb., hand. y 41 40 The meaning of the Heb. verb, in the sense in which it is here used, is not exactly known. The idiom seems to be lit., according to your word (Heb., mouth) shall my people dispose themselves . 1 41 43 Heb., Abrek. Possibly a Semitic word which has been Egyptized. * 41 4 " This verse is in the style of the priestly writers and reveals an interest in exact dates which is foreign to the prophetic narratives. 1 33 Given honor and au- thority second only to that of Pharaoh THE JOSEPH STORIES [Gen. 41 47 ffis pro- visions for the famine The seven years of famine Acquisi- tion of all the money of Egypt for Pha- raoh All the herds Gen. 4 1 48 ] Early Judean 48 and gathered up all the food of the seven full 0 years, which were in the land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities, putting in each city the products of the fields about it. Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 47 Then in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth bountifully . 13 49 And Joseph laid up grain, as the sand of the sea, in great quanti- ties, until he ceased to keep account, because it could not be measured. 50 And to Joseph were born two sons before His two the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the sous daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh [Forgetting] : For, said he, God hath made me forget all my misfortune, and all my father’s house. 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim [Very fruitful] : For, said he, God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; and do what he tells you. 56 And when the famine was upon all the earth, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. But the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 53 When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54b there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, be- cause the famine was severe in all the world. § 50. Joseph’s Policy During the Famine, Gen. 47 13-26 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 47 13 And there was no bread in all the land, since the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered in all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, Give us bread; for why should we die before your eyes, because our money fails? 16 Then Joseph said. Give your cattle, and I will give you grain d for your cattle, if money has failed. 17 So they brought their cattle to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle b 41 47 Heb., by handfuls. 0 41 5 - 27 • 2Sa . Note in 2 the expression live andnot die, and Israel in 5 . Vss. 27 • 28 a cannot be reconciled with 3S . Vs. 2sb has apparently been displaced in the process of amalgamation from its original position after 35 . e 42 1 . 2 The Heb. word always means grain as an article of merchandise. In 42 3 the ordinary word, meaning simply grain, is used. 135 Gen. 42 6 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives ms first people of the land. Therefore Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves view before him with their faces to the earth. "And when Joseph saw his brothers them he knew them, but he acted as a stranger towards them and talked harshly to them, and said. Whence do you come? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 Thus Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had had about them and said to them. You are spies come to see the defenselessness of the land. 10 And they said to him, No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. n We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies. 12 But he said to them, Nay, to see the defenselessness of the land you have come. 13 They replied, We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is to-day with our father, and one is no more. 14 And Joseph said to them, It is just as I said to you, ‘You are spies. ’ 15 By this you shall be proved : as sure as Pharaoh lives you shall not go from here unless your youngest brother comes hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain in confinement, that your words may be proved, whether or not there be truth in you. Or else, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are indeed spies. 17 And he put them all together into prison for three days. The sec- 18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, This do, and live; for I likewise terview fear God. 19 If you are true men, let one of your brothers remain bound in your prison-house; but you go, carry grain for the needs of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So shall your words be verified, and you shall not die. And they did so. 21 And they said to each other, Truly we are guilty in regard to our brother, in that when we saw the distress of his soul, while he was beseeching us for pity, we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us. 22 But Reuben also answered them, saying, Did I not say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ but you would not listen? therefore now also his blood is required. 23 And they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he had spoken to them through an interpreter. 24 He, however, turned himself about from them and wept; then he returned to them, and spoke to them and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them pro- vision for the way. And thus it was done to them. Return 26 So they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed. 27 And when blotters the first of them opened his grain-sack to give his ass fodder in the place where they had their re 8 ^°PP e( ^ f° r the night, he saw his money, for behold it was at the mouth of his grain-sack! port to 28a And he said to his brethren, My money is restored; and here it is even in my grain-sack! acob 29 And w heii they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had befallen them, saying, 30 The man who is lord in that land talked harshly with us, and put us in prison' 1 as though we were spying out the country. 31 And we said to him, We are honest men; we are not spies; 32 we are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more and the youngest 's to-day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man who is lord h 4230 Following Gk. 136 THE FIRST MEETING [Gen. 42 33 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives in that land said to us. By this shall I know that you are honest men : leave one of your brothers with me, and take the grain for the needs of your house- holds, and go your way; 34 bring your youngest brother to me, then shall I know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men; so will I give up your brother to you and you shall be free to go about in the land. 35 But as they were emptying their sacks, they found that every man’s purse Discov. of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their purses of oFthe money, they were afraid. 28b And their hearts failed them and they turned in°their trembling to one another, saying, What is this that God hath done to us? an'athe 36 And Jacob their father said to them, You bereave me of my children: oPtheir Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin also; father all these things have befallen me. 37 But Reuben said to his father. You may put my two sons to death, if I do not bring him to you. Put him in my charge and I will bring him back to you. 43 14 Then Jacob said, God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. But I — if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. § 52. Joseph’s Second Meeting with his Brothers, Gen. 42 38 , 43‘ 2 ' I3 > 16 -44 34 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Gen. 43 4 And the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had The eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to "rSn° f them, Go again, buy us a little food. 3 And Judah said to him, The man era rtf Ta ' protested strongly to us saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your impart e brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food, 5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down; iamin for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 6 And Israel said, Why did you bring evil upon me by telling the man you had another brother ? 7 And they said, The man asked particularly about us and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father yet alive ? have you a brother ?’ So we informed him according to the tenor of these questions. How were we to know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’ 43 38 But he said. My son shall not go down with you ; for his brother is dead and he only is left. If harm befall him on the way by which you go, then you will bring down Judah’s my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.' 43 8 Judah, however, said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go that we may live, and consent not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; hjssons from my hand you may require him ; if I do not bring him to you and set him depart § 52 The evidences that this story is from the Judean source are chiefly linguistic, but they are many and conclusive. They are, for example: Israel, in 43° ■ 8 ; little ones, in 5 ; bowed the head, in 2S ; made haste, in 30 ; old age, in 44 20 . The importance of Judah throughout the story also confirms the linguistic testimony. The tradition, like many of those in the Joseph cycle, ha3 been amplified and embellished during the period of ora! transmission, but it has received very few, if any, later editorial additions. From beginning to end it is a consistent literary unit, a splendid example of the kind of popular story which probably held the attention and fired the ambition of the youthful Saul and David. ■ 42 3s l.e., to the grave. Sheol corresponds in general to the Greek Hades, the abode of departed spirits. Cf. Job 3 13 - 19 . 137 Their re- ception at Jo- seph’s house J oseph’s royal hospital- ity tow- ard them Gen. 43 9 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives before you, then let me bear the blame forever; 10 for if we had not lingered surely we would now have returned the second time. 11 Therefore their father said to them, If it must be so, then do this: take some of the products of the land in your vessels, and carry down a present to the man: a little balsam and a little grape syrup and ladanum, pistacia nuts, and almonds. 12 Take also twice as much money in your hands, and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back with you; perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and arise go again to the man. 15 So the men took this present with twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 Now when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready, for the men will dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men, however, were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our grain-sacks at the first are we brought in, that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bond- men, together with our asses. 19 And when they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they spoke to him at the door of the house, 20 and said, Oh my lord, we simply came down the first time to buy food; 21 and it came to pass, when we reached the place, where we were to pass the night, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it back with us. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food ; we do not know who put our money into our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money. Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water that they might wash their feet, and he gave their asses fodder. 25 Then they made ready the present in anticipation of Joseph’s coming at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat there. 26 Now when Joseph came to the house, they brought in to him the present which was in their hands, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 And he asked them regarding their welfare and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive? 28 And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. 30 And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought a place to weep; and he went into his room, and wept there. 31 Then he bathed his face and came out and controlled himself, and said, Bring on food. 32 And they brought on food for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 138 THE SECOND MEETING [Gen. 43 33 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at each other in astonishment. 34 And he took portions from before him for them; but Ben- jamin’s portions were five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry * 1 * with him. 44 4 Then he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s Conceai- grain-sacks with food as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in £I“up £ his sack’s mouth. k 2 And put my cup, 1 the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack jamfn’* of the youngest with his grain money. And he did according to the word that sack Joseph had spoken. 3 When the morning dawned, the men were sent away, together with their Com- asses. 4 They had gone out of the city, but were still not far away, when pursue Joseph ordered his steward, Rise, pursue the men; and when you overtake cover 6 them, say to them, ‘ Why have you repaid evil for good ? Why have you stolen the cup my silver cup ? m 5 Is not this that in which my lord is accustomed to drink, and by which he divines? you have done wrong in so doing.’ 6 So he overtook them and said these words to them. 7 And they said to itsdia- him, Why does my lord speak such words as these ? Far be it from your ser- in Ben- vants that they should do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money which we found sack in our sacks’ mouths, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan ; how then should we steal from your lord’s house silver or gold? 9 That one of your servants with whom it is found shall die, and we will also be my lord’s bondmen. 10 And he said, Now then let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; but you shall be blameless. 11 Then they hastily took down every man his sack to the ground, and every man opened his grain-sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the oldest, and finishing with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s grain- sack. 13 Then they rent their clothes and every man loaded his ass and re- turned to the city. 14 So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph’s house; and he was yet The there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, before What deed is this that you have done ? did you not know that a man like me Joseph could divine with certainty? 16 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord ? what shall we speak ? or how shall we clear ourselves ? God hath found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s bondmen, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found. 17 But he said, Far be it from me that I should do so ! the man in whose hand the cup is found shall be my bond- man ; but you yourselves go up in peace to your father. 18 Then Judah came close to him, and said, Oh, my lord, let your servant, Judah’s I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger be kindled joseph to against your servant; for you are as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants i 43 s4 Lit., became intoxicated. So other texts. k 441 Nothing is said in the sequel of the money, cf. 11 • 12 . Evidently this gloss wa9 added by an editor who recalled the story in 42. 1 442 A cup shaped like the cup or calyx of a flower. m 444 Not found in the Heb., but preserved in the Gk. ( Syr., and Lat. 139 Joseph’s declara- tion of his iden- tity and mission Gen. 44 19 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and as his brother is dead, he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’ 21 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.’ “ 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’ 24 And when we went up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.’ 25 And our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 And your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and one went from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”; and I have not seen him since; 29 now if you take this one also from me, and harm befall him you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ 30 And now if I come to your servant, my father, without having with us the lad in whose life his life is bound up, 31 then when he sees that there is no lad, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your ser- vant became surety for the lad to my father, when I said, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now there- fore let your servant, I pray you, remain instead of the lad as a bondman to my lord, but let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad is not with me? — lest I should see the sorrow that would come upon my father. § 53. Joseph’s Disclosure of his Identity, Gen. 45 Early Judean Prophetic Gen. 45 la Now Joseph could not control himself before all those that were standing by him and he cried Early Ephraimite Narratives 45 lb Now there stood no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2a ’ c But he “ 44 21 I. e. , take him under my protection. Gk., and I will care for him. § 53 Gen. 45 marks the climax of the Joseph stories. The evidence that two independent narratives have here been woven together is indubitable. Thus for example there are two accounts of Joseph’s disclosure of himself to his brothers, in 3 and 4 ; twice he instructs them to invite his father to come and live with him , in 9 and 10 ; the command that they bring his father to Egypt is repeated in 13 - 18 ■ 19 . The familiar expressions of the two early prophetic narratives appear, such as Jehovah and God, Israel and Jacob, so that in general the classifica- tion of the material is easy. The assignment of certain detailed clauses, however, is more doubt- ful, for the amalgamation is often exceedingly close. The peculiar expression control himself, is found again in the Judean narratives, 43 31 . The reference to the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites in 4 indicates that this also came from the same source. The Judean version contains no inquiry regarding Israel, for that has already been made in 43^ . The other repetitions, Vss. *• 2 , when analyzed, yield two consistent parallels. Goshen in 10 ° is the district, according to the Judean source, where the Israelites settle with their families and herds. Cf. § 58 Introd. In this strand Joseph himself sends wagons to bring his kinsmen to Egypt, and then, when they are on the ground, by wise diplomacy persuades Pharaoh to allow them to dwell in Goshen and to have charge of the royal herds, 46 30 - 34 , 47 u4 ' 6b , § 54. In the Ephraimite, Pharaoh himself is repre- sented as bringing down Joseph’s kinsmen to Egypt with royal munificence. Again the com- pleteness and consistency of each of the parallel versions is the supreme demonstration of the correctness of the analysis. MO Gen. 45 la ] DISCLOSURE OF JOSEPH’S IDENTITY [Gen. 45 2 * Early Judean Prophetic out, Cause every man to go me. 2b And the Egyptians obeyed. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5a > °But now be not troubled that you sold me hither, 7b for J e- hovah sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth . 0 10a ' c Go therefore to Is- rael and say to him. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, you and your children and your grand- children and your flocks and your herds n and all that you have, and there will I provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine, lest you be brought to poverty, to- gether with your house- hold and all that you have . 12 And behold your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that is speaking to you. 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 19 And he p com- manded them. This do, take wagons out of the Early Ephraimite Narratives out from wept so loudly that Pharaoh ’s house- hold heard. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father yet alive? And his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they to see him. But he said, 5b ’ d Be not angry with yourselves, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For now the famine has already been two years in the land. And there are yet three years in which there shall be neither plow- ing nor harvest. 7a ’ c And God sent me before you to effect for you a great deliverance . 0 8 So now it is not you that sent me here but God. And he hath made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hasten and go up to my father and say to Com- him, Thus saith your son Joseph, God has made bring his me lord of all Egypt, come down without delay, andidns- l0b And you shall be near to me. 13 And you shall E^ypt 5 tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that you have seen and you must quickly bring my father down hither. 15 And he kissed all his brothers, and wept upon them; and afterwards his brothers talked with him. 16 And the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, that Joseph’s brothers were come ; and it pleased Pharaoh and his servants; 17 therefore Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, ‘This do, load your beasts and go and enter the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, that you may eat the fat of the land. 20 Also do not pay any attention to your house- hold goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ 21b So Joseph gave them wagons accord- ing to the command of Pharaoh, and provision for the way. 22 To each of them he gave a festal garment, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five festal garments. 23 And to his father he sent as follows : ten asses laden o 457b, c Heb., to put for you a remnant on the earth and to cause to live for you for c. great deliverance. Gk., Sam., and Syr. leave out the for in the last clause, giving a more intelligible text. p 45 19 Heb., and you (sing.) are commanded. The verbs which immediately precede and follow, however, are plural. The Gk., Syr. and Lat. translators all recognized that the text was confused and each suggested different emendations. The confusion apparently arose through the combination of two distinct narratives. A simple reconstruction of the text gives the above reading. 141 [Gen. 45 23 Gen. 45 19 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Judean Prophetic land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives and bring your father and come. Jacob- 21 a And the sons of Is- recep - 3 rael did so, 27a and they thejoy- told him all the words £ iii news w j 1 j c j 1 J ose ph f i had said to them ; 28 and Israel said , It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die. Early Ephraimite Narratives with the best things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain and bread and provision for his father on the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away and they de- parted. And he said to them, See that you do not quarrel on the way. 25 And they went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart grew numb, for he believed them not. 27b But when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. § 54. Establishment of his Kinsmen in Egypt, Gen. 46, 47 1_12 > 27 > 28 Early Judean The Gen. 46 la Then Is- Jcmmey ... to Egypt rael set out on his jour- rec d ep he ney with all that he had . hSktns- 28 And he sent Judah Joseph before him to Joseph, that he might show him 3 the way to Go- shen. Now when they came into the province of Goshen, 29 Joseph made ready his char- iot, and went up to Goshen to meet Israel his father; and as he presented himself to him, he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a long time. 30 Then Is- Early Ephraimite Prophetic 46 lb Then Jacob went to Beersheba r and offered sacri- fices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel* in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob. 3 And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father. Do not be afraid to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great Late Priestly Narratives 46 °Then they took their cattle and their goods which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his de- scendants with him : 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his grand- daughters and all his descend- ants he brought with him into Egypt- 8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Jacob, the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons : Reuben, Jacob’s first- born. 9 And the sons of Reu- ben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, a 4527 a Heb., words of Joseph, which he had said to them. § 54 The two parallel narratives in the preceding lead us to expect two also in this section. Israel in la , land of Goshen in 2S - 29 ; 34 . 47 1 . 4 > 6 , Judah in 2S , and the prominence of flocks and herds in 31-34 make it easy to distinguish the Judean version. God in lb . 2 - 3 , Jacob in 2 , the nature of the vision in 2-4 , and the reference to the wagons sent by Pharaoh in 5 mark out the brief Ephraimite parallel. The vocabulary, expressions and style, as well as ideas of the late priestly narratives in 46 6-27 and 47 5-u , indicate that as the Israelites again figure prominently in the narrative, the third great source is again represented. r 4 Qib .The clause, went to Beersheba, may be from an editor who noted 5 and remembered that according to 37 14 (Judean) Israel was living at Hebron. The exact place where he made his house is not indicated in the Ephraimite source — presumably it was Beersheba. » 46 28 Gk., Syr,, and Sam., that he should appear before him, i. e., come to meet him. * 46 2 That 7 srael was introduced here by a later editor is clearly shown by the occurrence of Jacob in the immediately preceding and following context. 142 Gen. 46 30 ’ 3 ] JOSEPH’S KINSMEN IN EGYPT [Gen. 46 9 Early Judean rael said to Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are yet alive. 31 And Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, My bro- thers and mv father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 Nowthe men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle ; and they have brought their flocks and cattle and all that they have. 33 And when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 then say, ‘Your ser- vants have been keep- ers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we and our fa- thers,’ that you may dwell in the province of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomi- nation to the Egyp- tians. Late Priestly Narratives andCarmi u . 10 And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 11 And the sons of Levi: Ger- shon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 And the sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah ; (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Ilezron and Hamul. 13 And the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, lob, and Shimron. 14 And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and daughters were thirty -three. 16 And the sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 And the sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister; and the sons of Beriah: Heber and Mal- chiel. 18 These are the children of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these sixteen persons she bore to Jacob. 19 The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti- phera priest of On bore to him. 21 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ahiram, Shephupham, * * v Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob, al- together fourteen. 23 And the sons of Dan : Hushim. 24 And the sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, altogether seven. 26 All the persons who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were de- scended from him, w besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were altogether sixty-six. 27 And Joseph had two Early Ephraimite Prophetic nation; 4 I myself will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Jo- seph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 5 And when Jacob rose from Beersheba, thesons of Israel carried Jacob their father with their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. u 468-24 Cf. Ex. 6 11 ' I6 , Num. 26, I Chrs. 2-8. Ex. 6 14 ’ 15 is a slightly different variant of Gen. 46 9 ’ lu . v 46 ' 2 i The present Heb., Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, arose from a mistaken reading of the conso- nants. Cf. Num. 26 38 . 39 . " 46 26 Heb., That came out of his loins. 143 Pha- raoh’s recep- tion of Joseph’s kinsmen and pro- vision for their needs Jacob- Israel's instruc- tions re- garding his burial Gen.47 1 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES [Gen. 46 27 Early Judean Late Priestly Narratives sons who were born to him in Egypt. The total number of persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt, was seventy. 47 1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brothers with their sheep and cattle and all that they possess have come from the land of Canaan; and, be- hold, they are in the province of Goshen. 2 And from among his brothers he took five men, and pre- sented them to Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What is your occupation ? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers. 4 They also said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, because there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, since the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore we pray, let your servants dwell in the province of Goshen. And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, 6b In the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if you know any capable men among them, then you may put them in charge of my cattle. 12 So Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers and all his father’s household according to the number of the little children. 27a And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt and in the province of Goshen. 47 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Your father and your brothers have come to you; 6a the land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land make your father and your brothers dwell. 7 Thereupon Joseph brought in Jacob his father and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, How many are the days of the years of your life? 9 And Jacob said to Pha- raoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained the number x of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 10 And when Jacob had blessed Pharaoh, he went out from the presence of Pha- raoh. 1 1 So Joseph gave his father and his brothers a dwelling place and granted them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the province of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 27b And they ac- quired possessions in it, and were fruit- ful and became exceedingly numer- ous. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; thus the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years. § 55. Blessing of Joseph’s Sons by the Dying Jacob-Israel, Gen. 47 29 - 31 , 48, 49 la ’ 2 s - 33 , 50 l Early Judean 47 29 Now when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him. If now I have Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narra- tives 48 *Now after these things, they said to Joseph, Behold your father is x 47 9 Heb., days. § 55 48 3 - 6 is clearly the late priestly version of the blessing. 48 16 ' 10 and 20 contain two other distinct blessings: one upon Joseph and the other upon his two sons. The sons are also twice 144 Gen. 47 29 ] BLESSING OF JOSEPH’S SONS [Gen. 48 1 Early Judean found favor in your sight, put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh, and show kindness and faithfulness to me; do not bury me, I pray you, in Egypt; 30 but when I lie down to sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying- place. And [Joseph] replied, I will surely do as you have said. 31 Then he said, Give me your oath: so he gave him his oath. And Israel bowed him- self toward the head of the bed. 48 2b Then Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed, 9b and said. Bring [your two sons], I pray you, to me, and I will bless them. 10a Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. 13 And Joseph took them both, — Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, cross- ing his hands intentionally; for Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narra- tives sick. So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2a And they told Jacob, saying. Behold your son Joseph has come to you. 7 Then Jacob said to J oseph, As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died to my sorrow in the land of Canaan on the way, some distance from Eph- rath; y and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is Bethlehem). Bury me there also. 8 And when Is- rael saw Joseph’s sons, he said, Who are these ? 9a And Joseph said to his father, Theyare my sons whom God hath given me here. 10b And he brought them near to him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see your face; and, lo, God hath let Late Priestly 48 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me. Behold, I will make thee fruitful and numerous, and I will make of thee a company of peo- ples, and will give this land to thy descendants after brought before Jacob-Israel in 48 10b ' 11 and I3 . In47 31 Jacob himself summoned Joseph, but in 48 1 the latter simply heard of his father’s illness and came. The form of oath in 47 29 ~ 31 is the same as in 24 2 and indicates that this passage is the intro- duction to the Judean version of the story. 48 2b naturally follows 47 31 ; while 48 1 ' 2 » con- tains a new introduction. Jacob in 20 points to the Ephraimite source. Vs. 7 , has always proved a stumbling-block to commentators, for it has no visible connection with the context. It stands in the midst of a prophecy concerning Ephraim and Manasseh, but it is significant only as a part of Jacob’s instructions regarding the place where he should be buried. In the Judean version he has already given instructions to be buried with his fathers, 47 30 . In the priestly, he commands that his sons bury him in the cave of Machpelah. Thus it would seem that 7 is in its proper position and that it is a fragment of the Ephraimite version of Jacob’s final instructions. This is confirmed by the fact that the original incident, to which it refers and the language of which it repeats almost word for word, 35 16_2U , § 43, is probably from the same source. Vs. 7 , therefore, follows naturally after. 1 Israel in 48 s suggests the Judean source; but in 10 , which evidently belongs to this strand, it is stated that Israel's eyes were dim so that he could not see. The probability, therefore, seems to be that Israel in 8 * 11 is due to the editor who closely combined the two narratives at this point. The blessing in 15 » 16 is upon the two sons and evidently belongs to the Judean strand, the use of God in the connection in which it appears not being incompatible with the characteristics of that source. The linguistic parallels confirm the classification. Cf. 15a and 24 40 ; 16b and Num. 22 30 ; 16b and Gen. 30 30 . The blessing and prophecy in 2 °-‘ 22 are the Ephraimite parallel. A later editor has introduced in 49 2 ' 27 an ancient poem describing the characteristics of each of the Israelitish tribes. Cf. vol. V. in loco. It is fitted into the priestly narrative, 49i“ • 28b_32 . The editor, who appears to have been a priest, has also added the harmonizing clause, 49 28a . 7 48 7 Heb., When there was still some distance to come to Ephrath. 145 His blessing upon Jo- seph and his two sons Israel's death Gen. 48 14 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES [Gen. 48 1X > 4 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Early Ephraimite Manassek was the first-born. 15 And he blessed 2 them, saying. The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who hath been my shepherd all my life long unto this day, 16 the Messenger, who hath re- deemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be per- petuated by them, 22 and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac ; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17 But when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he seized his father’s hand to re- move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, Not so, my father; this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head. 19 But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know, he also shall be- come a people, and he also shall be great ; nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations. me see your off- spring also. 12 And Joseph brought them out from be- tween his knees, and bowed him- self with his face to the earth. 20 And [Jacob] blessed Joseph that day, saying, The Israel- ites shall invoke your blessing for themselves , saying, ‘ God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ Thus he put Ephraim be- f o r e Manasseh. 21 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I am dying; but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you one mountain -slope [Sheehem] a above your brothers, which I took out of the power of the Amorites with my sword and bow. b Late Priestly thee for an ever- lasting possession. 5 And now your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are mine. Ephraim and Ma- nasseh, even as Reuben and Sime- on, shall be mine. 6 And your off- spring which you beget after them, shall be yours; they shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 49 33b ’ c Then Is- rael drew his feet up into the bed, and was gathered 49 la Then Jacob called his sons, 28b and blessed them; Jacob’s each according to his blessing he blessed them. 29 And blessing he charged them, and said to them, I am to be gathered stmc- n to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that yarding his : burial z 48 16 Heb., Joseph, but Gk. them, as is demanded by the subsequent context. In 20 the Heb. has them, where the context ( you and your being singular) requires Joseph. This double error doubtless resulted from the process of combining the two distinct blessings and is per- haps due to an interchange of these two words. ■li 4816 Heb., Let my name be named in them. * 48 22 Evidently a play on the name of the important Ephraimite city Shechem, which is the same as the Heb. word shechem, shoulder or mountain-slope. b 48 22 In two other Ephraimite passages which refer to the acquisition of territory near Shechem by the Israelites, Gen. 33 19 and Josh. 24 32 , it is gained by purchase. In Gen. 34 27> 2S , however, the city itself is seized by force. To this incident the present verse probably refers, and, if so, did not originally have a negative after Amorites, as has been suggested. 146 BURIAL OF JACOB [Gen. 49 29 Gen. 49 33c ] Early Judean unto his people. 50 1 And Joseph fell upon his father’s face and wept upon him and kissed him. Late Priestly Narratives is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for the purpose of holding it as a burying-place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife ; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah; 32 the field and the cave that is in it which was purchased from the children of Heth. 33a And when Jacob had finished charging his sons, he breathed his last. § 56. Burial of Jacob at Hebron, Gen. 50 2-14 Early Judean Prophetic Theem- Gen. 50 2 Then Joseph commanded his servants the of Israel physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel, 3 and they devoted forty days to it; for thus long the days of embalming last; and the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. Pha- 4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, permis- Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I bury 10 have found favor in your sight, speak, I pray you, in the Canaan cars of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me take oath, saying, “Lo, I am dying; in my grave which I have digged for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” ’ Now therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father; after that I will return. 6 And Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your father, as he made you take oath. The pub- 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him and went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his moum- jjouse, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the house of Joseph, and his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones and their sheep and cattle they left in the province of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, so that it was a very great company. 10 And when they came to Goren-ha-Atad [Threshing-floor of the thorn bush] which is beyond Jordan, there they held a very great and solemn lamentation; and Joseph made a mourning for his father seven days. 41 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in Goren- ha-Atad, they said, This is a solemn mourning which the Late Priestly Nar- ratives 50 12 Then his Burial of l • j . i • Jacob in sons did to mm as the cave he had command- pdah ich ’ ed them: 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Ca- naan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Mach- pelah, the field which Abraham bought of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre for the purpose of holding it as a burying place. § 56 Gen. 50 2 - 14 may contain a few clauses from an Ephraimite parallel, but as a whole it comes from the Judean source. Cf. Israel in 2 , find favor in 4 , land of Goshen and herds in 8 Canaanites in n . It also records the fulfilment of Joseph’s promise in 47 29 ' 3 '. Likewise, 50 12 ’ 14 tell of the carrying out of Jacob’s command in 49 29 " 30 . 147 Gen. 50 11 ] THE JOSEPH STORIES Early Judean Prophetic Egyptians are holding. Therefore its name was called Abel-Mizraim [Mourning of the Egyptians]; it is beyond the Jordan. 14 Then Joseph returned to Egypt after he had buried his father, together with his brothers and all that went up with him to bury his father. § 57. Later Days of Joseph, Gen. 50 15-26 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives His Gen. 50 15 Now when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they er’s fears said, What if Joseph should hate us, and should return in full to us ah the evil own r 21 • 21 , but as a whole this narrative is evidently from the Ephraimite narratives. Cf. the use of the name God in 17 ■ 19 ’ 20 • 24 • 25 . c 50 15 Conclusion of the sentence, as often in Heb., is implied but not expressed: how would w* then fare ? d 50 21 Heb., spoke to their heart. 148 THE DELIVERANCE OF THE HEBREWS FROM EGYPT Ex. P-12 13 - 21 - 23 - 27b ' 41 - «, 13 17 " 22 , 14, 15 1 - 19 ' 25 > 27 , 16 1 , 17 1 , 19 1 - 2 % Num. 33 1 ' 15 THE DELIVERANCE OF THE HEBREWS FROM EGYPT I THE BONDAGE OF THE HEBREWS AND THE RISE OF THE DELIVERER MOSES, Ex. F-7 7 § 58. Israel’s Increase and Oppression, Ex. 1 Early Judean Ex. 1 6 Now Jo- seph died and all his brothers and all that generation. 7b And the Israel- ites became nu- merous and pow- erful. 8 Then there arose a new king over Egypt, who Late Priestly Narratives 1 J Now these are the names of the Israelites, who Rapid came to Egypt (every man and his household came of C the S with Jacob) : 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Is- ite a ael " sachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 And the persons who were descended from Jacob were seventy in all; but Joseph was already in Egypt. 7a ’ c And the Israelites were fruitful, and increased very rapidly, so that the land was filled with them. Ephraimite Prophetic 1 15 Now the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah, and 13 T hen the Meas- T 7 .* l uresto Egyptians made prevent the Israelites to crease 1 '" The Bondage and the Deliverer. — -The three groups of narratives which are traceable throughout Gen. reappear in Ex. The significance of the exodus in Heb. life and thought explains why later compilers retained three distinct and fairly complete accounts of that event and of the incidents antecedent to it. The characteristics of the priestly strand are readily recognized, but the distinctions between the two prophetic narratives are not so marked. As usual they are closely amalgamated, and after Ex. 3 13-15 the use of the names of the Deity ceases to be a certain guide. Their separation, however, elucidates many otherwise perplexing problems, even though the analysis at a few points must be regarded as only tentative. Aside from linguistic characteristics, each narrative has its own version and peculiarities, some of which have already been illustrated in Gen. Thus in the Judean, the Israelites settle in Goshen, retaining their flocks and herds together with their unity of organization and comparative inde- pendence. Cf. Gen. 45 10 , 46 28 - 32 , 50 8 . Their men alone number 600,000, Ex. 12 37 , but accord- ing to the Ephraimite. they are settled throughout Egypt, Gen. 47 11 , Ex. 3 22 , 1 1 2 , 12 13 , and are so few that two midwives are enough for their needs, Ex. I 15 . In the Judean, Moses marries the daughter of the priest of Midian, whom he takes with him on his return to Egypt together with his sons, Ex. 2 16 - 21 ; but in the Ephraimite his father-in-law Jethro brings his wife and two sons to Moses after he had led the Israelites forth from Egypt, Ex. 4 18 , 18 5 . The form and character of the demands made upon Pharaoh also differ in the two narratives. In the process of amalgamation, when the two are in close agreement, the preference, as often in Gen., is given to the Judean, with the result that the Ephraimite version is frequently fragmentary or else entirely wanting. § 58 Duplicates in 7 and in 13 • 14 , stylistic peculiarities and characteristic differences in repre- sentation make the analysis clear. In 7b - 12 appears the Judean conception that the Israelites were a tributary people, in numbers comparable with the Egyptians, and living in a province by themselves with overseers appointed over them ; while in 15-22 they live near Pharaoh’s palace and among the Egyptians 22 , and are so few that only two midwives are required. The use of God as the name of the Deity confirms the evidence that the latter is the Ephraimite version. The remaining verses of the chapter in formal legalistic language present the late priestly account of the oppression. 151 Moses’s birth and con- cealment Ex. I 8 - 15 ] BONDAGE OF THE HEBREWS [Ex. I 13 Early Judean did not know Jo- seph. 9 And he said to his people. See the Israelitish peo- ple a are becom- ing more numer- ous and powerful than we ; 10 come let us deal subtly with them, lestthey become so numer- ous that if a war arise, they will join our enemies, and fight against us, and go up out of the land. 1 'There- fore they set over them taskmasters to impose tasks upon them. And they built for Pha- raoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra- amses. l2 But the more they afflicted them, the more numerous they be- came and the more they spread abroad so that the Egyptians became appre- hensive of the Israelites. a 14a Therefore they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, 20b but the people be- came very numerous and powerful. Ephraimite Prophetic the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, When you perform the office of midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then you shall kill him; but if it be a daugh- ter, she shall live. 17 But the mid- wives feared God, and did not do as the long of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male-children alive. 18 Therefore the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have you done thus and saved the male-children alive? 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women ; for they are vigorous. Before the midwife comes to them, they are already delivered. ^There- fore God dealt well with the mid- wives. 21 And it came to pass, be- cause the midwives feared God, that he built up b their families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people saying, Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the river, but every daughter you shall save alive. Late Priestly N ar ratives serve with rigor, 14b in all kinds of forced labor in the field, even all their forced labor which they rigorously ex- acted of them. § 59. Birth and Preservation of Moses, Ex. 2 1 ' 10 , 6 16-25 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Late Priestly Narratives Ex. 2 4 Now a man of the house, of Levi had entered into marriage with a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived, and bore a son ; and 6 '^Now these are the Moses’s names of the sons of Levi ac- kinsmen cording to their generations : Gershon, Kohath and Me. “ I 9 . 12 Heb., people of the children of Israel. b l 21 Heb., he made them households. § 59 The story in 2 1 - 10 implies that the Israelites live among the Egyptians and the sequel to the command of Pharaoh which is alone found in the Ephraimite narratives, l 15 ' 22 . The word used for maid in 5 is also peculiar to the same source. I Sam. 2 27 > 2S , which is apparently a 152 Adop- tion oy Pha- raoh’s daugh- ter Ex. 2 2 ] PRESERVATION OF MOSES [Ex. 6 16 Early Ephraimite Prophetic when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of papyrus reeds, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and after she had put the child in it, she placed it in the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to learn what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, and while her maids were walk- ing along beside the Nile, she saw the ark among the reeds, and sent her waiting-maid to bring it. 6 And when she opened it and saw the child, be- hold the baby-boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you ? 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. Then the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 But when the child had grown up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daugh- ter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, c for she said, I drew him out of the water. Late Priestly Narratives rari; and the length of the life of Levi was a hundred and thirty-seven years. 17 The sons of Gershon : Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 And the sons of Kohath : Amram, Izhar, He- bron and Uzziel ; and the length of the life of Kohath was a hundred and thirty- three years. 19 And the sons of Merari : Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levjtes according to their gen- erations. 20 And Amram mar- ried Jochebed his father’s sis- ter ; and she bore him Aaron and Moses ; and the length of the life of Amram was a hun- dred and thirty- seven years. 21 And the sons of Izhar : Ko- rah, Nepheg and Zichri. 22 And the sons of Uzziel : Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. 23 And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Aminadab, the sis- ter of Nashon; and she bare him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazer and Ithainar. 2 hAnd the sons of Korah : Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph ; these are the fami- lies of the Korahites. 25 And Eleazer, Aaron’s son, married one of the daughters of Phutiel ; and she bare him Phinehas. § 60. Moses’s Championship of his Kinsmen and Flight to Midian, Ex. 2 11 ' 22 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Ex. 2 11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his kinsmen and saw their tasks; and he beheld an Egyptian northern Israelitish story, refers to an account of the calling of the priestly family which is nowhere found in the O.T. It has been suggested (Bacon, Exodus p. 7) that Ex. 2 was origi- nally preceded by a family history of Moses. A later editor has inserted in Ex. 6 16 ' 23 a genealogy of Moses and Aaron. It disturbs the context and was apparently placed where it is simply because the priestly editor felt that it should be introduced somewhere, cf. note § 61. Its logical position is in connection with the first mention of Moses. In keeping with the point of view of the priestly narratives, even more prominence is here given Aaron than Moses. Possibly Moses’s wife is not mentioned because her Midianite (or Cushite) origin was repugnant to the late priestly editor. Other parts of the genealogy are also abridged. The whole probably represents a later, secondary addition to the original priestly group of narratives. 0 2 10 Various derivations have been suggested for this word. The Hebrews associated it with the Heb. verb mdshdh, to draw out, as shown by the explanation which is offered. Its assumption that the Egyptian princess spoke Heb. illustrates the naivete of most of these popular etymologies. Philo and Josephus interpreted it saved from the water. It is more probably an abbreviated Egyptian name (possibly from mesu, son). § 60 Vss. 1 ^' 22 are clearly taken from the Judean narratives. Jethro is the name of Moses’s father-in-law in the Ephraimite, 3 1 , 18 4 , but in 2 18 it is Reuel or more probably was originally 153 Moses’s murder of an J pryp- tian and flight from Pha- raoh’s court His life in Midi- an Prepara- tions for the de- liver- ance of the Is- raelites Ex.2 n ] THE DELIVERER MOSES Early Judean Prophetic Narratives smiting a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. 12 And he looked this way and that and when he saw that there was no one in sight, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13 And he went out on the following day and saw two men of the Hebrews striving together; and he said to the one who was doing the wrong, Why do you smite your fellow-workman ? 14 But he replied, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and said, Surely the thing is known. 15 When, therefore, Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and took up his abode in the land of Midian. Now he was sitting down by a well; 16 and the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 But the shepherds came and drove them away; then Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that you have come so early to-day? 19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and besides he drew water for us, and watered the flock. 20 Then he said to his daughters, And where is he? why have you left the man? Invite him to eat bread with us. 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man ; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 22 And she bore a son and she called his name Gershom d [An alien resident there]; for he said, I have been an alien resident in a foreign land. § 61 . Moses’s Call and Return to Deliver the Israelites, Ex. 2 23 - 25 , 3, 41-21- 24-31 ( 6 2 - 12 5 71-5 Early Judean Ex. 2 23a Now it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. 4 19 And Jehovah commanded Moses in Midian, Go return to Egypt; for all the men are dead who sought thy life. 20a So Moses took his wife Early Ephraimite Prophetic 3 4 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the Late Priestly Nar- ratives 2 23b Now the Is- raelites sighed by reason of the forced labor, and they cried, and their cry came up to God be- not given. Cf. Num. 10 29 , Judg. 4 11 . Hobab son of Reuel seems to have been the form of the name in the Judean narratives. There are no decisive indications as to which of the prophetic sources n- 153 should be assigned. The Judean, however, has already stated that the Hebrews were subjected to forced labor, § 58. 4 19 also indicates that the Judean must have contained this story, and its close connection with 15b ~ 22 confirms its classification under the same head. (i 2 22 Popular etymology. The Heb. word translated resident alien, or sojourner, is the technical term describing anyone who resides permanently among a tribe or people other than his own. § 61 Such an important event as the call of Moses was recorded in each of the different narra- tives. The priestly version is not introduced until 6 2-12 and 7 1-7 . This records the third and final revelation of God to his people. Cf. note § 16. Henceforth he is known as Jehovah in the priestly as well as in the Judean narratives. The Ephraimite version of the same revelation is found in 3 13-15 . The use of the names God and Jethro in 3 1 - 4b - 9-12 indicate that these verses are the introduction to it. 319-22 and 4 17 are evidently the sequel, for 4 19 does not naturally follow 4 18 - and in 3 19 - 22 it is impliedthat the Israelites dwell amongthe Egyptians. Cf. II 2 - 3 , 12 35 - 36 ,§71. The staff in the hand of Moses is also the symbol of divine power in the Ephraimite narratives. The language and the representation in the remaining verses of 3 and 4 1 - 16 proclaim their Ju- dean origin. There is no new relation of the divine name, for Jehovah has been known and used 154 MOSES’S CALL Ex. 2 20a ] [Ex. S 1 , 2 23b Early Judean and his sons, and put them upon an ass, and he set out to return to the land of Egypt. 24 And on the way at the lodging place, Jehovah fell upon him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off the foreskin of her son, and touched [Moses’] person e with it, and said. Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me. 26 So [Jehovah] let him alone. Thus she originated the saying, f ‘A bride- groom of blood’ with reference to circumcision. 3 2 Then the Messenger of Je- hovah appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn bush ; and he looked and be- hold the thorn bush burned with fire without being consumed. 3 Then Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why Early Ephraimite flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the moun- tain of God, to Horeb. 4b - d Then God called to him, say- ing, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 6 * * * * * And he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, Late Priestly cause of the forced labor. 24 A n d God heard their groaning, and God remembered h i s covenant with Ab- raham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the Israel- ites, and God knew. 6 2 * 4 * Therefore God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am Jehovah; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, as El-Shaddai [God from the first, note § 3. Moses’s staff appears, but is turned into a serpent simply to convince Moses himself. The manner in which Jehovah appears and converses with his servant recalls the Judean prophetic stories in Gen. The Gk. translators recognized that 2 23a and 4 19 belonged together and so joined them. 4 20 and the primitive story in 24-26 evidently belong in the same connection. They also do not fit their context in Ex., for the command to return to Egypt in 4 19 is incongruous after the explicit directions in 3 7-18 , and Jehovah’s strange attack in 4 24-26 is inexplicable after the revelation recorded in 3. The words turn aside in 3 3 implies that Moses was already on his journey to Egypt. The staff in 4 2 was then the one used on the way, while in the Ephraimite narratives it was the shepherd’s staff. 2 23a , 4 19 - 20a * 24-28 constitute the logical introduction to 3 2-5 . Regarding the supreme fact that Jehovah revealed himself to Moses, inspiring him to undertake the great task which he accomplished, all the narratives are in perfect agreement. Regarding the exact form and content of that revelation, each individual tradition reflects the conceptions of the age and class of teachers from which it came. Whether the divine name Je/to- vah was known to the ancient Semitic ancestors of the Hebrews, as the Judean narratives imply, or was first proclaimed to them after Moses’s sojourn among the Midianites, as the Ephraimite and priestly represent, still remains one of the most perplexing problems of biblical research. No unquestionable examples of the use of Jehovah have yet been found on the ancient monu- ments. On the whole the biblical testimony is that it was the name of the Deity originally worshipped at Mount Sinai by local nomadic tribes. To these belonged Moses’s Kenite father- in-law, Jethro, who is elsewhere called the priest of Midian. In Ex. 18 he is represented as offering sacrifices to Jehovah and as instructing his son-in-law in his duties as judge. Did Moses first learn of Jehovah from Jethro and the Kenites who figure in later Hebrew history as wor- shippers of the same God as the Hebrews; or were the nomadic ancestors of the Israelites already acquainted with him? While the question is fundamental in estimating the real work of Moses and in determining the origin of Israelitish religion, unfortunately the data furnish no conclusive answer. e 4 25 The Heb. idiom, touched his feet , is evidently here used (cf. II Kgs. 18 27 , Is. 7 20 , 36 12 * ) euphemistically for organs of generation. The act was intended to appease the Deity by con- forming to the ancient rite of circumcision. The aim of this very primitive tradition seems to have been not to trace the origin of circumcision, which by the prophetic as well as by the priest- ly writer (§16) is attributed to a much earlier period, but to explain and justify its transference from the marriage period to infancy. Cf. W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites , 2d ed., p. 328; Kent, Message of Israel's Lawgivers, pp. 313-315. f 426 Heb., then she said. The verb, however, may have the meaning suggested by Bacon in Triple Tradition of the Exodus, p. 282, and given above, which makes the passage intelligible. Cf. Gen. 22 14 , § 23. The di- vine rev- elation to Moses and his commis- sion 155 THE DELIVERER MOSES Ex. 3 3 ] [Ex. 3 6 , 6 3 Early Judean the thorn bush is not burned. 4a ’ c And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, he said from the midst of the thorn bush, 5 Draw not nigh hither; put off thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 7 And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry of anguish, because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows; 8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a land, beautiful and broad, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the home of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.s ll ’Go and gather the elders of Israel to- gether and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hit- tites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.e to a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 And they shall hearken to thy voice; and thou shalt come, to- gether with the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and ye shall say to him, ‘Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews hath appeared to us; and now let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilder- ness, that we may sacrifice to Je- hovah our God.’ Early Ephraimite the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face ; for he was afraid to look upon God. 9 But God said, Now, behold the cry of anguish of the Is- raelites has come to me; moreover I have seen how sorely the Egyp- tians oppress them . 10 Come now, there- fore, and I will send thee to Pha- raoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the Israelites out of Egypt. 11 But Mo- ses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pha- raoh, and should bring the Israelites out of Egypt? 12 And he said I will surely be with thee; and this shall be the sign to thee, that I have sent thee : when thou shalt have brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall worship God upon this moun- tain. Late Priestly Almighty]; but by my name Jehovah I did not reveal my- self to them. 4 And I have also estab- lished my cove- nant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their so- journings wherein they sojourned. 5 And moreover I have heard the groaning of the Is- raelites, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their forced labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with mighty judgments; 7 and I will take you for my people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 AndI g 38b, nb These clauses are not closely connected with the context, and are identical with the editorial additions which occur frequently throughout Gen. Cf. Introd., pp. 36, 37. 156 MOSES’S RETURN TO EGYPT Ex. 4 * 1 ] [Ex. 3 13 , 6 8 Early Judean 4 1 Then Moses answered and said. But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice; for they will say, ‘Jehovah hath not appeared to you.’ 2 And Jehovah said to him. What is that in thy hand? And he said, A staff. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent ; and Moses fled from before it. 4 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Put forth thy hand and take it by the tail, (and he put forth his hand and laid hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand), 5 that they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee. 6 And Jehovah said furthermore to him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom ; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 And he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it had become again as his other flesh). Early Ephraimite 3 13 Then Moses said to God, Be- hold, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name ?’ what shall I answer them ? 14 Then God said to Moses, h I AM THAT I AM;' and he said thus shalt thou say to the Is- raelites, ‘ I AM hath sent me to you.’ 15 And God also said to Moses, Thus shalt thou say to the Israelites, ‘Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abra- ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you;’ this is my name forever, and by Late Priestly will bring you to the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage ; I am Jehovah.’ 9 Then Moses spoke thus to the Israelites; but they hearkened not to Moses for lack of courage,! and be- cause of the hard forced labor. 10 Therefore Je- hovah commanded Moses, saying, n Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the Israelites go out of his land. l2 But Moses spoke before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the Israelites have not hearkened to me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am not skill- ed k in speaking? 1 7 ] Then Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made thee as a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be h 3 14 This verse is by many regarded as an editorial addition, 15 giving the answer to 13 . * 3 14 Or, I am who I am, or, I am because I am, or, I will be that I will be, a popular etymology of Jehovah or Yahweh, apparently derived from the verb to be, and therefore signifying, He who exists, or He who causes to be, i. e., the Creator. Although the original derivation of the name of Israel’s God is still in doubt, this popular etymology aptly expresses the later exalted pro- phetic conception of Jehovah. i 6 9 Heb., shortness of spirit. k 6 12 Heb., of uncircumcised lips. 1 6 12 The remainder of 6 seems to be a late editorial addition. The continuation of 6 12 is 7 1 . 013. 28-30 are b u t amplifications of 1 °- 12 . They with 26 • 27 are apparently intended to furnish a setting for the genealogy of 14_27 . Vss. 14 > 15 are practical repetitions of Gen. 46 9 - 10 . 157 His hesi- tation and Je- hovah’s assur- ances and ap- point- ment of Aaron as his spokes- man Ex. 4 8 ] THE DELIVERER MOSES [Ex. 3 15 , 7 1 Early Judean 8 And then, if they will not believe thee, nor hearken to the testimony of the first sign, they will believe the testimony of the other. 9 But if they will not believe even these two signs, nor hearken to thy testi- mony, thou shalt take of the water of the Nile, and pour it upon the dry land ; and the water which thou takest out of the Nile shall become blood upon the dry land. 10 Then Moses said to Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, nei- ther before nor since thou hast spo- ken to thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and slow of utterance. 11 Then Jehovah said to him, Who hath given a man a mouth ? or who maketh one dumb, or deaf, or see- ing, or blind ? is it not I, Jehovah ? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak. 1: - ! But he said, O, Lord, send, I pray thee, by whomso- ever else thou wilt". 14 Then Jehovah was angry with Moses, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother, the Levite ?° I know that he can speak well. And also he is just coming out to meet thee ; and when he sees thee he will.be glad in his heart. 16 And thou shalt speak to him, and put the words in his mouth ; and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you both what ye shall do. 16 Thus he shall speak for thee to the people, and he shall be a spokesman for thee ; but thou shalt be to him as God.P 29 So Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of Early Ephraimite Late Priestly this shall I be re- membered from generation to gen- eration. 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, unless com- pelled by a mighty power. m ^There- fore I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; so that when ye go, ye shall not go empty ; 22 but every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of her that resides in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and cloth- ing, and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon L your daughters; thus ye shall despoil the Egyptians. 4 17 And thou shalt take in thyprophet 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the Israelites go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and make my signs and my wonders many in the land of Egypt. Never- theless Pharaoh will not hearken to you. Then I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, my people the Israel- ites, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the Israelites from among them. m 3’ 9 Gk., except. Heb., lit., by a strong hand, so 6 1 , 13 9 , 32 11 , Num. 22 20 . ■4 1! Heb.,6i/ the hand o j him whom thou wouldest send . Gk., choose another more capable whom thou wilt send. 0 4 14 Terms priest and Levite are evidently here used as identical, as in, e. g., Dt. 18 1 and in all the pre-exilic literature. p 413-16 Most authorities regard these verses as an addition from the editor who originally combined the two prophetic narratives, his object being to prepare for the introduction of Aaron in the subsequent Judean plague stories, where his name is generally recognized as a later addition. Cf. § 69, notes. In both the Judean and Ephraimite narratives Moses himself speaks directly to Pharaoh. It is only in the late priestly that Aaron, who there represents the Israel- itish priesthood, assumes the leading r61e, § 64 ff . Furthermore in the early Ephraimite Joshua, not Aaron, ministers at the tent of meeting, Ex. 33 11 , §79. The plain inference, therefore, seems to be that in the oldest prophetic traditions Aaron figured simply as the brother of Moses, to whom authority was intrusted in the absence of the great leader, and who perhaps announced Moses’s proclamations to the people. 158 MOSES’S RETURN TO EGYPT [Ex. 4 17 Ex. 4 29 ] Early Judean the Israelites ; 30 and Aaron spoke all the words which Jehovah had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed ; and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the Israelites, and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed low their heads in worship. Early Ephraimite Prophetic thy hand this staff, with which thou shalt do the signs. 18 Then Moses went back to Jethro^ his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go again, I pray you, to my kinsmen in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. Jethro answered Moses, Go in peace. 20b And Moses took the staff of God in his hand. 21 And Jehovah said to Moses, When thou goest back to Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have placed in thy power ; but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 27 Then Jehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah which he had sent him to declare, and all the signs which he had commanded him to do. § 62. The Demand that Pharaoh Allow the Hebrews to Depart, Ex. fi'-fi 1 , 7 6 ’ 1 Early Judean Ex. 5 Now Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh 3 and said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us; r let us go, we pray, three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. 5 But Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and would you make them rest from their tasks? 6 And the same day Pharaoh com- manded the taskmasters who were over the people, and their overseers s , saying, 7 You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, Early Ephraimite Prophetic 5 x Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, ‘ Let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.’ 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken to his command to let Israel go ? I do Late Priestly Nar- ratives 7 6 Then Moses Pha- and Aaron did refusal even as Jehovah Moses's commanded them. deraand 7 And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty- three when they spoke to Pharaoh. i 4' 8 Heb., J ether. Cf. 3b § 62 The priestly account of the first interview with Pharaoh 7°- 7 , is very brief. In 5 are found two duplicate versions which correspond in detail to the divine commands and pre- dictions in § 61. E. g., 6 3 is the fulfilment of 3 1S . The Ephraimite version here is also very brief. 5 10 -6* is evidently the continuation of the Judean story. Cf., e. (/., I 11 ■ 12 . r 5 3 Gk., called to us. "5 8 ’ 1U The overseers are first described in 5 14 ,so that their introduction in these earlier pas- sages is probably the work of an editor. 159 THE DELIVERER MOSES [Ex. 5 2 Added oppres- sion of the Is- raelites Com- plaints of their over- seers Moses’s com- plaint Jeho- vah’s reassur- ance Early Ephraimite Prophetic not know Jehovah, and, moreover, I will not let Israel go. 4 The king of Egypt also said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, draw away the people from their labors? Away to your tasks. Ex. 5 7 ] Early Judean as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the fixed number of bricks which they have been making hereto- fore, you shall lay upon them ; you shall not diminish it at all, for they are lazy ; that is why they cry aloud, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein and that they may not regard lying words. 1 "Therefore the taskmasters of the people went out, and their overseers and spoke to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will no longer give you straw. 11 Go yourselves, get straw wherever you can find it; for none of your work shall be diminished. 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, You must complete your daily work, just as when there was straw. 14 And the overseers of the Israelites, whom Pha- raoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and asked, Why have you not completed to-day as yesterday your prescribed task in making brick? 15 Then the overseers of the Israelites came and complained to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and yet they are saying to us, ‘Make bricks,’ and now your servants are being beaten; and you wrong your people.* 17 But he said, You are lazy, you are lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.’ 18 Go at once to work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you must deliver the required number of bricks. 19 And the overseers of the Israelites saw that they were in an evil plight, when it was said, You shall not diminish anything from your daily total of bricks. 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who had stationed themselves there to meet them as they came forth from Pharaoh, 21 and they said to them, Let Jehovah regard and pronounce judgment; because you have made us odious 11 in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his courtiers in that you have put a sword in their hand to slay us. 22 Then Moses turned again to Jehovah, and said, Lord, Why hast thou brought calamity upon this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he has dealt ill with this people; and thou hast not dehvered thy people at all. 6 'Then Jehovah answered Moses, Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh ; for, compelled by a mighty power , v he shall assuredly let them go, yea, compelled by a mighty power, he shall drive them out of his land. * 5 16 Heb. text obscure. Gk. is followed above. Other possible reading, the fault is in your own people. u 5 21 Heb., our savor to be abhorred. » 6 1 Heb., by a strong hand. So 3 19 . 160 II PLAGUES AND WONDERS PRELIMINARY TO THE DE- PARTURE OF THE HEBREWS FROM EGYPT, Ex. 7 8 -12 1_13 ' 21 ’ 23 - 27b - 36 § 63. Changing Aaron’s Staff into a Serpent, Ex. 7 8-13 Late Priestly Narratives Ex. 7 8 Then Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron, 9 W T hen Pharaoh Presen-^ shall speak to you saying, ‘Show a wonder’; thou shalt say to Aaron, ‘Take creden- thy staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.’ 10 And the first when Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, they did as Jehovah had com- wou manded; and Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his courtiers, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they Fha- also (the magicians of Egypt) did the same with their secret arts. 12 For stub- each man threw down his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staves. ^Nevertheless Pharaoh’s heart remained hard- ened, and, as Jehovah had predicted, he did not hearken to them. Plagues and Wonders. — The evidence for the analysis of this portion of Ex. is so obvi- ous and convincing that he who runs may read. At the same time it explains the many in- consistencies which appear in the text as it stands. Each group of narratives has its striking peculiarities in phraseology and representation, which constantly recur. In the priestly tradi- tions it is Aaron who with his staff performs the wonders before Pharaoh, whose heart, however, is each time hardened, as Jehovah had predicted, 7 4 . At first, 7 S ~ 13 22 , the magicians succeed in imi- tating Aaron, but their arts fail to reproduce the later signs. In another group the character- istics of the Ephraimite narratives appear: Moses himself wields the staff, 7 i;i - 20b , 9 22 . 23 , 10 12 ■ 13 ’ 21 ; he says nothing to Pharaoh, but simply acts; Aaron is not mentioned; the Israelites are scattered throughout Egypt, 10 21-23 . The most prominent characteristics of the Judean group are: the interviews in which the demand is reiterated in the name of Jehovah that the Israelites be allowed to depart that they may worship him; Pharaoh’s refusal of attempts to effect a compromise; announcement by Moses of the plagues which Jehovah himself brings upon the Egyptians; Israelites are unaffected by the flies and hail, 8 22 , 9 26 , because they live apart in the land of Goshen; Pharaoh’s repeated requests that Moses make supplication to Jehovah that he remove the plague; Pharaoh’s heart still stubborn; unprecedented nature of the plagues; marks of time, to-morrow, 8 10 ' 23 - 24 , 9 5 , 10 4 . In the light of these and additional linguistic peculiarities the separation of the different strands is perfectly clear. In the process of amalgamation the Ephraimite narratives have evidently in some cases been abbreviated or omitted. It is significant that in the oldest form of the traditions the plagues are simply unprecedented natural phenomena, some of which are peculiar to Egypt. It is only in the late priestly that the supernatural element becomes exceedingly prominent. These stories furnish a most in- structive illustration of the growth of tradition. Back of the oldest narratives are undoubtedly a series of calamities, which were remembered by the Israelites in later generations in the form in which we find them in the O.T. Some of the calamities, which in the years succeeding the reign of the great Raineses II and his son, overtook the Egyptians, are recorded in their writings: civil war, foreign invaders and the plagues which inevitably follow in their train. Underlying these O.T. traditions is the essential historical fact that Jehovah was the source of all political and natural phenomena and that each of these contributed to the realization of his purpose in human history. It was to illustrate and emphasize this eternal truth that Israel’s prophets and priests gathered these varied traditions of their race and , intent that none should be lost, wove them together in their present form. For distribution of traditions among different versions, cf. Table of Contents. § 63 This section illustrates the characteristics of the priestly accounts of the wonders. 161 Ex. 7 14 ] PLAGUES AND WONDERS [Ex. 7 15 ’ » § 64. Plagues upon the Waters, Ex. 7 U * 24 Early Judean Jeho- Ex. 7 14 Then Jehovah warning said to Moses, Pharaoh’s raoh d heart is stubborn ; he re- fuses to let the people go. 16 But thou shalt say to him, ‘Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me to thee to say, “Let my people go that they may worship me in the wilderness ; but hitherto thou hast not hearkened. 17a Thus saith Jehovah, In this thou shalt know that I am Je- hovah; 13 behold, I will smite, 18 and the fish that are in the Nile shall die, and the Nile shall become foul, so the Egyptians will become weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ Jeho- Thereupon Jehovah turning smote the Nile, 21a and the ter of a fish that were in the Nile St e o Nile died, and the Nile be- bi°°d became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink the water from the Nile. 24 And all the Egyptians dug round about the Nile for water to drink; for they could not drink the water of the Nile. Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic 7 Then J ehovah said to Moses, 15 Go to Pha- raoh early in the morn- ing, just as he is going out on the water. And thou shalt stand by the bank of the Nile to meet him ; and the staff which was turned into a serpent 1 shalt thou take in thy hand. 17b Smite with the staff that is in thy° hand upon the waters which are in the Nile, and they shall be turned to blood. Late Priestly Narra- tives 7 19 Then Jehovah Jeho- said to Moses, Say to com - 3 Aaron, ‘Take thy staff t0 and stretch out thy ters"^ hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their canals, and over their pools, and over all their reser- voirs, that they may be- come blood’; and there shall be blood through- out all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. 20b So he lifted up the staff and smote the waters that were in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and his court- iers; and all the waters that were in the Nile were turned to blood. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, but he did not take even this to heart. 4 20a So Moses and The * i*i*i t second Aaron did just as Je- wonder h o v a h commanded. 21b And the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh’s heart Pha- • iii i raoh's remained hardened, stub- i t i i i j bornness and, as Jehovah had predicted, he did not hearken to them. § 64 Cf. introd. note § 63. » 7 I6b Probably added by an editor familiar with the priestly story, § 63, although it is pos- sible that the Ephraimite narratives originally had a similar tradition which has been lost. b 7 Wl Possibly an editorial addition. Cf. §69, note p. c 717 b Heb., by attraction, my. d T a Heb., put to his heart. 162 Jeho- vah’s second warning Pha- raoh’s request His perfidy Ex. 7 25 ] PLAGUE OF FROGS [Ex. 8 5 65. Plague of Frogs, Ex. 7 25 -8 16 Early Judean Prophetic Ex. 7 25 When seven full days had passed after Jehovah had smitten the Nile, 8 Jehovah com- manded Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Let my people go that they may worship me. 2 And if thou refuse to let them go, then I will smite all thy territory with frogs; 3 and the Nile shall swarm with frogs which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy courtiers, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens and kneading-troughs; 4 and the frogs shall come up even upon thee and thy people and all thy courtiers.” ’ Thereupon Jeho- vah smote the land of Egypt with frogs. 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron , e and said, Make supplication to Jehovah, that he may take away the frogs from me, and my people; then I will let the people go, that they may sacri- fice to Jehovah. 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, Will you graciously inform me f at what time I shall make supplication in your behalf and in behalf of your courtiers and people, that the frogs be destroyed from your palaces and be left only in the Nile? 10 And he answered, To-morrow. Then Moses said, Be it as you say; that you may know that there is none like Jehovah our God, e J1 The Late Priestly Narratives 8 5 Then Jehovah said The to Moses, Say to Aaron, wonder ‘Stretch forth thy hand with thy staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt ; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 'But the magicians did Pha- the same with their secret stub- arts, and brought up frogs ness upon the land of Egypt, 15b so that, as Jehovah had predicted. Pharaoh did not hearken to [Moses and Aaron]. frogs shall depart from you, and from your palaces, from your courtiers and people, they shall be left only in the Nile. 12 Then when Moses and Aaron had gone out from Pharaoh, Moses cried to Jehovah in regard to the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together into innumerable heaps; and the land was filled with a vile odor. 15a But when Pharaoh saw that a respite had come, he hardened his heart. § 65 Cf. introd. note § 63. * 8* Moses figures as the spokesman in the Judean narratives. The name of Aaron may nave been introduced by a later editor, who was familiar with the other parallels, #f. § 69, note Heb., Glorify thyself over me. Cf. Is. 44 23 , 49 3 , 60 21 , 61 3 . Clearly used here not in an abject or ironical sense, but for politeness. 8 g'°b The advanced monotheism of this verse strongly suggests a later age than the orig- inal narrative in which it is found. It is not closely connected with the context. Cf. § 69, noteP. 163 Ex. 8 20 ] PLAGUES AND WONDERS [Ex. 8 * 1 ® Jeho- vah’s third warning and the sequel Pha- raoh’s consent and request § 66. Plagues of Insects, Ex. 8 16 - 32 Early Judean Prophetic Ex. 8 20 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, just as he goes out to the water and say to him, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Let my people go that they may worship me. 21 For if thou wilt not let my people go, then I will send swarms of gad- flies upon thee, thy courtiers, and thy people, and into thy palaces, so that the houses of the Egyp- tians shall be full of swarms of gad-flies, as well as the ground whereon they are. 22 And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, so that no swarms of gad-flies shall be there, in order that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth. 1 * 23 And I will put a division 1 between my people and thy peo- ple; by to-morrow shall this sign be.” ’ 24 And Je- hovah did so; and there came troublesome swarms of gad-flies into the palace of Pharaoh; and in all Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of gad-flies. 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, Go, sacrifice to your God here in this land. 26 But Moses said, It is not advisable so to do; for we shall sacrifice to Jehovah our God that which the Egyptians abhor; if now we sacrifice before their eyes that which the Egyptians abhor, will they not stone us? 27 We wish to go three days’ journey in the wilderness and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall command usJ 28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilder- ness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication in my behalf. 29 And Moses said, I am now going out from you and I will make supplication to Jehovah that the swarms of gad- flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his courtiers and people to-morrow ; only let not Pharaoh again deal deceitfully by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice to Jehovah. 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made Late Priestly Narratives 8 16 Then Jehovah com- The manded Moses, Say to wonder Aaron, ‘Stretch out thy staff and smite the dust of the earth, that it may be- come lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ 17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and smote the dust of the earth and there were lice upon man and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 Then the magicians Pha- endeavored likewise with stub- 3 their secret arts to bring bornne8B forth lice, but they could not. Lice, however, were upon man, and upon beast. 19 Then the magi- cians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. But as Jehovah had pre- dicted, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not to them. § 66 Cf. introd. note § 63. h 8 22 An unusual expression. Jehovah is probably for Adonai , Lord. Like the similar passages in these narratives this is probably a later addition. * 8 23 Heb., meaning doubtful, possibly, redemption. Gk., Syr., and Lat., division. i 8 27 Gk., has said. Cf. 3 18 , 5 3 (from the Judean source). But cf. also 10 28 . 164 His re- peated perfidy Jeho- vah’s fourth warning and the sequel Ex. 8 30 ] PLAGUES OF INSECTS [Ex. 9 8 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives supplication to Jehovah. 31 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of gad-flies from Pharaoh, from his courtiers and people, until not one was left. 32 But Pharaoh was stubborn in heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. § 67. Plagues upon Man and Beast, Ex. 9 1-13 Early Judean Prophetic Ex. 9 1 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go that they may worship me. 2 For if thou refuse to let them go and still boldest them, 3 then will the hand of Jehovah be upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, the asses, the camels, the herds and the flocks, in the form of a very severe pest. 4 But Jehovah will make a distinc- tion between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt, and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.” ’ Accordingly Jehovah ap- pointed a set time, saying, To-morrow Jehovah shall do this in the land. 6 And Jehovah did that thing on the morrow : and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the Israelites none died. 7 Then Pharaoh sent and found that not even one of the cattle of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn and he did not let the people go. Late Priestly Narratives 9 8 Then Jehovah said The fifth to Moses and to Aaron, woader Take handfuls of furnace- soot, and let Moses sprin- kle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 Thusit shall fall as fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall become a boil.break- ing forth with blisters upon both man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt. 10 So they took of the furnace-soot, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it toward heaven ; and it be- came a boil, breaking forth with blisters upon both man and beast. u Then the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But Jehovah hardened Pha- the heart of Pharaoh, and, stub- as Jehovah had predicted bornness to Moses, he hearkened not to them. § 67 Cf. inf rod. note § 63. 165 Ex. 9 13 ] PLAGUES AND WONDERS [Ex. 9 22 § 68. Plague of Hail, Ex. 9 13 ~ 35 Early Judean The fifth Ex. 9 13 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Rise up warning , . , . ’ 1 sequel 6 ear v m ttie morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may worship me. u For I will this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy courtiers and people ; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For already I could have put forth my hand, and j smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, so that thou I wouldst have been cut off from the earth, 16 but only for this reason have I made thee to stand, in order that I may show thee my power, and that my name may be de- clared throughout all the earth. k 17 Dost thou still exalt thyself against my people, in that thou wilt not let them go ? 18 Then to-morrow about this time I will send down a very heavy fall of hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded, even until the present. 19 Now therefore send, bring thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field into a place of safety ; for on all men and beasts that shall be found in the field and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down so that they shall die.” ’ 20 Whoever feared the word of Jehovah among the courtiers of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses ; 21 but whoever did not regard the word of Jehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field. * 1 23b And Jehovah sent thunder and hail; and fire ran down upon the earth ; and Jehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24b And the hail was very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25b And the hail smote all the vegetation of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26 0nly in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, was there no hail. Pha- 27 Then Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses repeated and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this perfldr time; Jehovah is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Make supplication to Je- hovah — for there has been more than enough of these mighty thunderings 11 and hail. I will let Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives 9 22 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man and beast and upon all the vegetation of the field™, throughout the land of Egypt. 23a So Moses stretched forth his staff toward heaven, 24a and there was hail and fire mingled with the hail. 25a And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast. 31 And the flax and the barley were smitten, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and the spelt, however, were not smitten , for they were late. 35 But the heart of Pha- Pha raoh was hardened so stub- that he did not let the h 0 ™ 11089 Israelites go, as Jehovah had predicted by Moses. - k 911-16 Because of its language and advanced conceptions of Jehovah this passage is re- garded by many authorities as a later prophetic addition. Like the similar hortatory refrains, which recur in these Judean stories of the plagues, it does not stand in close connection with its context. Cf. § 69, note p. 1 919-21 i n 96 the Judean tradition has already reported the complete destruction of all the cattle of the Egyptians. The hail was to destroy all the vegetation, 24b ' 2ib . V ss - 19-21 were therefore clearly added by an editor to harmonize the preceding with the Ephraimite version in JS *. m 9 a The Judean equivalent of the Ephraimite expression, vegetation of the land, 10 u . It is here introduced harmonistically. 0 S5 28 Heb., voicet of God. 166 [Ex. 10 12 Ex. 9 28 ] PLAGUE OF HAIL Early Judean Prophetic Narratives you go, and you shall stay no longer. 29 Then Moses said to him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to Jehovah; the thunders shall cease, and there shall be no more hail that thou mayest know that the land is Jehovah’s. 30 But as for you and your courtiers, I know that even then you will not fear Jehovah. 0 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to Jehovah. Then the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet again and was stubborn in heart, he together with hi3 courtiers. § 69. Plague of Locusts, Ex. Early Judean Ex. 10 ^hen Jehovah said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart stubborn, and the heart of his courtiers, that I may show these my signs in their midst, 2 and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy Bon, and of thy grandsons, what 1 have done to the Egyptians, and my signs which I have performed among them ; that ye may know that I am Jehovah . p 3 So Moses and Aarons went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go that they may worship me. 4 Forifthou refuse to let my people go, then to-morrow I will bring locusts into thy territory , 5 and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one shall not be able to see the earth, and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field; 6 and thy palaces shall be filled, and the houses of all thy courtiers, and of all the Egyptians; neither thy fathers nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen the like, since the day 10 l-2O Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives 10 12 Then Jehovah said The to Moses, Stretch out thy warning hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 0 9 30 Heb., Jehovah God. Cf. § 2, note 6 God, as in Gen. 2 4b -3 24 , was evidently added by a later editor. § 69 Cf. introd. note § 63. r 10 lb , 2 Evidently another editorial addition, similar to those in 7 17a , 8 10 ' “h, 9 14 -* 5 ’ fflb , for here it takes the place of the regular formula of the Judean narratives and of the detailed introductions implied in 3_6 . The language is also that of the later prophetic (Deut.) editor. ‘ i 10 3 According to 6 only Moses departs from the audience with Pharaoh. This tends to con- firm the conclusion that Aaron did not figure in the original Judean version. Cf. § 65, note °. 167 Partial consent of Pha- raoh and his cour- tiers Devasta- tion of the land by lo- custs Pha- raoh's .'equest Ex. 10 6 ] PLAGUES AND WONDERS [Ex. 10 13a Early Judean that they were upon the earth to this day.’ Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7 Thereupon Pharaoh’s courtiers said to him. How long is this man to be a snare to us ? Let the men go that they may worship Jehovah their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is being de- stroyed? 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, Go wor- ship Jehovah your God; but who are they that shall go? 9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old men, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Jehovah. 10 And he said to them, May. Jehovah then be with you. r Tf I let you go together with your little ones, beware, for evil is before you. s 1 1 N ay rather, you men go and worship Jehovah, for that is what you desire. Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence. 13b And Jehovah caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning the east wind had brought the locusts, 14b and they settled down in all the territory of Egypt, exceedingly many; before them there were never so many locusts as they, neither after them shall there ever be so many. 15a, cp' or tli e y covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land looked dark, and nothing green was left, neither tree nor herb of the field, throughout all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and make supplication to Jehovah your God, that he may at least take away from me this deadly plague. 1 18 So he went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to Jehovah. 19 And Jehovah caused to blow from the opposite direction 11 an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts and cast them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn and he did not let the 'people go. Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives 13a So Moses stretched forth his staff over the land of Egypt; 14a and the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, 15b and they ate all the vegetation of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. 20 But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he did not let the chil- dren of Israel go. r io 10 That is, to save you from my wrath. The language is apparently ironical. 9 IO 10 Or, You have evil in mind. 1 10 17 Heb., death. u 10 19 Heb., turned, 168 PLAGUE OF DARKNESS [Ex. 10 21 Pha- raoh’s stubborn refusal to yield § 70. Plague of Darkness, Ex. 10 21 - 23 ' 27 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Ex. 10 21 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 So Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; 23 no one could see another, nor did any one rise from his place for three days. All the Israelites, however, had light in their dwellings. 27 Nevertheless, Jehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he did not consent to let them go. 71. Death of the First-born, Ex. 4 25 ' 23 , 10 2 *- 26 ' 28 ’ 29 , 1 1, 12 1 - 13 - 21 - 23 ’ 27b * 36 Early Judean Ex. 4 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Go in 22 and say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus saith Jehovah, “Israel is my son, my first-born, 23 and I have said to thee, Let my son go that he may worship me; and thou hast refused to let him go; now, therefore, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.” ’ Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic 11 kAnd Jehovah said to Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, aiid upon Egypt; after that he will let you go ; indeed when he lets you go altogether, he will actually drive you out hence by force. 2 Speak therefore in the ears of the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor jewels of silver and gold. Late Priestly Narra- tives 11 9 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Pharaoh will not hearken to you, in order that my wonders may be many in the land of Egypt. § 70 Cf. introd. note § 63. This is the one plague story which is found only in the Ephraim- ite narratives. § 71 Cf. introd. note § 63. This Judean account of the conversation between Moses and Pha- raoh in 10 24 ' 26 - 28 • 29 is continued in 1 1 4 ff . An editor has interpolated into its midst the Ephraimite tradition of the plague of darkness, 10 21-23 - 21 . The fragment of a conversation between Moses and Pharaoh in 4 22 - 23 is obviously from the Judean narrative. It was possibly put in its present position as an introduction to the primitive tradition in 4 24 * 26 ; but its contents relate it to the account of the death of the first-born in 11. Otherwise the message to Pharaoh was never delivered. Transposed it furnishes the missing divine command required to fill out the frame- work of the Judean narratives in the present story. The composite character of Ex. 11, 12 is shown by a great variety of evidence. The Judean narrative is complete: 12 21 - 23 - 27b - 3 °- 34 record the carrying out of the program announced in ll 4 - 8 . Verse 23b contains a possible duplicate; will not suffer the Destroyer to come into your houses to smite you may be a remnant of the Ephraimite narrative of which only a fragment is preserved. Of the death of the first-born of the Egyptians it says nothing; but in accordance with the promise to Moses in 3 20 ' 22 , it records the effects of the last plague and the departure of the Israel- ites, laden with the possessions of the Egyptians. The priestly version reveals the interest of its author in the law of the passover, of which it records the traditional origin. The demands of the Israelites that they be allowed to go out into the desert and offer sacrifices to Jehovah, Ex. 5 1 * 3 , 7 1S , 10 24 ' r \ suggests that back of it lay a much older Semitic institution. The Hebrew passover feast appears to be a composite of many different elements, most of which were pre-Mosaic. Cf. vol. IV. in loco. 169 The warning Pha- raoh’s refusal Ex. 10 24 ] PLAGUES AND WONDERS [Ex. II 10 Early Judean Prophetic Moses’s 10 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses, and said, terview Go, worship Jehovah; only let your flocks and your Pharaoh herds remain behind; let your little ones also go with you. 25 Put Moses said, You must also give us sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sac- rifice to Jehovah our God. 26 Our cattle also must go with us ; not a single animal shall be left behind ; for we must take these to offer" to Jehovah our God ; and we do not know what we must offer" to Jehovah, until we reach there. 28 Thereupon Pha- raoh said to him, Begone from me, beware, never see my face again; for in the day you see my face you shall die. 29 And Moses said, You have spoken truly, I will never see your face again. The fmai 11 4 But Moses said. Thus saith Jehovah, ‘About warning . . midnight I will go throughout the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sitteth upon his throne, even to the first-born of the maid- servant that is behind the mill ; and all the first-born of cattle. 6 And there shall be a great wail of lamentation throughout all the land of Egypt, the like of which has never been, and shall never be again.’ 7 But against none of the Israelites shall a dog move his tongue, x neither against man nor beast; that you may know that Jehovah doth make a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. 8 And all these your courtiers shall come down to me, and prostrate themselves before me, saying, ‘Go forth, together with all the people that follow you’; and after that I will go out. Thereupon he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. Late Priestly Narra- tives 10 Although Moses and His per- Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, Jehovah ’bornness hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he did not let the Israelites go out of his land. 7 pirec- 12 21 Then Moses sum- earcfing moned all the elders of Is- nration 5 " rael , and said to them, depart- Draw out and take lambs 1110 from the herds for your families?" and kill the pass- over. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood 12 ’Then Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron Direc- in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall yarding be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the over Pass first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying, ‘ In the tenth day of this month they shall each provide for themselves a lamb, one for each individual family; 4 and if the family be too small for a lamb, then shall he and his next door neighbor take one together. r xi«.io Apparently an editorial conclusion to the plague stories and introduction to the account of the origin of the passover. w lO 26 Heb., serve or worship. 1 ll 7 Heb., sharpen his tongue , i. e., utter a sound against, r 12 s1 A characteristic priestly idiom. 170 The final blow and the ea- gerness of the Egyp- tians to hasten the de- parture of the Is- raelites Ex. 12 22 ] DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN [Ex. 12 4 Early Judean Prophetic that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two door-posts with the blood that is in the basin; but, as regards yourselves, none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning . 3 23 For Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two door-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the Destroyer to come into your houses to smite you. 27t>Then the people bowed low their heads in worship . 12 29 And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first- born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first- born of the captive that was in the prison; and Late Priestly Narratives according to the number of the persons ; accord- ing to each one’s ability to eat shall you make your reckoning for the lamb. 5 Your lamb must be without blemish, a male, a year old; ye shall take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it toward evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood and put it on the two door-posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they shall eat it. 8 And in the same night they shall eat the flesh roasted with fire ; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs shall they eat it. 9 Be sure to eat it neither raw nor boiled in water, but roasted with fire, retaining its head with its legs and inwards. 10 And ye shall keep nothing of it until morning; but that which remaineth of it until morning ye shall burn with fire. n And thus shall ye eat it, with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in trembling haste, it is Jehovah’s passover. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am Jehovah. 13 And the blood shall be for your sakes as a token upon the houses where ye are; for where I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no destructive blow shall come upon you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’ Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic 11 3 Therefore Jeho- vah gave the people fa- vor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaoh’s courtiers and in the sight of the 12 28 And the Israel- Prepara- i i* i tionsfor ites went and did so; thede- just as Jehovah had partlue commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. * 12 22 Also added from the priestly source. The Judean narrative represents the Israelites as leaving in the middle of the night. 171 PLAGUES AND WONDERS Ex. 12 29 ] Early Judean all the first-born of cattle. 30 Then Pharaoh rose up in the night, together with all his courtiers and the Egyptians, and there arose a great wail in Egypt for there was not a bouse where there was not one dead. 31 And he called Moses and Aaron by night and said, Arise, go forth from the midst of my people, together with the Israelites ; go worship Jehovah as you have requested. 32 Also take with you your sheep and your cattle, as you have re- quested, and go and ask a blessing for me. 33 And the Egyptians urged the people strenuously, that they might send them quickly out of the land, for they said to themselves, Else we shall be dead. 34 Therefore the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoul- ders. [Ex. II 3 Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narratives people. 12 35 And the Israelites did accord- ing to the command of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver and gold, and clothing. 36 And Jeho- vah gave the people fa- vor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they despoiled 22 the Egyp- tians. Ill THE EXODUS, Ex. 1237-41, 51, 13 17-22 ) 14) 15 1, 19-25a, 27, 16 1, I 7 l t 19 l,2a f Num. 33 1-15 72 . Journey to the Red Sea, Ex. 12 37 - 41 ’ 51 , 1311-22 Early Judean Details Ex. 12 37h Noiv the depart- Israelites went out from, Egypt™' Egypt , about six hundred thousand men on foot, Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic 13 17 Now when Pha- raoh had let the people go, God did not lead Late Priestly Narra- tives 12 37a Now the Israel- ites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth.® zz 12 36 Cf. note § 80. § 72 12 37 " 39 is the continuation of the Judean narrative of 29_34 . The same note of haste and the same explanation of the use of unleavened bread reappears. 13 21 - in keeping with the conceptions reflected in this early source, represents Jehovah himself as in the cloud and pillar of fire leading and protecting his people on the march. Cf. Gen. 15 17 , § 16. In the Ephraimite narratives the cloud is connected with the tent of meeting. Ex. 33 7 t Num. 12 5 . In that source it is the Messenger of God who leads the people, Ex. 14 19a , or simply God himself, 13 18 . The Ephraimite version is found in 13 17 ' 19 , as is shown by the divine name, God, which is still preferably employed, and by the interest in the bones of Joseph. Cf. Gen. 6 ° 25 ’ § 57 ’ ... • .1 The repetitious style and the interest in the exact details of the itinerary reveal the priestly passages. 12 40 41 and 12 51 are evidently from the same hand. It 'is difficult to reconcile the 430 years with the statement in the priestly source, 6 13f that the exodus took place in the fourth generation from Jacob. Therefore these verses are probably from a later editor. As is usual, the representation of the earliest version of the tradition is the simplest and most natural. The analogy is close with the mode of travel in the desert to-day. To guide the straggling members of the caravan or tribe a brazier of coals is held aloft by the leader that the ascending column of smoke by day and the gleaming fire by night may be seen by all. a 12 37a The introductory formula and possibly the detailed statistics are from the priestly source, which alone makes the land of Rameses the home of the Hebrews. Cf. Gen. 47 1 . 172 JOURNEY TO THE SEA [Ex. 13 17 , 12 40 Ex. 12 37 ] Early Judean not including children. b 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks and herds, even very great posses- sions. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought forth out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they had been driven out of Egypt, and could not wait, neither had they prepared for themselves any food for the way. Early Ephraimite Pro- phetic them on the way to- ward the land of the Philistines, although that v?as near; for God said, Lest the people be filled with regret when’they see war, and return to Egypt . 18 Therefore God led the people on the way to the wilderness by the Red Sea [Sea of Reeds] ; and the Israelites went up armed out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the Israel- ites take a solemn oath, saying God will assur- edly visit you ; and you shall carry my bones away from here with you. Late Priestly Narra- tives they journeyed from Succoth and encamped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 40 And the time that the Is- Method raelites dwelt in Egypt was o£ march four hundred and thirty years ; 4l and it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the very same day, all the hosts of Jehovah went out from the land of Egypt. 51 And it came to pass the very same day that Jehovah brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. 13 29 And 13 21 And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might march by day and by night; 22 the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Pha- raoh’s pursuit of the Israel- ites § 73. Pursuit of the Egyptians and the Great Deliverance, Ex. 14, IS 1 ' 19-21 Early Judean Ex. 14 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Early Ephraimite Prophetic 14 When Pha- raoh saw that the people went by the Late Priestly Narratives 14 J Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Command the Israelites that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, be- b i2 37b By implication the women, like the children, were not counted. Cf. 10 10 . § 73 The presence in Ex. 14 and 15 of extracts from the three different sources is revealed by certain duplicates and inconsistencies in the narrative as it stands. Thus, for example, in one passage it is Jehovah who sends a strong east wind to drive back the waters, 1 4 . 21 b - in another Moses is commanded to lift up his staff that the waters may divide, 14 I6 » ; and in another to stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it, ]4 16b . These are at once recognized in the light of the plague stories as the representative characteristics of the three different groups of narratives. Other minor variations appear: for example, in 14 7a it is affirmed that Pharaoh took 600 chosen chariots: but 14 7b also states that he took all the chariots of Egypt. Analogies also lead us to expect different versions of this important crisis in Hebrew history. It is evi- dent, however, that the different traditions were very similar. The deep significance of the event doubtless explains why the details were so firmly fixed in the popular memory. The amalgamation of the different traditions is also very close, parallel passages being omitted. 173 Their terror and Je- hovah’s assur- ance of deliv- erance Ex. 14 5 ' 3 ] Early Judean the feeling 0 of Pharaoh and his courtiers towards the people was changed, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from our ser- vice ? 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him, 7b and all the chariots of Egypt. THE EXODUS [Ex. 14 2 Early Ephraimite Prophetic way of the wilder- ness of the Red Sea, 3 Pharaoh said to himself, As for the Israelites, they arewandering aim- lessly in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. 7a, ('Therefore he took six hundred chosen chariots, and captains over all of them, 8b and he pursued after the Israelites. Late Priestly Narratives tween Migdol and the sea, before Baalzephon; over against it shall ye encamp by the sea. 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he shall follow after them, in order that I may gain glory for myself by Pharaoh, and all his host, and that the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah. And they did so. 8a ’ c Jehovah also hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for the Israelites went out through a mighty act of deliverance. d 9 And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and over- took them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal- zephon. 10a And when Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites lifted up their eyes and saw the Egyptians marching after them; and they were exceedingly afraid, 11 and they said to Moses, Was it because 1 0 b T h e n the Israelites cried out to Jehovah. 15a And Jeho- vah said to 15b Then Jehovah said to Moses, Com- mand the Israelites, that they go forward, 16b and stretch out thy hand over the sea and The Judean and priestly narratives can here be readily reconstructed in the light of earlier refer- ences and characteristics peculiar to each. As usual, the Ephraimite version is most fragmentary. References in the parts that have been preserved aid in the reconstruction. The speech of Joshua in Josh. 24, which is from the same source, also suggests its original contents. Vss. 6 - 7a probably read in the original text: When I brought you out of Egypt and you came to the sea, the Egyptians pursued you with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. But when you cried out to Jehovah he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them. With this as a guide, it is pos- sible to restore the Ephraimite version. 14 20b has always been regarded by commentators as a hopelessly corrupt passage. The early translations afford no help. The Heb. reads, and there was the cloud and the darkness and (it) gave light by night. Josh. 24 ?a indicates that and there was darkness belongs to the Ephraim- ite narrative. The cloud, however, is peculiar to the Judean, note § 72. It is also required as the subject of the verb in the next clause. The present confusion in the text therefore seems to be due to the editor who joined the two narratives. The analysis is also in keeping with the fact that in the Judean the exodus takes place in the night, and in the Ephraimite in the daytime. The song in Ex. 15 2 * 13 contains allusions to still another slightly variant version of the tradition of the exodus. _ , , . As frequently the analysis indicates in the light of the earliest version that the events back of the traditions may be classified as natural rather than contrary to God’s usual method of accomplishing his ends. It was not by a marvellous portent, but. by the opportuneness of the strong east wind, which blew back the waters, that he revealed himself as a God not only able but eager to deliver his people. c 14 5 Heb., heart or mind. on _ . . . . , d 14 8 Heb., by a high hand. This expression means in Num. 15 30 defiantly, insolently and may here signify, rebelliously or equipped for war. In the priestly narratives, however, Jehovah alone effects the deliverance and the people are but the recipients of his divine favors. The present incident is the fulfilment of the promise in 7 4 and is parallel to the prophetic version in 14 31 . 174 THE GREAT DELIVERANCE Ex. 14 11 ] Early Judean there were no graves in Egypt, that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? why have you dealt thus with us, in bringing us forth out of Egypt ? 12 Is not this what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wil- derness.’ 13 And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand still and you will see the deliverance which Jehovah will accomplish 6 for you to-day; for as surely as you now see the Egyptians, you shall never see them again forever. 14 Jeho- vah will fight for you, but you are to keep still. 19b Then the pillar of cloud changed its position from be- fore them and stood behind them. 20b And the cloud light- ed up the night; yet through- out the entire night the one army did not come near the other. 21b And Jehovah caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the bed of the sea dry. 24b And it came to pass in the watch before the dawn that Jehovah looked forth through the pillar of fire and of cloud upon the host of the Egyp- tians, 25 and he bound 8 their chariot wheels, so that they proceeded with difficulty. Then the Egyptians said, Let us flee from before Israel; [Ex. 1415a, 16 b Priestly Narratives divide it, that the Is- raelites may go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. 17 And then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them, that I may gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his host, through his cha- riots and his horsemen, 18 and that the Egyp- tians may know that I am Jehovah, when I have gained glory for myself through Pha- raoh, through his cha- riots, and through his horsemen. 2 ' a ' c Th en Moses Deiiver- stretched out his hand the Isra- over the sea, and the and de- waters were divided, tionof 22 so that the Israelites pursuers went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23b And the Egyptians went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 26 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, Ephraimite Prophetic Moses, Where- fore c r i e s t thou to me ? 16a Lift up thy staff and di- vide the wa- ters. 19a Then the Mes- senger of God, who went before the camp of Israel con- tinually, changed his position and went behind them, 20a so that he came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was darkness. Then Moses lifted up his staff and the waters divided f and Israel went for- ward into the midst of the sea, 23a and the Egyptians pur- sued; 24b but Jeho- vah threw the host e 1413 Heb., deliverance of Jehovah which he will do. f 1420a Cf. Is. 10 26b , Jehovah's staff will be over the sea and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt. Possibly a reference to the omitted part of the Ephraimite version. e 14 25 So Gk. and Sam. Heb., took off , but in that case even slow progress would have been impossible. A very slight correction of the Heb. gives the above reading. The meaning probably is that the wheels were stuck. 175 Song of thanks- giving Experi- ences it Marah Ex. 14 25 ] THE EXODUS [Ex. 14 24 *>. 28 Early Judean for Jehovah fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 27b But the sea returned to its ordinary level 1 * toward morning, while the Egyptians were hying be- fore it. And Jehovah shook off the Egyptians into the midst of the sea, 28b so that not one of them remained. 30 Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the power of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore. Ephraimiie Prophetic of the Egyptians into confusion, and [Josh.24 7b ] brought the sea upon them and covered them. 31 And when Israel saw the great work which Jehovah did upon the Egyp- tians, the people feared Jehovah ; and they believed in Jehovah and in his servant Moses.* Priestly Narratives upon their chariots and their horsemen. 27a So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, 28a and the waters re- turned and covered the chariots, and the horse- men, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea. 29 But the Israelites walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. 15 4 * * Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to Jehovah, using these words : I will sing to Jehovah, for he is greatly exalted ; The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 15 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them, Sing ye to Jehovah, for he is greatly exalted ; The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. § 74. Journey from the Red Sea to Sinai, Ex. I5 2s - 26a ’ v , 16 * 1 , 17 1 , 19*> 2 * \ Num. 33 1 ' 15 Early Jud ean Pro ph etic Ex. 15 22 Then Mo- ses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and Late Priestly N ar- ratives Ex. 16 lb Then all the congrega- Late Priestly Summary Num. 33 1 These are the stages of the Israelites by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the direction of b 14Kb Heb., steady flow. 1 14 31 An editorial epitome of 14 28 . 29 is not reproduced in the present text. § 74 Ex. presents a greater variety of perplexing problems than perhaps any other section in the Pentateuch. Not only are there duplicates and inconsistencies which point to different sources, but most of the incidents appear to belong later in the narrative. Thus 16 tells of the giving of manna and quails, which is again recorded in Num. 11, as if for the first time. It is also assumed in 9 . 33 . 34 that the ark of the testimony is already in existence. The sabbath-laws and the reference to Horeb in 17 s confirm the conclusion that this chapter, like its duplicate in Num. 11, once followed the stories which gathered about Sinai. Cf. § 87. The traditions associated with Massah and Meribah. 17 1-7 , also centre about Kadesh and are so localized in Num. 20. Cf. § 88. The account of the war with the Amalekites in 17 8-16 likewise contains many indications that its true setting is to be found, not while the Hebrews w 7 ere on a pilgrimage to the sacred mountain, but after they turned northward to secure a home in Canaan or the wilderness. Cf. § 89. The story of the visit of Moses’s father-in-law in 18 is also evi- dently a part of the incident recorded in Num. 10 29 - 32 and belongs in the latter part of the so journ at Sinai. Cf. § 80. These conclusions find striking confirmation in the Deuteronomic parallels, which are based upon the original order of the early prophetic narratives. The later editor who made the transposition evidently took a group of stories from their setting at the beginning of the real wilderness wandering (which dates from the departure from Sinai) and placed them at the beginning of the wilderness journey when the Hebrews left Egypt for Sinai. The real journey, as recorded in the older narratives, appears to have been uneventful. 176 Intro- duction Ex. 15 22 , 16 lb ] FROM THE RED SEA TO SINAI [Num. 33 1 Early J udeanProphetic they went out towards the wilderness of Shur and they marched three days into the wilder- ness, without finding water. 23 Then they came to Marah but could not drink the water of Marah be- cause it was bitter. Hence its name was called Marah [Bitter- ness]. 24 Therefore the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25a And he cried to Jeho- vah, and Jehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. AtEiim 27 And they came to Elim where there were Late Priestly Nar- ratives tion of the Israel- ites came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they set out from the land of Egypt. 17 la And all the cong regation of the Israelites jour- neyed by stages from the wilder- ness of Sin accord- ing to the com- mand of Jehovah. 19 Hn the third month after the Israelites went forth from the land of Egypt, on Late Priestly Summary Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses re- corded their starting places on. their several stages according to the com- mandmentof Jehovah; and these are their stages by their several starting places. 3 And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month ; on the morrow after the passover the Israelites went out by a mighty act of deliverance in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying all their first-born whom Jehovah had smitten among them. Upon their gods also Jehovah executed judgment. 5 And the Israelites journeyed From from Rameses, and encamped in Rameses Succoth. 8 And they journeyed from to bmal Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilder- ness. 7 And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back to Pi-hahi- roth, which is before Baal-zephon. And they encamped before Migdol. 8 And they journeyed from Pi-hahi- rothi, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness ; and they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and en- camped in Marah. 9 And they jour- neyed from Marah, and came to Elim ; and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm- trees ; and they encamped there. The distance was less than 200 miles along travelled caravan routes, provided with springs at different stages. Cf. 15 22 - 27 . The Hebrews were also accompanied by their herds, 12 32 , 17 3 , and carried provisions from Egypt, 12 34 . It was only when they took up their permanent abode in the desert that miraculous provisions of food and water were required. Two weeks would amply suffice and the reasons for haste were urgent, but the late priestly editor assigns three months to the journey, 19 1 . Possibly it was to account for this long lapse of time and to provide a place for certain obvious duplicates that the late editor arranged the material as we find it. The murmuring of the people and the simple, straightforward style of the narrative in 15 2 3-25», 27 are characteristics of the Judean source. In 16 la , 17 lb and 19 2 ° the priestly editor seems to have preserved the outlines of the itinerary peculiar to that narrative or else to the Ephraimite. The term congregation and the interest in exact dates distinguish the priestly parallel. 19 1 ' 2 , as it stands, makes the Hebrews arrive at Sinai before they left Rephidim. The contradiction is probably due to the union of extracts from the three sources. Num. 33 1 - 49 contains a r6sum6 of the journeyings of the I sraelites from Egypt to the plains of Moab, divided into 40 stages, corresponding to the traditional 40 years of wandering. It incorporates verbatim material from the related Judean and priestly narratives and adds certain names and a few statements not found elsewhere. That the chapter is from a very late priestly editor is generally recognized. Possibly some of the supplemental data were derived from early traditions, otherwise lost, or they may be based upon the author’s knowledge of the usual caravan routes. It embodies the late traditional conception of the wilderness period. Cf. for more historical view § 86. To attempt to identify the different desert stations is a thoroughly unsatisfactory and unprofitable task. Conjectures will probably always continue to hold the field. More important and tangible is the identification of Sinai-Horeb. Beginning with the fourth and fifth Christian centuries, tradition has uniformly identified it with the imposing peak Jebel Musa, in the southern part of the Sinaitic peninsula. Cf. map opposite p. 179. All the earliest references in the O.T., on the other hand, point with equal unanimity to some one of the west- ern spurs of Mount Seir, not far from Kadesh. For detailed evidence, cf. Appendix VIII. The testimony of the oldest witnesses certainly carries the greater weight, and in the light of this identification many of the difficult problems of Ex. and Num. are solved. [ Num. 33 s Heb., Hahiroth. This form evidently arose from a mistaken reading of the original text. Syr., Lat., and certain Targ. versions have the correct reading given above. 177 . THE EXODUS Ex. 15 27 ] Early J udeanProphetic twelve springs of water, and seventy palm-trees , and they encamped there by the waters. The 16 la Then they jour- nuich neyed from Elim 17 lb and encamped in Rephidim. 19 2a And after they jour- neyed from Rephidim, they came to the -wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. [Num. 33 10 Late Priestly Summary 10 And they journeyed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea. n And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilder- journeyed in, and en- camped in Dophkah. 13a And they journeyed from Dophkah, and en- camped in Alush. 14 And they jour- neyed from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. I5 And they journeyed from Rephi- dim, and encamped in the wilder- ness of Sinai. Late Priestly Nar- ratives the same day of the month, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. ness of Sin. 12 And they from the wilderness of S 178 i Sea oj / linnerelh Acoho Shechem -~Mt. ^ Gerizim Joppa ethel^Ai Jerichoo olGilgal Q - V '~>'\Heshbon' f LE ” /Medeba 0 X \ Kirjath-Arba / \^y_ (Hebron) / ^^Gerar O / 0 ^ Ara Beershaba ^ - southcoun':ry Rehoboth^ 'LAND OF -vKir Moab MOAB Zephath IV I L D Eli A /'T.q OF GOSHEN ^ TumUat Pr _£8ai Beer-lahai-roi c-Kadesh Barnea OF ZIN LAND 'BLE EDOM Ezion?Gcber, Jebel : - ; Serba/ Traditional / Sinai - Jebe) Mu sa ( t/ebe/ Katrinax l BORMAY THE LAND of the EXODUS AND WILDERNESS WANDERING. ( Ellm ?) THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS AND EAST OF THE JORDAN Ex. 16 2 -Dt. 34 12 ( exclusive of legal material) THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS AND EAST OF THE JORDAN I AT SINAI-HOREB, Ex. 18, 19 2b - 25 , 20 18 ' 22 - 23a - 24a , 22 29 ' 31 , 23 12 - 15 - 16 - 18, 19b-33 24 I-I 8 25 4 ' 9 29 43 " 4 6 31 18, 29-35 32—3435 354 , 20-23 40 17 ' 38 , Num. 1-3, IO 29 - 32 , ll 16 - 17 - 24b - 30 , 12 1 " 15 , Dt. I 9 ’ 18 , 5 1 ’ 33 , 9 9 - 21 . 26-29, 10 1 ' 5 - 8-11 § 75. Revelation of Jehovah to the Israelites, Ex. 19 213 - 6 ' 9 - s5 , 20 18 - 20 , 24 15b - n Early Judean Ex. 19 Whenthey came to Mount Sinai, Jehovah said to Moses, llb Z a will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set limits for the people all about, with the command, ‘ Be careful Early Ephraunite Prophetic 19 2b There Israel en- camped before the moun- tain. 3 And Moses went up to God, when Jehovah called to him from the mountain, say- ing, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Is- raelites, 4 ‘ Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 5 Now Late Priestly Nar- ratives 24 15b Now the The pre- 1 1 . limina- cloud was covering ries the mountain, 16 and the glory of Jehovah rested upon Mount Sinai, and when the cloud had covered it six At Sinai-Horeb. — Mount Sinai-Horeb is the centre about which more than one-third of all the material of the Pentateuch gathers. Its increasing importance led later editors re- peatedly to combine and harmonize the various traditions. The two early prophetic narratives each had their cycle of stories and the late priestly a brief setting for its large body of laws. In addition, the retrospect of Israel’s earlier history in Dt. contains still a fourth account of the events at Sinai. The peculiar point of view and representation of each group of narratives are clearly dis- cernible and facilitate the analysis. Cf. Introd. chap. IV. In the Judean Sinai is the name of the sacred mountain; Jehovah is represented as coming down upon it with smoke and fire in the sight of all the people; they are warned not to pass the bounds set and are endangered by their eagerness to approach; Moses as before continues to receive the communications of Je- hovah directly and nothing is said of the tent of meeting or Joshua. In the Ephraimite God (or Jehovah) comes in a thick cloud and the people hear as he speaks to Moses; they are brought to the foot of the mountain ( Horeb ), after they have been previously sanctified, but they are terrified in the divine presence and request that Moses represent them; Joshua is the minister of Moses at the tent of meeting. In the late priestly the glory of Jehovah rests upon Mount Sinai, which is enveloped in an impenetrable cloud. Thither Moses goes to receive the law. The details regarding the tent of meeting, the census, the duties of the priesthood and the ritual are presented at great length. Each of the four narratives is practically complete in itself. The importance of the themes doubtless explains the eagerness of later compilers to preserve all the traditions intact. It is the united testimony of the four different narratives that the sacred mount witnessed the genesis of certain of Israel’s fundamental social and religious institutions. The state- ment that Jehovah spoke or wrote with his finger on tablets of stone is also tradition’s concrete, naive, but forcible manner of declaring the vital truth that certain eternal principles were trans- mitted from the divine mind to the mind of man and became the basis of the earliest laws recog- nized by the Hebrew race. Concerning Moses’s relation to the law, cf . vol. IV ., Introd. § 75 Some of the more obvious evidences of compilation in 19 and 20 are: use of both Je- hovah and God , Sinai and the mountain in succeeding verses: in 1 9 7 ' 17 . 10 God has already I9 llb Heb., Jehovah. 181 AT SINAI-HOREB Ex. 19 12 ] [Ex. 19 5 , 24 16 Early Judean not to go up on the moun- tain nor even approach its base; whoever touches the mountain shall cer- tainly be put to death; 13 nothing shall touch it b without being stoned to death or shot through; whether it be beast or man; he shall not live.’ 18 And Mount Sinai was wholly enveloped in smoke, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire; and the smoke of it as- cended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violent- ly. 20 And when Jehovah came down upon Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain, Jehovah sum- moned Moses to the top of the mountain ; and Moses went up. 21 And Jehovah said to Moses, Ephraimite Prophetic therefore, if ye will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my peculiar treasure from among all peoples ; for all the earth is mine ; 6 and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which thou shalt speak to the Israelites. 9 And Jehovah said to Moses, See, I come to thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with | thee and may then believe J thee forever.® 10 And Jeho- vah said to Moses, Go to the people and sanctify them j to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their gar- ments, lla and be ready on d the third day; for on the | third day, 13b when the ram’s j horn sounds a long blast, I they shall come up to the mountain. 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people ; and they washed their garments. 15 And he Late Priestly Nar- ratives days, on the sev- enth day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the Israelites. revealed himself to people through the thick cloud, but in 18 . 20 Jehovah is represented as coming down upon Sinai for the first time, and as calling Moses up to him; in 14 . 15 all the people sanctify themselves three days before the revelation, but in 22 the priests have not yet sanctified them- selves, in 19 16 ' 17 , 20 18 - 20 the people are afraid and must be led, out, but in 19 21 they are warned not to break through and gaze. The account of Moses’s ascents and descents of the mountain are also confused : in 3 * he ascends, in 3b he is below, in 8 he ascends again, in 14 he is below, in 20 above, in 25 below, but not according to directions in 24 . I n 7 . s the people agree to the divine commands before they have even been conveyed to them. It is obvious that these two verses have been introduced here from some later context. Cf. note § 76. The language and hortatory tone indicate that 3b - 6 , which are not closely related to the context, are the additions of a late pro- phetic editor. Cf. p. 42. Guided by the respective characteristics of the different sources, the analysis gives three distinct narratives, consistent with the representation of the stories which precede and continue each. An examination of 20 18ff shows that it is the direct continuation of the Ephraimite narra- tive in 19 19 . 20 18 - 21 is not a conclusion, but a natural introduction to a divine revelation. The terms of the covenant follow 20 21 . As will be shown in § 76, they are closely analogous to the Uudean version in Ex. 34. Furthermore 19 24 is not a fitting introduction to 20 1-7 . Therefore all the evidence furnished by the context confirms the testimony of the contents (cf. vol. IV. in loco) that the familiar prophetic decalogue of Ex. 20 1 ' 17 was not originally found in cither of the early sources, but, because of its surpassing importance was later introduced into its present place, that it might have the prominent position which it deserves. The concluding words of 19 19 , and God answered him hy a voice, which originally preceded 20 18 , facilitated the introduc- tion of the later prophetic decalogue at this point. This was evidently done by the editor who combined the two early narratives, for the late prophetic reveal acquaintance with them in their present arrangement. Cf. Dt. 5, § 76. He also lived in the full light of the teachings of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah, whose doctrines underlie this noble prophetic decalogue. b 19' 3 Or him. c 19 9b Heb. adds, And Moses told the words of the people to Jehovah. It is probably a dit- tography of 8b . d ign», 15 Heb., for. 182 Ex. 19 21 ] THE REVELATION OF JEHOVAH [Ex. 19 13 Early Judean Go down, warn the people solemnly lest they press forward to see Jehovah, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also who come near Jehovah, sanctify themselves lest Jehovah break forth upon them. Ephraimite Prophetic Nar- ratives said to the people, Be ready on the third day; do not come near a woman. 23 Then Moses said to Jehovah, The peo- ple cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for thou didst solemnly charge us, saying, ‘ Set limits about the mountain and sanctify it’. e 24 But Jehovah said to him, Go down; then thou shalt come up to- gether with Aaron; f but let not the priests and the people press for- ward to mount up to Jehovah, lest he break forth upon them. 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them. 16 And on the third day, when morning came, there MoBes were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon spokes- the mountain, and a loud trumpet blast sounded; and Jehovah all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice. 20 l8 And all the people heard the thunderings 8 and the blast of the trumpet, and saw the lightnings, and the mountain smoking ; and when the people saw it they stood trem- bling at a distance. 19 And they said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will hear; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die. 20 But Moses said to the people. Do not be afraid, for God has come for the sake of testing you and in order that the fear of him may be before you to restrain you from sin. § 76. The Establishment and Terms of the Covenant between Jehovah and Israel Ex 19 1 ’ 8 , 2o 2l_23a ’ 24a , 22 29-31 , 23 12 > 15 > 16a ’ 18 ’ 19l> , 24'~ 15a ’ 18 , 31 18 , 34>- 5 - 10 - 35 , Dt. 5 1 " 33 , 9 9 ’ 10 Early Judean Ex. 34 J Then Jehovah said to Moses, Hew out Ephraimite Ex. 20 21 Then the people stood Late Prophetic Dt. 5 x Then Moses summon- ed all Israel Late Priestly Narra- tives Ex. 24 18a And Moses Giving entered into the midst mand- ments to Moses • 19 23 Apparently an harmonistic note added by an editor who recalled 12 and inferred from 14 (Ephraimite) that the sanctification in 22 was preliminary to the ascent. Vs. 22 may likewise be from a redactor or the reference may be to Nadab and Abihu, 24 1 . f 1924 This clause, as in the plague stories, § 61, noter, seems to have been added by an editor. « 20 18 Heb., people saw the thunderings. But Sam. has a logical text which is followed above. § 76 The Judean account of the theophany in Ex. 19 naturally introduces the establishment of a covenant. Analogies lead us to expect a brief formulation of the essential obligations assumed by the Israelites in their solemn contract with Jehovah. That such a group of short commandments, presumably in the form of a decalogue, originally followed the Judean version in 19 seems certain. The introduction by the editor, who combined the two early prophetic narratives, of the later and nobler decalogue, 20 1 ' 17 , note § 75, made it necessary to give the original Judean decalogue a new setting. Since the editor who made these changes was also acquainted with the Ephraimite account of the people’s apostasy and the breaking of the tables of the law, § 77, he may have concluded that the Judean had a similar tradition, or the complete Judean narrative may have substantiated this conclusion. Whatever be the facts, he appears 183 AT SINAI-HOREB Ex. 34 1 , 20 21 ] [Dt. 5 1 , Ex. 24 18a Early Judean two stone tablets, like the first and I will write upon the tablets the words which were on the first tablets which thou didst break. h 2 And be ready by morning, and come up in the morning toMount Sinai, and pre- sent thyself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 And no one shall come up with thee; neither let Ephraimite at a d i s- tance, and Moses ap- proached the thick d a r k n e ss where God was. 22a And God said to Moses, Thus shalt thou say to the Israel- ites: Late Prophetic and said to them, Hear, O Israel the stat- utes and ordi- nances which I speak in your hearing to-day, that you may learn them, and be careful to ob- serve them. 2 Jehovah our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Jehovah d i d Late Priestly Narra- tives of the cloud, and went up on the mountain. 31 18a And when he had finished talking with him on Mount Sinai, [Jehovah] gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony. 34 29 And when Mo- ses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testi- mony in his 1 hand, as he came down from the mountain, Moses did to have added a few harmonistic touches to conform it to the Ephraimite tradition of two new tables of the law and by this simple device was able to introduce the original Judean decalogue immediately after the account of the apostasy and its punishment in 32 and 33. Recognizing these editorial additions, and restoring the Judean decalogue to its original setting, a consistent narrative is obtained. The importance of the different decalogues and the interest which cen- tred in them explains why they were all expanded and supplemented by later explanatory and hortatory notes whicli have been incorporated in the different commandments as they now stand. The whole subject will be treated fully in vol. IV., where the detailed reasons will be given. In the present connection it will be sufficient to introduce simply what appears to have been the short original versions. After Moses returns with the tablets of the words of the covenant , S4 27 ' 28 , the two verses which bear clear evidence of Judean origin, but which at present, as a result of the complex process of compilation apparent in 19, are inconsistent with their setting in 19 7 . 8 , at once become in- telligible. Even the unusual idiom, set before , in 7 , is explained. The completion of the Judean narrative is found in 24 1 - 2 , 9 . u , which corresponds to the covenant feast in the Ephraimite. The linguistic affinities of the passage are with the late priestly, and Nadab and Abihu are men- tioned elsewhere only in that, source. § 93, but a theophany, like the one which it records, is unknown to these late narratives, while it is characteristic of the Judean. The laws which follow the elaborate Ephraimite introduction in 19 and 20 18-22 include three diverse elements, the first two of which are related in language and thought to the source: (1) a group of direct divine commands found in 20 23-26 , 22 s 3l , and 23 10 - 19 , which define the duties of the nation to Jehovah in connection with the ritual. These are called Words, 24 3 , and are the terms of the nation’s covenant with Jehovah in the Ephraimite narratives, 24 8 . (2) Judgments, cf. 21 1 . The Heb. title rightly describes them: they are civil, criminal, and humanitarian regulations, defining the duties of individuals to each other, and intended for the guidance of judges. Cf. vol. IV. in loco. (3) Later explanatory and hortatory additions. Eliminating the latter, the words are found to consist of a decalogue, of which six regulations agree in content and in most cases verbatim with the original ten Words in the Judean narratives, Ex. 34. The Ephraimite version of the covenant-sacrifice is found in 24 3-8 . In this source the presentation of the tables of the law is referred to the close, 24 12 - 14 . 18b , 31 18b . The term mountain of God, the position of Joshua as Moses’s minister in 24 13 , and the role of Aaron and Hur as his deputies in 14 confirm the classification. As usual the late prophetic follow a combined version of the two earlier prophetic narratives. The familiar decalogue of 20 1-17 already occupied its present position, but the late prophetic tradition follows a slightly different version. The introduction to the late priestly parallel illustrates all the characteristics of that source: the sacred mountain is called Sinai, 31 18 , the two inscribed stones, tablets of the testimony; the glory of Jehovah, 24 17 , is reflected on the face of Moses, when he returns from communing with God in the cloud. The priestly account of the theophany is divided that the detailed instructions regarding the tent of meeting or sacred dwelling may be introduced, 25 1 -31 11 . Its version of the decalogue in 35, which is clearly antici- pated by the introduction, these are the words which Jehovah hath commanded that you should do them, is abridged — so that only the word regarding the sabbath remains — in order to intro- duce the extended account of the building of the dwelling and its furniture, SS^O. Cf. vol. IV. h 34 1 Duplicated almost verbatim in Dt. 10 12 , which is generally recognized as a late addition to the Deuteronomic history. i Ex. 34c 9 Heb., Moses’s; Sam., his. The tautology is probably due to the combination of two distinct narratives. 184 Ex. 34 3 , 20 2 3a] TERMS OF THE COVENANT [Dt. 5 3 , Ex. 34 2 9 Early Judean any one be seen in any part of the mountain, nor let the flocks and herds feed before that mountain. 4 So he hewed out two stone tablets like the first ; and Moses rose early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Jehovah had com- manded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets. Ephraimite Late Prophetic not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive to- day. 4 Jehovali spoke with you face to face in the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 (I stood between Jehovah and you at that time, to show you the word of Jeho- Latc Priestly Narra- tives not know that the skin of his face was shining - 1 because he had been speaking with him. 30 And when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face was shining; and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation re- turned to him, and Moses spoke to them. 32 And afterward all the 5 Then Jehovah de- scended in the cloud, and [Moses] stood with him there and called on the name of Jehovah. 10 And [Jehovah] said, Behold, I make a covenant; before all thy people I will do wonderful things, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation ; and all the people among whom thou art shall see the work of Jehovah ; for it is a terrible thing that I am about to do with you. ila Observe that which I com- mand thee to-day : I. 14a Thou shalt worship no other God. II. 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. vah ; for you were afraid be- cause of the fire, and did not go up into the mountain) say- ing, 6 ‘I am Je- hovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Israelites came near; and he gave them in commandment all that Jehovah had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. :i4 But as often as Moses went in before Jehovah to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out ; then he came out and spoke to the Israelites that which he was commanded. 35 But when the Israelites saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’s face shone, Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him k . I. ^“Thou shalt make thee no gods of silver or gold. II. 24a An altar of earth shalt thoumake for me. I. 7 ThOU Shalt The have no other logue gods before me. II. 8a Thou shalt not make to thee a carved image. i Ex. S-f 29 Heb. lit., was emitting rays of light. The root is cognate to the noun horn. Lat. and Aquila translate, horned. Cf. the two horns of Michel Angelo’s Moses. k 3454-35 Apparently a note which assumes the existence of the tent of meeting and represents Moses’s practice at the time of his ascent of Sinai as continuous. 185 AT SINAI-HOREB Presen- ts ition of the ten c< >ra- mand- ments to the peo- ple Ex. 34 18a ] [Ex. 22 29a , Dt. 5 lla Early Judean HI 18 arpj le f eas l 0 f un _ leavened bread shalt thou keep. IV. 19a Every first-born s mine. V. 20c None shall ap- pear before me empty- handed. VI. 21a Six days shalt thou toil, but on the sev- enth thou shalt rest. VII. 22a ' Thou shalt ob- serve the feast of weeks and ingathering at the end of the year. VIII. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the fat of my feast™ be left until morning. IX. 26a Tlie best of the first-fruits of thy land shalt thou bring to the house of Jehovah thy God. X. 26b Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its moth- er’s milk. 27 Then Jehovah said Ephraimite III. 22 “Thou shalt not delay to bring offer- ings from the abun- dance of thy harvests and the outflow of thy presses. 1 IV. 29b The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give to me. V. “Likewise shalt thou do with thy ox an d thy sheep; seven day" shall it remain with its mother ; on the eight b day fhou shalt give it to me. VI. Tien holy to me shall ye be; therefore ye shall not eat flesh torn in the field. To the dogs shall ye cast it. VII. 23 12 Si x days thou shalt do thy work, but on the seventh thou shalt rest. VIII. 15, 10 Thou shalt observe the feast of un- leavened bread, the feast of harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the end of the year. IX. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven, nor shall the fat of my feast be left until morn- ing. X. 19ll Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk. Late Prophetic Narratives III. lla Thou shalt not take the name of J ehovah thy God in vain. IV. 12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy. V. 16l Honor thy father and thy mother. VI. "Thou shalt do no mur- der. VII. “Thou shalt not com- mit adultery. 11 VIII. “Thou shalt not steal. IX. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. X. 2la Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Ex. 24 Then Moses 22 These words Jeho- to Moses, Write these words; for in accordance with these words have I came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the or- vah spoke to all your assembly on the moun- tain from the midst of 1 Ex. 22 29a Heb., From thy fulness and tears thou shalt not delay. Gk., First-fruits of the threshing floor and wine press. Lat., Thy tithes and firstlings. m Ex. 34 25 Heb., the feast of the passover. But Ex. 23 1S has the more natural reading, my feast. Passover was probably inserted to harmonize this law with Dt. 16 4 . ■ Dt. 5 18 So Gr. The Heb. introduces commandments V1I.-X. with and. 186 TEEMS OF THE COVENANT [Ex. 24 3 , Dt. Ex. 34 27 ] Early Judean made a covenant with thee and with Israel. 28 And he was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank wa- ter. And he wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words [Decalogue]. 19 7 Then Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set be- fore them all these words which Jehovah com- manded him. 8 And all the people answer- ed together, and said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to Jeho- vah. 24 x And [Jehovah] said to Moses, Come up to Jehovah, together with Aaron, and Na- dab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Is- rael, and wor- ship at a dis- tance; 2 a n d Moses alone shall come near to Jehovah; but Ephraimite dinances ;° and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Jeho- vah hath spoken we will do. 4a And Moses wroten down all the words of Je- hovah. 5 22 Late Prophetic Narra- tives the fire, and the cloud, and the thick dark- ness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two stone tablets and gave them to me. J 4b Then he rose up early in the morning and built an altar under the mountain and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Is- rael. 5 And he sent young men of the Is- raelites, who offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offer- ings of oxen to Jeho- vah. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the cove- nant, and read in the hearing of the people ; and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will obediently do.i 8 Then Moses took the blood, and sprin- 23 And when you heard the voice Accept- out of the midst of the darkness, the" peo- while the mountain was burning sifefnn with fire, you came near to me, even tionof all the chiefs of your tribes, and t^s of your elders, 24 and you said, ‘ Be- nant° v< * hold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his great- ness, and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, yet he lives. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die. 26 For what man is there who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go near thyself and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say and speak thou to us all that Jehovah our God shall speak to thee; and we will hear it and do it.’ 0 Ex. 24 3 Evidently added in recognition of the two diverse elements in 20 23 -23 19 . Vss. *■* refer only to words. pEx. 24 4a Inconsistent with the rest of the Ephraimite narratives which state, 12 , 32 11 ', that God wrote down the laws. 1 Ex. 24 7 Vss. 3 and 7 are duplicated, of which 3 seems to be the original, for unlike 7 it does not imply that the laws had been written down as is first recorded in 12 and 31 18b , 32 18 . 187 Ex. 24 2 - 8 ] Early Judean they shall not come near; nei- ther shall the people go up with him. 9 So Moses went up together with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Is- rael; and under his feet it was like a pavement of sapphire stone, and like the very sky for clearness. 11 And against the nobles of the Israelites he did not stretch out his hand; s.o they beheld God and ate and drank. AT SINAI-HOREB [Dt. 528 Early Ephraimite kled it on the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant which Jehovah hath made with you ac- cording to all these words. 12 Then Jeho- vah said to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain and be there, and I will give thee the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them. 13 So Moses rose with Josh- ua his attendant, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, Wait here for us until we come back to you ; and be- hold, Aaron and Hur are with you; who- ever has a complaint 3 let him come to them. 15a And Moses went up on the mountain; 18b and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. 31 18b And Jehovah gave him the two stone tablets written with the finger of God. Late Prophetic Narratives 28 And when Jehovah heard the tenor of your words, as you spoke to me, Jehovah said to me, ‘I have heard the tenor of the words of this people, which they have spoken to thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. 29 Would that they might have this mind in them continually 1- to fear me and keep all my commandments, that it may be well for them, and for their children forever! 30 Go say to them, “Re- turn to your tents.” 31 But as for thee stand thou here by me, and I will speak to thee all the command- ment, and the statutes, and the or- dinances which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I am giving them to pos- sess.’ 32 You shall be careful to do, therefore, as Jehovah your God hath commanded you ; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. 9 9 Now when I went up into the mountain to receive the stone tab- lets, even the tablets of the cove- nant which Jehovah made with you, I remained in the mountain forty days and forty nights ; I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 And Je- hovah delivered to me the two stone tablets written with the finger of God; and on them were written all the words which Jehovah spoke to you in the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. r Dt. 5 29 Heb., would that this, their heart was theirs continually. * Ex. 24 14 Heb., master of words. APOSTASY OF THE PEOPLE [Ex. 32 1 § 77. Apostasy of the People, Ex. 32, Dt. 9"- 21 ' 2o The late priestly designation of the tablets of the law. b 40 28 Omitted in Gk. b 4Q29b-32 Omitted in Gk. Evidently, like 28 - 33h , very late additions to the Heb. 196 Ex. 33 7 ] TENT OF MEETING [Ex. 40 34 Early Ephraimite Prophetic meeting. And whenever any one wished to consult Jehovah, he would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, every man at his tent door, and look after Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 And when Moses had entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend, and stand at the door of the tent, while Jehovah spoke with Moses. 10 And whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, all the people stood up and worshipped, every man at his tent door. 11 Thus Jeho- vah used to speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent. 80. Visit of Moses’s Father-in-law, Ex. 18 1 * 1 *, Num. 10 29 - M Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Ex. 18 J Now when Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt, -Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zippo- rah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, 3 and her two sons of whom the name of one was Gershom [An alien resident there] ;* for he said, I have Late Priestly Narratives 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting because the cloud rested upon it and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling. :!6 But whenever the cloud was taken up from over the dwelling, the Israelites went on- ward, during all their journeys; 37 but if the cloud was not taken np 9 then they did not march until the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of Jehovah was upon the dwelling by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, during all their journeys. § 80 Although widely removed, it is evident that Ex. 18 and Num. 10 29 ' 32 relate to the same incident and are fragments of variant versions of the same tradition. Ex. 18 has no real connection with its context. Dt. I 9 ' 18 , which follows the original order of the prophetic nar- ratives, places the judicial organization after the establishment of the covenant at Sinai, Ex. 19-24, 34. Ex. 24 14 is inconsistent with 18, if the latter orecedes. 18 22-27 is best understood im- mediately before the departure from Horeb. Vs. 5 states that the Israelites were encamped at the mountain of God. Cf . 19 1 . Vs. 7 refers to the tent. Finally Num. 10 29-32 definitely locates the visit of Moses's father-in-law at this point. Its original position, therefore, seems to be perfectly established. When the detailed laws of Ex. 20-23 were added, a later editor prob- ably regarded 18 as inconsistent after them and accordingly removed it to its present position. Ex. 18 contains the Ephraimite version of the tradition. In addition to the other linguistic evidence, it is significant that the divine name, God , is constantly employed. Jethro is also peculiar to this source, while in the Judean Hobab is the name of Moses’s father-in-law, Num.10 29 . According to the Judean narratives, 4 20 - 25 , Moses had but one son, and his wife and child accompanied him to Egypt. Vs. 2b is clearly added with a view to harmonizing the two variant traditions. Vs. 3 is possibly based on 2 22 . Vss. b ~ 7 contain traces of two distinct stories: after Jethro has addressed Moses, 5 - 6 , the latter is represented in 7 as going out to meet him. Vss. 9 - 10 may also be duplicates of s . It is impossible, however, to disentangle with assurance the par- allel version. The original introduction to the Judean fragment in Num. 10 29 32 is probably to be found in Ex. 18 7 - ®- u . Ex. 18 and Num. 10 29 - 32 relate different incidents in the same story, so that they stand not as parallels but in sequence. To these fragments may be added the allusions in Judg. I 16 , 4 11 (cf. § 114, note u ), which indicate that the Midianite tribe, known as the Kenites, to which Moses’s father-in-law appears to have belonged, did accompany the Hebrews to Canaan, notwithstanding the statement in Ex. 18 27 . The story is important because of the light which it sheds upon that obscure tribe, which later shared with the Israelites the worship of Jehovah, and through Moses undoubtedly exerted a powerful influence upon the faith of the latter. i igJ Cf. 222 , note § 60. The coming of Jeth- ro and his meeting with Mosea 197 Ex. 18 3 ] AT SINAI-HOREB Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives been a resident alien in a foreign land; 4 and the name of the other was Eliezer [My God is an help] ; for he said. The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh; 5 and Jethro, Moses’ father- in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mountain of God. 6 And he said to Moses, I thy father-in-law Jethro am coming to you with your wife, and her two sons with her. 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed before him, and kissed him; and when they had asked regarding each other’s welfare, they came into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship they had encountered on the march, and how Jehovah had delivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced because of all the goodness which Jehovah had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them from the power of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, His song of thanks- giving and sac- rificial offering Blessed be Jehovah Who hath delivered them from the power of Pharaoh ; Who hath delivered the people from under the power of the Egyptians . 5 n Now I am persuaded that Jehovah is greater than all gods. For in that, wherein they acted so arrogantly toward them, hath he thrown them into confusion . k 12 Moreover Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt -offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Moses’s Num. 10 29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, that S he Moses’ father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which Jehovah said, fhem 'I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and let us do well by you, for Jehovah the°w§ h has promised Israel prosperity. 30 But he said to him, I will not go, but I will demess d e p ar t to mine own land and kindred. 31 Then he said, Do not leave us, I pray you. Inasmuch as you know where we should encamp in the wilderness, you will be to us as eyes. 32 And it shall be that, if you go with us, and the prosperity comes, which Jehovah will give us, we will do well by you. ■ 18 lu Analogies lead us to anticipate that the words of Jethro were originally poetical in form. The parallelism can still be distinguished, even though the passage has suffered severely in transmission. The corruption of the text evidently antedated the Gk. translation, for 10b is omitted, probably because the translators wished to avoid the obvious tautology. As the Heb. text now reads, the phrase delivered out of the power of the Egyptians occurs both in 108 and in 10tl . Such tautology is unprecedented. The second appears to be original and the first due to the mistake of a copyist. This order is also confirmed by s , where Pharaoh precedes the men- tion of the Egyptians. k 18 ub . This verse has suffered so much that its meaning can only be conjecturally restored. 14 24b , which is from the same source, furnishes the most plausible suggestion, and has been followed. 198 Ex. 18 13 ] JUDICIAL ORGANIZATION [Dt. 19 81. Judicial Organization, Ex. 18 13-27 , Dt. I 9-18 Early Ephraimite Ex. 18 13 Now on the next day Moses sat as judge to decide cases for the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning until evening. 14 But when Moses’ father- in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this thing that you are doing for the people ? why are you sitting all alone while all the people stand about you from morning until evening? 15 And Moses answered his father-in-law, Because the people keep coming to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a matter of dispute, they come to me, that I may decide which of the two is right, and make known the statutes of God, and his decisions. 17 Then Moses’ father-in-law said to him, This thing which you are doing is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are about you will surely wear yourselves out, for the task is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself alone. 19 Now hearken to me, I will give you good counsel, so that God will be with you: You be the people’s advocate with God, and bring the cases to God, 20 and you make known to them the statutes and the decisions, and show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. ^More- over you must provide out of all the people able, God-fearing, reliable men, hating un- just gain; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; 22 and let them judge the people at all times. Only Late Prophetic Narratives Dt. 1 9 And I said to you at Moses's that time, ‘I am not able to bear wdfeim- you myself alone; 10 Jehovah sponS- your God hath made you judge” 3 numerous and, behold, you are to-day as the stars of heaven in number. 11 May Je- hovah, the God of your fathers, add to you the like of you a thousand times, and bless you as he hath promised you! 12 How can I bear alone your weight, your burden and your quarrels. 13 Take for your tribes men Appoint- who are wise, intelligent, and tribal known that I may make them jodecfde officers over you.’ 14 And you ™ses r answered me, ‘The thing which you proposed to do is good.’ 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, men of wisdom and reputation, and made them officers over you, cap- tains of thousands and cap- tains of hundreds, and cap- tains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers according to your tribes. 16 And I charged your judges at that time saying, ‘Hear the disputes between your tribesmen, and judge righteously between a man and § 81 The reasons for the classification of Ex. 18 13 - 27 have already been indicated in the preceding sections. The tradition is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the Pentateuch. It is also one of the most important, for it reveals the genesis of Heb. as well as of all primitive laws and judicial institutions. As questions of dispute were raised, they were referred to the recognized leader of the tribe or confederated tribes and his decisions constituted precedents, which gradu- ally determined customary usage. Custom then became law. The latest stage was its formu- lation in written form . Cf. Frontispiece and vol. IV., Introd. The story also suggests Moses's relation to Israel’s laws and institutions. The precedents which he, as tribal judge, established and the principles which he thus laTd down, became the foundations of all later Israelitish legislation. It was, therefore, not without a genuine basis of historic fact that later generations associated all laws with his name. The late prophetic tradition, following that tendency of exilic and post-exilic Judaism which attributed all legal institutions to Moses, represents him as taking the initiative and says noth- ing of Jethro. 199 AT SINAI-HOREB Com- mand to select .seventy elders Con- ferring of the prophet- ic gift upon them Prophe- sying of Eld ad and Me- dad Ex. 18 22 ] [Dt. I 16 Early Ephraimite every great matter let them bring to you ; but every small matter let them decide them- selves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing — and God so commands you — then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go back to their places satisfied. 24 So Moses hearkened to the ad- vice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hun- dreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; the difficult cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land. Late Prophetic Narratives his brother, and the alien who resides with him. 17 You shall be impartial 1 in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike; you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s. But the case that is too diffi- cult for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18 Thus I com- manded you at that time all the things which you should do. § 82. Appointment of the Seventy Prophetic Elders, Num. It 1 ®’ n > 5tt> - 30 Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Num. 11 16 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Summon to me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee. 17 And I will come down and speak with thee there; and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not alone. 24b So he summoned seventy of the elders of the people and caused them to stand around about the tent. 25 And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the spirit which was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders. And when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they never did so again. 26 But there remained two men in the camp, the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. Now they were of those who had been registered 111 but had not gone out to the tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 27 Then a young man ran and told Moses, saying, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. 28 And Joshua the 1 Dt. l 17 .Heb., not respect faces. § 83 This narrative is in no way connected with its context, which tells of the gift of quails, His- 24 a, 31 - 35 . The reference to Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses in 2S , the emphasis laid upon prophecy, and the prominence of the tent of meeting indicate that it belongs to the Ephraimite group. Its relationship is especially close with Ex. 33 7 ' 11 , § 80, and 18 13-27 . It cannot precede, but naturally follows Ex. 18. Num. ll 17b is an echo of Ex. 18 22 . While it is not impossible that both come from the same age and hand, yet it does not seem probable. Ex. 18 contains the simpler and more primitive tradition; Num. 11 the product of more advanced reflection and a more developed conception of the prophetic gift. Its loose connection with its context strengthens the conviction that it is one of the many valuable contributions which the later Ephraimite school made to the older traditions. m ll 26 Heb., written. 200 THE SEVENTY PROPHETIC ELDERS [Num. II 28 Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives son of Nun, who had from his youth" been the servant of Moses, answered saying, My lord, Moses, forbid them. 29 But Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his spirit upon them! 30 Thereupon Moses, with the elders of Israel, went back into the camp. § 83. Divine Confirmation of Moses’s Authority, Num. 12 1 * 15 Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Num. 12 J Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, because of the Cush- ite woman whom he had married ; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, Hath Jehovah indeed spoken only through Moses ? hath he not spoken also through us? And Jehovah heard. 3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the earth. 4 But Jehovah suddenly said to Moses, and to Aaron, and Miriam, Come out ye three to the tent of meeting. So they three went out. 5 Then Jehovah came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth. G And he said. Hear now my words ! If there be a prophet among you, 0 In a vision do I make myself known to him. In a dream do I speak to him. ’Not so with my servant Moses ; In all my house he is faithful . p 8 Mouth to mouth do I speak with him, Plainly and not in enigmas, And the form of Jehovah doth he behold. Why then do ye not fear. To speak against my servant Moses ? b 1128 Or, one of his young men. § 83 In language and representation this section is very closely connected with the pre- ceding and with Ex. 33 7-11 . The tent of meeting and the pillar of cloud are prominent. The sanctuary is outside the camp. The mention of Miriam and the linguistic peculiarities com- plete the proof that it is also from the Ephraimite narratives. It may embody an older tradition, especially in 9_l5 , but as a whole it appears to be from a later prophet who aimed thus to establish the pre-eminent prophetic authority of Moses. It is indeed an expansion of Ex. 33 u . Vs. 5 suggests that the Israelites were either on the march or about to set out from Sinai. The story is not in place as it stands, immediately after the signal act of divine judgment recorded in ll 33 . It does, however, follow naturally after the account of the seventy prophetic elders and there- fore may be classified with the Sinai-Horeb group of traditions. Vs. 1 not only presents certain difficulties, but is also very loosely connected with the subse- quent context. Nothing more is said about Moses’s marriage with a Cushite. The motive of the complaint in 2 is the jealousy which Aaron and Miriam feel toward Moses’s greater authority. Only in 1 is Miriam mentioned first. The fact that the verb is in the feminine singular strongly suggests that this verse reflects a tradition in which she alone was the offender. The fact that she only is punished in 9 - 15 suggests that these verses are a part of the same story. Not until the days of Nehemiah and Ezra were foreign marriages viewed askance. It would seem clear therefore that the allusion to Moses’s marriage with a Cushite was introduced by a later editor, who lived in the age when the question involved was being hotly debated. Possibly the original tradition was circulated by those who wished to support their broader position by the example of Moses.. If so, Cushite , as usually in the O.T., probably means Ethiopian. The context also seems to imply that the marriage had only recently been contracted. The other explanation is that Cush is here the designation of a north Arabian tribe and that the present story is a variant of the traditions which make Moses’s wife a Kenite, Judg. I 16 , 4 11 , or a Midian- ite, Ex. 215-21, .si, Num. 10 29 . ° 121- 3 This speech of Jehovah has the parallelism, rhythm and expressions characteristic of Heb. poetry. It may, like corresponding oracular utterances, represent an older poetic source which is the basis of the present story. p 12 7 Or, with the care of all my house is he intrusted. 201 Jealousy of Miri- am and Aaron Jeho- vah’s vindica- tion of Moses AT SINAI-IIOREB Num. 12 9 ] Later Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives pufiish 1 ' 8 9 l h en the anger of Jehovah was roused against them. And he departed, ment 10 And when the cloud removed from the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow: and as Aaron looked at Miriam, he saw that she was leprous. u Then Aaron said to Moses, Oh, my lord, do not lay upon us the punishment of the sin and folly that we have committed. 12 Do not let her, I pray, be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb. 13 And Moses cried to Jehovah, saying, Nay, heal her now, I pray. q 14 But Jehovah said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again. 15 So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not depart until Miriam was brought in again. § 81 . Census of the Israelites, Num. 1 1_49 > 54 , 30-22,27,28,33,34,39 Late Priestly Narratives Appoint- Num. 1 1 Now Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the twelve tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after assist 0 they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 Take the census of all taking 111 the congregation of the Israelites, by their families, by their fathers’ thecen- } louseS) according to the number of the names, all the males, by their heads; 1 3 from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war, thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts. 4 And with you there shall be one man from each tribe, each one head of his father’s house. 5 And these are the names of the men who shall stand with you. From Reu- ben, Elizur the son of Shedeur. 6 From Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zuri- sliaddai. 7 From Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 8 From Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar. 9 From Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. 10 From the children of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud. From Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 11 From Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni. 12 From Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 13 From Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran. 14 From Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 15 From Naplitali, Ahira the son of Enan. 16 These are the ones who were selected from the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the chiefs of the thousands of Israel. 17 Then Moses and Aaron took these men, who were mentioned by name, 18 and assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month : and they registered 3 according to their families, by their fathers’ 9 12 13 Heb., 0 God , heal her, I -pray, but the construction is without parallel. A slight emendation gives the reading above. § 84 Num. li — lO 93 , like the last six chapters of Ex., are from the late priestly writers. The precise formulas, the stereotyped language, the interest in petty details, the almost endless repe- titions, and the portrayal of the march through the wilderness as a solemn religious procession, all suggest the leisure of the exile and reflect the strong ritualistic tendencies of Judaism. _ It was thus that the later priests projected the institutions and ideals of their own age back into the days of Moses. For a striking parallel, cf. the books of Chrs. with their older parallels, the book of Kgs., vol. II. There is evidence, however, that 1-3 are not all from the same hand. The order of the tribes in l 5-15 is very similar to that in Ex. I 2-4 ; but in 120-42 anc i again in 2 the order of the tribes and the names are slightly different. These variations appear to be the result of later expan- sions of the original priestly tradition. Aaron is probably also a later addition. r l 2 ' 4 Lit., skull. ‘ l 18 Or, declared their pedigrees. 202 CENSUS OF THE ISRAELITES [Num. I 18 Late Priestly Narratives houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their heads. 19 As Jehovah commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 And the children of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, by their heads, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who went forth as warriors, 21 those that were num- bered from them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred. 23 0f the tribe of Simeon fifty-nine thousand six hundred and fifty. 25 0f the tribe of Gad forty- five thousand six hundred and fifty. 27 0f the tribe of Judah seventy-four thousand six hundred. 29 0f the tribe of Issachar fifty-four thousand four hundred. 31 Of the tribe of Zebulun fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 33 OE the tribe of Ephraim forty thousand five hundred. 35 0f the tribe of Manasseh thirty-two thousand two hundred. 37 0f the tribe of Benjamin thirty-five thousand four hundred. 39 0f the tribe of Dan sixty-two thou- sand seven hundred. 41 Of the tribe of Asher forty-one thousand five hundred. 43 0f the tribe of Naphtali fifty-three thousand four hundred. 1 45 So all who were numbered of the Israelites by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who were able to go forth to war, 46 even all who were num- bered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 47 But the Levites according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48 For Jehovah said to Moses, 49 Only the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither slialt thou take a census of them among the Israelites. 34 Thus the Israelites did accord- ing to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, thus they did. 3 14 Jehovah also commanded Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, 15 Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. 16 So Moses num- bered them according to the word of Jehovah, as he was commanded. 17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni, and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families : Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shime- ites; these are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and up- ward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand five hundred. 27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izhar- ites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred who were charged with the care of the sanctuary. 33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. 34 And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred. 39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of Jehovah, by their families, all the males, from a month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand. t 122-43 i n these verses the same formula, found in 20 - 21 , is repeated as a setting for the totals of those eligible for military service in each tribe. In the above translation it has been omitted after its first introduction. The numbers reveal the characteristic priestly interest in statistics and the tendency of late tradition to enlarge as well as to embellish the meagre facts handed down from the remote past. Num- bers in each of the tribes The total Levites not in- cluded Special census of the Levites 203 Num. 2 1 ] AT SINAI-HOREB Tribes on the east of the tent of meet- ing On the south § 85. Arrangement of the Camp, Num. 2, 3 M - J4 ' s9 - 32 ’ S5 - M Very Late Priestly Narratives Num. 2 1 And Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron saying, 2 The Israel- ites shall encamp each man by his own standard, 11 with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses. Opposite the tent of meeting they shall encamp and about it. 3 And those who encamp on the east side towards the sunrising shall be they of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts. And the prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 4 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred. 5 And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issaehar. And the prince of the Issacharites shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. 6 And his host and those who were numbered in it were fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7 The tribe of Zebulun. v And the prince of the Zebulunites shall be Eliab the son of Helon. 8 And his host, and those who were numbered in it were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9 A11 who were numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their hosts. They shall set out first on the march. lu Gn the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts. And the prince of the Reubenites shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. u And his host, and those who were numbered in it, were forty- six thousand five hundred. 12 And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. And the prince of the Simeonites shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 13 And his host and those who were numbered of them were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14 Then the tribe of Gad. And the prince of the Gadites shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 15 And his host and those who were numbered of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred § 85 The original priestly narratives probably contained an account of the arrangement of the camp which is embodied in this section. It contains, however, in addition so much material that interrupts the sequence of the narrative and is simply a repetition of chap. 1, that in its pres- ent form it is clearly from a later hand. Thus 2 4 ' 6 > 8 . m 13 , etc., repeat l 17-43 and 2 3 > 6b - An 10b . etc., l 5 -> 5 . Unlike the Ephraimite, who placed the sacred tent outside (he camp. Ex. 33 7 - u , § 79, the priestly writers located it in the centre, with the tribes about on every side. The priests stand at the entrance at the east, the Levitical clans on the other two sides, and the remaining tribes complete the outer square. The leading tribes guard the centre on each side. The underlying idea is evidently that developed by Ezekiel in his ideal plan of the temple, Ezek. 40-48. It is to guard the sanctity of the dwelling and thus symbolize the holiness of the God who dwells therein. The details of the plan may be illustrated by the following diagram. a NORTH _ _ S Asher Dan Naphtali g> Merarites cj Kohathites § Gad Reuben Simeon § § SOUTH u 2 ! The meaning of this word is doubtful. _ It may signify a company , cf. 1 v 2 7 This disconnected clause was evidently intended to be the sequel of l *. 20J ARRANGEMENT OF THE CAMP [Num. 2 15 Very Late Priestly Narratives and fifty. 16 A11 who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were a hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts. And they shall set out second on the march. 17 Then the tent of meeting, the camp of the Levites, w shall set forth, in the Method midst of the camps: as they encamp, so shall they set forth, each man in his place by their standards. 18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according onthe to their hosts. And the prince of the Ephraimites shall be Elishama the weat son of Ammihud. 19 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were forty thousand five hundred. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. And the prince of the Manassites shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin. And the prince of the Benjaminites shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. 23 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty-five thousand four hun- dred. 24 A11 who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred and eight thousand one hundred, according to their hosts. And they shall set out third on the march. 25 On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to On the their hosts. And the prince of the Danites shall be Ahiezer the son of Am- ° mishaddai. 26 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27 And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the prince of the Asherites shall be Pagiel the son of Ocliran. 28 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali. And the prince of the Naphtalites shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 30 And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31 All who were numbered of the camp of Dan were a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall march at the rear by their standards. 3 23 The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the dwelling Duties on the west. 24 And the prince of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites shall Leviticai be Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in Qer- 8 ' the tent of meeting shall be the dwelling, the tent, its covering, the screen for shomtea the door of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court which is by the dwelling, and by the altar round about, and its cords for all its service. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the side of the Kohaiii dwelling on the south. 30 And the prince of the fathers’ house of the families ' s of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 And their charge shall be the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altars, the vessels of the sanc- tuary with which they minister, the screen, and all its service. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, having the oversight of those who have charge of the sanctuary. w 2 17 The Heb. construction is exceedingly awkward. Cf. 10 17 ' 21 . 205 Merar- itea Position of Moses and Aaron Comple- tion of the ar- range- ment of the camp The plan of march Num. 3 35 ] AT SINAI-HOREB Very Late Priestly Narratives 35 And the prince of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: they shall encamp on the north side of the dwelling. 30 And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the dwelling, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, and all its instruments, and all its service; 37 and the pillars of the court round about, with their sockets, their pins, and their cords. 38 And those who encamp before the dwelling on the east, before the- tent of meeting toward the sunrising, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the Israelites; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 2 32 These are they who were numbered of the Israelites by their fathers’ houses: all who were numbered of the camps according to their hosts were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the Israelites, as Jehovah commanded Moses. 34 Thus did the Israelites; according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out on the march, every one by their families, according to their fathers’ houses. II LIFE OF THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS ABOUT KADESH, Ex. 15 25b ’ 26 , 16 2 ‘ 28 ' 31 - 36 , 17 lb ' 16 , Num. lO 11 ' 28 - 33 - 3b , n i-15, 18-24. 31-35’ l 2 16_i 8 7, 20 1 - 13 , 21 1 ' 3 , Dt. I 19 * 40 , g2-4, 11a, 15, 16’ 1X5-7 § 86. Departure from Sinai, Num. lO 11-28 - 33_36 , Dt. I 19 Early Judean Num. 10 33 Then they Late Prophetic Dt. 1 19 And when we jour- Late Priestly Narratives Num. 10 n And it came to pass in the second year, on the twentieth day of the Life of the Hebrews in the Wilderness. — According to the traditions, which appear to go back to the early prophetic sources, the Israelites, after leaving Sinai, remained about forty years, i. e., a generation, in the wilderness to the south of Canaan and directly west of Edom, Num. 10 11 , 14 33 , 20 23 ' 24 , 33 rl . Most of the events recorded belong at the beginning or the close of this period. Each of the four groups of narratives had its distinct version of most of the incidents; but the original order of events does not always appear to have been the same in all the narra- tives. That of the late priestly editor, as usual, determined the present arrangement. The two oldest prophetic sources agree in making Kadesh the centre of the life of the Israel- ites during the period. This, for example, is the scene of the smiting of the rock, cf. note § 88, the point from which the spies' are sent forth, Num. 13 26b , § 90, the place where the people remained and where Miriam died, Num. 20 lb , and from whence the people sent their request to the king of Edom, Num. 20 14 . In Dt. it was the object of their march from Horeb, l 19 ; also from there the spies were despatched, l 20 - 24 ; and there the Israelites were condemned to wander for forty years in the wilderness, l 34-46 . Kadesh, the name of which (Sacred) indicates that it was a holy shrine from the earliest times, was conveniently located not far from the sacred mountain and on the southern border of the promised land. It was also provided with a remarkable spring of water and was the centre of a fertile oasis, which not only supported flocks, but also admitted of the cultivation of grain in small quantities. Near by are two other attractive valleys and all about is grazing land, sufficient to supply the needs of the nomadic life which the Hebrews lived. § 86 In Num. 10 u the priestly tradition regarding the movements of the Israelites reap- pears. Vs. 13 seems to be a duplicate of 12 , and the entire passage 13 - 28 records the execution of 206 Num. 10 33 , Dt. I 19 ] DEPARTURE FROM SINAI [Num. 10 11 Early Judean journeyed from the mountain of Jehovah three days journey; and the a r k of the covenant of Jeho- vah went before them three days journey, to seek out a halting place for them. 35 And whenever the ark started, Moses would say, Arise, O Jehovah, And let thine enemies be scattered ; 36 And let those who hate thee flee be- fore thee. And when it rested, he would say, Return, O Jehovah, To the ten thousand of thousands* of Israel. Late Priestly Narratives second month, that the cloud was lifted up from over the dwelling of the testi- mony. 12 Then the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 And they first set out on their journey according to the commandment of Jehovah through Moses. 14 And in the van the standard of the camp of Judah set out according to their hosts; and over his host was Nahshon the son of Ammin- adab. 15 And over the host of the tribe of Is- sachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. ''’And over the host of the tribe of the Zebulunites was Eliab the son of Helon. 17 And when the dwelling was taken down, the sons of Gershon and of Merari, who carried the dwelling, set forward. 18 Then the stand- ard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their hosts ; and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 1!l And over the host of the tribe of the Simeonites was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the host of the tribe of the Gadites was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21 fhen the Kohathites departed carrying the sanctuary ; and set up the sanctuary in preparation for their coming. 22 And the stand- ard of the camp of the Ephraimites set out ac- cording to their hosts ; and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 And over the host of the tribe of the Manassites was Gamaliel the son of Pedahznr. 24 And over the host of the tribe of the Benjamites was Abida the son of Gideoni. 25 And the standard of the camp of the Dan- ites, which was the rearward of all the camps, set out according to their hosts ; and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the host of the tribe of the Asher- ites was Pagiel the son of Achran. 27 And over the host of the tribe of the Naphtalites was Ahirathe son of Enan. 28 This was the order of the march of the Israelites according to their hosts when they set out. 34 And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day, when they set out from the camp. Late Prophetic neyed from Ho- reb, we went through all that great and ter- rible wilderness, which you saw by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as Jehovah our God command- ed us; and we came to Ivadesh- barnea. the command found in the secondary priestly section, Num. 2, cf. § 84. Cloud of Jehovah in 34 indicates that it is the continuation of the priestly narrative. Vs. 33 is the prophetic parallel to u ' 13 . It seems to be composite. Mountain of Jehovah , and three days are marks of the Ephraimite; but the rest of the verse, with the exception of the editorial expression, of the cove- nant , are probably from the Judean narratives. Cf. ark of Jehovah and resting place , Gen. 49 18 . From the same source is the poetic fragment, Num. 10 35 * 36 , as is indicated by its language and the prominence of the ark. It may well have originally been taken from the Book of the Wars of Jehovah. a Num. 10 36 Apparently used here to designate divisions of the tribes. In I Sam. 10 lp » 21 it equals families or tribes. 207 NUM. II 4 ’ *] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS [Dt. 8 2 , Ex. 16 2 § 87. Provision of Manna and Quails, Ex. 15 J5b ' 26 , 16 2 - 26 ’ 31 - 36 , Num. II 4 " 15 ' 18 " 24a * 31-35 g2-4, 11a, 15, 16 Com- plaints of the people Early Judean Early Ephraim- Num. ll 4 Now ' ie the rabble which Num. 11 J Now was among them the people were began to have a as those w h o strong craving, complain of mis- and even the fortune in t h e children of Israel ears of Jehovah; began to weep and when Jeho- again, and to say, vah heard it O that we had his anger was flesh to eat: 5 We aroused, so that remember the fish the fire of Jeho- which we used to vah burnt among eat in Egypt with- them, and de- out cost: the cu- voured a part of cumbers, and the the camp, melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic; 6 but now we pine away; b there is not a thing to be seen except this manna. ( 7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium. 8 The people used to go about and gather it, and grind it between the mill-stones, or pound it in mortars ; then they used to boil it in pots and make cakes of it ; and its taste was like the taste of a dainty prepared with oil. 9 And when the dew came down upon the camp in the night, the manna used to come down with it). c Late Prophetic Dt. 8 2 And remember a 1 1 the way which Jehovah thy God hath led you these forty years in the wilder- ness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. Late Priestly Nar- ratives Ex. 16 2 Now the whole congre- gation of the Israel- ites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wil- derness, 3 and the Israelites said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh- pots, while we ate as much food as we wanted; for you have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assem- bly with starva- tion. § 87 Dt. 9~ reads, at Taberah, Manasseh and Kibroth-hattaavah you aroused Jehovah's wrath. It is significant that the only direct witness we have to the original relation to each other of the incidents connected with these places associates them closely together. Num. ll 1 - 3 is a torso implying a sequel. It is parallel to the accounts of the murmuring of the people in Num. ll 4 and Ex. 16 2 . The Heb. word expressing the idea of complaint is different, how- ever, from the peculiar one regularly employed in the Judean narratives and in their reflection, the priestly. This fact and the idiom in Ex. 16-, the -people cried and Moses prayed to Jehovah (cf. 21 7 and Gen. 20 17 ’ 7 ), support the inference that it is a fragment from the Ephraimite source. The rest of the chapter, with the exception of the account of the appointment of the seventy elders, which has been introduced into it, § 83, bears the unmistakable marks of the Judean nar- ratives. It has been strongly urged that mn-ia, is are no t in their original setting and should be placed after Ex. 33 1 ' 3 (cf. Bacon, Triple Traditions. 139-150, 168), but Moses’s words are here psychologically intelligible in view of his responsibility as leader and of the unreasonable de- mands of the people for food. The archaeological note, 7 - 9 , interprets the narratives. Vss. l0 * and 10b were also apparently transposed, when this note was inserted. The close parallel to Num. II 4 - 15 is found in Ex. 16. Already in note § 74 the strong evi- dence that the contents of Ex. 16, like Num. 11, originally followed the events at Sinai bas been noted. Cf. references to ark in n * 31 and the assumption that the law had already been given in 4 > a > 30 . If further evidence is needed it is found in the Deuteronomic parallel in Dt.. 8 which places the giving of the manna, where it was logically to be expected, at the begin- ning of the forty years’ residence in the wilderness and in close conjunction with the drawing of water from the rock, § 88. The style and representation indicate at a glance that the main narrative in Ex. 16 is the late priestly account of the giving of the manna and quails. It is clearly based on the Judean in Num. 11. The congregation and Aaron and many other characteristic priestly ideas and ex- pressions are introduced; but they do not conceal the dependence which is so close that, follow- b Num. ll 6 Heb., our soul is dried up. c Num. ll 7 - 9 This explanatory note may have been in the original narrative, although 10b ie the natural sequel to 6 . 208 MANNA AND QUAILS Num. ll 10b - 2 ] Early Judean 10b And the anger of Jehovah was greatly aroused. lOaWhen therefore Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent, Moses was displeased. n And Moses said to Jehovah, Why hast thou dealt ill with thy servant ? and why have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceiv- ed all this people ? have I brought them forth, that thou shouldest say to me, Carry them in thy Ephraimite 2 Then the people cried to Moses, and Mo- ses interceded with Jehovah and the fire be- gan to go out. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah [Burning], be- cause the fire of Jehovah burnt among them. Exodus 15 2ob There he es- tablished a stat- ute and an ordi- nance for them, and there he tested them. 26 Then he said, If thou wilt listen at- tentively to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his command- ments, and keep all Late Prophetic 3 And he hum- bled you and made you hun- gry, and fed you with manna, which neither you nor your fa- thers knew; that he might make you to know that man does not live by bread alone; but that by every- thing that pro- ceeds out of the mouth of Jeho- vah doth man live. 4 Y o u r clothing did not grow old upon you, neither did your foot swell these forty years. lla Be careful not to forget Je- hovah you r G od , 15 who led you [Dt. 8 3 , Ex. IS 9 Late Priestly Nar- ratives 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the Israelites, ‘ Pre- sent yourselves be- fore Jehovah, for he hath heard your murmurings.’ 10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation o f the Israelites, that they looked toward the d w e 1 1 i n g , d and, behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud. n And Je- hovah said to Mo- ses, 12 I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites; say to them, ‘This evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you ing the older original, even the quails are abruptly introduced in 13 , although the narrative fails to give any suggestion as to the end which they were intended to conserve. For some reason 6 » 7 * * * have been placed before 9-12 with the surprising result that Moses and Aaron are represented as delivering a message before they have received it. The references to the manna in Dt. 8, which usually follows the Ephraimite narratives, lead us to expect a third version. A casual reading of Ex. 16 discloses the presence of two distinct accounts of the giving of the manna. Thus, for example, in 21 * the manna melts like hoar-frost, but in 23 the command is given to bake and boil it. Vs. 15 contains one tradition of the origin of the word manna (from Heb. man hu, What is it?), 31 is its duplicate. All doubt is removed regarding the classification of the shorter version in Ex. 16 as the Ephraimite, when it is noted that it has the same peculiar idea of testing, 4 - 14 , as is repeatedly employed in Dt. 8 2 - 16 . The observation also suggests the original connection of the fragment, Ex. 15 25b . The peculiar expression, statute and ordinance, may be from the editor, but cf. Josh. 24 25 (Ephraimite). The command, the execution of which was to constitute the test, is found in 16 4 - 6 * * . 15 26 was evidently added by a late prophetic editor who recognized that 15 25 * * * in its present position was incomplete without a divine ordinance. The Ephraimite parallel has obviously been abbreviated. It lacks an introduction telling of the complaining of the people. This is found in Num. 1 1 1-3 , which in turn (as has already been noted) is incomplete without the sequel contained in Ex. IS 2513 , 16 4 - 5 - 14b - 21 . As in most of the early Judean stories, Jehovah provides for the needs of his people by the use of natural means. The manna is indigenous to the desert whether it be the exudations from the tamarisks which grow there, or the dry lichens which are still used by the Arabs as a substitute for corn. The quails are brought by a wind, Num. 1 1 31 , even as in the same group of narratives the waters of the Red Sea are driven back. It is only in the later versions of the traditions that the obviously supernatural elements become prominent. d Ex. 16 10 * Heb., wilderness, but the Hebrews were already encamped in the wilderness. In the priestly passage in Num. 16 42 , where the same idiom occurs, it reads as above. Similarity in the sound of the two Heb. words suggested to the editor the harmonistic change. 209 Moses’s expostu- lation and Je- hovah’s reply Num. II 12 , Ex. 15 26 ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS [Dt. 8 15 , Ex. 16 12 his statutes, I will inflict none of the diseases upon you which I have in- flicted upon the Egyptians ; for I am Jehovah who healeth thee. 1G 4 Then Jeho- vah said to Mo- ses, Behold, I will rain food from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a Early Judean Ephraimite bosom, as a nurs- ing-father carries the sucking child, to the land which thou swarest to their fathers ? 13 Whence should I have flesh to give to all this people? for they oppress me with their weeping® saying, ‘ Give us flesh that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, kill me, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. 18 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Say to the people, ‘ Sanctify your- selves for to-mor- row and you shall eat flesh, for you have wept loudly in the hearing of Jehovah, say- ing, ‘ ‘ O that we had flesh to eat! for it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore Jehovah will give you flesh that you may eat. 19 Not one day nor two, nor five, nor ten, nor twenty days shall you eat, daily portion each day, that I may test them wheth- er or not they will walk in my law. 5 But on the sixth day they shall pre- pare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather dai ly , 14b Accord- ingly in the morning behold there was a fine substance like hoar- frost o n the ground. Late Prophetic through the great and ter- rible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground, where there was no wa- ter; who brought forth for you water out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilder- ness with man- na, which your fathers knew not; that he might h u mb 1 e and test you in order to do good to you in your later days. Late Priestly N ar- ratives shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that T am Jehovah your God.’ 6 And Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, At evening you shall know that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt; 7 and in the morning, you shall see the glory of Je- hovah, because he heareth your mur- muring against Je- hovah; and what are we that you murmur against US ? 8 And Moses said. Inasmuch as Je- hovah will give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morn- ing bread to the full ; inasmuch as Jehovah heareth your murmur- ings which you mur- mur against him, and what axe we ? Your murmurings are not against us but against Jehovah. 13 And it came to pass in the even- ing that the quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around about the camp. 14a And when the dew that lay was gone, there was on the surface of the wilderness a small scale-like thing. Then Moses and Aaron said, The manna Num. II 13 Heb., weep upon me. 2)0 The quails and di- vine judg- ment Num. II 20 ] MANNA AND QUAILS [Ex. 16 15 ’ 16 Early Judean 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nos- trils, and is loathsome to you; because you have rejected Jehovah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt ?” ’ 21 Then Mo- ses said, The people among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet thou hast said,* I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month.’ 22 Can flocks and herds be slain sufficient for them ? or can all the fish of the sea be gathered sufficient for them ? 23 But Jehovah said to Moses, Is Jeho- vah’s power limitedr f Now shalt thou see whether my promise to thee shall come to pass or not. 24a Then Moses went out, and told the people the words of Jehovah. 31 And a wind went forth from Jehovah and brought quails from the sea and scattered them upon the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, round Ephraimite Prophetic 15 And when the Is- raelites saw it, they said to each other, What is it ? for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, It is the food which Jehovah hath given you to eat. 21 And they gathered it every morning, each one as much Late Priestly Narratives 1G This is the command which Jehovah hath given, * Gather from it each according to the quantity he can con- sume; an omer apiece, according to the num- ber of your persons, you shall take it, each man for those who are in his tent.’ 17 And the Israelites did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had nothing over, and he who had gathered little lacked nothing, each one had gathered as much as he could con- sume. 19 And Moses said to them, Let no one leave any of it until the morning. ^How- ever they did not obey Moses; but certain men left some of it until the morning, and it bred worms and spoiled. Therefore Moses was angry with them. 22 And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gath- ered twice as much food — two omers for each one — and all the princes of the congregation came and told Moses. 2:, And he said to them, This is because Jeho- vah has commanded, ‘ To- morrow shall be a day of rest, a sabbath, conse- crated to Jehovah. Bake that which you wish to bake and boil that which you wish to boil ; but all that is left over lay up in Memo- rial of the manna ( Num. ll 23 Heb., Is Jehovah's hand short I 211 Com- plaint c the peo- ple for lack of water Num. II 31 ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS [Ex. 16 21 < 23 Early Judean about the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32 Therefore the people spent all that day and all the night, and all the next day, in gathering the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; 8 and they spread them all out for them- selves about the camp. 33 While they were still eating* 1 the flesh, before the supply was exhaust- ed, the anger of Jehovah was aroused against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. 34 Hence the name of that place was called Kibroth- hattaavah [Graves of the craving], because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 From Kibroth - hatta- avah the people jour- neyed to Hazeroth, and remained at Hazeroth. Late Priestly Narra- tives order to keep it until to- morrow.’ 24 So they laid it up until the next day, as Moses commanded, hut it did not become foul, nor were there any worms in it. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to-day, for to-day is a sab- bath to Jehovah ; to-day you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days shall you gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none. 31 And the house of Israel called it manna; and it was white like coriander seed, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32 And Moses said, This is the command which Jehovah hath given: ‘An omerful of it shall be kept for your descendants, 1 that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.’ 33 And Moses said to Aaron, Take a jar and put an omer- ful of manna in it and deposit it before Jehovah, to be kept for your descendants. 34 As Jehovah commanded Moses, so Aaron deposited it before the ark of the testimony, to be kept. 35b So they ate the manna until they came to the frontier of the land of Canaan. 36 Nowanomer is the tenth part of an ephah. Ephraimite Prophetic as he could consume ; and when the sun became hot, it melted. 27 But when on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, they found none. 28 Then Jehovah said to Moses, How long do you re- fuse to keep my com- mandments and my laws? 35a Anc' the Is- raelites ate the manna forty years until they came to a habitable land. § 88. Drawing Water from the Rock, Ex. 17 lc_7 , Num. 12 16 , 20 1-13 Early Judean Num. 12 16 Afterwards the people set forth from Hazeroth, and encamped Ephraimite Prophetic Num. 20 lb While the people were staying in Kadesh, Miriam Late Priestly Narra- tives Num. 20 la Then the Israelites, the whole e Num. II 32 About 100 bushels. Although similar in sound, the homer is distinct from omer in Ex. 32 ■ ®. Cf. Appendix IX. h Num. II 33 Heb., while the flesh was still between their teeth. > Ex. 16 32 In- the Heb. the first part of Jehovah's command is given in the indirect discourse. § 88 The restoration of the section Ex. 16, 17 (cf. note § 74) to its original position after the events at Sinai at once facilitates the solution of the difficult problems in Ex. 17 1-7 . Num. 20 1-13 contains a close parallel, the language and ideas of which proclaim that it is from the late priestly source. Fragments, however, are found of a prophetic version in 3a - 5 in which the people are represented as striving simply with Moses, while in the priestly parallel the as- sembled congregation complain against both Moses and Aaron, 2 . Note also that 4 and 5 are duplicates. The Deuteronomic parallel, Dt. 8 3 , 15 - 16 , which depends not upon the priestly but the early 212 WATER FROM THE ROCK Num. 12 16 ] Early Judean in the wilderness of Par- sin. Ex. 17 3 And the peo- ple were thirsty there for water, and murmured against Moses, and said, YVhy have you brought us up from Egypt to kill us with our children and cattle, with thirst ? Moses answered, 2b Why do you test Jehovah ? ^ a ’ c So he called the name of the place Massah [Testing], because they tested Jeho- vah, saying, Is Jehovah among us or not? Ephraimite Prophetic died and was buried there. Ex. 17 lc And when there was no water for the people to drink, 2a the people contended with Moses, saying, Give us water that we may drink. But Moses said to them, Why do you contend with me? Num. 20 5 And they said, Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place? it is no place for seeds, nor figs, nor vines, nor pome- granates, neitheristhere any water to drink. [Num. 20 1 Late Priestly Narra- tives congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. 2 And there was no wa- ter for the congrega- tion; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron, 3b and said, Would that we had died when our kinsmen died before Jehovah! 4 And why have you brought the assembly of Jehovah into this wil- derness, that we should die here, we and our cattle ? prophetic versions, brings the smiting of the rock in immediate conjunction with the provision of manna. It is also to be expected at the beginning of the wilderness life. The introduc- tion to the priestly version, Num. 20 la , places it definitely during the first month when the He- brews entered the wilderness of Zin, the centre of which was Kadesh. Cf. Num. 33 36 , 27 13 . The reference in 20 lb , which from its allusion to Miriam is identified with the Ephraimite source, localizes it at Kadesh, and suggests that the fragments of the second version in 3a . 6 are also from the same narrative and that that source, like the priestly, associates Meribah (the place of con- tention) with Kadesh. Later allusions to the smiting of the rock designate the place as Meri- bah of Kadesh, Num. 27 14 , Dt. 32 51 , Ezek. 47 1 32 . Joshua and Caleb, at the risk of their life, try to persuade the people to go up, 14 la . 2b - 5 -7. 9a . 10 . The Deuteronomic parallel facilitates the identification of the Ephraimite version. The parallelism between Num. 13 17b * 1Sa > c - 20 - 21a - 23 - 24 > 2Gb and Dt. I 24 - 25 is so close that it makes it possible to reconstruct with assurance the first part of the story which is lacking. Consistent with the representation of the Ephraimite narratives, the spies set out from Kadesh, where the people remain. The list of people in ^ 33 appears to belong to the same source. The limita- tion of the territory of the Canaanites to the Jordan valley and the coast plains is seemingly peculiar to it, and very different from the representation of the Judean. Cf., e. g., 14 43 . The location of the Ammonites in the hill-country and certain characteristic expressions confirm the classification. The Deuteronomic parallel is also helpful in reconstructing the Ephraimite version in Num. 14 1 * 10 . It demonstrates that the words of Moses in 9b are attributed in the re- arrangement of the editor to Joshua and Caleb. The words in 8 were probably likewise origi- nally first uttered by Caleb, and belong to the Judean narratives, as such expressions as a land flowing with milk and honey (cf. 13 273 ) and our wives and our little ones will he a -prey indicate. The version found in the remaining verses of 13 have the characteristics of the Judean nar- ratives. Caleb, not Aaron or Joshua, is the chief spokesman, 30 , and Moses alone accepts his counsel. Here the spies penetrate only to Hebron, 22 , while in the Ephraimite they go to the valley of Eshcol, 23 , and in the late priestly to Hamath in the extreme north. The prominence of Caleb and the names of the children of Anak, 22 , are all peculiar to the Judean source. Cf. Judg. 1, § 114. The phraseology, e. g., a land flowing with milk and honey, 27 , leaves little doubt as to the classification. 215 Num. 13 17b - c ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS [Dt. I 20 , Num. 13 2 Early Ju- dean into the South Coun- try, 18 and see what the land is, and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, wheth- er few or many, 19 and what the land is in which they dwell, wheth- er it is good or bad; and what the cities are in which they dwell, wheth- er in camps or in strong- holds. Ephraimite land and bring us a report of the way we must go up and what the cities are which we shall find there. And the plan pleased Moses and he took twelve men, one from each tribe, and said to them, N u m . 1 3 17c Go up into the hill-coun- try, 20 and see what the land is, whether it is fertile or barren, wheth- e r there i s wood in it or not. And ex- ert yourselves to bring some of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. Late Prophetic try of the Am- orites, which Jehovah our God is about t o give u s. 21 Behold Je- hovah your God hath set the land be- fore you ; go up, take pos- session, as Je- hovah the God of your fathers hath commanded you, fear not, neither be d ismayed.’ 22 Then y o u came near to me, every one of you, and said, ‘Let us send men be- fore us, that they may spy out the land for us, and bring us a re- port of t h e way by which we must go up and the cities to which we shall come.’ 23 And the plan pleased me well; so I took twelve men of you, one man for each tribe. Late Priestly Narratives every one a prince among them. 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Pa- ran according to the com- mand of Jehovah; all of them were men who were heads of the Israelites. 4 And these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5 From the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. 6 From the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 7 From the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. 8 From the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun. 9 From the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. 10 From the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. 11 From the tiibe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. 12 From the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gamalli. 13 From the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. 14 From the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. 15 From the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. 0 17a And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan. ° Num. 13 16 According to the priestly narratives the name Jehovah was not revealed until after the birth of Joshua, Ex. 6, § 61. Accordingly the author reasons that the name could not have originally contained the shortened form of Jehovah and so attributes the form Joshua to Moses. 216 Num. 13 22 > 21 a ] MISSION OF THE SPIES [Dt. I 24 , Num. 13 21b Early Judean 22 So they went up by the South Coun- try, and came to Hebron ; and Ahi- man, Sheshai and T a 1 m a i , the chil- dren of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt). 27& Then they returned and told him, saying, We came to the land to which you sent us; and surely it flows with milk and honey. 28 But the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very large; and moreover w e saw the children of Anak there. 30 T hen Caleb stilled the people before Moses, p and said, We surely ought to go up and take possession of it ; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men who went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. Ephraimite 21a So they went up 23 and when they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one clus- ter of grapes, and carried it upon a staff between two men, and also some of the pomegranates, and some of the figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol [Grape-clus- ter], because of the cluster which the Is- raelites cut down from there. 26b And they returned to Iva- desh, and brought back a report to them, and showed them the fruit of the land, 27h and said, This is the fruit of it. 29 (The Amalekites were dwelling in the land of the South; and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites in the hill-country ; and the Canaanites were dwelling by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan.) 33 And there we saw Nephilim [giants], (the sons of Anak are some of the Nephilim), 3 In the Ephraimite narratives the Canaanites are described as dwellers on the plains. Cf. 13 29 , § 90. 221 Num. 16 lb ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS Mutiny of Da- than and Abiram Moses’s protest and warning His ap- peal to Jehovah for a di- vine de- cision § 92. Destruction of the Rebels Dathan and Abiram, Num. 16 lb ’ 2a> 12 ’ 13 ~ 15 ’ 25 ’ 26 ' 27 b-3u, 32a > 33a > ■>, 34 , Dt. II 5-7 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives Num. 16 lb Then Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab the son of Pallu, son of Reuben, took men, 2a and rose up before Moses. 12 And Moses sent to summon Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab; but they said, We will not come up; 13 is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must even make yourself a prince over us? 14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey nor given us possession of the fields and vine- yards; will you throw dust in our y eyes? 2 we will not come up. 15 Then Moses was very angry and said to Jehovah, Do not respect their offering; I have not taken a single ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them. 25 And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And he said to the congregation, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away in all their sins. 27b And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives and sons and little ones. 28 Then Moses said, By this you shall know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works; that it was not of mine own choice. 29 If these men die the common death of men, or if they share the usual fate of men, then Jehovah § 92 The narratives furnish little information regarding the traditional forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Among a people condemned to a life in striking contrast with what they had hoped at once to enjoy in Canaan, mutinies were to be anticipated. Two, and possibly four, are recorded in Num. 16. That the chapter is composite is evident. Duplicates abound. Cf. 6 and 17 ; 24 and 26 ; 31 and 32a > ^b. In 32 . 33 it is stated that the earth opened and swallowed up the rebels so that all went down to the pit and the earth closed upon them, and then in 35 it is recorded that fire came forth from heaven and devoured them. The sudden transitions from the lan- guage and ideas of the prophetic to those of the priestly also facilitate the analysis. Later references indicate that there was a priestly story in which Korah and his associates were de- stroyed by fire. This can be clearly distinguished in 16. Cf. § 94. The Deuteronomic par- allel, however, knows nothing of this priestly story of Korah, and reproduces briefly, but in almost the same language, the stoiy of Dathan and Abiram. This departs widely from the Korah tradition. The mutiny is directed against the secular authority of Moses, not against the priestly leadership of Moses and Aaron. The leaders and apparently the occasion are entirely distinct. The method of punishment is also strikingly different. Cf. K > 33 and 35 . Really the only point of contact is that the authority of Moses is in each case disregarded. The close amalgamation of two so fundamentally distinct traditions is almost without parallel in the O.T. The prophetic tradition itself is either composite or else has been expanded by additions drawn from another source. The linguistic and other characteristics indicate that most of it is from the Judean source. This is true of 13 ' 26b . z?c-3i, &*. Vs. ub , however, seems to be an Ephraimite duplicate of 14a , 3211 of 31 , and ^b- 34 the natural sequel of 32a . It is the language of these Ephraimite fragments which is reproduced in the Deuteronomic parallel. The opening verse also presents difficulties. Bacon has brilliantly developed the suggestion that the priestly story of Korah’s mutiny was derived from the Judean source which originally read, Now Korah the son of Kenaz and On the son of Pelath, men of renown , took an offering for Jehovah, etc. (Exodus, 304). It is argued that their sins consisted in disputing with Moses the right to offer sacrifices in behalf of the people. This, however, assumes an idea which is con- trary to the teaching of the Judean narratives and which certainly is not prominent in the present context. Num. 26 8 , which is modelled after 16, makes Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab the son of Pallu the son of Reuben. This probably represents the original text of 16 1 , for Pallu (and never Eliab, except in Dt. II 6 ) is always represented as the son of Reuben, e. g.. Ex. 6 14 . On, the son of Pelath, which is found in the Heb., is nowhere else mentioned in the subsequent context of 16 or in the O.T. The omission in Dt. II 6 confirms the conclusion that it is a scribal error for son of Pallu. y Num. 16 14 Heb., of these men; but Syr. and Lat. has our, which is demanded by the con- text. * Num. 16 14 Heb. lit., bore out. So Judg. 16 21 ; but the meaning here seems to be better expressed by the idiom given above. 222 DATHAN AND ABIRAM [Num. 16 29 Early Judean Prophetic Narratives hath not sent me. 30 But if Jehovah does something unprecedented 221 and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive to Sheol, men have despised Jehovah. 31 And it came to pass as he fin- ished speaking all these words, that the ground which was under them was cleft, 32a and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, with their households. 33a> b So they and all that belonged to them, went down alive into Sheol; and the earth closed upon them. 34 And all the Israelites who were round about them fled at their cry ; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up. then you shall understand that these Late Prophetic Narratives Dt. 11 6 You know what Jehovah did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their house- holds and their tents and every living thing that followed them in the midst of all Israel ; 7 for your eyes have seen all the great work which Jehovah did. Judg- ment upon the rebels § 93. Divine Confirmation of the Prerogatives of the Aaronic Priesthood, Num. 16 la > Jb -U. 16 - 2 <, 27 , 32b, 33c, 35-50 ] ■J ] gl-7 Late Priestly Num. 16 la Now Korah 2b with certain of the Israelites, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, those who were called to the assembly, men of repute, 3 came together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, You take too much upon you, for every man in the entire congregation is holy, and Jehovah is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah ? 4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face; 5 and he said to Ko- V ery Late Priestly Nar- ratives 16 la Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with his kinsmen mur- mured against Moses and Aaron, saying, 7b You take too much upon your- selves, O sons of Levi. 8 Then Moses said to Korah, Hear now, O sons of Levi ; 9 is it too little for you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation Protest against the priestly preroga- tives Moses’s proposal to ap- peal to Jehovah Num. 16 30 Heb., creates a creation. § 93 The prophetic account of the revolt of Dathan and Abiram has already been dis- tinguished, § 92. The remainder of 16, however, is not a unit, although it is all from the late priestly school of writers. The older traditions represent Korah, at the head of two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, as protesting against the limitation of the priestly rights to the tribe of Levi, claiming that all the congregation are holy, 3 . The fact that the Manassites later disclaim any connection with the revolt of Korah, Num. 27 3 , and the description of the princes, indicate that the rebels were not all I.evites. Korah is apparently identified with the son of Caleb and therefore connected with the tribe of Judah, I Chrs. 2 43 , Judg. I 13 . To the older priestly tradition has been added another, associated with Korah the son of Levi. Cf. Ex. 6 21 ' 24 , 1 Chrs. fi 2 -. 9 19 . He and his followers are all I.evites, '*• 10 , and their sin is that they claim equally with the sons of Aaron (the regular post-exilic priesthood) the right to perform the priestly duties. The analysis is comparatively simple. The test in both versions is the presentation of an incense offering. Cf. 6 - 7 and l7 . The punishment was also very simi- lar. Cf. 32 b and 35 . Possibly the very late writer, who was acquainted with the guilds of temple singers, the sons of Korah, and who added in 26 1 ’ the statement that the sons of Korah did not perish with Korah and his company, revised the account of the fate of the rebellious Levites so that only a fragment remains. Otherwise the supplemental additions make it possible to re- construct with comparative fulness the secondary version of the tradition. Both versions were intended to establish the exclusive rights of the Aaronic (Jerusalem) priesthood. Cf. especially 40 . Further miraculous confirmation of its divine right is found in the tradition of the budding of Aaron’s rod in 17. These stories in turn form the introduction to the account of the appointment and definition of the respective duties of the priests and the Levites in 18. 223 The sweep- ing judg- ment upon the protest- ers and the vin- dication of the priests Num. 16 5 ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS [Num. 16 9 Late Priestly rail and all his company, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and whoever is holy he will bring near to him; even him whom he shall choose will he bring near to him. 6 This do, take censers, Korah and all his company; 7a and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to- morrow; and the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he is holy. Very Late Priestly Narratives of Israel to bring you near to himself to perform the service of the dwelling of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, 10 and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi, with thee? that now you are seeking the priesthood also! n There- fore you and all your company are gathered to- gether against Jehovah! for Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him? 16 And Moses said to Korah, Appear with all your company before Jehovah, you and they, and Aaron, to- morrow, 17 and let each man take his censer, and put incense upon it, and let each man bring his censer before Jehovah, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer. 19 So Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the door of the tent of meeting; and the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the con- gregation. 20 And Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be angry with all the congregation? 23 And Jehovah said to Moses, 24 Say to the congregation, ‘Go up from about the dwelling 3, (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram). 27a So they went up from the dwelling 3, (of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram) on every side. 35 And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the in- cense. 41 But the next day all the congregation of the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of Jehovah. 42 And just when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the tent of meeting, and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Je- hovah appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and Jehovah said to Moses, 45 Retire from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them 18 So each man took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Mo- ses and Aaron. 32b Then Jehovah destroyed with fire all the men who be- longed to Korah, and all their goods, 33c and they perished from among the assembly. 36 And Jehovah said to Moses, ^Com- mand Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder; 38 for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their lives' 3 have become holy. Make them beaten plates for a covering of the altar; for they offered them before Jehovah, therefore they have be- come holy; and they shall “ 16 24 - 27 Elsewhere in the priestly writers the dwelling is equivalent to the prophetic tent of meeting. The proper names were clearly added by a later hand to harmonize the two distinct narratives. b Kjvb, 38 g 0 gy r _ anc ] certain Gk, MSS. The Heb. text is confused. 224 Num. 16 45 ] THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD [Num. 16 38 Late Priestly in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, Take your censer and put fire in it from off the altar, and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the con- gregation, and make propitiation for them; for wrath has gone out from Jehovah; the plague has begun. 47 Then Aaron took, as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and made propitia- tion for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Ivorah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tent of meeting, when the plague had been stayed. Num. 17 1 And Jehovah commanded Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the Israelites, and take from them, one staff for each father’s house, from all the princes of their fathers’ houses, twelve staves. Write each man’s name upon his staff. 3 And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the staff of Levi, for there is one staff for the head of their fathers’ houses. 4 And thou shalt deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I am wont to meet you. 5 And it shall come to pass that the staff of the man whom I choose shall bud. Thus I will still the murmurings of the Israelites, which they utter against you. 6 So Moses commanded the Israelites, and all their princes gave him staves, for each prince, one, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staves; and the staff of Aaron was among their staves. 7 Then Moses laid the staves before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony. 8 And the next day when Moses went into the tent of the testimony, behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had bloomed, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and was bearing ripe almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the staves from before Jehovah to all the Israelites, and they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; that thou mayest put an end to their murmurings against me, that they may not die. n Thus Moses did; as Jehovah commanded him, so he did. 12 Then the Israelites said to Moses, Behold, we perish, we are ruined, we are all ruined! 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the dwell- ing of Jehovah dies. Shall we ever cease dying ? 18 *And Jehovah said to Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers’ house with thee shall bear the consequences of the iniquity committed in the sanctuary; 0 and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the consequences of • 18 1 Heb., bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. The expression is apparently a technical priestly idiom and must be expanded to be intelligible. Cf., e. g., I 50 . 225 Very Late Priestly Nar- ratives be a sign to the Israelites. 39 So Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers which they who burned had offered and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40 to be a me- morial to the Israelites, in order that no stranger, who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before Je- hovah, lest he be as Ko- rah and his company, even as Jehovah spoke to him through Moses. Vindica* tion of the su- periority of the tribe of Levi Duties of the Levites Of the Aaronic priests Refusal of the Edomite kin" to allow the Is- raelites a passage Ndm. 18 1 ] LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS Late Priestly Narratives the iniquity committed in the exercise of your priestly office. 2 And thy kinsmen also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring near with thee, that they may be associated* 1 with thee, and minister to thee, while thou and thy sons with thee are before the tent of the testimony. 3 And they shall obey thy orders, and have the care of all the tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor ye. 4 And they shall be associated with thee, and have charge of the tent of meeting, to perform all the service of the tent, for no layman shall come near you. 5 And ye shall have charge of the sanctuary and the altar, that wrath may no more come upon the Israelites there. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your kinsmen the Levites from among the Israelites; they are a gift to you, given to Jehovah, to perform the service of the tent of meeting. 7 But thou and thy sons with thee shall limit the duties of your priestly office to every thing about the altar, and to that which is within the veil; thus ye shall serve; the service is a gift which I have bestowed on the priesthood ; e and the layman who comes near shall be put to death. Ill FROM KADESII TO THE JORDAN, Num. 20, 21 4 -26 65 , 27 12 * ' 23 , 31, 32, 33 18 - 48 , 34, Dt. 2, 3, 10 6 ' 7 , 31 14 - 15 * * - 23 , 32 48 - 52 , 34 94. Journey from the Wilderness, Num. 20 14_22a , 21 ib “ 9 , 33 1 ®- 37 , Dt. 2 1 "* 8 Early Judean Num. 2 0 19 T hen the I srae 1 i t e s said to him. Ephraimite Num. 20 14 Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to Late Prophetic Dt. 2 J Then w e turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way leading to the Late Priestly Narratives Num. 33 Stapes 18 Then they tour- oft “? neyed from Haze- marc roth and encamped 8 18 2 The Heb. word weyillavu is a play on the word Levi. e 18 7 Heb., as a service of gift I give your priesthood. The expression is strange and the meaning obscure. The above reading is substantially that, of the Gk., Syr., and Targums. From Kadesh to the Jordan. — Each of the four groups of narratives record the march from the wilderness to the east-Jordan, where the Hebrews gain their first permanent foot- hold in the promised land, and from which they advance to the conquest of Canaan. The prophetic sources recount certain incidents in the march of which the prophecy of Balaam is the most important. Very late priestly writers also introduce into the closing years of Moses’s life the incidents recorded in Num. 26-34, the legalistic purpose of which is clearly apparent. The duration of the period is not definitely stated. The implication is that it is limited to a few months; the probabilities are that it included many years, during which the Hebrews had an opportunity to acquire not only land but also the knowledge of agriculture and the arts of war, so that when their increased numbers forced them to seek new territory, they were able to cope with the new problems. § 94 Num. 20 14_22 “ contains what seem to be two distinct accounts of the application of the Israelites and Edom’s refusal to let them pass through its territory. In I4 - 18 . 2 w 22:1 the Hebrews are at Kadesh, where they remain until Edom ’s refusal to Moses ’s application is received ; but in the other parallel, 19 - 2 °. 21b , t he Israelites themselves are the applicants and they seem to be on the march, 21b , and are met with an armed resistance. The expression strong force (lit., hand in 20 * * ) is characteristic of the Judean source. Cf. Ex. 6*. The use of the singular pronoun of the nation and the reference to the cattle of the Israelites in 19 tend to establish the classification. In u-i8, 2 ia, 22 a th e linguistic indications of Ephraimite origin are many and the Messenger of Je- 226 Num. 20 19 ’ 14 ] JOURNEY FROM WILDERNESS [Dt. 2 1 , Num. 33 18 Early J udean [the king of Edom], w e will go up by the main highway ; and if I a drink of your water, I and my cattle, then I w i 1 1 pay the price of it. Only — since it is nothing — I would like quietly* 5 t o passthrough. 20 B u t he said, You shall not passthrough. Therefore Edom came out against him with a mighty host and a strong force. 21b So Israel turned away from him. . . . Ephraimite the king o f Edom, Thus says your kins- man Israel, You know all the hardship that has befallen us: 15 how our fa- thers went down into Egypt and w e lived i n Egypt along time; and the Egyptians treat- ed us and our fathers badly; 16 but when we cried to Jeho- vah, he heard our voice and sent a Messen- ger and brought us out of Egypt ; now we are in Kadesh a city on the frontier of your territory. 17 P ray let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells; we will go Late Prophetic Red Sea, as Jehovah commanded me; and we compassed Mount Seir many days. 2 Then Jehovah commanded me saying, 3 ‘Ye have compassed this moun- tain long enough; turn northward. 4 Also com- mand the people, say- ing, Ye are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and they will be afraid of you. So be carefully on your guard; 5 do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession. 6 Ye shall purchase food of them for money, that ye may eat, and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink. 7 For Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; he hath known thy jour- Late Priestly Narratives in Rit.hmali. 19 And they journeyed from Rithmah and encamped in Rim- mon-perez. 20 And they journeyed from Rimmon-pe- rez and encamped in Libnah. 2 'And they journeyed from Libnah and encamped in Ria- sah. 22 And they journeyed from R i s a a h and en- camped in Kehe- lathah. 23 And they journeyed from Ke- helathah and en- camped in Mount S h e p h e r . 24 And they journeyed from Mount She- pher and encamped in Haradah. 25 And they journeyed from Haradah and encamped in Mak- heloth. 26 And they journeyed from Makheloth and en- camped in Tahath. 27 And they jour- neyed from Tahath and encamped in Terah. 28 And they journeyed from Te- rah and encamped in Mithkah. 29 And they journeyed from Mithkah and encamped in Hash- monah. 30 And they journeyed from Hashmonah and encamped in Mose- roth. ;1l And they journeyed from Moseroth and en- camped in Bene- hovah is referred to as the one who led the Israelites from Egypt. Cf. Ex. 14 19 , 23 20 . The original sequel to this narrative is found in 21 4b - 9 . A later editor separated them by intro- ducing the priestly account of the death of Aaron and the attack upon Hormah. Cf. §§ 95, 92. Again the Ephraimite characteristics appear, e. g., God and spoke against (instead of the Ju- dean murmured) in 5 . The Ephraimite narratives, supported by Judg. ll 18 from the same source, § 144, state dis- tinctly that the Hebrews passed around the southern end of the land of Edom ; but Dt. 2 3 ' 8 ' 29 assert that they passed to the north of Edom and that the Edomites allowed them to do so. Evidently the traditions varied widely at this point. Dt. seems to follow the older Judean, the sequel of which has perhaps been left out in Num. 21 19 - 21 , that it might not contradict the Ephraimite, which is recounted at length. * Num. 20 19 Heb. suddenly changes from plural to singular. The collective nation Israel is the spokesman. b Num. 20 19 Heb., On my feet. That is, as an ordinary traveller, 227 Impa- tience, punish- ment, and healing of the Israel- ites by the bronze serpent Death at Mount Hor and appoint- ment of his suc- cessor Num. 20 17 , Dt. 2 7 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Num. 33 31 Early Ephraimite Late Prophetic Late Priestly Narratives along the king’s high- way; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed your ter- ritory. 18 But Edom said to him. You shall not pass through my territory lest I come out with the sword against you. 21a Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory. ney through this great wilderness; these forty years Jehovah thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked noth- ing.’ 8a So we passed by our brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, from the way of Arabah, from Elath and from Ezion-geber. jaakan. 32 And they journeyed from Bene-jaakan and en- camped in Hor-baggidgad. 33 And they journeyed from Hor-haggidgad and encamped in Jotbathah 34 And they jour- neyed from Jotbathah and en- camped in Abronah. 35 And they journeyed from Abronah and encamped in Ezion-geber. 36 And they journeyed from Ezion-geber and encamped in the wilderness of Zin (that is Kadesh). 37 And they jour- neyed from Kadesh and en- camped in Mount Hor, on the frontier of the land of Edom. 22a So they journeyed from Kadesh 21 4b by the way leading to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, but the people became impatient 0 because of the journey. 5 And the people spoke against God and Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness ? for there is no bread and no water, and we loathe this worthless food. 6 Then Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned because we have spoken against Jehovah and against you; intercede with Jehovah that he take away the serpents from us. So Moses interceded for the people. 8 And Jehovah said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come to pass, that any one who is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent, d and set it upon the standard; and it came to pass that, if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 95. Death of Aaron, Num. 20 22b ' 29 , 33 38 - 39 , Dt. 10 6 > T Early Ephraimite Prophetic Dt. 10 6 Then the Israelites jour- neyed from Beer- oth Benejaakan Late Priestly Narratives Num. 20 22b And when the Israelites, the whole con- gregation, came to Mount Hor, 23 Jehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, on the frontier of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered to his father’s kin ; for he shall not enter into the land which 0 Num. 21 4b Heb., the soul of the people was short. Cf. Judg. 16 16 . d Num. 21 9 The bronze serpent, according to II Kgs. 18 4 , was worshipped until it was destroyed by Hezekiah. § 95 In Num. 20- 2b ' 29 the congregation is suddenly introduced and interest is focused on Aaron. Vs. 24 contains a reference to the priestly account of the sin at Meribah, 20p' 13 ' § 88. Certain of these verses are quoted with slight changes and expansions in the late priestly itin- erary in 33 3s " 41 . The parallels are so close and obviously derived from the same source that they have been merged in the reconstruction. The speech of Moses in Dt. 10 is interrupted in 6 . 7 by what is generally recognized as a frag- ment from an early prophetic itinerary. It has the same formula, died and was buried, as is found in the Ephraimite passage, Num. 20 !b . The interest in Eleazar also appears to be char- acteristic of that source. Josh. 24 s3 , § 129. It represents the older version of the tradition re- garding the death of Aaron. DEATH OF AARON [Num. 20 24 Dt. 10 6 ] Early Ephraimite Prophetic [Wells of the sons of Jaakan] to Mose- rah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead. 7 * From there they journeyed to Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of flowing brooks® Late Priestly Narratives I have given the Israelites, because ye rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up on Mount Hor ; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered to his father’s kin and shall die there. 27 Then Moses did as Jehovah commanded, and they went up on Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28a And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, 33 38 in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died ou Mount Hor. 20 28b Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days. § 96. Advance towards the East-Jordan, Num. 21 llb ~ J0 , Early Judean Num. 21 16 And from thence the Israelites jour- neyed to Beer [Well]; (that is the well where Jehovah said to Moses, Gath- er the people to- gether, and I will give them water). 17 Then Israel sang this song: Early Ephraim- ite Num. 21 llb Then they en- camped in the wilderness, which is oppo- site Moab o n the east. 12 From there they jour- neyed and en- camped in the valley of the brook Ze- red. 13 * From there they journeyed and en- camped on Late Prophetic 33 41 - 49 , Dt. 2 8b ' 23 Late Priest- ly Narra- tives Num. 33 41 And they journeyed from Mount Hor, and en- camped in Zalmonah. 42 And they journeyed from Zalmo- nah and en- camped in Punon. 43 And they jour- neyed from Punon and encamped in Oboth. 44 And they jour- neyed from Oboth and encamped in Spring up, O well ; Sing ye to it ; I8 To the well which the chieftains dug. Which the nobles of the people delved, With the leader’s wand, with their staves. Dt. 2 8b Then we turned and passed by the way of the wilder- ness of Moab. 9 And Jehovah said to me ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee any of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.’ 10 (The Emim dwelt in it formerly, a people great and many and tall like the Anakim; 11 these also are counted 6 Dt. 10 7 Heb., brooks of waters. § 96 Num. 21 llb-16 continues the Ephraimite itinerary, agreeing with Judg. II 18 , § 144. Vss. 10 * - Ua are a fragment from the priestly parallel. Cf. Num. 33 43b ’ M . The fragmentary quotation from the old song in 15 * is apparently a part of the ancient source from which the prophets gathered their data and was perhaps preserved to show that the Hebrews respected the boundaries of Moab. Vss. 16-20 is introduced by a new formula and traces the journeyings of the Hebrews in Moab, although the Ephraimite narrative in 13-16 has already brought them out of Moab, across the Arnon, its northern boundary. The language points to the Judean source. The representation that the Hebrews passed directly through instead of around the territory of Moab not only confirms this inference, but also tends to establish the conjecture, note § 94, that, according to this group of narratives, they passed around to the north rather than to the south of Edom. The Deuteronomic parallel seems to follow the Judean source. 229 Experi- ences in the journey about Moab Late Priest- ly N arra- tives lye- abarim in the border of Moab. 45 And they jour- Num.21 18 - 13 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Dt. 2 11 , Num. 33 44 Early Judean And from Beer they journeyed to Mattanah ; f 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth ; 20 a n d from Bamoth to the valley which is in the region of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks out upon the desert. Early Ephraim- ite the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, which stretches out from the ter- ritory of the Am- orites; for the Arnon is the Mo- abite boundary, between Moab and the Amor- ites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of theWars of Jehovah, We passed through Waheb in Suphah, And the valleys of Arnon, l6 And the slope of the valleys, Which extends to the site of Ar, And borders on the frontier of Moab. Late Prophetic as the Rephaim, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also dwelt in Seir for- merly, but the children ! Xyfm^ and ero of Esau succeeded j camped in them, and destroyed | them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, just as Israel did to the land of his pos- session, which Jeho- vah gave to them). 13 ‘Now rise up, and cross over the brook Zered.’ So we went over the brook Zered. 14 And the time in which we came from Kadesh- barnea until we had crossed the brook Ze- red was thirty-eight Dibon-gad. 46 And they journeyed from Dibon- gad and en- camped in Almon-dibla- thaim. 47 And they jour- neyed from Almon-dibla- thaim and en- camped in the mountains of Abarim be- fore Nebo. 48 And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at J e r i c h o . 49 And they encamped by the Jordan, from Beth- jeshimoth even to Abel- shittim in the plains of Moab. years; until the whole generation of warriors was consumed from the midst of the camp, as Jehovah swore to them. 15 Moreover the hand of Jehovah was against them to rout them in confusion from the midst of the camp, until they were con- sumed. 16 So it came to pass, when all the warriors were con- sumed and dead from among the people, 17 that Jehovah said to me, 18 ‘Thou art this day to pass over Ar, the border of Moab. 19 And when thou comest nigh over against the Ammonites, do not harass nor contend with them, for I will not give thee any of the land of the Ammonites for a possession, because I gave it to the children of Lot for a possession.’ 20 (That also is counted as a land of Rephaim; Rephaim dwelt in it formerly; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a people great and many, and tall, like the Anakim. But Jehovah destroyed them before them and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead; 22 as he did for the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even to this day. 23 So also the Awim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed and dwelt in their stead). f Num. 21 18d Heb., And from the wilderness to Mattanah. But wilderness is probably from a later editor or copyist, who had 13 in mind. Context demands the reading of the Gk. which is followed above. Budde’s ingenious conjecture that it was the last line of song, From the wilderness a gift, is possible, but involves several radical changes in the text. 230 Num. 2 1 32, 21 ] CONQUEST EAST OF THE JORDAN [Dt. 2 24 §97. Conquest of the East-Jordan Territory, Num. 21 s1 - 35 , 32 s9- * 5 , Dt. 2 24 ~ 37 , 3 1 * 11 , Josh. 13 1 * Early Judean Num.21 32 Then Moses sent to spy out J a z e r ; and they took its towns, and drove out the Amorites who were there, 24b even to the Ammonites; for Jazer was the bor- der of the Am- monites. 25 Then Israel took all these cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, inHesh- bon, and in all its dependent v i 1 1 a- ges. g 26 For Hesh- bon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and Early Ephraimite Num.21 21 Then Israel sent messen- gers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me now pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard; we will not drink from the water of the wells; we will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed through your terri- tory. 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his terri- tory. Therefore Si- hon gathered all his people to- gether, and went out against Israel in the wilderness, Late Prophetic Narratives Dt. 2 24 ‘ Arise, take your jour- ney across the river Arnon; behold, I have given into thy power Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon with his land; begin the conquest and join battle with him. 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of thee, so that they will tremble and be in anguish because of thee.’ 26 Then I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land; I will go along by the highway, I will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. 28 Thou shalt sell me for money food to eat, and give me for money water to drink, only let me pass through quietly, 29 as did the chil- dren of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar ; until I shall pass over the Jordan into § 97 The conquest of east-Jordan territory marks one of the most important events in the history of the Israelites, for it represents the transition from the nomadic to settled agricultural life. Not only do the three prophetic sources all have their account of it, but one in Num. 2127-30 has preserved an ancient song taken from the lips of the bards, 2,11 , which tells of the early conquest of the northern Moabitish tribes by the Hebrews. The identification of the Ephraim- ite version is facilitated by the parallels in Josh. 24 s , Judg. 1 fio- 22 , anc j Dt. 2 24-37 , 3 1 ' 11 , which have the same phraseology and present the same facts. The introductory formula, Num. 21 21 , Dt. 2®, Judg. II 19 , is the same as that found at the beginning of the Ephraimite account of the negotiations of the Edomites, Num. 20 14 , § 95. In Judg. 11— the account of the war with Sihon ends with a statement almost identical with that in Num. 21 24a . Vs. 31 appears to be its sequel. The intervening verses, 24b-3 °, recount the conquests of the Israelites by cities, not by definite boundaries, as in 2l-24 . Only one city, Jahaz, has been mentioned in the preceding context, so that the statement in 25a , Israel took all these cities, is unintelligible. Vs. 26b is also a duplicate of 31 . The solution of these obvious inconsistencies is the recognition of two distinct accounts of the conquest: the Ephraimite which gives the boundaries of the territories conquered, and the fragmentary Judean which tells of the conquest of the Amorite cities. In the process of amalga- mation 32 has apparently been displaced from its original position before 24b , for it follows very awkwardly after the conclusion in 31 . The classification of 20-30 is not certain. Vs. 26 may be editorial and 27-30 Ephraimite. In 24b the Gk. has retained the reading, the border of the Am- monites was Jazer (instead of the meaningless Hebrew strong). Num. 32 3 contains a list of the Amorite cities — Jazer among them — which probably once appeared in the original Judean parallel. Cf. § 102. In the same chapter, 32 39 " 12 , is also found another fragment which is loosely connected with its context and has close affinities with the Judean account of the conquest in Judg. 1, § 114. Cf. Josh. 17 1 and Judg. 10 4 , § 143. To the same group of narratives the dis- connected fragment in Josh. 13 13 also belongs. e Num. 21 25 Heb., daughters. Victory over Si- hon and occupa- tion of his ter- ritory 231 Num. 21 26, 23 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Dt. 229 Early Judean taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon. 27 Therefore the bards h sing: Con- quest of Gilead and Bashan Early Ephraimite and came to Jahaz, where he fought against Israel. 24a T hen Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and seized his land from the Arnon to the Jab- bok. 31 Thus Isra- el came to live in the land of the Amorites. Come to Heshbon ! Let it be rebuilt ! Let the city of Sihon be re-established ! 2 “For fire went out from Heshbon, Flame from the city of Sihon ; It devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of Arnon. 29 Woe to thee Moab ! Undone art thou, O people of Chemosh : Who has made his sons fiigitives And his daughters captives, To Sihon king of the Amorites. S0 So their offspring have perished from Heshbon to Dibon And their wives . . to Medeba. 1 Num. 32 39 A n d the children of Ma- chir the son of Ma- nasseh went to Gilead Late Prophetic Narratives the land which Jehovah our God giveth us/ 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for Jehovah your God made him unyielding and obstinate, that he might deliver him into your power as he is to-day. 31 And Je- hovah said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee; begin the con- quest, that thou mayest inherit his land.’ 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to join battle at Jahaz. 33 But Jeho- vah our God delivered him up be- fore us, and we smote him, his sons and all his people. 34 And we took all his cities at that time, and com- pletely destroyed every city — men, women and the little ones — we left none remaining; 35 only the cattle we took as booty for ourselves with the spoil of the cities which we had taken. 36 From Aroer which is on the edge of the river Arnon, and the city which is beside the river even to Gilead, there was not a city too strong for us to take; Jehovah our God delivered up all before us. 37 Only the land of the Ammonites you did not approach: even all the side of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill-country, and wherever Jehovah our God forbade us. Dt. 3 (Num. 21 33 - 35 1) J Then we turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, together with all his people to offer battle at Edrei. 2 But Jehovah said to me, ‘Fear h Num. 21 27 Lit., reciters of proverbs or poems, ballad-singers. As among other primitive peoples, this class also improvised the poems which they recited. 1 Num. 21 30 The variant readings of the different versions testify to the difficulties of this verse. The above is a translation of the Heb. and Sam., the word translated offspring meaning lit., tilled land. Gk., And their seed perished, Heshbon to Dibon, and their wives still bum fire in Moab; Syr., And the fields of Heshbon perished even to Ribon, and were desolated to Nebah, which is in the desert. i Num. 21 33 - 35 consists of a quotation, with slight verbal variations, from Dt. 3 1-5 . It may have been substituted' by a later editor for an original Ephraimite account of the conquest of Bashan. The language, however, is that of the late prophetic source. 232 Num. 32 39 ] CONQUEST EAST OF THE JORDAN [Dt. 3 2 Early Judean and took it, and dis- possessed the Amor- ites who were there- in. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took their tent- villages and called them Havvoth- jair (Tent-villages of Jair). 42 And Nobah went and took Ke- nath, and its depend- ent towns, and called it Nobah after his own name. Josh. 13 ^Nevertheless the Israelites did not drive out the Gesliu- rites, nor the Maaca- thites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. Late Prophetic Narratives him not, for I have delivered him with all his people, and his land into thy power; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’ 3 So Jehovah our God delivered Og also, the king of Bashan, into our power with all his people; and we smote him until no one belonging to him was left. 4 And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them; sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 A11 these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides very many unwalled towns. G And we completely destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, completely destroying every city men, women, and the little ones. 7 But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities, we took as booty for ourselves. 8 Thus at that time we took the land away from the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Ilermon Siri- on, while the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the plain and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (For Og king of Bashan was the sole survivor of the Rephaim; behold, his bed, abed of iron, is it not in Rabbah which belongs to the Ammonites ? Its length is nine cubits, and its breadth four cubits, measured by the cubit of a man). 98. Balaam’s Prophecy Concerning Israel, Num. 22 2 -24 19 > 25 Early Judean Num. 22 3b Now Moab was seized with fear because of the Israelites. 4 Therefore Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives Num. 22 2 Now Balak the son of Moab's Zippor saw all that Israel had done Israel to the Amorites. 3a And Moab was embassy greatly afraid of the people because faam’ § 98 Notwithstanding its apparent literary unity, a detailed examination of the Balaam story reveals many indications that it is composite. There are no traces of a priestly version, probably because the idea of a non-Israelitish prophet of Jehovah was repugnant to the thought of the later Jewish theologians. In their traditions Balaam is a sorcerer, who instigated the Midianite women to seduce the Israelites and who died in battle. Cf. Num. 31 s . I6 , 25 6-18 , Josh. 13 22 . The two versions which appear in this section are the early prophetic. The more im- portant guides in the analysis are: doublets in 22 2a and lb , 3ri and 3b . In 22 1 5 . 7 , 24 12 messen- gers go to Balaam, who are called the elders of Moab ( and Midian), but in 22®. 15 . 21 . 40 , 23 6 ' 17 the princes of Moab are sent. In one series of passages Balaam lives among the neighboring Am- monites, 22 5 (cf. note k on this vs.) 23 , and in another in Pethor beside the Euphrates, 22 5b , 23 7 . The text as it reads also contains some obvious inconsistencies. Thus the account of the prophet’s being intercepted by the Messenger of Jehovah in 22 22 - 35 is not in harmony with the statement in 20 that God commanded him to accompany Balak’s ambassadors. In 21 he goes with the princes of Moab, but in 22 he is apparently accompanied only by his two servants. The fact that the name God is used throughout in 22 2-21 , but Jehovah thirteen times in 22 22-35 and God not once, suggests that the latter passage belongs to the Judean narrative. This is sup- 233 FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Num. 22 3a Num. 22 4 ] Early Judean lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5b And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor to the land of the Am- monites, k saying, A people has come out from Egypt; behold, they have completely covered the face of the land , 1 and are abiding over against me. 6 a Come, therefore, I pray, curse this people for me; (for they are stronger than I) perhaps I may be able to defeat and drive them out of the land. "Then the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian de- parted with the fee for divination in their hands, and they came to Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives they were many. 5a So he sent to Balaam, to Pethor which is by the river Euphrates, saying, eb Come, curse this people, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. 8 And he said to them, Pass the night here, and I will bring you word again according to what Jehovah shall speak to me. So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 Then God came to Balaam and said, What men are these with thee? 10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Mo- ab, hath sent to me. 12 And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed. 13 And Balaam ported by the references to the speaking ass, recalling the story of the speaking serpent in Gen. 3, which is peculiar to the Judean source. On the other hand the revelations by night in 22 8 -i°. 1216 . 19 - 21 are characteristic of the Ephraimite. Of the parallel synonyms noted above, ■princes of Moab and Pethor beside the River (cf. Dt. 23 4 ) are also peculiar to the Ephraimite. Certain characteristic expressions further facilitate the analysis; e. g., cover the face (lit., eye) of the land in 22 5b > n , cf. Ex. lO 8 - 15 , which points to the Judean source. At certain points the ver- sions appear to have been so similar that the analysis is not always obvious, but with the two narratives in 22 as a basis it is possible, from recurring expressions and ideas, to classify with assurance 23 as the sequel to the Ephraimite, and 24, with the exception of 25 , the linguistic affinities of which are with the other source, as the continuation of the Judean story. The character of Balaam, as portrayed in the two accounts, is vew different: in the Judean he is a famous augur, accustomed to divine by observing omens or i the sacred lot, 22 7 , 24 1 , whom the spirit of God, 24 2 , lifts for the moment to the level of a true prophet, so that he for- gets the promised honors, 22 17 - 37b . 24 11 , and becomes the herald of a noble prediction regarding Israel. In the Ephraimite he is a faithful prophet, who constantly receives messages from God and without regard to personal interests unhesitatingly delivers them. This appears to be the conception in the mind of the prophet Micah (6 4 - D- As far as the Hebrews are con- cerned he figures in both narratives as the spokesman of the Deity. It did not trouble the early narrators that he was not an Israelite. The culmination of each story is the prediction concerning Israel. Balaam is only a part of the dramatic setting: even a foreign prophet in the employ of a hostile king was compelled in justice to the truth to testify to the greatness of Jehovah’s people. The fact that in the eighth century b.c. two distinct versions were current indicates that the Balaam tradition is older than the prophetic narratives themselves. The Bela son of Beor, the first king of Edom (Gen. 36 31 - 43 ), may be the original character in this story, which has un- dergone many transformations in successive generations. In the Judean narratives he is an Ammonite, in the Ephraimite an Aramean, and in the priestly apparently a Midianite (Num. 31 8 - 16 ). In later Jewish traditions the details are further elaborated. It is stated, for example, that he died at the age of thirty-three or thirty-four and had no part in the world to come. The poems, like the tradition, appear, with the exception of the appendices to the second oracle in 24, to be older than their present setting. In simpler form they may originally have even been current independently of the Balaam story . The first and second, however, appears from the beginning to have been wedded to the present narrative. They all reflect the sense of national contentment and prosperity which characterized the days of David and Solomon. The reference in 24 18 - 19 is clearly to the conquest of Edom and Moab bv David. The allusions to Agag in 24 1 , if original, also favors this early date. For the full consideration of date and literary form cf. vol. V 0 in loco . k 22 5b Heb., to the land of the children of his people. But Gk., Syr., Sam. Lat., and some Heb. manuscripts read, children of Ammon „ The change to ammo which is the basis of the current translation, was probably made to reconcile the Judean narrative with the representa- tion ot the Ephraimite in 6a . Vss. 22 - 34 imply that Balaam lived in a neighboring country like Am- mon, not in distant Aram. l 22 6b - 11 Heb., has covered the eye of the earth. The subjects throughout this passage are in the singular, referring to the collective antecedent, people. 234 Num. 22 7 ] Early Judean Balaam, and repeated to him the words of Balak, 11 Behold the people that has come from Egypt is cover- ing the face of the land; 1 now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out. 17 For I will re- ward you with very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come therefore, I pray, curse this people for me. 18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold I could not go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more. [Num. 22 13 Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go to your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you. 14 So the princes of Moab arose and they went to Balak and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. 15 Then Balak once again sent princes, more in number, and more honorable than they. 16 And they came to Ba- laam and said to him, this is the mes- sage from Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I pray, hinder you from coming to me.’ Then Balaam said, 19 Now therefore, I pray, you also remain here to-night, that I may know what Jehovah will again speak to me. 20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men have come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but nothing but what I tell thee thou shalt do. 21a. ego Ba- laam rose up in the morning and went with the princes of Moab. 37a Then Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to you to summon you? 38 And Balaam said to Balak, See! I have come to you; have I now of myself any power at all to speak any- thing ? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that must I speak. 40 A n d Balak 2lt>Then he saddled his ass and ivent with them. 22 But God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Mes- senger of Jehovah placed himself in the way as an ad- versary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand, the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; then Balaam struck the ass to turn her into the way. 24 But the Messenger stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Jehovah, she pressed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Messenger of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or the left. 27 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Jehovah, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was aroused and he struck the ass with his staff. 28 Then Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you should have struck me these three times ? 29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because you have made sport of me; I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you. 30 And the ass said to Balaam, 235 BALAAM’S PROPHECY Ba- laam’s experi- ences on the way to Balak The for- eign proph- et’s tes- timony to Isra- el’s fut- ure great- ness Num. 22 30 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Num. 22 40 Early Judean Am not I your ass, upon which you have ridden all your life long until to-day ? has it been my habit to deal thus with you ? m And he said, No. 31 Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand ; and he bowed his head and fell on his face. 32 And the Mes- senger of Jehovah said to him, Why hast thou struck thine ass these three times? behold, I have come forth as an adversary, because thy conduct is perverse before me; 33 and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive. ^There- fore Balaam said to the Messenger of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I did not know that thou stoodest in the way against me; now therefore if it displeases thee, I will go back again. 35 But the Messenger of Jehovah said to Ba- laam, Go with the men ; but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.u 36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was com- ing, he went out to meet him at Ir of Moab, which is on the boundary formed by the Arnon which is at the extremity of the boundary, and said to him, 37b Am I really without the power to honor you? 39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzzoth. Ephraimite Pro- phetic Narra- tives sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the prin- ces who were with him. 23 27 And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place ; per- haps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there. 0 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks out over the eastern desert. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30 So Balak did as Balaam had said, and of- fered up a bullock and a ram on each altar. 0 24 x Now when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he did not go to consults omens as he had done time and again, but he turned toward the wilderness. * 2 And when Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Is- 22 41 And it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the high places of Baal; and he saw from there the extreme limits of the people. 23 1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 2 And Balak p did as Balaam had com- manded, and offered on each altar a bullock and a ram. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt- offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he showeth me I will tell m 22 2, - 3 ° Cf. the speaking cow in the Egyptian Tale of the Two Brothers. n 22® b Apparently introduced by the editor, who combined the two narratives in order to reconcile them. ° 23 27 > 29 ' 30 These verses also seem to be from the editor, who aimed to explain why Balak made still another attempt after having abandoned it in 25 . Otherwise the original Judean narrative contained an account of a blessing at Kiriath-huzzoth, which has been lost. p 23 2 Following Gk. Heb. adds Balak and Balaam. The context indicates clearly that it was Balak who offered the sacrifice. Cf. 3 > fi > 1S > 17 . « 24 1 Heb., meet. 236 BALAAM’S PROPHECY Num. 24 2 ] Early Judean rael dwelling according to their tribes ; and the spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he uttered his oracle saying. The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, Even the oracle of the man who seeth truly ; r 4 The oracle of him who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down and having his eyes open; r 5 How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy dwellings, O Israel ! 6 Like valleys are they spread out, Like gardens by the river-side, Like lign-aloes s which Jehovah hath planted. Like cedars beside the waters. ’Water shall flow from his buckets. And his seed shall be sown in abundant waters. And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God who brought him forth out of Egypt ; Is for him like the strength of the wild-ox. He shall devour the nations, his adver- saries. And shall break their bones in pieces, And shatter his oppressors. 11 9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion. And like a lioness, who shall stir him up ? Blessed is every one who blesses thee, And cursed is everyone who curses thee. 10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have done nothing but bless them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your home. I intended to honor you great- ly; but, as it is, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor. 12 But Ba- laam said to Balak, Did I not say to [Num. 23 3 Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives you. And he went to a bare height. 4 And God met Balaam; and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered a bullock and a ram on each altar. 5 Then Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned to him, just as he was stand- ing by his burnt-offering, together with all the princes of Moab. 7 And he uttered his oracle, saying. From Aram hath Balak brought me. The king of Moab from the mountains of the East ; Come, curse Jacob for me. And come, denounce Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed ? And how shall I denounce, whom Jeho- vah hath not denounced ? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him— Behold a people dwelling alone, And not accounting itself as one of the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the myriads 1 of Israel ? Let me die the death of the righteous. And let my end be like his ! 11 Then Balak said to Balaam, What The re- have you done to me ? I called v you predic- to curse my enemies, and, behold, warding you have richly blessed them. 12 And glorious he answered and said, Must I not ture always take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth ? 13 Then Balak said to him, Come, I pray, with me to another place, from whence you may see them ; w you shall see only the extreme part of them ; and r 24 3 So Gk. Heb. is obscure. It may be translated, whose eye is open or whose eye is closed. • 24'"' Or palm trees or poplars. t 23'° Heb., fourth part. Gk., Hordes or masses. A slight change of Heb. gives the above reading. u 24 s A possible translation of Heb. is, shatter them with his arrows. The addition of one letter gives the above consonant reading. » 23“ So Gk. and Syr. Heb., took. Cl. 25 5 ' 20 ‘ 37 . * 23 13 Heb., Aim, referring to Israel collectively. The singular is retained throughout the verse. 237 Num. 24 1 * * * * * * * * * * 12 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Num. 23 13 Early Judean your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of my own will; what Jehovah speaketh that must I speak ?’ 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people: come let me tell you beforehand what this people will do to your people in the days to come. 15 And he uttered his oracle, saying. The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, Even the oracle of the man who seeth truly, 16 The oracle of him who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down and having his eyes open 17 I see him, but not now ; I behold him, but not near ; a A star comes forth out of Jacob, And a sceptre arises out of Israel, And shatters the temples of Moab, And the skull of all the sons of Seth. b 18 And Edom shall become a possession, Seir, his enemies, shall also become a possession. While Israel doeth valiantly. 19 And out of Jacob shall one have do- minion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city. 0 Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives shall not see them all ; and curse them for me from there. 14 So he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on each altar. 15 And he said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder. 16 And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. 17 And he came to him just as he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath Jeho- vah spoken? 18 Then he uttered his oracle, saying. Arise, Balak, and hear ; Hearken to me, thou son of Zippor : 19 God is not man, that he should lie, Nor a human being, that he should re- pent : Hath he said, and will he not do it ? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good ? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless ; And he hath blessed, and I cannot re- verse it. 21 No misfortune is perceived* in Jacob ; And no trouble is seen in Israel : Jehovah his God is with him, And the shouts of rejoicing over a king-'’ are in his midst. 22 God who brought them forth out of Egypt ; Is fur him like the strength of the wild-ox. d 23 Surely there is no observation of omens in Jacob ; Nor any divination in Israel : Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, How great things hath God done ! e 1 23 21 Syr., following 20 retains first person. y 23 21 Following the Gk. in the interpretation of the Heb. words, which have a double meaning. a 24 17 Making a slight change in the Heb., which is supported by the parallelism with the preceding line. b 24 17 The exact meaning is doubtful. It has been translated tumult and (with an emenda- tion) pride. c 24 19 The last three oracles, 2 °- 24 ,have no connection with the preceding and apparently refer to later events and were added by a very late editor. Cf. vol. V. d 23 22 Identical with 24 8 and possibly inserted here by an editor. e 23 23 Probably a comment on 21 which has found its way into the text. Vs. 24 is the logical sequel of 21 ■ 22 . 238 BALAAMS PROPHECY [Num. 23 24 Early Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 24 Behold, the people rises up like a lioness, And like a lion he lifts himself up : He does not lie down until he eats the prey. And drinks the blood of the slain. 25 Then Balak said to Balaam, You shall neither curse him nor bless him. 26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you, ‘All that Jehovah speaketh that must I do?’ 24 25 So Balaam rose up, and, depart- ing, returned to his home; and Balak also went his way. § 99. Idolatry and Immorality of the Hebrews, Num. 22 * 1 , 25 ul5 Early Judean Num. 25 lb Now the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab ; 2 for they called the people to the sacrificial feasts of their god, and the people ate and bowed down to their god. 3b And the anger of Jehovah was kin- dled against Israel. 4 And he said to Moses, Take all the leaders of the people and exe- cute' 1 them for Jeho- vah before the sun 1 that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel. Ephraimite Prophetic 25 la N o w Israel abode in Shittim. 3a And Israel worshipped 5 the Baal o f Peor. 5 And Mo- ses said to the judges of Is- rael, Let each one slay his men who have worshipped the Baal of Peor. Late Priestly Narratives 22 la Then the Israelites journeyed and encamped in the plains of Mo- ab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 25 6 And, behold, one of the Israel- ites came and brought home to his kinsmen f a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and all the con- gregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the con- gregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and went after the man of Israel into the large tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through the body. So the plague was stayed from the Israelites. 9 * And those who died of the plague were twenty-four thousand. § 99 Three distinct stories regarding the crimes of the Israelites and of their punishment are found in Num. 25. In one they commit acts of immorality and apostasy in connection with the Moabites, and their leaders are put to death as a bloody sacrifice to avert Jehovah’s wrath, just as the sons of Saul were at a later period, II Sam. 21 1 * 9 . The thought and language are those of the early Judean narratives, cf., e. g., 2 * and Ex. 34 15 . In 6 - 15 the Midianites, not the Moabites, traduce the Israelites. The punishment is a plague, 9 , and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest figures as the champion of righteousness. The priestly origin of the narrative is obvious. The remaining fragmentary version has all the characteristics of the Ephraimite source. E. g., abode , Shittim in la . The judges in 5 are also peculiar to the Ephraimite narra- tives. Cf. § 81. The succeeding editors probably combined these really distinct stories, because the sin in each case was in connection with foreign women and because they were all localized at about the same time and place. 1 25 6 I. e., introduced to his family. s 25 3a Lit., joined or yoked himself to , or took upon himself the yoke of, i. e., became a devotee of, worshipped. h 25 4 Unfortunately the exact form of punishment indicated by this unusual Heb. verb is not known. Elsewhere the verb means to be dislocated, e. g., Gen. S2 26 . Gk. and Syr. translate it, expose; Aquila, impale; Targums and hat., crucify. The meaning throw down a rock has also been suggested. RV, hanging, has little justification. Some impressive form of public execution is evidently contemplated. 1 25 4 The Syr. endeavors to eliminate the moral difficulty in this passage by reading, Com- mand that they slay all the men who joined themselves to the Baal of Peor. 239 Guilt and pun- ishment of the people Riphts of the priests and re- ward of Phine- has’s zeal The guilty offend- ers Direc- tions to take the census Clans of the Reu- benites Num. 22 10 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Late Priestly Narratives 10 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, n Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned away my wrath from the Israelites, in that he was jealous with the jealousy which I myself show! among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant k of peace : 13 and it shall be to him and his descend- ants after him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.’ 14 Now the name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a Simeonite father’s house. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a Midianite father’s house. § 100. The Second Census, Num. 26 Very Late Priestly Narratives Num. 26 !Now it came to pass after the plague, that Jehovah spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, 2 Take the census of all the congregation of the Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war. 3 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4 Take the census of the people, from twenty years old and upward, as Jehovah commanded Moses and the Israelites who came forth from the land of Egypt. 5 Reuben, the first-born of Israel ; the sons of Reuben : Hanoch, from whom is descended the family of the Hanochites; Pallu, from whom is descended the family of the Palluites; 6 Hezron, from whom is descended the family of the Hezronites; Carmi, from whom is descended the family of the Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered belonging to them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8 And the son of Pallu, Eliab. 9 And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called to the con- gregation, who raised opposition to Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they rebelled against Jehovah, 10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men and they became a warning. n But the sons of Korah did not die. 1 i 22 n I. e., resented, as the Deity himself, the dishonor to Jehovah resulting from the sin of the people. k 25 12 ' 13 Or assurance. § 100 While this chapter may contain some original priestly material, there are many in- dications that as a whole it is from a secondary source and therefore is one of the latest addi- tions to the Pentateuch. Thus the order and names of the tribes agree in general with those of the secondary passages, Gen. 46 8 " 27 , and Num. 1. The expression, as Moses commanded, in 4 is also characteristic of the same strand. The introduction and especially 3 have evidently been curtailed. Different formulas are also found in *-h. 3 °- 33 and the rest of the chapter. The sec- tion strikingly illustrates the repetitiousness of the later priestly writers, and the untiring interest in genealogies which was characteristic of certain Jewish circles. Cf. Gen. 46 8-23 and the expanded parallel in I Chrs. 2-9. Several variants in the names have crept in through scribal errors. In general this chapter appears to represent the original readings. 1 26 n Probably a very late note added to reconcile this story with subsequent references to the sons of Korah, 5S . Cf. also the titles of certain Pss. 240 THE SECOND CENSUS [Num. 26 12 Very Late Priestly Narratives 12 The sons of Simeon according to their families: Nemuel, from whom is simeon- descended the family of the Nemuelites; Jamin, from whom is descended the ltes family of the Jaminites; Jachin, from whom is descended the family of the Jachinites; 13 Zerah, from whom is descended the family of the Zerahites; Shaul, from whom is descended the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand, two hundred. 16 The sons of Gad according to their families: Zephon, from whom is de- Gaditea scended the family of the Zephonites; Haggi, from whom is descended the family of the Haggites; Shuni, from whom is descended the family of the Shunites; 16 Ozni, m from whom is descended the family of the Oznites; Eri, from whom is descended the family of the Erites; 17 Arod, from whom is descended the family of the Arodites; Areli, from whom is descended the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered belonging to them, forty thousand, five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah, Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of judah- Canaan. 20 And the sons of Judah according to their families were: Shelah, ltes from whom is descended the family of the Shelanites; Perez, from whom is descended the family of the Perezites; Zerah, from whom is descended the family of the Zerahites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: Hezron, from whom is descended the family of the Hezronites; Hamul, from whom is descended the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered belonging to them, seventy-six thousand, five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar according to their families: Tola, from whom is issach- descended the family of the Tolaites; Puvah, from whom is descended the family of the Puvites; 24 Jashub, from whom is descended the family of the Jashubites; Shimron, from whom is descended the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered belonging to them, sixty-four thousand, three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families: Sered, from whom is Zebu- descended the family of the Seredites; Elon, from whom is descended the family of the Elonites; Jahleel, from whom is descended the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered belonging to them, sixty thousand, five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. Manas- 29 The sons of Manasseh: Machir, from whom is descended the family of the Slteb Machirites; Machir also begat Gilead, from whom is descended the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: Iezer, n from whom is descended the family of the Iezerites; Helek, from whom is descended, the family of the Helekites; 31 and Asriel, from whom is descended the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, from whom is descended the family of the Shechemites; 32 and Shemida, from whom is descended the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, from whom is descended the family. of the Hepher- ites. 33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and m 26 16 In Gen. 46 11 , Ezbon. ■ 26 30 Evidently a variant of Abiezer. Cf. Josh. 17 2 , Judg. 6 U , 24, 34. 241 Num. 26 33 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Very Late Priestly Narratives the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and they who were numbered belonging to them were fifty-two thousand, seven hundred. Eph- 35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: Shuthelah, from whom is descended the family of the Shuthelahites ;° Tahan, from whom is descended the family of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shu- thelah: Eran, from whom is descended the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered belonging to them, thirty-two thousand, five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families. Benja- 38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families: Bela, from whom is mitea descended the family of the Belaites; Beeher, 0 from whom is descended the family of the Becherites; Ashbel, from whom is descended the family of the Ashbelites; Ahiram, from whom is descended the family of the Ahiramites; 39 Shephupham, from whom is descended the family of the Shephuphamites ; Hupham, from whom is descended the family of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: from the former is descended the family of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and they who were numbered belonging to them were forty-five thousand, six hundred. Danites 42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: Shuham, from whom is descended the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered belonging to them, were sixty-four thousand, four hundred. Asher- 44 The sons of Asher according to their families: Imnah, from whom is ltee descended the family of the Imnites; Ishvi, from whom is descended the family of the Ishvites; Beriah, from whom is descended the family of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: Heber, from whom is descended the family of the Heberites; Malchiel, from whom is descended the family of the Mal- chielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered belonging to them, fifty-three thousand, four hundred. Naphtai- 48 The sons of Naphtali according to their families: Jahzeel, from whom is ites descended the family of the Jahzeelites; Guni, from whom is descended the family of the Gunites; 49 Jezer, from whom is descended the family of the Jezerites; Shillem, from whom is descended the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and they who were numbered belonging to them were forty-five thousand, four hundred. Totals 51 These are they who were numbered belonging to the Israelites, six hun- dred and one thousand, seven hundred and thirty. Method 52 And Jehovah said to Moses, 53 Among these the land shall be apportioned ?ne d the d as an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To the large tribe iand ___ ° 26 s5 ’ 38 Heb. introduces Beeher among sons of Ephraim, but in Gen. 46 21 Beeher belongs to the tribe of Benjamin. This is confirmed by I Sam. 9 1 and II Sam. 21'. The transference of the name to the Ephraimite group is probably due to the error of a copyist. 242 THE SECOND CENSUS [Num. 26 54 Very Late Priestly Narratives thou shalt give a proportionately large inheritance, and to the smaller tribe thou shalt give a proportionately small inheritance: to each one according to those who were numbered belonging to it shall its inheritance be given. 55 Yet the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 According to the lot shall their inheri- tance be divided between the more numerous and the less numerous tribes. 57 And these are they who were numbered belonging to the Levites according to their families: Gershon, from whom is descended the family of the Gershon- ites; Kohath, from whom is descended the family of the Kohathites; Merari, from whom is descended the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. And Kohath begat Amram. 59 And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bore unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60 And to Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before Jehovah. 62 And they who were numbered belonging to them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward, but they were not numbered among the Israelites, because there was no inheritance given them among the Israelites. 63 These are they who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For Jehovah had said of them, They shall surely die in the wil- derness. And there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. § 101. War with Midian, Num. 25 16-18 , 31 Very Late Priestly Narratives Num. 25 16 And Jehovah commanded Moses, saying, 17 Attack the Midian- ites, and smite them, 18 for they attacked you with their crafty wiles, with which they beguiled you in the affair of Peor and of Cozbi the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague in the affair of Peor. 31 4 And Jehovah said to Moses, 2 Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward thou shalt be gathered to thy father’s kin. 3 Therefore Moses commanded the people saying, Equip men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah’s § 101 The introduction to this story is found in 25 16 - 17 , which connects it with the priestly account of the zeal of Phinehas against che Midianite temptress, Cozbi. Cf. § 99. The evidence that it is a very late tale coming from the priestly school of writers is complete. Its affinities are with the fourteenth chap, of Gen., and the late additions to the story of the crime of the Gibeathitesin Judg. 21, § 132. Its unhistorical character is apparent in the light of its histori- cal background, althougn it may embody some older traditional data. It assumes the exist- ence of ceremonial institutions, as for example, the water of separation in 31 23 , which are peculiar to the supplemental priestly writings. Eleazar the priest is raised above Moses. Its aim is to establish the traditional basis of the law regarding the distribution of booty (cf . I Sam. 30 24 - 26 ) and the removal of ceremonial uncleanness, resulting from the contact with the dead. 243 Families and to- tals of the Le- vites Caleb and Joshua the only surviv- ors from the first census Com- mand to attack the Mid- ianites Success- ful cam- paign led by Ph.ine- has the priest Disposal of tne captives and booty More in- struc- tions re- garding the cap- tlves and booty Detailed direc- tions re- garding their cer- emonial purifica- tion Jeho- vah's portion of the spoil for tne priests Num. 31 s ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Very Late Priestly Narratives vengeance on Midian. 4 From every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall you send to the war. 5 So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the sacred objects and the trumpets with which to give the alarm in his hand. 7 So they made war on Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses, and slew every male. 8 They also slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain : Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; Balaam, too, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword. 9 And the Israelites took captive the women of Midian with their little ones. And all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods they took as booty. 10 But all their cities, in the places in which they dwelt, and all their enclosures they burnt with fire. n And they took all the spoil and all the booty both of man and of beast. 12 And they brought the captives, and the booty and the spoil to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the congrega- tion of the Israelites at the camp in the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. 13 Then when Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp, 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. 15 And Moses said to them, Have you saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the Israelites, through the counsel of Balaam, to break faith with Jehovah in the affair of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Jehovah. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has entered into marital relations. 18 But all the female children, who have not entered into marital relations, keep alive for yourselves. 19 Now encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20 And every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify. 21 And Eleazar the priest said to the warriors who went to the battle, This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses, 22 ‘Only the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, — 23 every thing that may be put into the fire, shall you put through the fire, that it may be clean ; it shall surely be purified by means of the water of impurity ; and all that can not be put into the fire you shall put through water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and shall be clean; and afterwards you shall come into the camp. 25 Then Jehovah commanded Moses, 26 Make an estimate of the booty that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation, 27 and divide the booty into two parts ; between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 And levy a contribution for Jehovah upon the warriors 211 WAR WITH MIDIAN [Num. 31 28 Very Late Priestly Narratives who went out to battle: one in five hundred, of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the asses, and of the flocks: 29 take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for a special contribution to Jehovah. 30 And from the Portion r 7 i Israelites, half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, Levites of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who have charge of the dwelling of Jehovah. 31 And Moses ind Eleazar the priest did as Jehovah commanded Moses. 32 Now the booty, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was Amount six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 and seventy-two thousand spoil 6 oxen, 34 and sixty-one thousand asses, 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in division all, of the women who had not entered into marriage relations with a man. 36 And the half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand, five hundred sheep. 37 And Jehovah’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy -five. 38 And the oxen were thirty-six thousand, of which Jehovah’s tribute was seventy- two. 39 And the asses were thirty thousand, five hundred, of which Jehovah’s tribute was sixty-one. 40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Jehovah’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 And Moses gave the tribute which was the contribution to Jehovah to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah commanded Moses. 42 And the Israelites’ half, which Moses divided from the men who had Part as- fought in the war 43 (now the congregation’s half was three hundred and tcfthe thirty seven thousand, five hundred sheep, 44 and thirty-six thousand oxen, evi es 45 and thirty thousand, five hundred asses, 46 and sixteen thousand persons), 47 evem of the Israelites’ half Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who had charge of the dwelling of Jehovah, as Jehovah commanded Moses. 48 And the officers who were over the thousands of the host, the captains Report of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses, 49 and said ciaiol- to Moses, Your servants have taken the census of the warriors who are under of’the 3 our authority, and not a single man of us is missing. 50 And we have brought leaders as an offering to Jehovah what every man has, objects of gold, ankle- ;hains, and bracelets, signet-rings, ear-rings, and pendants, p to make pro- pitiation for ourselves before Jehovah. 61 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the wrought objects. 52 And all the gold of the special offering that they contributed to Jehovah, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels ; 63 for the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. 54 And when Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, they brought it into the tent of meeting, as a memorial for the Israelites before Jehovah. p 3l«) The exact nature of several of these objects is uncertain. 245 Dr. 3 12 ] FROM KADESII TO THE JORDAN [Num. 32 1 Assign- ment of the easfc- Jordan territory § 102. Settlement of the East-Jordan Tribes, Num. 32 1 ' 38 , Dt. 3 1M0 Late Prophetic Dt. 3 12 Now this land we took into our posses- sion at that time. From Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill-country of Gilead, with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites; and to the G a d i t e s ; 13 while the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the king- dom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, even all the region of Ar- gob. All that Bashan is called the land of the Rephaim. 14 Jair the Ma- nassite took all the region of Argob, as far as the territory of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them (even Ba- shan) after his own name, Havvoth-jair to this day. 15 And I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 And to the Reubenites and the Gad- ites I gave Gilead even to the valley of the Arnon, the middle of the valley and the border, even to the river Jabbok, which is the boundary-line of the Ammonites; 17 the Ara- bah also, and the Jordan Very Late Priestly Narratives Num. 33 1 Now the Reubenites and the Gad- Request ites had a very large number of cattle. So, when Reubtn- they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gil- Gadite* ead, and observed that the district was suitable for cattle, 2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 Ata- roth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, The land which Jeho- vah smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land suitable for cattle; and your servants, have cattle. 5 And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan. 6 But Moses said to the Gadites and to the Reubenites, Shall your kinsmen go to war, while you remain here? 7 And why should you dis- courage the Israelites from going over into the land which Jehovah hath given them ? 8 Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh- barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from going into the land which Jehovah had given them. 10 Therefore Jehovah’s anger was aroused in that day, and he took an oath saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, be- cause they have not fully followed me; 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; beause they have fully followed Jehovah.’ 13 So Jehovah’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander § 102 The presence of this tradition in Dt. 3 12-20 indicates that it was found in the early pro- phetic sources. Cf. also Dt. 33 21 . Certain passages in Num. 31 reveal the characteristics and accord with the representation of these earlier sources. Thus 3 ' ®. 20-27 appear to have been taken from the Judean, and l| j. is, u, 24. 34-3S f rom the Ephraimite. They are too fragmentary, however, to make possible the reconstruction of the original versions, and even these quotations seem to have been recast by a very late priestly writer, who was acquainted with the story of the spies in its present composite form. Late prophetic (Deuteronomic) phrases and ideas also occur. The prominence of Eleazar the priest in 38 , and the presence of certain expressions, peculiar to the latest priestly sections, together with other minor indications, confirm the con- clusion that, like most of the material in Num. 26-34, the account of the settlement in 32 1-38 belongs to one of the latest strata in the O.T. It contains many reminiscences of earlier inci- dents, and like many of the later Jewish tales, is not without a certain variety and picturesqu#- ness, which is lacking in the original priestly narratives. 246 The con- ditions Dt. 3 17 ] THE EAST-JORDAN TRIBES [Num. 32 13 Very Late Priestly Narratives to and fro in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation which had done that which was displeasing to Jehovah had passed away. 14 Now you have arisen in your fathers’ stead, a brood of sinful men, to augment still more the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel. 15 For if you turn away from him, he will once more leave them in the wilderness; so you will destroy all this people. 16 Then they came near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until every man of the Israelites has entered into his inheritance. 49 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this, the eastward side of the Jordan. 20 Then Moses said to them, If you will do this, if you will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Jehovah; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless to- wards Jehovah, and towards Israel; and this land shall be yours for a possession before Jehovah. 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Jehovah; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 BuiId you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which you have promised . q 25 And the Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, Your servants will do as our lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord says. 28 So Moses gave instructions concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, If the Gadites and the Reubenites will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed for battle, before Jehovah, and the land shall be subdued before you, then a Num. 2.3-' Heb., which has gone forth from your mouth. Cf. 16 ' 19 . It is the Heb. idiom to describe an oral promise or vow. Cf. Num. 30 3 , Dt. 23 23 . 247 Late Prophetic and the border from Chinnereth even to the sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward. 18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, Jehovah your God hath given you this land as a possession. All of you who are men of war shall pass over armed before your brethren the Israel- ites. 19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle — I know that you have many cattle — - shall remain in your cities which I have given you, 20 until Jehovah brings your kinsmen to their des- tined homes, as he has you, and they also pos- sess the land which Jeho- vah your God giveth them beyond the Jordan. Then shall you return every man to his possession, which I have given you. Their promise to aid in ihe con- quest of Canaan Moses’s consent to their request Their ac- ceptance of the condi- tions Num. 32 29 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Very Late Priestly Narratives you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31 And the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, saying. As Jehovah hath said to your servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan. Their 33 So Moses gave to them, to the Gadites and to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, according to its cities with their territories, the cities of the land round about. 34 And the Gadites built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, as fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the Reubenites built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon, (to be changed in name/) and Sibmah, and they gave other names to the cities which they built. § 103. Directions regarding the Assignment of the Land of Canaan, Num. 33 50 -34 39 Very Late Priestly Narratives Com- Num. 33 50 Now Jehovah spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jor- destroy dan at Jericho, saying, 51 Give this command to the Israelites. When you cross heathen the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you shall dispossess all the inhabitants anda'is 3 of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy the Ca- all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall naamtes [ a p e possession of the land, and dwell in it; for to you have I given the land as a possession. 54 And you shall enter into possession of the land by lot ac- cording to your families, to the larger family you shall give a proportionally large inheritance, and to the small family you shall give a proportionately small inheritance: wherever the lot falls to any family, it shall have its pos- session; according to the tribes of your fathers shall you enter into possession. 55 But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you allow to remain of them shall be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56 And it shall come to pass, that, as I intended to do to them, so I will do to you. 34 1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, 2 Command the Israelites and say to them. r Num. 32 38 Apparently a scribal direction that in reading some other words be substituted for these two names which contain those of heathen deities. The change of the names Eshbaai and Meribaal to Ishbosheth and Mephibosheth ( bosheth = shame ) in the books of Samuel are examples of the same late Jewish tendency. § 103 The language and the underlying assumption that the chief problem after crossing the Jordan was not the conquest, but the allotment of the territory of Canaan reveal the priestly source. Many of the sites mentioned cannot be identified. That the boundaries are in part, at least, only a late ideal is shown by the fact that they include certain territory in the south- west never held by the Hebrews, even during the days of David. The land here assigned to the west-Jordan tribes is practically the same as that allotted by Ezekiel in his programme for the restoration, Ezek. 47 13-20 , to the twelve tribes. Many of the same places are mentioned. It seems probable that the late priestly writer followed the ideal plan of the priest-prophet of the exile. The distribution of territory here enjoined is recorded in Josh. 15, § 119. The primary purpose of the present narrative was apparently to associate with Moses the arrangement for the settlement of Canaan. 248 ASSIGNMENT OF THE LAND OF CANAAN [Num. 34 1 Very Late Priestly Narratives When you come into the land of Canaan, (this is the land that shall fall to you Bounda- as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries ; 3 then your the 01 southern side shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, Jordan and your south frontier shall extend from the end of the Salt Sea eastward ; on'thV 4 and your boundary-line shall turn about southward of the Scorpion Pass, B0Uth and pass along to Zin. And its extremity shall be southward of Kadesh-bar- nea. Then it shall go forth to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon, 5 and the boundary shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea. 6 And for the western boundary you shall have the shore of the Great Sea. s West This shall be your western boundary. 7 And this shall be your northern boundary. From the Great Sea you shall North mark out for yourselves to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the extremity of the boundary shall be at Zedad; 9 then the boundary shall go forth to Ziphron, and its extremity shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern boundary. 10 And you shall mark out your eastern boundary-line from Hazar-enan to East Shepham; 11 then the boundary-line shall go down from Shepham to HarbeP on the east side of Ain; and the boundary-line shall go down, and shall stretch along the hills that flank the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. 12 Then the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its extremities shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its boundaries round about. 13 Thus Moses commanded the Israelites, saying, This is the land which you Total shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give to the nine tribes to'tieat 7 and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the Reubenites according to their lotted fathers’ houses, and the tribe of the Gadites according to their fathers’ houses have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance; 15 the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. 16 Jehovah also said to Moses, 17 These are the names of the men who shall The divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son menus- of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince from each tribe, to divide the land tosuper- for inheritance. 19 And these are the names of the men: from the tribe of thtfaiiot- Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 And from the tribe of the Simeonites, ment Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 From the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 And from the tribe of the Danites a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 From the children of Joseph: from the tribe of the Manassites a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And from the tribe of the Ephraimites a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 And from the tribe of the Zebulunites a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 And from the tribe of the Issa- charites a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And from the tribe of the Asher- ites a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 And from the tribe of the Naphtal- ites a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. 29 These are they whom Jehovah commanded to divide the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan. ■ 34 11 Heb., Great Sea and boundary. Cf. also Dt. 3 16 , Josh. 13 23 . * 34 10 Reading doubtful, and the identification still more so. Another reading is Riblah. 249 Dt. 31 14 , 3 21 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN [Dt. 32 48 104. Moses’s Farewell and Appointment of Joshua as his Successor, Num. 27 12 ~ 23 , Dt. 3 21 - 29 , 31 1 - 8 ' 16 « 23 , 32 48 - 52 Jeho Ephraimite com- 3 D t . 31 Moses ^to u Then Jeho- ForSs B vah said t o death Moses, Be- hold, thy time ap- proaches that thou must die; call Josh- ua, and pre- sent your- selves in the tent of meet- ing, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went and pre- sented them- selves in the tent of meet- ing. 15 A n d Jehovah ap- peared in the tent in a pil- lar of cloud; and the pil- lar of cloud stood over the door of the tent. Late Prophetic Dt. 3 21 I also commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that Je- hovah your God hath done to these two kings [Sihon and Og]; so shall Jehovah do to all the kingdoms to which you are going over. 22 You shall not fear them; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you.’ 23 And I besought Jehovah at that time, saying, 24 ‘0 Lord Je- hovah, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty power; for what god is there in heaven or in earth who can do such deeds and such mighty acts as thine? 25 Let me go over, I pray thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jor- dan, that good hill-country and Lebanon.’ 26 But Jehovah was angry with me because of you, and hearkened not to me; and Jehovah said to me, ‘Enough, speak no more to me of this mat- ter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up thine eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and see with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people and shall Late Priestly Narratives Dt. 33 (Num. 27 12 ' 14 ) 48 And Jehovah spoke to Moses on the same day, saying, 49 Go up into this mountain of the Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, fronting J ericho ; and view the land of Canaan, which I am about to give to the Israelites for a possession; 50 and die in the mountain up which thou art going, and be gathered to thy father’s kin, as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor, and was gathered unto his father’s kin ; ^be- cause ye broke faith with me in the midst of the Israelites at the waters of Merib ah-K ad e si i , u in the wilderness of Zin; because ye did not treat me as holy in the midst of the Israelites. 52 For thou shalt see the land from a distance; but thou shalt not go thither into the land which I am about to give the Israel- ites. § 104 Since the book of Joshua was originally the immediate sequel of Num., it is natural that Dt. should duplicate some of the statements in Num. This is especially obvious in Dt. 3248-5i > which is almost word for word identical with Num. 27 12 -' 4 . Both contain the expres- sions and references to incidents peculiar to the priestly source. Cf. § 87. The passage in Dt. 32 probably once stood before Num. 27 16 . It contains the fuller statement, while Num. 27 u -p appears to be an editorial summary later substituted for it. The phraseology and the promi- nence of Eleazar the priest indicate that Num. 27 15-23 is from the same source as Dt. 32 48 - 52 . The early Judean narratives in Num. at least contain no references to Joshua. Dt. 31 H - >*• 2 h however, is a quotation from an earlier source which is evidently the Ephraimite, as is shown by the references to the tent of meeting, the pillar of the cloud, and Joshua the son of Nun. “ Dt. 325i cf. § 88. 250 Dt. 31 23 , 3 29 ] APPOINTMENT OF JOSHUA [Num. 27 15 Early Ephraimite 23 And lie gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge saying. Be courageous and strong; for thou shalt bring the children o f Israel into the land which I promised them with an oath ; and I will be with thee. Late Prophetic bring them into possession of the land which thou shalt see.’ 29 So we abode in the valley opposite Beth-peor. 31 1 And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in; and Jehovah hath said to me, ‘Thou shalt not go over this Jor- dan.’ 3 Jehovah thy God, he is going over before thee; he will destroy these nations from before thee and thou shalt dispossess them; and Joshua is going over before thee, as Jehovah hath commanded. 4 And Jehovah will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amor- ites whom he destroyed, and to their land. 5 And Jehovah will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be courageous and strong, fear not, neither be terrified before them; for Jehovah thy God, he it is that goeth with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 7 Moses also called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be courageous and strong; for thou shalt go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn to their fathers to give them ; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8 And Jeho- vah, he it is that goes before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed. Late Priestly Narratives Num. 27 15 And Moses spoke to Jehovah, saying, 16 Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, ap- point a man over the con- gregation, 17 who may go out before them and who may come in before them and who may lead them out and who may bring them in, that the congre- gation of Jehovah be not as sheep without a shep- herd. 18 And Jehovah said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thy hand upon him, 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest and be- fore all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. 20 And thou shalt bestow some of thy majesty upon him, that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the sacred lot v before Jehovah. At his command shall they go out, and at his command they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, even all the con- gregation. 22 Thus Moses did as Jehovah command- » Num. 27 21 Heb., Urim. From the Gr. version of I Sam. 14 41 _. 42 and other O.T. references, it is evident that the Urim and Thummim were used to determine the divine will by casting lots. The exact method, however, is unknown. 251 $*9 The clos- ing scenes of Moses’s life Num. 27 22 ] FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Late Priestly Narratives ed him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation; 23 and he laid his hands upon him and commissioned him, as Jehovah commanded by Moses. Early Judean Dt. 34 Then Mo- ses went up to lb ' d the top of Pisgah. And Jehovah showed him all the land, even Gil- ead as far as Dan, 2 and all Napbtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean,™ 3 and the South Country, and the Plain of the val- ley of Jericho, the city of palm-trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And Jehovah said to him. This is the land which I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to thy descendants;’ I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. § 105. Death of Moses, Dt. 34 Ephraimite Prophetic 34 5a So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Mo- ab. 6 And he buried him in the ravine in the land of Moab over against Beth-Peor; but to this day no man knows of his burial- place. 10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face, n as regards all the signs and the wonders, which Jehovah sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his ser- vants and to all his land, 12 and as regards all the deeds of power 2 and all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel. Late Priestly Narratives 34 la, c r ph en Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, which fronts Jericho and died there 5b according to the command x of Jehovah. 7 And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died ; his eye was not dim, neither had his natural force abated. y 8 And the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; so the days of weep- ing in the mourning for Moses were ended. 9 And Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the Israelites hearkened to him and did as Jehovah commanded Moses. § 105 Traces of each of the different narratives are found in this brief section. It was natural that they should all record the death of the great leader who left the stamp of his per- sonality upon his own, and all succeeding ages, and that later editors should preserve every fragment. The priestly formulas and point of view are clearly discernible in 7 * 9 , which is the sequel to Num. 27 12 " 23 , § 104 The introduction to this version is found in la - c.. Vs. 4a repeats the Judean passage, Ex. 33 1 . Vs. 4 is the sequel to lb - d . The geographical data in 2 - 3 has prob- ably been recast by a later editor. The Sam. reads, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates even to the western sea. Cf . Dt. 1 1 24 . The interest in Moses’s prophetic activity in 40 and the fact that 10b repeats Ex. 33 u , all reveal the Ephraimite source. Vss. u ' 12 are edi- torial expansions. The phraseology of 5a . b , however, connects them with the earlier narratives. w 34 2 Heb., hinder sea, i. e., western. So ll 24 . 1 34 5b Heb., mouth. Cf. Num. 3 16 ' 39 , 4 s7 , 41 , etc. y 34 7 Heb., his freshness lied. z 34 12 Heb., mighty hand. 252 THE CONQUEST AND SETTLEMENT Ob CANAAN Joshua, Judges, and Ruth THE CONQUEST AND SETTLEMENT OF CANAAN I INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN, Josh. U-S 29 , 9-12, 13 2a - 6 , 1513-19, 63 2I 43 - 45 § 106. The Summons to Conquest, Josh. 1 Late Prophetic Narratives Josh. 1 x Now it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of Jeho- vah, that Jehovah said to Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses: 2 Mo«cs my servant is dead; now arise, go over this Jordan with all this people Initial Conquests in Canaan. — The book of Joshua reveals at every point careful ar- rangement and editorial revision (cf. Introd., pp. 25, 26). In the first division, 1-12, which contains the traditions of the conquest, there are few traces of the late priestly narratives, ex- cept at the crossing of the Jordan, § 108. The prophetic style and point of view prevails through- out. While the Judean and Ephraimite strands cannot be distinguished with as much assur- ance as in the Pentateuch, yet enough of their characteristics appear to leave little doubt that they are the basis of these stories; and while the extracts from them have been very closely combined and harmonized and then later supplemented by prophetic editors, an analysis is possible. The question, however, remains, “Were the original sources here quoted, the early or the later prophetic narratives?” This must be answered specifically in connection with each story. Certain general data must also be taken into consideration; the representation of these chapters that the conquest of Canaan was completed during the lifetime of Joshua, and accom- plished by the united action of all the tribes, is contradicted by the plain testimony of the primi- tive traditions in the book of Judges and especially the first chapter. Cf. note § 114. The entire land did not become the possession of the Hebrews until the days of David. Traditions which compressed the events of a century or two into less than a decade could only arise generations later. In the brief ancient tradition of the conquest in Judg. 1, which is universally attributed to the early Judean source, Joshua does not appear and the different tribes independently gain a partial foothold for themselves in Canaan. Verbatim quotations from this same primitive source are also found in Joshua, and in certain other passages, cf. §i> 107, 113, the men of Israel are represented as taking the initiative, while Joshua suddenly disappears from the story. These and linguistic variations indicate that the majority of the Judean narratives in Josh, are probably from a later strand, possibly a revision of the early Judean traditions under the in- fluence of the Northern Israelitish version, which made Joshua the leader of all the tribes. The later, however, never entirely superseded the earlier Judean version. Furthermore it is prob- able that the Ephraimite parallels have themselves undergone revision. As a natural result of their origin, the two prophetic narratives are very similar — a fact which adds to the difficulty of distinguishing in every case between the two. Even though Joshua does not figure in the original Judean version, it does not follow that he was simply a creation of later traditions. No certain analogies can be adduced in support of this position. It is more probable that he was the leader of the northern tribes and may also have been at the head of a general Israelitish movement, which swept across the Jordan and over the walls of Jericho (and possibly Ai and Bethel), thence dividing, as the different tribes went up to the conquest of the territory which they later occupied. § 106 The process of editorial revision and expansion, which is so prominent in Joshua, is well illustrated in chap. 1. Vss. i. 2. io, lia are evidently taken from the early Ephraimite pro- phetic narratives. Cf. characteristic expressions: arise , three days, and provisions. The rest of the chapter has the unmistakable ideas, expressions and style of the late prophetic or Deu- teronomic group of writers. The passage 3-9 is an expansion of *• 2 from the point of view of Dt. ll 24b ; llb . 18 are apparently a still later expansion of 10 . Us . Some of these latest additions were perhaps made in the Heb., subsequent to the Gk. translation, for they are not found in the latter. The chapter as a whole constitutes a fitting introduction to the book and especially to the stories of the initial conquests in Canaan. 255 Jeho- vah’s di- rections to Josh- ua Com- mand to prepare tor the conquest Special direc- tions to the east- Jordan tribes Josh. I 2 ] INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN Late Prophetic Narratives to the land which I am about to give to the Israelites. 3 3 Every place upon which the sole of thy foot shall tread, to thee will I give it, as I promised Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, b and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting sun shall be your boundary. 5 No one shall be able to stand against thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 6 Be courageous and strong; for thou shalt bring this people into possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be very courageous and strong, to observe faithfully all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee ; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest have success 0 wherever thou goest. 8 This law-book shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate on it day and night, that thou mayest observe faithfully all that is written in it; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and shaft have success. 0 9 Have I not commanded thee? Be courageous and strong! Fear not, neither be dismayed, for Jehovah thy God is with thee wherever thou goest. 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, 11 Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan 4 to go in to possess the land which Jehovah your God is giving you as a possession.’ 12 Also to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 Remember the command which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you, when he said, ‘Jehovah your God is about to bring you to a settled abode e and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives and your little ones and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you ; f but you — as many of you as are able to fight — shall pass over armed before your kinsmen and shall help them, 15 until Jehovah hath given a settled abode to your kinsmen as to you and they also have taken possession of the land which Jehovah your God is about to give them. Then you shall return to the land of your posses- sion, 6 which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan toward the rising sun. 16 And they answered Joshua saying, All that you have com- manded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 As we obeyed » l 2 Heb., to them, to the Israelites. Gk. has simply to them. Lat., to the sons of Israel. b l 4 Meaning doubtful, cf. Dt. II 24 . Here the author seems to be defining the boundaries: the wilderness on the south; Lebanon (Gk., Anti-Lebanon) and the Euphrates seem to repre- sent the eastern boundaries; possibly all the land of the Hittites stands for the northern, as the Mediterranean for the western boundary. c l 7 . 8 Heb., verb has the double meaning of acting wisely and succeeding as the result. d jio. li » It has been suggested that these verses should follow the story of the spies in 2 and stand at the beginning of the Ephraimite prophetic account of the crossing of the Jordan in 3, since (1) the episode and report of the spies should logically precede the preparations for the invasion; and (2) an interval of three days was not sufficient for their journey. But in the Ephraimite narratives the crossing of the Jordan is divinely ordered, l 2 , and three days is a characteristic expression for a short period, cf. 2 16 . 22 , 3 2 , and in many other passages. Josh. 2 implies that the spies were not gone more than three days, 22 . s . e l’ 3 Heb., is giving you rest. Gk., hath given you. This may well represent the original. 1 l 14 So Gk. Heb. adds beyond Jordan. This is evidently a late scribal note, written from the point of view of the west-Jordan (probably Jerusalem), although the context clearly implies that Joshua had not yet crossed the Jordan. The note is based on Dt. 3 20 . e l 16 So Gk. Heb. adds and possess it. But this clause interrupts the thought of the sen- tence and is probably a scribal addition. 256 THE SUMMONS TO CONQUEST [Josh. I 1 ? Late Prophetic Narratives Moses in all things, so will we obey you. Only may Jehovah your God be with you, as he was with Moses. 18 Any one who shall rebel against your command and shall not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be courageous and strong. § 107. Spies at Early Judean Josh. 2 2 Now it was told the king of Jericho, saying, There came some men here to-night from the Israelites to explore the land. 3b And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, Bring forth the men who have come to you, for they have come to explore all the land. 4a ’ c And she said, It is true, some men came to me, but I did not know where they came from, 5b nor do I know whither they have gone. 6 She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order upon the roof. 8 But before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men, I know that Jehovah hath given you the land, and that ter- ror because of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are los- ing heart* 1 before you. 10 For we have heard Jericho, Josh. 2 Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives 2 x Then Joshua the son of Nun Conceai- sent secretly from Shittim two men the n sp?ef as spies, saying, Go view the land hab^ and especially Jericho. So they went and entered the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay down there. 3b And the men of Jericho came to Rahab and said, Bring forth the two men, who came to your house. 4a Now the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, 5a when the time came to shut the gate at nightfall. ^So she said, Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them. 7 Accordingly the men pursued them in the direc- tion of the Jordan opposite the fords, and as soon as they that pursued after them had gone out, they shut the gate. 13 But Rahab said to the men, Swear Their that you will save alive my father iuSab and my mother and my brothers, their e» and my sisters, together with all that from they have, and will deliver our lives Jericho from death. 14a And the men said to § 107 At the first glance this story seems to be a complete literary unit. It contains, however, many indications that two originally distinct versions have been very closely fused together. The more important indices are: doublets in 4a > 6a » 21b - 72a \ variations in repre- sentation; in 8 the men are hid on the roof, while according to 15 they are let down from the window; also the conversation, recorded in 12 - 14 > 18 ‘ 20 , is interrupted by the account of Rahab’s letting down the men, so that it must have been necessary for them to shout to each other, although the story implies that great secrecy was necessary. Again in 21 her sending away the men is narrated. The enumeration of those who are to be saved also differs: in 12 ■ 18 it is simply Rahab’s father and household, but in 13 her sisters’ households are also included. Moreover the narratives, when separated and carefully compared, present many variations in details, so that on the whole the evidence for the presence of two different versions seems reasonably con- clusive, although the analysis at certain points is not absolutely assured. Both versions are evidently early: the one havingthe characteristics of the Judean, and the other (cf.,e. g., Joshua the son of Nun) those of the Ephraimite narratives. These peculiarities, however, are not nearly as marked as in the preceding books. Cf. further note § 110. The real historical significance of these primitive stories is probably to be found, not in the information which the spies brought back, but in the fact that the Israelites had allies in Jericho. The facility with which they entered its walls, when the opportune moment for attack came, 6 20 , may have been due to the co-operation of the tribe of Rahab. Judg. Instates that the Ken- ites went up out of the city of palms (Jericho) with the tribe of Judah. h 2 9 Heb., are melting away. In 11 the fuller form of the idiom occurs, our hearts melted. Cf. also 24 . While the idiom is striking and picturesque, it unfortunately has quite a different mean- ing in the English. 257 Prelimi- nary in- struc- tions re- garding the man- ner of crossing Josh. 2 10 ] INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN [Josh. 2 14a Early Judean how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. n And as soon as we had heard it, we lost heart completely, neither did there re- main any more spirit in any mah because of you ; for Jehovah your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth beneath.' 12 Now therefore swear to me by Je- hovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you will also deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token. And the men said to her, 14b It shall be, when Jehovah giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you. ls Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this cord of scarlet thread in the win- dow through which you let us down ; and you shall gather to yourself into the house, your father and your mother and your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 And it shall be, if any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if any one stays with you in the house, his blood shall be on our heads, if an injury befalls him. * 1 21 And she said, Let it be as you say. So she sent them away, and they de- parted and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. Ephraimite Prophetic Narratives her, We will be prepared to forfeit our lives for you, J if you do not disclose this business of ours. 20 But if you do disclose this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath to which you have made us swear. 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window (for her house was so close beside the city wall that she dwelt upon the wall). k 16 And she said to them. Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers happen to find you; and hide yourselves there three days un- til the pursuers have returned; and afterward you may go on your way. 17 Then the men said to her, We will be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear. m 22 So they went and came to the mountain, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned. Now the pursuers sought for them in every direction, but did not find them. 23 Then the two men returned, descending from the mountain, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, Jehovah hath delivered all the land into our power; and more- over all the inhabitants of the land have lost heart before us. § 108. Passage over the Jordan, Josh. S 2 * * -^ 1 Later Judean Josh. 3 la ’ c Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and he and all the Israelites came to the Jor- E a r l y Ephraimit e Prophetic 3 lb Then they re- moved from Shittim. Late Priestly Narratives 3 "Then Jeho- vah said to Josh- i 2 9b - u Additions in the spirit and peculiar language of the later prophetic editor. Cf. also 2jb . i 2 1J “ Heb. lit., Our life instead of you to die. k 2’ 5 I e., built so close that some of the rooms projected upon the wall as is the case in cer- tain oriental cities to-day. 1 2 1Q Heb., hand be upon him. m 2 17 Apparently an editorial addition, based on 20 and intended to connect 16 with ls , which continues the speech of the men. § 108 As in the case of the exodus and the revelation at Sinai, the present account of the crossing of the Jordan bears on its face the evidence of successive combination and revision. 258 Josh. 3 1c ] PASSAGE OVER THE JORDAN [Josh. 3 * 2 - 7 Later Judean dan and spent the night there be- fore they passed over. 5 * And Josh- ua said to the people. Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow Jehovah will do wonderful things among you. 9 Joshua also said to the Is- raelites, Come hither and hear the words of Jehovah your God. Ephr aimit e Pro- phetic 2 Now after three days the officers went through the midst of the camp, 3 4 and com- manded the people saying, When you see the ark of the covenant 11 Late Priestly N arratives ua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know that, I will be with For example, the command in 3 12 is repeated almost verbatim in 4 2 . 3 I7b states emphatically that all Israel passed over the river, but 4 10 tells again of their crossing, as for the first time. 4 19 contains still a third account. According to 4 3b . 8b twelve stones were taken from the midst of the river and set up at the place where the Hebrews encamped for the night; in 4 20 , however, they were placed at Gilgal; while in 4 9 they wore deposited in the midst of the river. The Gk. and Lat. texts contain many omissions and variations, some probably original, but most of them harmonistic. There are indications that each of the four groups of narratives had its version of the crossing of the Jordan, and the attendant incidents. They have, however, been amal- gamated so closely and the linguistic and other evidence is at certain points so indefinite or per- plexing that the analysis is exceedingly difficult and the results only approximately assured. Three fairly complete versions can be distinguished. The late prophetic probably never existed independently. At present it simply supplements the other three. In each the ark borne by the priests goes first and the people follow. In one, as predicted in 3 13 and recorded in 16b and 4 7 , the waters of the Jordan were cut off and rose in a heap (cf. also Ps. 33 7 ) at Adam, beside Zarethan, a city located somewhere higher up the Jordan valley. Cut off above, the waters below flowed down to the Salt Sea, leaving the Jordan bed empty. This version strongly suggests a landslide, which temporarily dammed the waters of the river until they again broke away the barrier and came rushing down, overflowing the banks as before, 4 18 . The name of the city, Adam (Red earth), supports the conclusion that this unusual phenomenon took place higher up the Jordan, where the steep clayey banks overhang the river a great way above Jeri- chG. The mention of the spring freshets also confirms the hypothesis of a landslide. As in the Judean account of the exodus, § 73, Jehovah’s care and love for his people was revealed by the opportune use of natural forces, rather than by what is usually called a miracle. Most interesting in this connection is the incident recounted in the history of Sultan Bibars, which occurred in 1257 a.d. It was found necessary to repair the foundations of the bridge Jisr Damieh in anticipation of the retreat of the Moslem army. The task seemed impossible, but on arriving at the bridge, the workmen found the river-bed empty. _ Thus it remained for a few hours, until the work was nearly completed. Then the waters again came rushing down. The cause was a landslide higher up the river. This version of the crossing of the Jordan ig strikingly similar to the Judean account of the exodus in which a strong east wind drove back the waters of the Red Sea, § 73. Linguistic evidence also confirms the classification, although the prominence of Joshua seems to indicate that it is a later stratum of these narratives. In this version there does not appear to have been any reference to the appointment of the twelve men for each of the tribes to bear the memorial stones from the bed of the Jordan. Cf. 4 3 . 6 , 7 . Another version contains formal directions regarding the order of march. The reference to the twelve men in 4 4 implies that their appointment was a part of these preliminaries. For this and other reasons it is generally held that 4 2 originally belonged in the earlier part of 3. Its duplicate, 3 12 , also has no connection with its context. It is either simply an insertion by a later editor, as the fact that it is not found in the Gk. would strongly indicate, or possibly it is a fragment of the late priestly narrative, with which it has close linguistic affinities. The second account of the crossing is unfortunately fragmentary at the critical point, but later references, 4 23 , 5 1 , seem to indicate that the Israelites were able to pass over because the waters were dried up. Each year during the dry rainless season the Jordan becomes easily fordable. An extra- ordinary drought may have been the basis of this tradition. As a whole it presents the traditional origin of the long revered Northern Israelitish sanctuary at Gilgal, 4 20 . It is the continuation of the Ephraimite fragment in l 10 . lu . Its language and representation tend to confirm its classification with the other narratives from this source. The style and hortatory tone of 4 21 ^5 1 indicate that this passage has been recast by a late prophetic editor. The third narrative includes some late prophetic material, e. g., 3 7 , 4 10 - 14 ; but the prominence of the priests, many linguistic peculiarities, as brink of Jordan, 3 8 > 16a , ark of the law, 4 16 , and the interest in detailed statistics, 4 13 ' 19 , point to the late priestly source. The representation that the waters of the Jordan stood above as a solid wall, so that the Israelites passed over on dry ground, is very similar to that of the same source in the story of the exodus, § 73. Thus the analysis of the narratives of the crossing of the Jordan, like that of those which record the other epoch-making experiences in Israel’s history, illustrates vividly the successive stages in the growth of tradition. At the same time it confirms the fundamental conviction of Israel’s teachers that Jehovah through nature and through every experience that came to them was revealing his power and love and leading them ever on to the '.ealization of their destiny. “ 3 3 As in Num. 10 33 and elsewhere the designation ark of the covenant of Jehovah appears to be from a late prophetic or Deuteronomic editor. It is peculiar to that school. The ark or ark of Jehovah are the designations regularly employed in the early prophetic narratives. 259 The crossing Josh. 3 10 ] INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN [Josh. 33. 7 Later Judean 10 Then Joshua said. By this you shall know that a living God is among you, and that he will certainly drive out from before you the Canaan- ites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Per- izzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant 0 of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. 13a ’ c And it shall come to pass when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of Jehovah the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off, and they shall rise in a heap. 15a And so when those who were carrying the ark came to the Jor- dan — the Jordan overflows its banks all the time of harvest — 16b its waters rose up in a heap, a great way off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. And the people stood 11 opposite Jericho. Ephraimite Pro- phetic of Jehovah your God, and the priests, the Levites, 0 bearing it, then you shall re- move from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go ; for you have never passed this way before.P *"[4"]A1- so take twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe. 6 And Joshua said to the priests, Take up the ark of the cov- enant and pass over before the people. 14 And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who were carrying the ark of the cove- nant being before the people, that J ehovah dried up the waters of the Jordan, 17b while all Israel passed over on dry ground, until the whole nation had com- pleted the crossing of the Jordan. r 4 *And it came to pass, when the whole nation had completed the crossing 4 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men Late Priestly Narratives thee as I was with Moses, 8 And thou shalt com- mand the priests who bear the ark of the cove- nant, saying, When you come to the brink of the waters of Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. 13b And the waters that come down from above shall stand still. 15b Theref ore when the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark dipped in the brink of the water, 16a the waters which came down from above stood still. 17a And the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jor- dan. ° 3 3_u Also an expression peculiar to the late prophetic writers and editors. p 3 4 Apparently a fragment of the late priestly narratives. <1 3 >«b Heb.. passed over, but Gk. probably has the original reading, stood. ’ 3 17b A late prophetic editorial supplement. 260 !om- land to et up welve iemo- ial bones Josh. 4 1 ] PASSAGE OVER THE JORDAN [Josh. 4 4 - 9 Later Judean of the Jordan, that Jehovah said to Joshua, 3 Command them saying, ‘Take hence from the midst of the Jordan, (out of the place where the priests’ feet stood) twelve stones, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the camping- place, where you shall pass the night, 6 that this may be a sign among you, that, when your chil- dren ask in time to come, saying, “ What do you mean by these stones ?” 7a then you shall say to them, “Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.”’ 8b So they took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah said to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 8 and they carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 10b Then the people passed over quickly. 11 Anditeame to pass when all the people had finished the passage, that the ark of Jehovah passed over and the priests, in the presence of the people. 18 And when the priests who were carry- ing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles E phr aim it e Pro- phetic whom he had ap- pointed of the Israel- ites, a man from each tribe, 5 and Joshua said to them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and let every man of you lift a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israel- ites; 7b and these stones shall be for a memorial to the Is- raelites forever. 4 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10a The priests who carried the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until every thing was finished that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak to the people according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. 12 And the Reuben- ites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the Israelites, as Moses com- manded them ; 13 about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Je- hovah to battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day 8a And the Israel- ites did as Joshua commanded. 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Josh- ua set up in Gilgal. 21 And he said to the Is- raelites, When your chil- dren shall ask their fa- thers in time to come, saying, 4 What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall instruct your chil- dren. saying, ‘ On dry ground Israel came over this Jordan. 2:l For Je- hovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had passed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over, 21 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Jehovah is mighty and that you may fear Jehovah your God forever.’ Late Priestly Narratives a 48b Apparently an editorial harmonistic note. when the Israelites had passed completely over. 261 Gk. reads, as Jehovah commanded Joshua , Setting up the memori- al stones and comple- tion of the pas- sage of the Jor- dan Circum- cision of the Isra- elites Josh. 4 18 , 5 1 ] INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN [Josh. 4 14 Later Judean of the priests’ feet were lifted up on the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went over all its banks as before. Ephraimite Pro- phetic 5 !Now when all the kings of the Amorites, who were to the west of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the Jordan from be- fore the Israelites, until they 1 were passed over, they lost heart, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the Israelites. Late Priestly Narratives Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel ; and they feared him as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15 And Jehovah said to Joshua, 16 Command the priests who carry the ark of the law, that they come up out of the Jordan. 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan. 19 So the peo- ple came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and en- camped in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho. § 109. Religious Ceremonies at Gilgal, Josh. 5*~ 12 Early Ephraimite Josh. 5 2 At that time Jehovah said to Joshua, Make knives of flint, and circum- cise again the Israel- ites the second time. 3 Then Joshua made him knives of flint and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeah Araloth [The hill of the foreskins]. 9 And Jehovah said to Joshua, To-day Late Prophetic Narratives 5 4 Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised the Israelites : u all the people that came out of Egypt who were males, even all the men capable of fighting, died in the wilderness in the way, on the journey from Egypt. 6 For all the people who came out were circum- cised ; but all the people who were bom in the wilderness in the way on the journey from Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilder- ness, until all the nation, even the men capable of fighting, who came out of Egypt, were destroyed, be- cause they did not heed the voice of Jehovah; to whom Jehovah swore that he would not let them see the land concerning which Jehovah gave oath to their fathers that he would give us a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 But their children, whom he raised up in their * 5* Heb., we, but Gk., Lat., Syr. have they, as is required by the context. § 109 The account of the circumcision of the Israelites at Gilgal is associated, in the older and briefer form of the narrative, 2 - 3 ' 9 , with the traditional meaning of the name Gilgal. Cf. Josh. 4 20 , which suggests a different origin. The primitive character of the story is manifest. Cf. use of flint knives. Ex. 4 25 , which is from the Judean group of narratives, seems to connect the introduction of the rite of circumcision among the Israelites with Moses, and to imply (as is historically probable) that it was a common institution before this time, and was practised by the Hebrews in the wilderness. Dt. 10 16 also apparently assumes the latter. Cf. Gen. 17, where the priestly narrative associates it with Abraham. Evidently in 2 a later editor has sought to harmonize the present story with those which precede. In its original form it seems to represent the tradition early current in Northern Israel regarding the origin of the rite. Vss. 4-8 are easily recognized as later additions by a prophetic writer, who wished to make the harmonization complete. The Gk. text, which here probably follows an older read- ing, differs widely from the Heb. Vs. 5 , which interrupts the connection between 4 and 6 , is not found in the Gk. A priestly editor, interested in ceremonial institutions, has also inserted t 0 * 12 . “ 5 4 Following certain Gk. texts which supply the object demanded by the verb. 262 CEREMONIES AT GILGAL [Josh. 5 7 Josh. 5 9 ] Late Prophetic stead, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircum- cised, because they had not circumcised them on the journey. 8 Then when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were well again. Late Priestly Narratives 10 When now the Israelites encamped in Gilgal, they kept the passover on °bserv* the fourteenth day of the month in the evening in the plains of Jericho. 11 And the pas* they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 And the manna ceased on the dav after they had eaten of the produce of the land; neither had the Israelites manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. § 110. Capture of Jericho, Josh. 5 1S ~ 15 , 6 Early Ephraimite have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. So the name of that place has been called Gil- gal [Rolling], to this day. Later Judean Prophetic Josh. 5 13 Nowwhen Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him, and said to him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay, but as Prince of the host of Jehovah have I now come. Then Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worship- ped, and said to him, What has my lord to say to his servant? 15 And the Prince of Jehovah’s host said to Joshua, Take off thy sandals from Early Ephraimite Nar- ratives 6 x Now Jericho had Divine closed its gates and was tions’re- closed on account of the garding Israelites; no one went Sattac* out or in. And Jehovah said to Joshua, 4 Seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; and ye shall march around the § 110 Certain variations irreconcilable with each other, as the narrative reads in the original, have long been recognized. The Gk. translators endeavored to eliminate these by frequent omissions. For example in 6 10 ' 16b - 2 >s the signal for the capture of Jericho is the com- mand of Joshua, but in 5 ' 2011 it is the blast of the ram’s horn. Similarly there are two distinct accounts of the deliverance of Rahab. One, 17 ■ 27 , states that she with her father’s household were saved, because she delivered the messengers, as was promised in the Judean version of the story of the spies (§ 107) ; the other. 22 ■ 22 , that she with all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies who identify her (the token being peculiar to the Judean story), precisely as anticipated by the Ephraimite version. Also the account of the processions is confused. The recognition of two distinct narratives affords a most satisfactory solution of these diffi- culties; for the seeming inconsistencies are simply details peculiar to each. In one the Hebrews march about Jericho once each day for seven days, and then at the command of Joshua rush to the capture of the city, which they devote with all its inhabitants, except Rahab and her father’s household. The points of contact are all with the Judean prophetic narrative of Joshua 2. Linguistic peculiarities also confirm this classification. The passage 5 13-15 recalls the Judean prophetic account of Moses’s divine commission. With 15 cf. Ex. 3 5 . It is not very closely connected with its context and may originally have represented the Judean version of Joshua’s call to the leadership of the Israelites. Its present position, however, indicates that it was in- tended to introduce the account of the capture of Jericho. In the other narrative the people march about the city seven times the same day, the ark and priests figuring prominently. The seventh time when the priests blow the trumpets, the walls fall down themselves at the shout of the people. Then, when Rahab and all her kinsmen are brought out of the city, it is burnt, together with all its inhabitants. Again linguistic evidence (e. g . , Joshua the son of Nun in 6 ) confirms the testimony of the contents that this is the Ephraimite version of the story. 263 Josh. 5 13 ] INITIAL CONQUESTS IN CANAAN [Josh. 6 4 Later Judean Prophetic thy feet ; for the place on which thou art standing is holy. 6 2 And Joshua did so. Then Jehovah said to Joshua, See, I have given into thy power Jericho, and its king, with the men capable of fighting. 3 And ye shall march around the city, all the warriors going about the city once. Thus shall ye do six days. 5b And the seventh day the people shall go up every man straight before him. Joshua’s 7 Therefore [Joshua]* said mands to the people, March around to the ^ f people the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Jehovah. 10 Joshua also commanded the people say- ing, You shall not shout the battle-cry, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall a word go out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout the battle-cry;’ then you shall shout. Early Ephraimite Nar- ratives city seven times, while the priests blow the trumpets. 5a And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the peo- ple shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down of itself. v 6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trum- pets of rams’ horns before Jehovah, w 8 and a the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Jehovah shall pass on, while they blow the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of Jehovah following them, 9 and the armed men going before the priests who blow the trumpets, and the great multitude following the ark, while they continually blow the trumpets. March around the city Capture of the city 11 So he caused the ark of Jehovah to march around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12a And Joshua rose early in the morning, 14 and the second day they marched around the city once, and returned to the camp. Thus they did six days. 15a And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and when they had made the circuit of the city after the same manner, 16b Joshua said to the people, Shout the battle-cry; for Jehovah hath given you the city. 17 And the city shall be com- pletely devoted b to Jehovah, together with all 12b So the priests took up the ark of Jehovah. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trum- pets of rams’ horns be- fore the ark of Jehovah kept going while they blew the trumpets, the armed men going before them and the rearguard following the ark of Je- hovah, blowing trumpets 15b seven times; only on that v 65a, 20 b The current translation flat, is a very doubtful equivalent for the Heb. Of itself is supported by the Gk. and Lat., and is in harmony with the representation of the Ephraimite narratives. w 6 6 So Gk. Heb., before the ark of Jehovah; but tf. 8 . * 6 7 Heb. has they, but marginal reading of Heb. and the other versions have he, referring to Joshua, which the editor left out after 6 . a 6 8 It was so that, when Joshua had spoken to the people is added in the Heb. after and. The Gk., however, omits it and renders the rest of the verse 9 by imperatives, thus continuing the instructions of Joshua. The record of their being carried out is found in uh - 13 , so that the cur- rent translations of the Heb. present a meaningless repetition. b 6 17 The Heb. word here and elsewhere translated completely devoted, or utterly destroyed, or placed under the ban, is from the same root as the Arabic word harem, which has been adopted 264 Josh. 6 17 ] CAPTURE OF JERICHO Later Judean Prophetic that is in it; only Rahab the harlot shall live, both she and those who are with her in the house, be- cause she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 Only keep yourselves from that which has been placed under the ban, lest when you have placed it under the ban you take of it, and so bring the camp of Israel under the ban, and trouble it. 19 But a n the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron are holy to Jehovah ; they Bhall come into the treasury of Jehovah. 20a, cg 0 ii ie people shouted the battle-cry, and went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 Then they completely destroyed by the sword c all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass. 25 But Ra- hab the harlot and her father’s house- hold and all that she had, Joshua saved; and they have dwelt in the midst of Is- rael even until this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 26 At that time Josh- ua made them subscribe to this oath: Cursed be that man before Jehovah Who undertakes to rebuild this city ; With the loss of his first-born shall he lay its foundation. And with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates. 27 So Jehovah was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. [Josh. 6 15b Ephraimite Narratives day they marched around the city seven times. 1Ga And it came to pass at the seventh time, that the priests blew the trumpets; 20b and when they blew the trumpets, it came to pass, as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down of itself. * * * v 22 Then Joshua said to the two Destruo- men who had spied out the land, the city Go into the harlot’s house, and itsin- bring out from there the woman tants ex- and all that she has, as you took Sfarid oath to her. 23 So the young men, £am ' the spies, went in and brought Rahab with her father and mother and kinsmen and all that she had. Even all the members of her family they brought out ; and they put them in a place of security outside of the camp of Israel. 24 But they burnt the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the sil- ver and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah. § 111. Defeat at Ai and Sin of Achan, Josh. 7 Later Judean Prophetic Narratives Josh. 7 'But the Israelites broke faith in that which had been placed under the ban ; Intro- for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took