it was considered an appeal to the covenant of circumcision (TJ, Jer.
Qu., Ra.; so Tu. Del.). IEz. explains it as a symbol of subjection,
(adding that it was still a custom in India); Ew. Di. Ho. al. as invoking
posterity ((
Hebrew characters), 4626, Ex. 15, Ju. 830) to maintain the sanctity of the
oath.
3. God of heaven and of earth] an expression for the
divine omnipresence in keeping with the spiritual idea of
God's providence which pervades the narrative. The full
phrase is not again found (see v.7).—thou shalt not take, etc.]
The motive is a natural concern for the purity of the stock:
see Bertholet, Stellung, 67.—5-8. The servant's fear is not
that he may fail to find a bride for Isaac, but that the
woman may refuse to be separated so far from her kindred:
would the oath bind him in that event to take Isaac back to
Ḥarran? The suggestion elicits from the dying patriarch a
last utterance of his unclouded faith in God.—7. God of heaven] v.i.—send his Angel] cf. Ex. 2320. 23 332, Nu. 2016.
The Angel is here an invisible presence, almost a personification
of God's providence; contr. the older conception
in 167ff..
10-14. The servant at the well.—On the fidelity of the picture to Eastern life, see Thomson, LB, i. 261.—10. ten camels] to bring home the bride and her attendants (61). But "such an expedition would not now be undertaken . . .
3. (Hebrew characters)] G + (Greek characters) (as v.4); so v.7.—4. (Hebrew characters)] [E] (Hebrew characters).—At the end GV add
(Hebrew characters) as v.7—5. (Hebrew characters)] always with neg., exc. Is. 119, Jb. 399 (Sir. 633).—7.
(Hebrew characters)] appears only in late books (Jon. 19, 2 Ch. 3623 = Ezr. 12, Neh. 14f.
24. 20: (Hebrew characters) is frequent in Aram. parts of Ezr. and Dn.). The words
are wanting in one Heb. MS (see Kit.), and may be deleted as a gloss.
Otherwise we must add with G (Hebrew characters) (cf. 3).—(Hebrew characters)] probably
interpolated by a later hand (Di.); see p. 284 above.—8. (Hebrew characters)] G + (Greek characters).—(Hebrew characters)
(but [E] (Hebrew characters))] juss. with (Hebrew characters); G-K. § 109 d.
10. Unless we admit a duality of sources, it will be necessary to
omit the first (Hebrew characters) (with G).—(Hebrew characters)] better (Hebrew characters) (GVS).—(Hebrew characters)] Dt. 235,
Ju. 38, Ps. 602, 1 Ch. 196† . TO (Hebrew characters). The identity of the second
element with Eg. Naharin, TA. Naḫrima (7914 [rev.], 18134, 11932) is beyond
dispute; but it is perhaps too readily assumed that geographically
the expressions correspond. The Eg. Naharin extended from E of the
Euphrates to the valley of the Orontes (AE, 249 ff.); all that can be
certainly affirmed about the biblical term is that it embraced both sides
of the Euphrates (Ḥarran on the E; Pethor on the W [Dt. 235]). Since
there is no trace of a dual in the Eg. and Can. forms, it is doubtful if
