A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis

XI. lo 231
as proof of direct Babylonian influence, then no doubt the question of
a Babylonian origin of the legend <strong>and</strong> its transmission through non-
biblical channels would assume a new complexion. But the inference,
however tempting, is not quite certain.
XI. 10-26.
—
The Genealogy of Shem (P).
Another section of the Tdledoih, spanning the interval
between the Flood <strong>and</strong> the birth of Abraham. It is the
most carefully planned of P's genealogies next to
with which it agrees in form, except that in MT the
ch. 5
framework
is lightened by omitting the total duration of each
patriarch's life. In juu. this is consistently supplied ; while
ffi merely adds to MT the statement koX a-n-eOaviv. The
number of generations in MT is 9, but in ^ 10, corresponding
with ch. 5. Few of the names can be plausibly
identified; these few are mostly geographical, <strong>and</strong> point
on the whole to NW Mesopotamia as the original home of
the Hebrew race.
In aSc the number 10 is made up by the addition of K^nan between
ArpakSad <strong>and</strong> Shelah (so lo^^). That this is a secondary alteration
is almost certain, because (a) it is wanting in i Ch. i^^- ^* dSc ; (b) K^nan
already occurs in the former genealogy (5*^*) ; <strong>and</strong> (r) the figures
simply duplicate those of Shelah. It has been proposed to count Noah
as the first name (Bu. 412 f.), or Abraham as the 10th (Tu. De.); but
neither expedient brings about the desired formal correspondence between
thel ists of ch. 5 <strong>and</strong> 1 1^"^' An indication of the artificial character
of these genealogies is found in the repetition of the name Nah&r, once
as the father, <strong>and</strong> again as the son, of Tera^ (see Bosse, Chron.
Systeme^ 7 ff.). It is not improbable that here, as in ch. 5 (corresponding
with 4^'')> P has worked up an earlier Yahwistic genealogy, of
which a fragment may have been preserved in w.^"^". We. {Comp.^ 9,
Prol.^ 313) has conjectured that it consisted of the 7 names left of P's
list when ArpakSad <strong>and</strong> Shelah (see on lo^^* ^) <strong>and</strong> the first Nah6r are
omitted (Abraham counting as the 7th). But there is no proof that the
Yahwistic genealogy lying behind ch. 5 was 7-membered ; <strong>and</strong> J's
parallel to nio^- could not in any case be the continuation of 4^^*22.
10. ^?'?9^^