18. seal-and-cord. The two
nouns of Heb. must represent a hendiadys, something like “the seal on the cord”
(cf. also the plural form of the second noun in vs. 25, approximately
“cording”), for the following reasons. The items named by Tamar were not chosen
for their intrinsic value but for purposes of personal identification, as is
made clear by vs. 25; when produced in due time, they must allow of no doubt as
to their owner. The cylinder seal was such an object above all else; it served
as the religious and legal surrogate for the person who wore it, and its
impression on a document signalized the wearer’s readiness to accept all
consequences in the event of non-compliance, through sympathetic magic among
other things (like sticking pins in a doll). The possessor of such a seal was
thereby marked as a responsible person; and, as Herodotus reminds us, no
Babylonian of any standing would ever be seen without one. The use of the
cylinder seal spread from Mesopotamia throughout the Near East, and even to
Crete; and many specimens have turned up in Palestine. While the stamp seal
fulfilled a similar function, its use was limited in time and space; moreover,
the term for the latter would be ṭabbaʿat
(41:42), not ḥōtām as here. Now all
cylinder seals were perforated vertically for suspension, so that the seal and
the cord or chain on which it was worn became a unit. A cord by itself would be
a worthless thing, and meaningless in the present context. Incidentally, the inclusion
of the cord is further proof that no signet ring was involved. (E.
A. Speiser, Genesis: Introduction,
Translation, and Notes [AYB 1; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008], 298)
The word ḥôṯām is a loanword
from Egyptian (ḥtm), as is also the
word ṭabbaʿaṯ (ḏbʿt) of Gen 41:42 (cf. Schott, 1957, 181f). The signet or seal was made of metal or stone and worn on a
cord around the neck (Gen 38:18) or as a ring on the (right) hand (Gen 41:42;
Jer 22:24). With the beginning of writing in the fourth millennium b.c. seals
were widely used, especially cylinder seals on clay tablets, but also stamp
seals which were later used predominantly on clay or wax lumps attached to
papyrus documents. The unbroken seal on letters, legal and official documents,
or on a tomb, protected the contents. Storage jar handles were also stamped to
indicate ownership. Thousands of seals and seal impressions have been recovered
from the ancient Near East and the study of their decoration and inscriptions
are fields of growing importance. Seals were made of precious and semiprecious
metals and stones, elaborately and exquisitely engraved, and were thus among a
person’s most valuable possessions (cf. Sir 17:22) and at the same time one’s
legal signature and identification. Tamar’s acquisition of her father-in-law’s
signet (Gen 38:18) kept her from being burned. The Pharaoh’s signet ring made
Joseph the royal deputy (Gen 41:42). The value set on one’s signet is shown in
the divine vow of Jer 22:24, “ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh, ‘though Coniah
son of Jehoakim, King of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, I would rip
you off.’ ” The promised election and exaltation of Zerubbabel, Hag 2:23,
is expressed in the metaphor of Yahweh’s signet, “ ‘I will take you, O
Zerubbabel, my servant, son of Shealtiel … and will put you on like a signet,
for I have chosen you,’ says Yahweh of Hosts.” (Marvin H. Pope, Song
of Songs: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary [AYB 7C; New
Haven: Yale University Press, 2008], 666)
