38 ^And Pharaoh said unto his servants.
delieiaa. "7%e ordinary height of the inundations ia tixttn. cubits. When (he wstant are lower than diia standard, they do not overflow the whole ground: when above this mtdard, diey are two- long in running off. In the first ease the ground ia not aoturated; by the second, the waten are detained ao long on the gniund, that seedtime is loat. The province marks both. If it rise only twttv* ci^t^ a /amine ia the consequence. Evan at thirteen culnts, hwnger prevaila | faurUm onbila pvduoes gmmU rejoicing; Jifleen, psifeH tcurity, and aixtetat, all the htxwriaa It/e."
When the Nik riaea to <ijA/6«R cubits, it prevenia the sowing of the hud in doe aeaaon, and aa necesearily produces a foittine, as when it does not overflew its boiUB.
Verse 33. A man ditcreU anaxnee] As it ia impoasibia that Joae|di could have foreseen his own elevation, conae<]tiently he gave this advice without any reference to himself. 'The counsel, therefore, was either immediately inspired by God, or was dictated by polity, prudence, and yi^iv^ aensB.
Take up a J(fA part 1^ the tand\ What ia still called the masry, or that part of the produce \riuch is claimed by die kang, 6y i4Niy ^tox. It is probable, that in Joseph's tim^ itwaa not so much as ajfflb part, moat likely a ten&i bat as diiavaa an extraordinary oecasioD, and M earth brought fordt by handfitis, ver. 47. the king would be hiatifiBfin requiring a and from die great a&i«- danee, die peaftle c^d pay dtia inereaaad tax without feeling it lo be oppressive.
Tone 36. Under the hand of Pharaoh] To ba completely at die disposal of the king.
Verse 37. The Owng uw* goorf) Pharaoh and his oooitiera aaw that the counsel was prudent, and should bs carefully followed.
Verae 38. In vihom Ae Spirit qf God is] srfm W ruoA elohim, the idMitical words used chap. i. 2. and certainly must be understood ken, as in tlie preoediiig place. If the Eeyptians were idolatera, they acknowledged Joseph's God: and it is not 10 be mppoaed that they only became ac<|uainled with him on this occasion. The knowledge of die true God was in Kgypt kntg before i but It ia very likely dial diougfa they acknowledged his influenM with respect to Joseph, aa they ww moat clearly that he acted under an influence far hnond that of their magicians, fbr As interpreted dreams, which Ikey could not; yet they might, notwithstanding, havo tboH gods many, aod their lonla many, at this time; for wekwnrdwin wligioua matterm, they were a»eeecbngly coiiupt sftsiwsnL
Can we find such a one as this it, a man ■ io whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there te none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shall be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people 'be ruled: only in the throne will 1 be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have 4 set ^ee oveF-all the land of B^ypt
42 And Pharaoh ' took off his ring H'om his band, and put it upon Jpaeph** hana, and ' arrayed him m vestures of t fine linen, ^ and put a ffold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the seecmd
Shariot which be had; i and they cried before im, k Bow the knoe: 'and be made him ru/er *• over atl the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said bnto Joseph, I am Pha-
>• ruUd\ hitunliji At (fty mmlk tItaU aU nw Km— In the esBteni oountnw it is ciuvMnvy to cisi any dung that eoiaes fro so. n-BuperioE, and this ia done by vay of teatifyiog respect and Bubmiasion. Iq this aenae tm vorda in the text are to be understood. All (he pemie ahall pay the profoundest respect aixl tdiedience to all thy orders and commandi.
(>nl3fitittKthrofUwiaibtgrmUtrtha*0iM.'\ This, ^one word, is a perfect deteription of a "ITiou ahalt nave the sole management, under me, of all •tat«a&irf.
Verse 42. And Pharaoh took off hit rin^—attd put H toon jMtpk'a hand] In this ring was probably set tbe mng'a ngn^ by which the inatnimenla ware
•ealed i and thus Joseph was oonaciCMted what we woold call lonl ohMesUor, or lord kseper of the privv seaL
Vetlura ^ Jim Untn\ nr ahtA. WbMber this BMaae Unen oreoHMi is notsnewn. It seemsto have been a term by which both were denominated; or it nay be soma other aubatanoe or cloth with which we are uaacquainled. If the fine linen of Egypt was soch as that which invests the bodiea of the mummiea, and these in geoend were persons of the first distinction, and oonaequaatly ware enveloped in dodi the finest quality, it Ms only jln« ee&^paniively qiealmw, Egypt being oh ealy plaoe at that time, where such elodi was manufiu- ■rsd. I have often examined the cloth about the bodies of tbe most splendidly omamenied tmunmies, and found it saekclolh when oompared with the fine JK«A linens. As this sftesft appears to have been a part of the ronl ohxhing, it Was probably both woarto and oaaOy. By aompanng, says ParUnirot^ Bzod. xzr. 4. zxvi. 1. with 2 Chron. iL 14. and Exod. xzvi. 31. with 2 Oroo. iii. 14. it ^Vear& that fa buU, cotton, is called vr dutki and by comparing Exod. zxviii. 42. witb Exod. xzix. 28. that la bad, lioen, is also called w alieahi so that sAmA seems a name expreseivs of either of these from dieir mtttj'al vivid vhitenoM.
ftt* a gold Aain about A*s neck] This was not nerely a badgB of office. Tin tkaia. might be intended t*peintoHtthe wtlon, whieh ahouhl sidMBt betvesa all paru of (he government— the king, his ministers, aod the psoplst as uao that neceooartf aopmdmct which they hod reciprocally on each other, aa well m the connexion which must he preeerved between the difierent mendien (rf the body politic, and the laws sad institutions by whidt tlwywere to be governed. Its being of goid, mig^ be intSnma te show the axcellenoe, utility, and permanence (tf agovenuoMitooiiitimtedoawiBe, juBt,aiida^ laws. We are ^tstified in drawing aueh mfereneea aa these; bsesHse, in ancient times, in atl nations, every thing was nwde an emblem or repr—entotion of some spiritual or moral nbjeet. It is strange that, probably without adverting to the reason^ the chain qf gold wont about the neck, i^ in difitevnt natioiis, sn snbleB of dvU
Verse 43. Be made him to ride tn the eeeond chariot] That which usually bltowed the kiw's i^uuiot in public etreraoDtes.
BoKtAe knee] yvMi abreck, which we translates >«i *»s^Bad which we might as well tianslate oay d^v MB, u probably an Egtfptian word, the signifiaatiaa «7 is qtterly unknowo. If we could suppose it to be raoh, and without thee shall no man lifl tip hi* band or foot in all the land of Ep'pt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name ■ Zapb* nath-paaneah: and he gave him towife, Asenalh, the daughter of Poti-pnerah, " priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Eerrpt.
46 ^ And Joseph vaa thirty years old when he ' stood before Pharaoh king of Kgypt. And Joseph went out from the presence orPharaob. and weat thioughout all the land of Egypt
47 And in the seven plenteous years, • J^Jthe earth brought forth by handfulg. ffc Ba
48 And he gather^ up all the food A-tLmt. of the seven years, which were in * ^ ™ the land of Egypt, and laid up the food, in the citiee: the food u the field| which was round about every city, laid he up m the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn «aa the aand of the sea, very much, until he lefl nunriicriDC: Ibr it teas without number.
a HebretB word, it migiU be eoDsiderod as CMBpouoded tt M aby^aiher, and It rak, tmdor t Gar Joseph nif/bi bs denominated tijaiher, beeiiuse of bis ears orvcr the peof^ and the provinon he was making for their preservalun i and tender, because of his youvL Or, it may be impounded of 3N ab, father, and yvi barek^ bfemittgt m tatter a beth being easily lost in the pn-ecedmr one. AaA Joseph might have ihii epidiet as well as the odier, on account tbe cars hs was taking t« turn awde hekvy curse of tbe aeveo years of famme, by aocnmufattiw the bleasinga of the seven yean of plenty. Besides, fatter ssems to have been a name of office^ and. probeUy /alhm ^ the king, oa faOur qf Bharaoh, migfat sisnfy lbs some aa the king'e miniator among us } ses os am^ 8. But if it be an Egyptian word, it is vaia to law te ita aignificatioa in Hebrew.
Verse44. iamJ>har«eA1 Tte sMoeas if be hiid ni^ lom the king; for j^hotmA WM the osnHBOB title oClhl sovereigns of EgypL
Verse 46. ZaphmUh'paaueah] Tk» taeaniag «f this title is as Httle nowo as (hat of airech. in dks psesedmg verse. Some translate ity the rtveaUr qf aetrete; o*im% the treaemy ef glorivuM comfort. 8l Jsrosi tiaaslgtss the whtrfe vsise la a most ariatiaiy manner. Fii fiigwi nomm ejue et toeavit eum UngnA JUgyptimoA Satam^ rem. mnitdi. " And be changed his name, and ealM him in the Egyptiaa hmguage, Tho Sa»iour of ike worU." None of the other versions acknowledge this unpcueipM glosi^ and it is oortainly wcrthv of no i^fvd. AU tfas eiyinolt^ies hilfaevto given of this word, an, to smp the least of itaeiiL doiU>(fa. 1 beUev* also le be aa Sgyptian epidtek asawmtiiig ibo- office to which be was aam raised t ana simuar to our compeuad tena^ prima Maai^ ter, lord thaneelior, high trtoMirer, dd^ jMsfc'sr, ita,
AsenoA, As daughter qf Poti-phenk^ Than is m likelSiood, that the Poti^pherah meatioaed here is tbe same as tbe PoHfAar who bad purchased Josephr and m the false aocusaiioo of his wife, cast him wo pnson. 1. The Scripture gives no intimation that riiey ware oao and the same person. 2. Poti^pheroK had chikhm and Potiphar was a suniicA; see oa eh^ xxxriL In. Ut thougfa eunuchs often kept women, there is so proof ita ihcnr nad any issue by ifaeitt.
Pritet of On] For tbe eigaifiaatioa of the word yra cohen or pritat, see on chap. xiv. 18. ON is rendered HMt^Miim, (the city of the sun,) by die Sopluagint: sad it is very likely that this Poti^phsmh was itUmdant «f that nonu or propuue, uiuler Pnafaob.
Jb»^ went out over all the land] No doubt far lb* buildiiig of granaries, and appointiBC pcuier officers ta receive the com iiY every places oa Dr. Bvdd has very prmerly conjectured.
Veive 46. Joteph was thoHy yeara aid] As he wa* wSflUsen years M when he was sold into Egypt ehm^ xxxvii. 2. and was now thirty, he must harobeea nirtM* yeors in slavery.
Stood b^ore Paraeh] 'Viaa phrase always mesa* admiBsion to the immediaie pressnoe of (he severeupi, aaA having tbe boaour of bis most unlbnited i nafijiwm Among die Aslaiie pcinoes, the piivikge of psmiag SMR to iktir teat, of etandiitg before t&ani, Ackwos puttA only to the hwfaost Tasourifcsi
Vcrae 47. The earth brmtghtforA bvhancifaU] Tkin probably refers to rfMi as it grows in Q^isgrsU OVA*
M If ' Aod' uMto fm^jfii were born two sons before the years or mmiQe came, whii^ Aeeoalii, -the oauffhter of PoUpherali, ■ priest of Od, bare unto Hbh,
said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and a nr fitthter*8 houte.
<:??* Sff 53 IT And the seven years of pleoteouBoeas, that was in m& land of Kgypt were ended.
64 * And the seren yeare of dearth begui to £ome. ■ according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in aU lands; but in all the land of E'ypt there was bread.
M.And wiken all the land of Egypt was famidied. the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go SMo Joaeph; what he saith to you, do.
66 And thft fitmine Was over ail the face of earth: And JosAph opened ' oU the storehouses, and ■ aeid onto the Egyptians; and Uie fiuninc waxed sore in the land of E^ypt.
&I " And all countries came into Ery'pt, ta iosepb, Ibr to buy corn/ because that uie iaraine was so sore in all lands.
ber of sullu prooeeding from ths suae md. Xs'thoae yean ve nuy reasonably ■uppoat^ the Nils ntM tixteen •ufeiu I Me oa w. 31.
Verss fiO. TW sena] Whess ha oaUed by n&ma expreanva of God'a psnieulsr and bouotiful Providencs Cowaxd him. MAtmaemm, fWio mmatth4h, tigmB^Xorgel- /itluM, from nojAuA lo J^gtL mA Bphoaim, crnsM afhramittuJraitfiAtw, from ma paroA, to bc/rui^ J^l «ttd B8 ea]]«d hiB moat by iheae nunea, becauae Ood had CQSblad turn lo fwgtt aU his toil, dii^nM^e, tuid aSlation, and had mode hun JruHftU in toe very load in vhieh bi h*d auffered tha gnsteat uiafartuae and iodig- Bitiea.
Vena 64. TVu jevon yam qf dearth began la e»jne] Owias, in Egypt, to the Nile not rinng iqore tluui twist or tkirUen eabita; ne on v«r. 3L bui tbara must Wve iMen adMT naii— wbi^ s&eted Mhw oountriw oat imaisdiawiy dependent an the Nil«t Ibougtl remotely with Bnptand Oanswi.
Ter» W. TPim slf <4« loful 4^ woa/ajnia/taJ] As Pfaanoh, ^ tbs sdvies <rf Jsaeph, had ncscied sj|/M |Mrt gf sll die gmin dofiag tbs aevaa years ot pieMf, it la very likely dial no smm was left tlian what was merely ■BBCiiary 10 supfriy the ordinary denandr both in the vay of bone eonsnmptMB, and for the ^posa of karier or «afa w BearirtMomg counties.
Versa 6£ Over mii Hu faoa Iht tartk] The original rwn ^3 eol ptney ha^rtU, AmM be translated, (Ji«.Am* ^ ttun umi viz. Bg^pt, as it is eiplaiaed at the ead or the nne,
Veiaa St. AM tmtnbriea earns inta Egypt— lo buy] As Ihspo had D3l been a saffieten^ of raini^ Tttpours, obc. to swell the Mile to e&n a proper inundatMrn in Kgypt, tha sans oanse would prodaee drought, and comaequenily, searci^, in all tha neighbmrmg countries: aod tnii may fe bH that ia intended In the text.
1. Aa the providence of Qod evidently led the buiiar and baker ja Phaneh, as well a* the king hims«ll, t« 4reaiB tka projibeiia dreams ntentioaed in this and the Braeeding chapter; ao bia Spirit in Jotpb led to tl»e true smsrpraiaisoB of dtaa. What a proof do all tliese things.give us of a Providence that is ao general aa to extend m iniiiHiM m even part i and ao pmrHvutar, aa to no- ^m, liilnBBrin. aad dinat the moat ninuis sirounulsnoes. SoHT, God naa Us vay every vben; and all thdnga aerveTiia vtU.
plBjfi Tiir Bntlunin. cnleniheirackiliilMUldl wMli iiriii ■■! ilmi Inm iiiiiiiig
Ulitpciilaaach oua'i iKk, M.SO. Wlien cnof ibem ww folu la (In UiMi pnmndiT, ha dbMnnal bb meur IB ihr ihhhIi of IV (Mk, m iUich ibef <
(ivuIT ■luiDod. K~3H. Tbry cmw to Uirit bOv In (J:uiud, tail rrlua wtlk hiprwilil ID them ia liirif loMoq, »-3<. On Hn«j>li^ iMrMita, »iA auA BBitr!■ found In hfaiuk^ Diaii(h,iii4iM oDHfiuu botb u Uvn ud 1^ ~
NOW when •* Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And he said. Behold, I hare beard that ther6 is corn in Egrpt: get you down thither, and has for us from tneoce; that we may ' live, and uoc die.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down t6 buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, * Lest peradr^ture mischief befall hinu
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corr% tuttong those that came: for the fhmine was *M the land or Canaan.
6 Tf And Joseph was the governor ' over the Ifuad, and he it was that sold to all the peoj^e of the land: and Joseph's Itfethren came, aai
some are prophetic, there can be no doubt; that others are idle, none can hesitate to believe. Dreams may be divided into the six following kinds. 1. Those which are 4ie mere nigfilly lesuU of die mind's reflectiOiM and peiplaxi* ties during the businesB of the day. 2. l^tose which spring from a diseased state of the body, occasioning startings, terrors, Ac 3. Those which spring from ou impure state of me lieart, repeaUng those acts or images of illicit pleasure, riot, and excess which form the business of «Brofligate life. 4. Those which proceed from adiseassd mind, occupied with schemes of prid^ amUtios, -prandetur, Ac. Tliese, as forming dw charatueristtc con* [net of the lifle, are repeatedly reacted in the deep watebes of the night, and strongly agitate the soul with illusive enjoymenis and disappointments, fi. Those which coma imtiiediately from Satan, which instil thoughts aiud principles opposed to (ru/ft and ri^^hieousTiess, leaving strcmg impressions on the mind suited to its natural beat sM turn, whiidi, is the course of the day, by favouring circum* stances^ may be called iat/a action, 6. Those wKi^ come from Qod, and which necessarily lead to him, whether prophetic of future good or evil | or impressing holy pur- KMee, aad heavenly resolutions. Whatever ^ads away rom God, tmdi, and righteousoesB, roust be from the source of evilc whatever ieads to obedience, to God, and to acts of benevolence to man, must be from the source of goodness^ and truth. Reader, there is often as much mtptHition in diaregarditig, as iii attending to dream»t aad he who ieara Qod will escape it in both.
Vereal. Jacob taw thai there waa com] Thatis,Jacok heard from the report of others, that there was plenty ia Vigypt, Tbe opemtiona of one «en«e, in Hebrew, are onen tut lor those oi another. Before nf^riculture was properly:nown and practised, femlnps were fretguent: Canaan aeema to have bean peculmrly vaxed by tham: ther« waa one in this laiid in the time of Abraham, chap. xii. 10. (mother in the days of Isaac, chap. xzvi. 1. and now a third in die time of Jacob: to this Sl Stephen alludes, Acts vi. 11, there was great n^ieiion; ana our tathom fntrtd no stuttnance.
Verse 6. Jweph was tht goterrtorl vrhv ehallU, an tntendant, a protector, from Vjv akaial, to be oter aa a protedar; hen<:e csVet Mltiatj thitlda, or arma for protectivn and tl^atee^2 Sam. viti, 7. and pDVv akuton, voaer and authority, Eccles. viii. 4, 3. and hence the Arabic K.-Ap,\f*MuitAtt titord, prince, or king, from SaX^ aalyia, he obtained and exereued dominion, he rated. Was it Dot from this very circumstance, Joseph beins ahalit, that all the Hohammsdoa governors of Egypt, cbc. took ths title of Sultan.
Bowed down tkemaelree btfore him] Thus fulfilling die prophMis dmm, chi^zxxvii. 7, 8. which thiy baa
7 And Joeeph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and ■pake * roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to bujr food.
0 And Joseph ^remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
10 And they said unto him. Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servanta come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we ore true men, thy servants are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 And they said. Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest t* this day with our father, and one ■ u not,
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 Hereby ye shall be proved: * ay the life of Pharaoh ye snail not go iorth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be > kept in prison, that roar words may be proved, whether there be any irnth in yon: or else fry the life of Pharaoh surely ye are sines.
takes arcry prBcsntioa to reader mil and nrid. But dwre is ntither might nor counsel against the Lord.
Vene 9. Joteph remembered the dreamt] When he mv thejr vere his own brethren, and mxw thero bowing down tnemetlvee before him with iheir/aeee to the earth,
Ye are epieii] Bhx a^rvt meragtim atem, ye are Jtmtmen, tratnpere oftcmf, footpad*, mgabonde, lying in wait for the property of others. Peraona who, under the pretence of wiahing to buy com, deeire only to find out whether the land be bo defenceleu th&t the tribee to whiiA ye belong, (see ver. 11.^ mayattack.it suceessfiilly, drive out the mh^tanta, ana settle in it yoursetvea) or naTing plundered it, retire to your deserts, "llue is a frequent custom among the Arabs to the present dn-. Tliui Joseph nMike roughly to them, merely to eorer, wr tlie time being, that warmth of action whieh he feU toward diem; ana that being thus brought, apparently, into etraits and dangerous circumstances, their consciences might be awakened, u&t they might reflect on and abhor their own wiekediMss.
Verse It. We arc all one marie mmw] We do not belong: to d^erenl trihte, and it is not likely ibat onefcm^ would make a hostile attempt upon a whole kingdom. T^is seems to be the very ground that Joseph took: viz. that they were persons belonging lo different tribes. Jtgahwt this particularly, they set up their defence, asserting in the most positive manner, diat th^aU belonged to one mmily; and it is on the proof of this, that Joseph puts them, ver. 15. in obliging them to leave one as a hostage, and insisting on dieir fannging their remaining brother; so that he look exacdy the same praeantions to detect them, as if he had had no ae(]uaintaiiea with them, and had every reason tube suroicious.
Verse 15. By the life qf Pharaoh] njne 'n eA«y PharSh^PharaoK liveth—wi if he had said, as rarely as \h6 king of Egypt liveLBOsurelyshnllyenotgDhenoe, unleas
E'lrother come hither— here th«-efore is no oath; it is 'bat they dtemselves make it in their report to tti^ir, eh^. xliii. 3. the man did toUmnbf jrrotea ttnto tt*; and our translators should not have put it in the/orm of an oath, especially as the original not only vrill bear another veraioij, but is absolutely repugnant to this.
Verse 18. I fear Ood] ttv ^3tt o^nhttn dm eih ha-sioMm ani yorit literally ttwnlaled, the passage runs thus, laito fhar the god»; wt (he emphatic (n) ha is probably added n Joseph, both here and in his conversation with Pharaoh, the more particularly to point out the eminence and Mrfaction of the 8up»me Baii^ as conlradistingaished frrat Iba gods of Egypt. Haaeem to say to Mabrethrm, /am IM
18 And Joseph said unto them the third dour, This do, and bve; I fear God:
19 If ye 6e true men, let one of your brethrea be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
20 But "bring your yoimgestbrotfaernnto me: so shall your words be Tcrined, and ye aball not die. And they did so.
21 IF And they said one to uotheri f We ore verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besotig^ us, and we would not hear; ' therefore is this distresB come upon ns.
22 And Reuben answered them, saymg^ ■ Spake 1 not unto you, saying, Do not am agaiDst the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is > reooired.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for " ne spake unto them by an inters preter.
24 And he turned himself abont from tbeou and wept J and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Sumob, and bound him beibre their eyes.
25 H Then Joseph eommanoed to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give ^em proviaitm for the way; and * uius did he unto them.
26 And they laded their asaee with the tan, and departed thenee.
27 And as * one of them opened his eaek to
Verse 21. We are esr% gvUty] How findy are the Office and influence of conscience eiemplified in ifaiss words I It was about tventy-heo yeaia nnce duy bad saU their brother, and probably raeir oonscience had been hiUed asleep to the present hour. God eorabines and brings abovt those favourable cireumatanoes, ^rtiicb prodoee oMetUtaa and r^/Uction, and give weight to the eayesWlsfiBus «f conscience. How necessary to hear its voice ui timc^ far here, it may be the instrument of salvation; but dm beard in this world, it must be heard in the next; and Uier*, is association with the wquenehableilre, it will be the nemw dying iMn-m. Reader, has not mr sin as yet found Am outt Pray ta Ood to tiUu away the veil from thy bean, and to give thee that deep sense of goUt wfaudk ttmSl obbga thee to see for refuge to dte hope wfaiah is set bsftm in the Gospel of ChrisL
Verse 23. Flor he epakt wiio Utem by m tesrwste-) Either there was a very great-difference between ue twa langaagea as then spoken, «r Josssh, lo p(e««Dt aH awptcion, might aflisct to be igDorant « both. We bava masy evidenees m this book that the Egyptjansi Hebnws^ Oanaanites, and Syriuis, eould understand each odxr in a general war; though there are also proofa, that ifaoM a oonsideraSle difference between their diatocta.
Verse 24. ThoJe—Simeon, and bound him btfort &eif iSK*.] This was retatiaiim, i^ as the tafafaios nwose^ it was Simoon who bound Joseph, and pat biiB iato me pit. A reeoUeednn of thiaoirewnstance mwt axoeedin^ dsapsa the sense he bad <rf his guilt
Verse2B. Commanded to JtUUteirtaeke'] anff> kaleyhem, their vessels, probably Urge woollen oags^ or badien lined with leather, as Sir John ChanUn sayi^ are atiU in use through all Asia, and whieh are called tambeliU; diey are covered with leather, the better to resist the wet, aaia lo prevent dirt and sand from mixing with the grain; tbesa teeeele, of whatever sort, roust have been dinerent frisa those Mlled pv mJt in the 27di sad fallowing vNBea,wfai(k was probably only a small eack or bag, in which each had reserved a Buffieiency of com Iter his ass during the journey 1 the larger vessels or bags, serving to hoM uis waeat mtf had brought, and dtafr owa f^fc^y— lbs rsadar will at once see, that the Bnglish word eoek is plainly dsrivad from the Hebrew.
Versa 36. JTuy laded their osms] AaMMnUne m doubt, to several scoraij if not kundreae i else they eoald not have brought a sufficiency of eom for the support of so lane a family as that of Jacob.
Vene21'. One ^th4m opened kiM tack] Fnmfsr.aS. waleara Ami cmE af the im hmkrm, m esepqriag Ms five hk an pdvender in the bm, he espied bjs money; for, behold, it teas in bis sack's month.
28 And he said unto his brethrra, My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart * ftuled Aem^anA tiiey were alVaid, ■ayinc one to anodier, What is this that Ood hath done nnto as?
29 \ And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land oi Canaan, and told him all that befeU unto them; saying.
SOThenmn.wAoittfaelordoftheland, rmmke a rougffaly to us, and took us for spies of the coantry.
31 And we ssud unto him, We ttre true men: we are no spies:
32 We bf. twelve brethren, sons of our fhther; one is not, and tbe youngest is tbia day with our fhther in the land ofCanaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the country, said nnto ns, * Hereby shall I know that ye are true men J leave one of your lM>ethreo here with me, and take.^MN//>f the fomineofyonrhousehotds, and be gone:
mA irim be reinmed, Hound hia money in it: ma we lappoae diat dtta was not diaeoverad tnem all befon 1 ItaeeiMwN: MidtbereaMnwuprabaUyduii dwrnaney waaputmtfieiRaiilftofdMMekofotMonlyi iniheMeka flfdieodiefait wgbcsdaf oriMarteifaftoaawi boDoe only one diaoovered tt on the road; the reat found it when diw eanu to enwty their lacka at their father'a house.
h tha iHn] rto^ ka-JMlon, firou tan, to httge, ttay, reMOtn, && lie plaee M miich they atouped to bait or reat themaelvea aod their asaea. Our word »nn gives us a fataa idea hara there were no such places of entertain* ment at that time in the desert over whim ^wy had to pass i aor are there any to the present day. THveHera eenarally endeavour to renh a waL where they fill their gxrboAM, or leathern bottles, with fresh water, and having clogged their camels, asaea, Ac. permit them to crop any little verdure Ibare mar be in the pla«^ keeping vateh over tbam by tana. Tiiis is aU we are to undenMand by die molMt, or Asm, in (he text; fin-even earomin-wratawere not dten in Qse^ which are generally no more thaa/oar watts perfectly sxpossd, the place being open at the top.
Verae 26. Their heart faiUd thtmj oaS tm vo-yetee NMosi) Aeir hMrt went oui — this refers to that spasmodic •Aetion wbic^ ia felt in the breast at any sudden alarm or
What is UUt that'Owi koA tbnu unto ««?] llMir mllty conaeiencea, now thorongiily awakened, wen in oonnaual alarmst they felt that they deserved Ood'a eurse; end every oecnrreBoe aervod to confirm and inensas their sospicions.
Verse 36. AU theee thinge are against me.] reffs m >Vp SH hafu euBanah; literally, aU Ihete ffiinge are upon nu. Not badly translated by ihe Vulgate, in me heee mmia maJa reeiderunt. " All tbeae evils fell back upon ■ae." Hey He apm me aa heavy toads, baatesing my dsMh I they are tnore than I can bcxir.
VemST. Stay nuf two aone, if I bring him not to Out] What e stnage proposal made ^ a son to his/oXAer, coneamfaurhis grmtdehUdrent But diey riiov the honesty Md timtioa of Reuben's heart— he felt deeply for his fiidWa diatnss, and was determined to risk and hazard •vecy tfaiiig in order to relieve and comfort him. Hiere ia Bcarealy a transaction in which Reuben ia concerned, that does not serve to set hia character in an amiable point of view, saeept ifaa single inslaaee nuotioned eha|iw xxxv. 22. ■od wUoh, for the saka of dMsney and ptety, «e should wirii to onderstand aa the Targumiats have explained it; see the ooteo.
Verae 38. He fs Ufl ahne] i. e. Benjamin ia the only remaining aon of iUchcl; for he supposed Joeeph, who was the other son, to be dead.
Y* aluUl brh^f down my (nvjf hair* wifft wrrow, Ac.] Hsn ha kaapa up the idee or ms oppreasive burden menlioiMd 00 w. 30. to irtiieh avery ooeumnoe was adding snedditkmal wBightt so that he Mt it inqMHible to wpport it any longer.
34 And hrinc your yonngest brother tmto me: then shall I luiow that ye are no spies, bat that ye are true men: so will I deliver ~ou your orother, and ye shall >> traffic in the
35 IT And it came to pass ae they emptied their sacks, that, behold, « every man's bundle of mo* ney was in his sack: ana when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye <* bereaved o/mg chiMren: Jos^b t» not, and Simeon t« not, and ye wfll take Benji^ min atsay: all these things are afainst me.
37 And Reidjeo Bt>ake unto hisTather, saying, Stay mv two sons, if I brin? him not to thee: deUver bim into my hand, and I will bring h^ to thee afain.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with vou; fbr * his brother is dead, and he ia left alone: ' if mischief he&U him bjr the way m which ye Uien dmll ve < bring down my gray hairs wiUi sorrow to the grave.
ore very appropriate and judicious. ** ITothing can be more tender and moturesque than tbe worda of uie venerable patriarch. Full of aiTection for his beloved Rachel^ he eannot think of parting witli Benjamin, the only remaming pledge of that love, now Josei^ aa h» supposes, is no more: we seem to behold the gray-haaded venerable fatber, plaading with his sons; ue beloved Benjamin standing by hia side: impatient sorrow in thtir counienancea, aiM m Aut, all the bleeding aoxietf of paieraal love. It will be difficult, I believe, to find in aiqr autbwv ancient or modem, a mora ezquiaite picture."
1. Tiina ia one doetniw relative to Ihe economy of divine Providence, little heeded among men: I mean the doctrine of reatitution. When a man has done wrong to his itekjfabour, thou^ on bis repentance, and feith in our Lord Jesus, Ood forgives him his sin, yet be requires him (o make ratitulion to the person injured, \f it tie in th* compost hu power. If he do not. Ood will take care to exact it In the coarse of hia Providence. Such respect haa he for Ihe dietalea of infoiite justiee, that nothing of this kind rinll pass unnoticed. Sevend instanees i>f tbia have already oceuned in this history; and we shall see several more. No man should expect mercy at the hand of God, who, having wronged his neighbour, refbses, when he has it in his power, to make ratituiion. Were he to weep tears of blood, both the justice and mercy Ood would Ant out his [myer, if be made not his nei^- bour amends for the injury ne nu^ have done him. Tbe mercy of God, Oirougfa the blood of Ihe cross, can diona pardon his gailt; but no dishonest man con expect this; and he is a dishonest man who illegally holds the property of another in bis band, 'ttie unnatural bretmen, who aoM their brother into captivity, are now about to be captivated diemselvea; and the binder himself is ftottwf in nis turn; and though a kind Providence does nOl permit the evil to fell upon them, yet, while apprehendiiw it. they feet all ila reality; conscience supplying the lac£ of pruon. Jailer, and bondt.
2. liie ways of Providence are often to ua dork and perplexed, so that we are ready to imagine, that good can norer result from vriuu i^)pean to ua to be directly contrary to our interest; ai>d we often are tempted to think, that those vety providential dealings of Ood, which have for their cAtiect our present and eternal welfare are rather proofe of nis dinleosure, or evidences trf' his vindictive ludgnients. AU wet thing* are ogainH me, said poor desponding Jacob. Whereas, instead of being againtt htm, all these diingt were jor him; aitd by all these meuh was die nwteifiil Ood working for the preaervatioo of himself and his fiunily, and die folfilment of his ancient promisb that the posterior of Abraham sftouM be OS the etar* of fua»en /or mulHiude. How strange ia it that our feith, after so many evidences of his goodness should still be so weak; and that wx opinion of him should be so imperfect, that wa eon never tnist him but vhile ha ia under oar own eye I If we see him produeiw good, we can bellevs duu)w is doing ao^ and uiia ia alL Ir wa beUevs not, ha abides foidtfidt bat oar onbehaf nnat midce our own ■mwy oxiremeqr pendtxlng and diflkuh.
AND the famine ira« *■ eore in the hind. 2 And it come to pass, when thev had eaten up the oorn which they had brought out of Kgypt, their father said unto them. Go again, Wr ua a little food.
3 And Jodah spake unto him, Baying, The OBOD I did aoleranlv protest nnto ua, saying, Ye ■ball not see my noe, except your ^ brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with U9, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if thou wilt not send Aim, we will not go down: fbr the man said anto us. Ye shall not aee my face, except'your brother be with you.
, 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye «o ill with me, «« to tell the man whether ye bad yet a brother 1
7 And they said, The man i asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your ftither yet alive? have ye anotAifr orother? and we told hira according to the ■ tenor of these words: ■ could we certainly know that he would say. Bring your brother down?
8 And Judah said unto lurael his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my haod ahalt thou require him: <> if I bring him not unto thee.
Vene 9. Send the lad -with vu] Am tha origioid is noi iV* yifi, frora wbieh wo havt derived our wwd lad, but *V> no^r, it weuhl have bean better, had our jtraulaton nndcred it by •ome other term, such a* Ihe yoiiA or th* yoang man, and thua tixt (liatinctian in the Heoraw would have been better kept up^ Beajanua was at thia Lime at leaat twenty-four yean of ag^e, some think Airty, and bad « family oi his own. See cn. xlvi. 21.
Tkai we woj/ live, attd not dU] An argument drawn iroxo ulf-pmervwion, what some have termed th* firtt law ^ naiurt. By yoor koeping Benjamin, we are prevented from goin; to Egypt — if we go not to ^ypt, we shall get no corn — if we get do corn, we shall sJl perish by &iuinq i and Benjamin himself^ who otherwise might in^ must, with thee, and the whole fiunily, infalUbly die.
Verse 9. IM dm btar the blame far «o«rj ^ i> Txvm O^n vtduUall leca eol ha-yamim than akaU I nn, «ga(iw( thu all my days; and coiueqiieaUy be liable to punishment far violating mv faith.
Verse 11. Carry dawn me man a prtt*n{\ From the very earliest times, prennia were used as means of introduction to ereat men. This is particularly noticed by Sotomon: A man's fi/I maJeeth room for him; and britigeih him before ffreat men, Prov. xviii. 16, But •rbu was the present brought to Joseph on this occasion 1 After all the labour of eommeotalon, we are obliged to b« contented widi {M^boUlitiee and oonjeoture. According to our iransladon the gifts were 6aJm, hmay, apteea, vvmit, nuia, and a^moiuf*.
Balm 'ni laori, is supposed to signify rwin in general, or some kind of gum issuing from trees.
the rofr of pnatta, called in Egypt d»6*; others think that benn'. in the common aean of the term, is to be underetoodnere.
Spich nK33 neeoth, ia suppowd (o mean sum atorax, iriiich mi^l be very vahiabu, on account ofits qualities Mspc^ums.
Htbsh i/> Id, Mipposed by some to mean atacU, by others to signiAr an oinimant made <tf myrrh.
and set him before thee, then let me bear the
10 For except we had lingered, lurely now we had returned this second time.
11 And their fadier Israel said unto them, If if ntu»t be BO now, ik> this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and Scarry downthe mana present, a little ' balm, and a little honey: spices, and myrrh, nuts, and ahnoods;
12 Ana take double money in your hand } and the money ' that was brou^t again in the mouth 01 your sacks, carry tt again m yout hand M>eradyenture it iro* an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy.befiM-e the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin, t If <■ 1 be bereaved qf my cMulren, I am bereaved.
15 t And the men took that nreseDt. and they took double money in their band, and Benjamin: and rose up, and went down to kgypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 AndwhenJosei^sawBenjatniuwitfathem, he said to the * ruler of his houae. Bring thme men home, and * slay, and make ready; lor thege men shall ' dine with me at noon.
17 And the man. did €ta Joseph bade; and the man brought the nien into Josejih'a house.
IS And the men were afraid, beeaaae thcgr were brought into Joeeph's boiwe: and ther said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks, at the first time, are we brought in: that be may ^ seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bond-men, and oar asses.
19 If And they came near to the steward of Joeenh's house, and they communed with him at the door of tho house,
20 And said, O sir, 'we * oame indeed down at the first time to buy food:
those produced io Syria bein^ the finest in the world; otbera dataa, others watnuta, others pine-aqjpUa, others (hi nuts of the terebinth tree.
Alhosiw empv Aekedimy correctlv enough inunlated, and perhaps the only article in the collection, of which we know any thing with certainty. It is generally allowed that the land of Canaan produces the best almonda in ihs E^titf and on this account, they might be deem^ a very acceptable present to the governor of Egypt. Tliose who wish to see this subject exhausted, must have recourse to the Pky^ea Saera of SAeuAzer.
Terse 12. Double money) What was returned in their saeks, and what was &rther necessary to buy another load.
Verse 14. This verse may be literally translated thus: "And Ood, the AII-suQieient, shall give you lender mer* cies before the man, and send to you your other brother, and Benjamin: and I, as I shall be childless, so I shall be childless.'* That is, I will submit to this priratioi^ till God diall restore my children to me. It appears to me^ that diis verse is spoken jrrojihMcaily, and that God at diis lime gave Jacob a superoaluiaf evidence, Ibat his children should be restored.
Verse 16. Slay and make ready] nae rat teboA, Ubach, aUy a alaying, or make a great ataughter: let mporations be made for a great feast or entertoinnenL See a similar form of speech, Prov. ix. 2. 1 Sam. zzv. 11. sud Gen. xxL 64.
Verse 18. And the men were c^raid] A fruilty «nscience neada no accuaer. Every thir^ alarms themj they now feel that God is exacting retriSutum, and ihey know notwhat the degree shall be 1 or where it shall stop.
Jbil upon im] i3^vyr)nr\ hilhgoUt Slainu, roll himself upon us. A metaphor taken from vre^era; when a man haa overthrown his antagonist, he rolls himsetf upon him, in order to keep him down.
And our oases] Which they probably had io freof number with them t and which, if captured, would nave been a great loss to the fiimily of Jacob, as sudi cattle must have constituted a principal part of its riches.
VI And ' it came to pass, when we came to the ino, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money wtu in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it aeain in our hand.
22 And otlier money have we lMY>nght down in our hands to buy food: we earaot tell who pat our money in our saeks.
83 And he said. Peace be to you. fear not: your God, and the Godof yoor father, nath $ iven you treasure in jara Backs: " I had your mon^. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and 'gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: far they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 If And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their haiuriDto the house, and ' bowed themaelves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their 'welfere, and ■aid, ' h your father weH, the old man s of whom ye spake? /* he yet alive?
28 And they answered. Thy aervant oAr Ikther w in food health, he & yet alive. ^An^
Out did not exist before: they simply aod honestly rekta the whole arenmiitsnee of ihe mcxiey btiMg fbund in tbsir BSdu. on tbsir return from tbsir last journey,.^ietiaiu from the hood of God, and under his Arectitm, ha«e a war dtfCiil tmdMcy to huinbte ^.soul. Did umb kaov how fi.li iiiui his ill ii|j,iis III II in seoding sue^ no morBaur wot^d ever be beard against the diipenMtioas of Divioe ProvideiK»>
Verse 23. And kt taid} 1W atldress of the steward in this verse, plainly proves that the knowledge of the true Qoi was in Ggypt. It if probable that the steward himmBT was a Htornr, and that Joseph had givea bim ialimation of Ihe whole alfair; and though ha was not at liberty to reveal it, yet he f^vee them aisumnees that the whole business would issue happily. Ihad your monau) ^ MS OSBoa oospscem ba dai; money coma to me. As I am the steward, the e««Jt Ae earn beloagB to sia. Ys hwn m> nasoo n> b» oppushsasiTOotsay wit; the «4hi1s tfaasaction is between nirsatf ud you; teoeive ihers&ire the nionoy as a presem from Hu Ooa tif your Jalker, no laaUer whose hwads he raakssuee of to convey iL The oondxiH trf the sUvard, ■swaU as his wenis, had • grsat tendcak^ to rsheve ana M^Ajt thsir ^wirinfil minds.
Terse 37..^mI A« a*ked tKam if their we^rv] TTiis Tares may be ihue tmnslated: — " And he airiied then omcsfTiiag uteir prosperin'; and he said. Is yoor lather proepssBMs, the on man whom ye told me was alivel And Uwy eni(Llliyssrvaiit our tither prospers { he is yet alive."
CSsd^froefoHsiMtelAa^niraan.] A naual salutation in (be SMt from Ihe m^td ttmd tupcriort, to the yotmgtr aai ta ii\f*rior*t whieh, though very emphatio and ajcpccsm*e in anoieot tinea, in ths pressat d«y mesas M m»e thm "lam yowbomhleservBUt" or, " I am exoMdiiy ly glad to see yoai" woed^ whicii uooog us inean— just mlhiap. Km is DaviifB thnst'di^ seem to fains Mt% nM only devgU of memin^ bit 10 be usedasadMbte the baeest and ntoet treaobw'oiM desurna. 7>4y bltMwUk Ihmr mouth*, but Ihey eurte inaartUy. Hence Joab saintea Amata^ kiosea hum with apparent a&dion, and stabs him t» the aame monwm I Yb» ease of Juda»^ betraying ttasSonof Ibn with aitiss, will not be forcotten. ■ Terse 32. Tth^ »st on/or Mm fry AiniM(r, Ac.] Prom the text it amsn avidsiit, dial thve were Mtm tabUty am far Jsaqrii, one for the figyptians, and oas far dw etsma brsduso.
The B/rmtiaiu migMt not tat brtad itiA Ih* iMreve] Isawmigbt hiive bees soma psiiheai reason for tfaia, with wUdi we are imanyminlrif hat, iiidqwsdan% of thie, two may ba aMigned. 1. Tha Befarsws vera A ■ad Bgypt bad taeeo almost niioed by horde* of Wleas wsmliii ■§ baoAni, under the name of AjKsoe, or kings/ufhinU, who had but a short time before this been
29 And he lifled up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, > his mother's eon, and said, /* this your younger brother, * of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 And Joseph made baste: for 1 his bowels did yearn upon tiie brother: and he soui^
31 And he washed his fhce, and went out, and refirained himself^ and said, S«t on ■ breed.
32 And they set on far him bf himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egvptraoa, wtiich did cat with him, by themsetves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews,- for that i« 'on aboraiaatioa irat* th»
And they set bei^ hin, the first ham according to Ins birtbright, and the youuMot aecordlo£to his youth: aid the maiiniarr cued eaa at amrther.
34 And he took mrtd »ent messes unto them from before him: but Bei^UBfai'B mess wa» pflve t^ne* so aaoeh as apy d'Ut^ra. And they drank, and < w»e merry with bim. 1
expelled from the laad by AmuU, a/tCT thay had heM t* in BBb)eetion for 269 yean, aceerdiiig to JUbtuAe^ commit<- ting the moat wanMa cniekiee. 2. The Hebrews saertfteeii those aniautli which the Egypttaae hM sacrsd, and M on iheie flash. The Egyptiau were in general vesy superstitious, and would have no social iniercoune with people of any otbec nation: hence we an infarmed, that tbsy would not even use the kn^t of a Greek, because they mi^ have reason to Buspect it had cut the.Jhdi qf somt qf twoc animaU uAtcft ney, keld aacred. Some are of opinion that the Cigyptian idolatiy, especially their worship of Apia under the figure of aa or, was posterior to the tims of Joseph: ancient monuments &te rather against this opinion; but it is impoBsibte to deeide either tmf. The clause in the AJexanahaDSfptuftgnit stands tfaui^ sfihMs
(every shepherdj w aa abomination to the £gyptiaiiB;" but this elausa m piebably hirrovad froon dwp. xtvi. M. where it studs io the Hawev, aa weU aa ia the Greek.
Verse 33. TKtJtnt-bom aeoordung to Us birihrighil This must greatly astonish these brethren to find toemselves treated with so much cemnony, and at the soma time with so much dwoemmeiU of tbtor respective ages.
Verse 34. Ber^amin'a tness was Jive Hmco «• mum a* any IMrw] Sir John Cbardin oisarves. ibet "ia Persia, Arabia, aai the Sidies, there are several houses wbete thsy place s^eial plates in large salveis, and set one of these before each pcvsoa, or before two or three, according to the mMiifieenoe of each boose. The great men of lbs state are luwayaserved^ dMtnselve^ in the feasts diat are made for ^em; ami with groats prufiuiont their part Hf taAkkhd^ pro-rioion oetog ejrcjrs booslb, tbou^ erauMSBpr^wrlton^ toAkiitd^ mtat." Theeir* cumataace 01 Benjamin's having a mess rm times as large as any of bis brethren, shows die peculiar honour vbuJk Joseph designed to confer upon him. See seveni uadW observaltMis on this subject in Hormer's O^sers. vol. ii. p. 101, &e. edit 1908.
1. Thb scarcity in Caaaan was not absolute i though they bad no eom, they had /umey, iwU, ahnoiuit, Ae. u the midst of judgvtmt, God remembers «m*. If tbara was ocmrahf in Conaanj there wee plenty in Bgypti and though bis Piovideace bad denied one country com, and. aoeumulaied it in the otier, bis bounty had plaoud ia the fonoer money enough to procure it from the fatter. Bow true ia the saying, " It is never iii with any, hut it might be worse." Lai us be dem^ thonUul to God ^ ws have ony Oiingt seeing we-oeswrve aogwcf athia bBiHta.
2. If we examioa eur cireomstances elosely, and call lo resMKbraooe the dealings of God's Provkl«Boe towards us, we dudl find that we can sing much, both of msrcy tnAoijudgmenL Fot ow dlQr e^ absohiie UBavaidahta wwH. we diall find that we bad three hundred aod sjity four, if net ^tfuinm, yet. of a ewqrtensy. Fiawu$y though rarely iu^ipening, are every where rmrdedf in-. mmenMe year* (ff fihwndam^ are eearcdy ever r^»- tered! such is the perversenessand ingratittule of maal iMaiAeonianklik lUniiJ Input hlm^iKnilT in BiDjuMack,l,& TIm ■oaa Jkonb dqw vkh Ibi omi Otrr kad panibavli B. JiaaA i iiM»ii>h hli ■umid u [wnua UH(n,uidiJHr(* Uicn wMk bii^DCMokallfa eaPit— & Tin twthf name Tl»»—hn,prcit litai lawMaoocudaOii laafank ubxtaia dutld the dap be found with uv oC ifaou, t-A Sanb Dade, ud the vOB |i IB«ltiiB«UMia<iiHk, to— K TlMrmtniiahibKik, ulnUiihaiMtrTM to JeMh. 13— IS Ua dMniliis thai Bmiliniin aiam, wiih vheB tbi cup vu lb«d,£nimDlBeM>liTUr,11. Jiidili,biaBM>lkUKVHh,jHeM]>liir rinl—H'Tr[ilrTBTHTil. -nlnlhiitiimilf inlntiniiiiiii liiTii iiiiil. nf HI
AND he commanded 'the tteward of his house, aaying, FUt the men's sacks leith food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack^s mouth.
2 And out my cup, the ailver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morninff was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4 And when thev were gone out of the city, and not yet far off. Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men: and when thoa dost overtake them, say unto than. Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good)
5 Is not this it, in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he ''divineth? ye have done evil in so doing,
6 K And he overtook them, and he spake unto them tihese same words.
7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saitb my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing;
8 Behold, ' the money, which we found in our ■aclu* mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: bow then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold 1
9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, imd we elso will be my lord's bondmen.
10 And he said, Now also let it be according nnto your words: he, with whom it is fonnd, shall oe my servant: and ve shall be Uamelesa.
1 1 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12 And he searched, and began at the eldest,
NOTES ON CHAPTER XLIV. Terse 2. Put my mp i» &4 tadfa numtk ^ Hu youn^at.] TUs itnUagem seems to have been designed to bring Joae[^'i brethren into the Higheat ttata^per- ■ fUxity and dutrat, that their deliveience by the discOTcry that Joseph was dieir brother, might have iti
Teneo. IMeretjrAedjvlneA] DiriaaticmbynmhBa been from time immemorial prevalmt among tKe Anatice; and for want of faunring thia, ennmealaBnn have spent a profVision of learned labour upon tfieae words, in order to reduee them to that kind of meaning, vhtch would at once be consistent with the scope and deaign of the huH totv, and save Joseph from the impeoehment of sorcery ana divinaiitm. 1 take the word »ni tuebuft hersi in its general acceptation, to vime attmtitely, to inqurre. Nov ibem boa been in the east a tradition, the eommeneement of which is loat in immemorial time, ttmt there was a oor, which had passed successively into the hands of different potentates, which possessed the strange property of representinff in it the uhoU world, and all the IhingM uAmA were then doing in it. lite cup is called ^jSZs^ Jami JevuluM, the cup of Jemsheed, a very ancient king of Persia, whom late historians and poets nave confbunded with BaoJitUj Solomon, Alexander Great, Ac "nus CDP, fillp^l with the eHxir of immortality, they
7 was discovered when digging to lay the fonndatioas /»lfr«5»/i». Tlie Persian poeu ore full of allusions to this cup, which, from its property of representing the whole world and its tnuuaotionB, is styled by them ^itS^^^Ji»Bi^Aannlmai "the cup showmg the oni verse," aiid lotbe tntdligsnoe reoeived means of it, they attribute the great prosperity of their ancient m anarchs, as by it they understood all events, past, present, and to come. Many Df the Mohammedan piinoes and governors aflbet still to have inf(Mi»ati<Hi of futurity by means of a cvp. When Mr. Norden was at Dtrri in the ftrthest part <tf EgjpL in a van dsngarous litnaion. an Ul-nsaired and powniul Anls m a duwtenii^ way told
and left at the youngeet: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 Then they * rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass. and returned to the city.
14 II And Judah and bis brethren came to Joseph's house; for he ipas yet there: and they ' fell before him on the ground.
15 And Joseph said unto them. What deed it this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I c«tii certainly ' divine 7
16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak 7 or how ahaU we clear ourselves? Qod nath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold. ^ we are my lord's servants, both we and he also wkh whom the cup is found.
17 And he said, i God forbid that I shootd do so: btU the man in whose hand the cup is found, be ^all be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace imto vour father.
18 \ Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Ob my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and ^ let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for then art even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, sayit^, Have ye a fother, or a brother t
20 And we said unto my lord. We hare a father, an old man, and i a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and ne alone is left of his mother, and hia father loveth
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, ■ Bring him down unto me, tiiat I may set mine eyea upon him.
22 And we said unto my lord. The lad cannot leave his father: for if he mould leave Ua
23 And tnou saidst unto thy servants, * Except your youngest brother come down with
you. ye shall see my face no more.
24 And it came to pass when we came up unto tby servant my fhther, we told him the words uf my lord.
one of their people whom they sent to him, that " Ha knew what sort of people they were, far he had eonnUed hi* cup, and faund by it, that Aty were thoae of wboaa one of uieir pro|^ts had said, dwt FranAa (Europeaa^ would come in disguise, and passing every where, enanina the state of the eoontry, and afterward bring over a grsat number of other Pranks, conquer the country, and e)ctar> minate all." By this we sea that dw tnoition of die diHnimg ew sull exista, and io die wra saaw waiilry too^ ia wbica Joseph liwmeriy mied. Now thoudi it h not at all likely that Joee^ pfaodsed any kind of oMw tion, yet iHt>bably, sooorain^ to the superstition of ihoaa times, (for I suppose die tradition to be even older than ibe time of Joseph) sopemstuial influence might be attrifamei to hit cup f and as the triwle tnasaetion rdaied here, wae merely intended to deceive hia brethren for a thoH Ma% he miglit as wdl affect dMnation &y hio cvp, as he affixted to believe they had atoUn it. The steward ihentoa uses the word rru noAaah, in its proper meaning. Ik not thie it out <tf «Ai(A my lord drinic^h, and in iMA km inepeeleth aeeurattU/ 7 ver. 6. And beooa Joseph s^^ ver. 16. Wot ye not, did ye not know, that neh «y«rs— ao /[haviiw suob aoup] teoiitrf oceuraisZy and ofMifssthr look into u7 As I ooMider this to be the true meaniag, I shall not trouble the reader with other modes of iatery tation.
Verse 16. WhMt ehaU we »ay, 4us.] No words can mars stroi^fty mark oonfitwion and perturbation ^ mutd — l^ey, no doubt, all dioaghl that Bemamin bad aotually stolen the cup; and the probabUiw or thia guilt might b* heightened bjf the ctrcmnalanre of iiiahaTOgd>at lujsap to (bink out of at dinner i fior aa he had the bkmI bonoi^ able mess, so it is likely, he had the most bo»ourahle <up to drii^ out of at the entertainment.
Verse 18. Tliou art mon aa Pharoiik.^ As wiss, «a poweriul, and aa much to be dreaded as bs. In the Aaataa countriea, the reinting monarch is always eonndered to ha the paOsm aU jterftfUon, and the highest booour that eiBMooBtered on say person, is to resnnbk him to
S5 And * our father Bald, Go again, wnA buy OB a little food.
86 And we said, We cannot go down: if our TOOiigeBt brother be with as, then will we go down: fbr we may not see the 'man's face, except our yonnseet brother he with us,
27 And thy Bervant my father said unto Ub Ye know that p my wife bare me two «on*.■
28 And the one went out from me, and I said, 4 Surely he ia torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
29 And if ye 'take this also from me, and mischief benU him, ye shall bring down my giwr hauv with sorrow to the grave.
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my jkther. and the lad he not with us: (seeing that ■ his Kfe is bound up in the lad's life;)
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad iff not vnth us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray haws of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 For thr servant became sure^ for the lad unto my father, saying, « If 1 bring him not unto ihee, then 1 shall bear the blame to my fiUher for ever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, ■ let thy servant abidey instead of the lad^ a bondman to my lord j and let the lad go up with his brethren.
monarch; m the tnonarefa himself is likened, in ths aune aomplimeittnT wur, lo on emgd of (Tbti— See 2 dam. idr. 17, 18. Judafi » the chief epeoker here, beeuiee it WM in eoamjfXBaot of hie heeamug eonty tor Rmjamin, Aat Jacob penaitted bin U ■oeompsiq' tlum to E^pt-> See ehiqi. zliii. 9.
"ETBa7manwhoi«adi,"a^Dr. Dodd, "totfaeeloee of this cbopcer, must e<mtam that Judah asts here the part both of the anoctionBle brother, and of the dutifol aon, who, rather than behold hi* &tber'i misery in ease cf Bmjsmbi'a being left behind, anbmils to beoome a bood- ■lan in his stead: and indeed there is nich an air of candour and generoei^ runs through the whole strain of diis speech; the sentimenta are so tender and afieoting, the azpcussions oo paasitmate, and flow so much from artless natnre, that it is no wonder if they oune home to Joseph's heart, aad forced him lo throw off the mask." " mien sns aeei^*' Myi Dr. Ja^son, "Mieh passagea related by MB who a&et no art, and who lived long after the parties who first uttered them, we cannot conceive how ul partiaolars could be so nanimlly and folly recorded, unless dwv bad been su^ested by fUt Spirit, who gives mouths and speedt unto men; who, being alike present^ all sueseaaion^ is able to eommonioate the eeeret thougbU of ftwebAecs to their children, and pat the very words of the deewwed, never registered befmre,' into the mouths or pens «f their soooeasors for many ages after; and that as exactly, and distinetly, as if mey had been caught in characters of ttMl or frrass as they issued out of (heir mouths. For it is plain, that every circumstance is here related with mh aatoral jpsefjCrafiom, as if Hoses had heard dwm lalkf and dwrafine could not have been thus represented to 11% tmleos they had been written by A£« direotton, who knows all things, as well fore-past, present, or to eema."
To two aneh able and accurate teedmonies I may be permitted to add my own. No paraphraae can heighten uu effect of Judah's address to Joae^ To add, would be to diminish iu excellenee— to attempt to axptain, would be to obscure its beauties— t* elouie the idsss in other language than that of Judah, and his translattnv in our Bible, would ruin Hs energy, and destroy its influence. It is perhapa one of the most teitder, aflbcting pieces of BRtnnl oratory ever spoken or penned i aiM we need aot wonder to find thai when Joaepb heard it, he eouM ■ot raOain himself but wept alowl. Hie soul nuut have baan iBsesaiMe beyond irimt is eonunon to hitman iiatui% had he not immediately yielded to a apeech so delteately loader, and so powerfully; and we cannot but deplore the unnatural and luueientHic division of the ■■native in our common Bibles, which obliges us to have rseowse to anodur AapUr^ in order to witness the effects which this speech produeed on the heart of Joseph. NOTOS ON CHAPTER XLV.
Vctss 1. JoMph eould ncf rt/VoM him—in The word PMtm UAopAsifc is very etnptaritei it sigiufles to font.
34 For how shall I co up to my fhther, and the lad he not with me 'T lest peradventore I see the evil that shall ^ come on my father.
dUcom mBHir lo bk InlJinB, 1—4. yMOaa Iheir gonna uiriboua tin whidi u ih* prsrUaiH vt God,
CuHun, uclbri^i^ ibcii iaib(r mnl iJ«li«n riiiiiiliii mili I ii win B»7ainafilHfunUHr« la COOK, 0—13. H* nnlniaa ulcanmHwIib ■U hk bminn, H, 15. Phuuh booing tbmi Ja»li>> tmlra wen cone to uni(,utd ihuJoi^lHi] Jolnl ihon id mm lo Cwun lod bring balk tbdr WjnfllBi, iioi oolT aniAriru ihc onkr. bat pjcml— ihoo iht tun pen al <Iw luid **^CTPl lodw4fl Lb; ucJ providd ilum auTiapvin trunnion llMnvl*q ftbdtbdr Ixnwalda, 1*— yo. Jo*Eph|]raiU«ibmwiih wiicDniuiixinUiYiiiiIwcoBiiauid- BMiiirPiuiWi.uidluTtnyflwiiriWBintioaapiHBU, oak Item mr vtib ■riuhlo mMb, U— 91 Thefiupmn, anlw in C^oiuui, ud nimoim Ik* fM UUi«>io itacfr htbv.wtolWatimbdhnsaatibDlbduMgitf sl'lte(nii«( ibrtr itlMkiifc hiiiiuir mimftntil. ntt nm\im lo ryt Epm, rpHEN Joseph could not refrain mmself before X all them tiiat stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to ^o out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Jos^^ made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he * wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, ' I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were ' troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethr«i, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, ■ whom ye sold into Egypt.
(m^»attf—todo»anuMtigagainrtnatur«—todovialatc« to anJa 9»if. JoKiph could no longer eottstrsin himself to act a feigned part— all the brother and tlM son rose up in him at oocx, and overpowered all -his resolution j he fislt for his ^^UAer—fae realized his disappointment and agony, end he felt for his &re<Ar«n, " now at hie feet sub' missive io distresa," — sud, that he might give tnt and fiui scope to hia feelings and the moat ample play to the workisga of hia sffiwtionaie heart, he ordered all his attendants to go OD^ wUb As made himatlf known to hi* brethrm. "Tbe beautiea of (his chapter," says Dr. Dodd, "are ao ' striking, that it would be an indifnity to the reader's judgment to point them out; all who can read and feel, must be sensible of tliem, as there is, perhaps, nothing in sacred or pn^e historv more highly wrought up, mora interesting, or affec6ng."
Verse 2. The Eg^>H<m$ and tkt home of Pharaoh Aaor^l It aeema stmnge that Joaeph ahouldhave wept so louo, thathiaerMs should be haaro at some oonsidenbla dislanee, as we may suppoae his dwelling was not very nifl^ to the palace I " But this," says Sir John Chardin, " IS exactly the genius of the people of Asia — their sentiments of joy or grief are properly transporit, and their transports are ungovemed, excessive, and tnily outrageous. When any one returns from a long journey, or die^ his fiimily bursts iniocrieo that may be fuard tmtUy doort qg^ I and this is renewed at di^rent times, and continues many days, according to the vigour of the passion. Sometimes they cease all at once, and then bc^n as suddenly, with a greater shrillness and loudness than one coula easily imagine." This circumstance. Sir John luing* to ilhistmte the verse in queBtion. See Harmer, voL iii. p. 17. Kit At houae qf PteroM tnay eertainly signify I^oTwA'a 9ortant», or any of the members of his household, such as those whom Joseph had desired to withdraw, and who might still be within heariitg of his votes. After all, the words may only mean, that tfiergwrt was tarougfat to Pharaoh's bouse.— See ver. 16.
Verse 3. / am Joaeph] Mr. Pope rapposes, that the discovery of Ulyaes to his son Telemaania, beara aone reeemblanee to Menu's diaeovtwy of himself lohia brethrec The passage may ds seen in Bosur, Oihm. 1. ztL ver.
A few lines from CWpsr's translation, will abow much of the spirit of the original, and also a eonrideiabls bbsIagy between die two scenes.
I forbear to quote P.km's translation, beosoae it beats littls or no rasemblance to the original— it sssms tatfaer M ba
6 Now therefore • be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: *Tor God cud send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hetth the famine been in the lai>d: and yet there are five years, in the which, there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve
Iou a posterity in the earth, and to save your ivee by a great deliverance.
8 So now it iras not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me • a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler tiirouffhout Edl the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to ray father, and sav unto him. Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lordof all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
10 And 'thou shalt dwell in the land of GosheQr and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish thee; (for yet there are five years of famine;) lest thon, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
13 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eves of my brother Benjamin, that it ia *my mouth that ^isaketh imta rou.
13 And ye shall tell my fhther of all my glory
Verae 6. Be not rriectd^ nor angry with youTMetvea] Ttw diaooven s. trviy noU« nUtut'-hb not only forgiva and fvrgeta, but be wUbea even thoaa who had wrmiged
■him to forget the injury they bad dene, that (hey mi^t not suffer diatnua 90 the account, and with deep pie^ lu attrilaitM tbt irtiole to the Providence of God; for, nye he, God did tend me b^fort you to preaerve ly'e. On every word here a strong emr^iaais ma.7 be laid. It is not you,
' Iwt £rod— itisDotyou ibat«oUmB,but Godwho>«fUme — Egy^t and Canaan nuat both h&ye perished, had not a nuKifol proi^ion been made— yra were u come down Didier. sad God sent me bd'orc your— death must have bean the conaequenoe of this umine, had not Qod sent me here to preserve l\fe.
Vena 6. 'I^htre $kaU nmih^r be earing nor hartert.] EunK haa been supposed to mean collecuog tbe tare ot oum { which would ctmfound it with harveai; iht word, however, means j^oughing, 0€ teed- time, from ibe Aoglo- 9*xjoa eruan, man, protaldy from aro, to plough-^md plainly means, that there ibcutd be no teed-txme, and conaequADtly no hanett; and why? Because there should be a tobil want of rain, in other countries, and (he Niit ■hould not rise above taelve cubUt in Egypt; see oa chap. xlL 31. Bat the expression here must be quolified-a little, M we find from chap, xlvii. 19. that the Egyptians came to Jose|di to buy «ea<i; and it ia probable^ that even during Hub fiunine ihey sowed some of the ground, particularly on the borders ot dte river, from irtiich a crop, though not an abundant one, might be produced. The passage, however, in the above chapter, may refer to the tatl year of tbe nmine, when they came to procure seed for the entuing year.
verse 8. Be haih made ma a father to PkaratA} It has ^ready been conjectured, that father was a name of 40lcB in Egypt, and inatyoiAer qf Pharaoh mi^O, among tneoi, signify tbe same as prime mimster, or die kine't minitter does among ua. Calmet has remarked, that anumg the Phtsnicians, Persians, Arabians, atid Romans, the tide ot father was given to certain officers of slate. Tbe Roman empeion-^ve tbe name ^father to the wefects of the prietorium, as appears by the letters of Conatantine to Ablaviua. Tbe cantfH gave tbe same name to tbair prime tninittera. In Judg« zvii. 10. Micoh cays to the young Levite, Dwelt withme, andbeunio me a FATHxa and a prietL And Oiodorus Siculus remarka, that the tcatJiert and eoun«eUor» of the kings of Egypt were chosen out of the prietSiaod.
Terse 10. TTtaa thalt dtseU in the land of Ooshen] Piobably this district had been alloited to Joseph by the king of E^pt, elie we can scarcely ihii^ he could have promised 11 so positively, without first obtaining Pharaoh's oonscnt. Goahen was the most eaMerly province of XmMT J?gyn^ Bot far from the Arabian guff, lyii^ next 10 uusani sit Jacob went directly thither when he «aaH in Eavpt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye ehalTnaste and bring down my father oither.
14 H And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, find wept V ac<3 Benjamin-wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, cud wept upon them: and after that, his brethren talked with him.
16 ir And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it i pleased Pharaoh well, and hia servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph. Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lEule your beasts and go, get you into the land of Canaan:
18 And take your father, and your householdo. and come imto me: and i will give you the gooa of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat * tbe fat of the land,
19 Now thou art commaBded, this do ye; taka your wagons out of the land 01 Kgyvt for yoiv little ones, and for your nrires, and bring yoor father, and come,
20 Also 1 regard not your stoff; for the good of all the land of Egvpt is yours.
21 ^ And the chilaren of Israel did so: and JoseiHi gave them wagons, according to the " commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
into Egypt, from which it is i^KNit fourscore miles d'^t^wL though iUbrm was distant from the JSgmtian capiat about three hundred miles. At Qoshsn Jiwob slsid till Joseph vimtnl faim, chap. Jilvi. 28. It is also called lbs Land qf Bamuea, chap, xlvii. It. from a ei^ of that name which waa the metropolis of the country. Joeepfao^ Aotiq. 1. ii. c 4, makes Sieliopolie, the ci^ of Joacfb's fiuber-in-law, the plai^ of the Israelites' resideneo. As on gtakemy ngnifies rain in Hebrew. St. Jerom, and some others, have supposed that rvi Gmmr, comes fron the same root, and that die land in ^oostioa waa oaUed thus, because it had rain, which was not the ease with Egypt in general i and as it was on the confiDce of (he Arabian gul^ it is very probable that it was waterui from heaven; and it mi^t be owing to this cirounuaooe, that itwaapeenliarlylBrtil^ fn-it is stated lobs Oia best of the Iwl of^yptl— See cbapi xlvii. 11. 8oe also Calaut yri'l Till' Tawim of Jonathan tan Vzxiu, renders (fao pill'.- Hiii.1—" Tour eyes see, and the eyes oS my bndw Bi.^ij tiiijii, that it is my own mouth that apeakelhwidk yt ii. ill iIji' language of tbe house of the sanetuiuy." ITd^ dciil i'r ily.roaeph wid coosiderable stress on his "pf '"g wUlk Ui£ui in the Hebrew tongue, without tbe oasiataaes of on tnterprfter, as in ihe case mentioned chap. xlii. 23.
Verse 14. He fell upon hit brother Benjamins naot] Among the Aaiauos, AtsMMg tbe beard, tbe necA; and As Aoulasrw, it in use to the present.dsy t and fiiAMy.filing on the neck, ■ignjSf DO more than himatg tha msA or shvuider.
Verse 20. Regard not your etuffi Literally, Ul nsi your eye* wpare your inatramenta or vtaeel* B3^3 Aaioroem, B general terroy at vrbidi may be included boosehoid fiimiture, a^icultural utensils, or implemenu of any descripUoD. They were not to del^, nor encumber toeraselves with articles which could be readily Eound in Egypt; and were not worth so long a carriage.
Verse 21. JoaejA gave them wigons] n/fff SgalsOif from 'jjp ^goii which though not used aa a verb w lbs Helnrew BiblejevidenilymeaiMtofairnroiiiu^ raUronmd, be dreidar, &c. and hence properly applied to itktd earriagea. It appears from this, that such vehicles wen very early in use, and that tlie roa/1 from Egypt to Canasa must have been very oven, and much frtqtttnttd, siss «»ch earriw^es could not nave paaaed bv it
Verse 22i Changes qf nAment\ It ia a eomaon enotom wiih all the Asiatic sovereigns 10 giva both garmtaU and money to anbaseadon sno persons «f outiDclioab whom they particularly wish to hoiKNtr. Henee ifae^ keep in tlieir wardrobes several hundred chai»es of m* Dient, ready mads upt for presents of ibis kind. Ttiatsudk wen ginn by way <n fomid and honour sse Judges air. 13,lC Sev.vi.ll.aadvii.ftL4.
•f raunent; but to Benjamin he gave three hnndred piece* of silvert and five " changes of raimeat.
33 And to hw father he sent after thin man~ ner; ten aaaes ' laden with the good things of Eg7pt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: aad he said unto them, See that ye Ian not out by the way. - S5 ^ And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacoo their father.
56 Aad told him, saying, Joseph t« yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. 'And >> Jacob's heart faiiUed, for he believed thun not.
57 And th^ told bun all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he ■aw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry bim, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Verae. 23. Meat/or their father by the vay] pta mamom, from ii xn, to prepan, provide, &o. Heooe, prefarid wumt t Mme nade-up dish, dtlieaei**, eonfeetionajtim, Ac As the word ta nsea 2 Chroo. xvi. 14. ibr anmalie preparationt, it mny be rutrained in iu meantag to ■omeibing of that kind here. In Aaiatic countrieR tb^ have Hveral curious methods of preaerring fleih by foUtug, hf which it may be Icept for any len^ of time, sweet su wholeaomeb Some ileUeacy Bimilar to the stvomj Ibod wluch baac loved, may be Here intended; •ad Ibis was aent lo Jacob iD etmaidefatioii of hia oge^ and to tettifr the respect of hia aon. Of other kinda <n meat he GOau need none, aa he had large herda, and could Idll a lamb, Jkuf, Aeep, or goat, whenever he pleased.
Verse 74. Sm that y*/aU not out by the way] This prudent caution waa given by JoKph. to prevent his orethren from accuiing each other for naving aoU him; and to prevent them from envying Benjamin, for the superior fiivoitr shown him bv hia brother. It la airange, but ao it ia, that children of the same parents are opt to envy each other, fall oot, and contend; and therefore the exborlation in this verse must be always Wosouble in a Isree fiunily.
Verae 26. Jora&'i heart Jamted] Probably the good news BO overpowered him, aa to nut him into a awoon. Jtt MUctd in«m nol-~he uiought it woa loo ffood mwo to bt true; and (hou^ it occsaioued hia swooning, yet on bia recovery, he could not fully credit it. See a aimilar COM, Luke xxiv, 41.
Verae Z7. When h* taa the viagtma — the tpiril <\f JaeiA Ttcixed\ The wagons were additional evid>^ncas of the tmd) of what he bad heard from his aona: and the eonseqiienee was diat he was restored to fresh vigour — he seemed oa if he had gained new /i/V-^nm va-tecAi, and he lived — revixU, aays the Vulspate, he lived afresh. Tlie Sepluagim translate the original word by' ■■'(f'n^x-ri, which ai^niSea the bloieinzKoA tlirring up almost ex- Hna^ttiahtil embers, that baa be«n btiried under tttc ashes, whVh word St. Paul uses 2 Tira. i. 6. hTatirring up the frift Iff Ood. Hie pasMze at once shows us the ddrilinuied state of die vpnerabic patriareh, and the wonderfitl eflVet die news of Joseph's preservation and glory bad upon his mind.
Verse 28. It is ennugk — Jonevh my ton is alive. It was not the etote of dignity, to whi'^i Joseph had ariipn, (hot mrtteularly affected Jaroh; it wns ihe consideration dwl ne was stUl alive. It was this Ihnt Ivmsed him to exclaim a*t raft J "muehl nmllMUd! my aim is yet alive I 1 will go aitd see bim before I die. None enn rcolixe this acme—the words, the circumsionees, all refer to indescribable feelin;^
1. In Joseph's conduct to hia brethren there srs seveiol things for which it la difficult Vt accoim'. It ta strange, knowing how much his bther loved htm, that be never took an <n>portunitT, many of which must have tM^ered, to ac(|uaint fum that he was alive t and that self-interest did not dictate the propriety of this to him, is, at first view, surprising; aa his father wotild undoubtedly have paid his raneom, and restored him to liberty; but a UtUe reflection will show that prudenee dictated leereey. His brediren, feolous end envious in the extreme, would soon have tbund out Mber methods of tiestnnring hia life, hod they ■piin got bim into their powsr. Thereforsv for his permmU sato, be ebo« mdwr to be ■ bmd-olaet in Egypt, ibaaioriafctoitfibynniiiniighome. On ibis gmind
23 And Israel said. It it enoogh: Joseph tar in M yet alive: I will go and see him bdbre 1
AND Israel took bia ionrney with all ^^|!Sa that he had, and came to Beer- - — - sheba, and ofFereu saeriflcea 'unto the God of it ia evident, that he could not, with any safe^, have dis* covered the place of hia reaidenoe.
2. Hia carriage to hia brethreik previous to his maUng hisieelf known, iqipeara hiexcuBsbly Aorsft, if not vindietive: but when ue nun ore eonaidered, it will appear aufficiently evident, that no other means would have beat adequate to awaken their torpid consciences, and bring them to a due sense of tbeirguQt. A desperate disease requires a desperate remedy. Tlieeventjuatinedallthathe^^ and Ood appeora to have been the director of the whole.
3. His conduct in requiring Banjoaiin to be, aa it wen^ torn away from the bleediiu; heavt of an aged desolate fiuher, in wfaose ofleciicMt be lunuelf bad long lived, ia the most difficult to be aatisfiutorily accotmted for. Unfesa the spirit of prophecy hod assured him that this experiment would terminate m the moatTovouraA/e nutans, hia conduct in making it, cannot be well vindicated. To auch
[iropheLe intimation this conduct has been attributed by earned men; and we may say that this conaideration, if tt does not untie the knot, it at leaat cuts iL Perbopa it is best to say, tluit in all these things Joseph acted as directed by a Providence, under the influence of whicli he mi^l have been led to do many things, which he Iiod notpreviously designed. The iaaue provea thai the hand of God's wisdom and goodneaa, direotod, regulated, and govenied every circumstance t and die reault waa, glory lo Ood in the nixhest, and on earth peace and goodwill among mea.-
4. 'Hiis chapter, which contains the unravelling of ths plot, and wonderfully illustrates the mysteriea of theas particular providences, is one of the most mteresting in the whole account; [he speech of Joseph to bia brelhroo, ver. 1 — 13. ia inferior only to that of Judah in the precedii^ cliapter. He aaw thai hia brethren were confounded at bia preaenee-^hot they were struck with hia present power — and that they keenly remembered, and deeply deplored, their own guilt. It was absolutely necesaary to comfort Utein, Icat Uieir lieort should have lieen overwhelmed with over-much sorrow. How delicate and finely wrought is the apolo^ he makes for them I the whole heart of the pious and afTeciionate brodier is at once eeen in it — art ia confounded, and swallowed up lqr.na'«"'^"BB not grieved, nor an^ry with yourselves — it was not you that sent me hither, but God." What he says also concerning his father, shows the warmest feelings of a benevolent, pious, and filial heart. Indeed the whole chapter is a masterpiece of composition; and it is die more impressive, because it is evitbiutly a timpU relation <fffaetsiuol a» thxt/ occurred: for no attempt is made to heighten the effect, hf rhetorical colouring, or philosophical reflections; it is oU simple, sheer natur^ from beginning to end. It ia a history that hoa uo fellow, crowded with iticidenU as probable as they ore true; where every passion is called into acdon, where every one sets up lo its own character, and where nothing ia oulrtE in time, or extravagant in degree. Had not ihehiatory of Joseph formed a part of the Sacred Scriptures, it would have been published in all the living languages of man, and read throughout the universe: but it contains the things ff Gad, and to all such, die eomoZ mind is enmity.
NOTES ON CHAPTER XLVI. Verve I. At^d cams to Seeraheba\ This plac« appears to be moationeil not only because it was the way from £E»> iron, where Jacob resided, to Egyyt whidier he was going, but because it was a eonseenifea placo— a idace where Ood had Bppeved to Abraham, chap. zxi. S. wd to laia^ 162 * I
8 And God spake unto Iirael * in the vinons of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he •aid, Here am I. _
3 And he said, I am God, the ' God of thy &ther: fear not to fo down into E^pt; for l
4 ' I will go down with thee into Elgypt, and I will also surely ' bring thee up again: and ^ Joseph shall put his hand iq>on thine eyes.
0 If And 1 Jacob rose np from Beer-sheba: and the BODS of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons k which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, i Jacob, and all his seed with him:
7 Hia Bons.'.and his sons* sons with bun. his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his •eied brought he with him into Egypt..
8 And " these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob aiid his sons: 'Reuben, Jacob's first-horn.
9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, andCarmi.
10 And • the sons of Simeon; f Jemnd, and Jamin, and Ohad, and ' Jachin, aiid ■ Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
liisp. xxvi. 23. and where Jacob is encouraged to expect a manifeatation of the aarne goodneaa: be chooses therefore CO begin bis journey with a visit to Gotft hoiue; and as he wu going into a strange land, be feels it right to rmeie A£> cotenani with Qod by $acrifiee. There ia an old proverb vlueb applies strongly to this case: "Pnmn and provender never hinder my man's jounwy." He who would travel safely, must take God with him.
Tsrse 3. Fear not to go iloUm. into Egypt'^ It appears that diere bad been some doubts in the patriarch's mind relative to the propriety of this journey; he found, from the confession of his own sona^ bow little they were to be trusted. But every doubt ia dispelled by this divine manifestation. 1. He may go down confidently, no evil shall bebll him. 2. Even in£gypt the covenant shall be fulfilled — God will make of him Utere a great nation. 3. Qod himself will accompany him on his journey, be with him in the sinnge land, and even bring hia bones back to rest with tfioseof hta&uhers. 4. He shall see Joseph, aodthia same beloved son ifaall be widi him in hii last noiu^ and do the test kind office for him: JiweoA (Ao// md his handt upon Oun£ eye*. It ia not likely Uiat Jacw would have at all attempted to go down to Egypt, had he not received these Bssunoces from God; and it is venr likely, that he oOered his sacrifice merely to obtain this inronnauon. It was now a time of bmine in ^ypt. and God had forbidden his fiuber Isaac to go down to E«ypt wbea there wu a fiunine dur^di^ xxvi. 1 — 3. betides, he well knew flte prophecy delivered to his mndfiuber Abraham, that his sera should be t^ffieted in Egypt, <^ap. xv. ver. 13, 14. and he also knew that Canaan, not Elgypt, was to be the inheritance of bis fiunily, cb^. zii.. See. on all these accounts, it was neeessnry to have the most explicit directions from God, before he ahould take such a journey.
Terse 1, AUhia tetd brought he with him into Egypt.'] When Jacob went down into Egypt, he was in the one hundred and ihirtv-tevenih. ytai of his age; too hundred andj^tetnjmn alter the promise was made to Abraham, chiHi. zii. 4. in the yetr of the world Xi9& and before Christ 1T06.
. TerseS. Tluttsn&anameot^ikethUdrtni^ lara^ It may be necessary to observe here, FirH, that several of tfieae names are expressed differently elsewhere; Jrniuet fbr Neinud, Jaehin for Jarib, Oeraaon for QerAom, &c. compare Numb. xxvi. 12. I Chron, iv. 24. But it is no imcommon case for the same person to have different names, or the same name to be (Ufferendy pronounced, see chap. 26. 16. 5'aeoftdlly, that it is probable vntx some names u this list are brought in by vroImM or an/tc^Mfum, aa the persons were bom (pn>«d>ly} during the aeoentem years which Jacob sojourned in Egypt, see ver. 12. Thirdqr, that the families of some are entered more at large than others, because of Aetr l^^uh** rei^eclBbiliqr, as in the,
12 And the sons of * Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah. and Pharex, and Zarah: but * Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And ^ the sons of Pharez were Hezron and HamuL
15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Diiwh: all the souls of bis sons and bis daughters were thirty and three.
17 * And the sons of Asher; Junnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
18 • These are the sons of Zilpah, ' whom La^ ban gave to Leah his daughter; and these aha bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
20 » And unto Joseph in the land of SeypC were born Manasseh and Bphraun, whieh Amnath the daughter of Poti-pherah ■ priest frf^ On bare unto him.
21 kAnd the sons of Benjamin vere Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Grera, and Naaman,
Verse 12. The tons <^ Fhare* were Btzrm and Barmu/.] It is not likely that Pharez was more than ten years of age when he came into Egypt, and if so^ be coulo not have had children; therefore it ia neeeasair to consider Bezron and Bamid as being bom during me nmsnbMa years that Jacob sojounied in Egypt, see on ver. 8. and it appears necessary, lor several reasons, to take these seventeen years into the account, aa it ia very probable that what IS called 1A« going down into Egypt, includes the scvmteen years which Jacob spent there.
Verse 20. Unto Joseph — were bom Afenosseh a»d Bphraivi] There ia a remarkable addition here in the Septuagint, which must be noticed; Syirtrr* Ii*>i> M»am,
TKHfi. T<o> SevT»Kaa/i- Eljfi. These were the sons ^ Manasseh whom kie Syrian eojicubins bore unto hat, Madiir; and JlSiuJiSr begat Qalaad. T%e sent ^ Bphraimj ManastA'e brother, vere Suialaam and Toain; and ^ eons SviaXaam, Edem. TTwaK add,;Ipe persons to the list, and make out the number given by Stephen^ Acts vii. 14. which it aeema he had taken froen the text of the Septuagint, unless we could suppose duX the text of Stephen had been altered to make it correqMnd to the Septuagint, of which there ia not the slightest evidence from ancient MSS. or versions. The additiau in the Septuagint is not found in either the Hebrew (»- the Samaritan at present; and some suppose that itwaa taken either from Numb, xxvi, 29, 3S. or 1 Chron. viL 14 — 20. but in none of these places does the addition appear as U stands in the Septuacim; though some of the names are found interqiersM. Tarioos means have been proposed to find the seventy)>ersons in the text, and to reconcile the Hebrew with the Septuagint and the New Testament.
A table given ay ScheuAxer extracted from the JMetnotru de Trevoux gives the following geoeml view.
33 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls vere fonrteen. S3 ' And the bods of Dan; ■* Hu^un.
25 'These are the sons of Bilhah, ■ which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she tare these unto Jacob: all the souls ■were seven.
26 t Ail Che souls chat came with Jacob into Biejrpt, which came out of his ■ loins, besides Jwcm's sons* wives, all the souls were threeaeore and six;
27 And the sons of Joseph, which were bom him in Egypt, were two aoula: * all the aoula of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
28 t And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, * to direct his face onto Goshen; and they came ' into the land of Goshen.
29 And Joseph made readv hia cluriot, and went up to meet Israel his nther, to Goshen,
To barmooae cfaia with the Smtuagint and St St^Am, Acta vii. 14. to the number nxfy-tix, (all the aoula that came out of Jocob'a loina, ver. 26.) luld nitu of the patriareha' wivea, Judah'a wile being already dead in Canaan, diap. xxxviiL 12. Benjamin being oupposed to be a« yet unmarried, and the wife ot Joaeph beiiw already in Egypt, is out of the c«m^ the number wiU amount to etvnUjfJiM, which ia dM found in die Acts. VhiMnal
Dr. Hale'a method ti more dmple, and I diink, more aatiafactory. " Hoeea (tatea that all the lOuU that with Jacob into Egypt, iMtdk itmed fnm hi$ loitu, toEsepthia aonf* wiiea) were eiiOu^ aoul^ Oeo. xlvi. 88. and this number ia ana ooUectM;
" If to iheae Hxty-9ix children, and gnutd-dtildren, (Ukd mat'grandchildren, we add Jo^ofr himself JbatyA and nia tvo jotu, the amount ii totnty, the vrftole amount of JsooVaftunil^r which settled in E^rpt.
"In ihii atalament the wim M Jmadtfe sona, who CKmed part of the bouaeboM, are omittadi but thej amounted to nni«; for of die twice wivea of the iwlM sona of Jacobs Jodah'a wifo was dead, chap. xxxviiL 12. ■ad Simeon*! alaa aa we may eoUeet from hia youngeat moo ShatU by a Canaanitew, ver. 10. and JoaepVa wife waa already in Egypt These nSn* wina, therefore, added to the nxtv-Hx, give teemty-fivt aMila, the whole amount of Jacob s houaehold that went down with him to Egypt: mtically correaponding with the ataiemeai in tlte New Testament that "Joaeph aent for hia fiuher Jacob and ait hit kindred, amounting to tevmiy-Jl»t aoula." Vit expreaaion aU hia kindred, including the wivea which were Joaeph'a kindred not only by aMnity, but alao by conaaiynnity; being probably of ihemmiliea <tt S»au^ JAmatl, or Keturah. T%U8 doea the New Testatnent fiuniA an admirable eommeot on ths Old." — JbiafytU, vol. ii p. 169.
It la neceaaary to obaerve that thia statement, iHlidi wvear^ on the whole, the moat eonaiaten^ auppOMa that Judah was married when about /ourttm yeara of age, hia •on JBrattbs ssswue^ Pham at the eame, Aa&erand bia ftmrth sm J^arfo* under tumiy, Benjamin about Jfleen, and Joftpk't aona and grandaona about twenty. But thu is not improbable; as the children of Israel must ait have married at a ven^ early age, to have produced in about lm> hymdred and J{fUen years, no leaa than nx kamdred thousand persona above tuenty yeara old, besides wmen and children. See Ezod. xii. 37. Numb. 1. 3. and aes (he note on ver. a
T«ne 2a B* went.AtdaJi b^ort Urn unto Joa^} Judah was cenainlT a man of senses and alao an sloqwat MB) saief tea JwphnwiithsvtbadaTMyhvwttabh
on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said unto Joseph, ■ Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alivet
31 1 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, ' I will eo up, and show Pharaoh, and say unto him. My brethren, and my father's hou^e, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me g
32 And the men are shepherds, for <> their trade hath been to feed cattle } ana they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and ell that they have.
33. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh Bhail caH you, and shall say, 'What is your occupation t
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' * trade hath been about cattle 'from our youth ev^ until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd if ' an abomination unto the Bgyp- ' tioiiB.
opinion from the speech he delivned befiwa bin^ chap. xiiv. 18, &c. be was (berefoni ehoaen as ^ most proper person to go befbre, and announce JaocA's arrival to Ms son Joseph.
TV dtreet hu Jaee unio Gveiien] The lend of Ooahen seems to have been ditTerent from Ooahen itself; prob^ly GhiabeD waa the city after wfaieh the land waa caJM. Toe land of Ooahen ia the aam^ aoeoiding ta du Septuagin^ aa ibe land of Rameae^ and Goahen itself the aame aa Hieropolis, 'B^Mimh't, Hav3n'polu,ihecityqf fferoea, a name Dy which it went in the days of the i^^hiagint i and which it still retained in the time of Josephua; ior he makes use of the sama term in speaking of tins olaes. Tlie Arabic calls this place uA^^ &alad£ SaoMra, the region o/" Sadyr. It tfotan that Judah waa aent to invite Joseph to meet bia father at Godieni so the, Septuagint unaerslood it.
Terse 29. And Joaeph made ready his ^ariot] tnawi tnsrectActo. In c^iao- xli. 43. we liave the first mention of a chariot; and if the translation be correct, it is a proof that the arU were not in a rade state in Egypt even at thia early time. When we find wagons used to transport goods from place to ploo^ we need not wonder that tbess suggested ute idea of forming chariots, for carrying persons, and especially those of high rank and authority. NeeeseUy produces arte; and arts and science produce not only an increase of the mmiuntsncss but also of the r^lnetnsnts and luxuriss of life. It ia poaaible, however, tlutt a cAorurfia not intended ben; fbr aa the wwd nuv nuraeaict, whidi w^ sod moat of the andent versioiis traiulate cnariot, ooroea Grom ay^ raeab, ke rode, perhaps saddling his horse may be all that is intended. In this way, it was understood by the Arabic translator, who renders the place thus: iCty|3 lJ^m^^ 7.rM9 vaasraja Yaustifo daibataho: "And Joaeph aaddled hia beast." But it IS more likely to Mgnifv a ehariot, as the veih -wm osor, which signifies to Sind, tie, or yoke, ia used; sod not van tAo&asA, ^iriiioh signifies to saadU,
Verse 30. Now let me die, since I have seen tky/ac*} Perb^ old Simeon had thia place in view, when, seeing the Salvation of Israel, he said Zxnti; runs leUest thou thy servant dmart in peace, Ac Luke iiL 29-
Terae 34. 7%y servant^ trade hath been about cattle} It appears that Goshen, called also Rameses and Heroapo' Hs, was both fruitful and pleasant, and therefore Josoi^ wished to fix his femily in that part of Egypt Hence ha advises dtem to tell Pharaoh that dieir trade had been in coUIs from their youth t and because every shefdierd is an abomiDatiiHt to the l^yplian% benee he concluded, that there woidd be less dimeiutr M get them a quiet settlement in ChAen, as they would then be separated from the Egyptians, and eonsMuendy have the free use of all their ra£gioua customs. lUa scheme aucoeeded, and the coi^ aecnience was the iveservation both of their relixion and their hves; thou^ some of their posterity did afterward eorrupt themselves, see Ezek. xx. 8. Amos v. S& As it ia well known that the Egyptians had eaUle miidjoekt themselves, and that PharMh evm requested that Boine irf Joarah's biMbren duuld be made rulert over Ms eatO^ h(nreoulditbeaskl,as^Tsr. 34. AwyjAqAsrd iam
THEN Joseph ■ came and told Pharaoh, and said, Mr rather and m; brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the laiid of Caoaaa; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen. *2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and « presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said onto his bretbreb. What t» your occupation 1 And they said nnto
4 (They said moreover unto Pharaoh,) ' For to sojourn in the land arc we come; for thy aervanta have no pasture for their Aockb; ■ for the famine u sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants * dwell in the land of Qoshen.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseim, Bayntg, Thy father and thy brethren are come unte thee:
6 > The land of Egypt i» before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; * in the land of Qoshen let them dwell: and if thou knoweit amy menof aelnrtty among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7 And Josepli broaght in JaecA) hii father, and
abtminaiian unla the Egyptian* I Three reaaons niay be assigned for this. 1. Shepherds and fo»lerB of cattfe vere usually a sort of lawless freebooUn^ banditti, £re- (jueatly malting inroads on villageo. A-c carrying off cattle, and whatever spoila they could find. This mi^tt probably have been ihecaae formerly; for it ia well known It boa often been the case since. On this account, sticb ■per- ■ons must have been universally detested. 2. 'rhey must have abhorred tkephtrda, if Manetha'a account of the hy- M«sOi^oribNij''>sA«jA<w, can be credited. Hordes of manuden under tills name, Gram Arabia, Syria, and Ethiopia, whose ohief oecupntion, like die Bedouin Arabt of the ineaent day, vaa lokeap floekKnadeapowerful irruption mto Egypt, vhieh th» subdued and rated vith great tymmy for 269 years. Hoy, though they had been expelled that land some considerable time before this, yet their name, and all persona of a similar occupation, were exeemted by the Egyptians, on account of the depredations Mod long continuM ravagee they had eommiUed in the -oouDtry. 3. The last, am mrofaably the best reason why the E^ptians abhorred siun riiqwienls as the lamelitea were, was, they aacrificed f&on Mry anfmofr, (be ox partisularty, and uie shikp, whicii the Egyptians held sacred. Hence uie Roman historian T\tcitu», speaking of the Jewa, aays — " Cnao aribtx velut in contumsliam Amhomaj Bos qiioque immolatur, ^uom Egyptii Apim cojunt," — "Thev sacrifice the ram, in order to insuh ^ujiiler Atimon t and they sacrifice the or. which the Egyptians worship under the name of ApUJ' Th ough some cooiend, that this idolatry woq not as yat ealablishad in Egypt, and that the kine-tluplurda were either after the time of Joseph, or that Maaetii9 by them intends tlie IrrculHea tbenuolves; yet, as die arguraenis which these conjeetures are supported, are not auflieieut to overthrow those ^ioh are brought for the support of the contraiy opinions, And as there was evidently an aatabtitlud reUgion and prtanUtaod in Egypt before Joseph's time; for we And the priests had a ctirioin portion of the land of Egypt, which was held so sacred, that Joeeph did not attempt to buy it in the time of die famine, when he bought all the land whidi beloHired to thft people, cli. xlvii. 30—22. And aa diat e*. Mblished prieatliood W(u in all likelUiood iilolatnma, and as the worship of Apit, under the form of an ox, was one ot the most ancient forms of worsliip in Egypt, we may rest tolerably certain, that it was chiefiy on Utis account; thai the shepherds, or those who fed on and sacrificed these objects of their worship, were an ^wmination to the Rgyp' tians. Ciitinel has entered into this subject at large, and to his notes 1 mo« refer those readers who' wish for mr^er information.
Oif the principal subject of this chapter, the goingdowo of Jacob and hii family into E^pt, Bishop Warburton, in his Divine Legation ot Moses, makes the following judiaioue reflections. " The promise Qod made to Abraham, to give his posterity the land of Canaan, could not be performed till that fomily was grown strong enough totake and keep possession of it In the mean time, therefore, they were neoeasiiated to reside among idolaters, and to reside unmixed; but whoever examines their history, will ■ee that the Israelites had ever a violent propensity to join themselvei to Oentile notions, and practise tneir mnnnera. God, therefore, in hia infinite wiadoro, brought them into Egypt, and kept them there during this period, ihe only plaea where tn^ could remain for so longs time safo and uneonfounded with the natives, the aneient ^ypttans iNbVi I7 auaaargos inatiiutkiu foibiddan sH foDowship with Btiangers t and bearing, beaidea, a particular avavoo to the profsssion of the Israelites, who were ehenherds. Thus the natural dispositions of the Israelites, wni^ ia £^ypt occasioned their superstitions, and in eonaequence, the necessity of a burthensome ritual, would, in any other country, have absorbed them into Gmtilitm, and confounded them with idolatera. Prom the IsiaeKtea goii^ into Egypt, arises a new occasion to adore the footsteps of Eternal Wisdom, in his diflpensationa to hia chosen people."
NOTES ON CHAPTER XLVII. Vent 2. He took tcnu qf kit brttium] There ia xnaethtng very atnnge in die origiml: literuly translated, -ft signifies " from the end, or extremi^, mpo miktbtky of his bredu^n, he took five men." "Htts has been understood »Lt different ways. 1. Joseph took five of his facethrea that came Jlr$t to hand — at random^ vUhaut dengn or cAotee. 2. Joseph took five of the meanetf looking of bia brethren to present before Phara<^ fearing, if he h£& taken ^etighOititj that Pharaoh should detain them for bis sefvice, and ibeir religion and morals might be corrupted. 3. Joseph took five of Ihe best made and J^<**( Poking nt his brethren, and presented them before Fhanoh, witfiing to impress hie mind with a favtwrable opinion ot die family which he had juai now brou^t into Egvpt, and to do himself honour. 4. Joseph took five of the youRgeif of faas brethren. 6. He took five of the eldeet of bis breduen, 6. He took five from the er/remifyorenil of his brethren; i. e. MTne of the eldest, and same ot the yimngesf^iz. Reuben, Simoon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin. Rai. Saiowwn. — It is certoin that, in Judges xviii. 2. the word may be understood as implying dignity, Tokntr, txed' lenee, and pre-eminence. And the diibtren ttf Dm tad tff Uieitjhmify nvs men — Brvspo mitcettolam, wA^m titeir eoaate, but of the moH emiiuni or ertetteni they had; and itispn^Mible, that they mighthave had iheir^ an what Jose^ did here, when they made iheir choiceloosing the same inimber, Jive, and of their prineipat men, as did Joseph, because die mission was important— to go oTid eearch ant the land-^Bal the word may be naderetood dmply as aigsifying acme. Out of the vAele of his brethren he took onlv five men, &c