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38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, * and we find such a one as this is, a man in whom put a gold chain about his neck; the Spirit of God is?

39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

"Heb. be not cut off- - Chap. xlvii. 15, 19. --P Psalm cv, 19; Acts vii. 10. Num. xxvii. 18; Job xxxii. 8; Prov. ii. 6; Dan. iv. 8, 18; v. 11, 14; vi. 3. Psa. cv. 21, 22; 1 Mac. . 53; Acts vii. 10.

Verse 37. The thing was good] Pharaoh and his courtiers saw that the counsel was prudent, and should be carefully followed.

43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had;

and they cried before

and he made him

b

over all the land of Egypt.

tion, and consequently were enveloped in cloth of the finest quality, it was only fine comparatively speaking, Egypt being the only place at that time where such cloth was manufactured. I have often examined the cloth about the bodies of the most splendidly ornamented mummies, and found it sackcloth when com

Verse 38. In whom the Spirit of God is?] D'nan ruach Elohim, the identical words used chap. i. 2; and certainly to be understood here as in the preceding place. If the Egyptians were idolaters, they acknow-pared with the fine Irish linens. As this shesh apledged Joseph's God; and it is not to be supposed that pears to have been a part of the royal clothing, it was they only became acquainted with him on this occasion. probably both scarce and costly. "By comparing," The knowledge of the true God was in Egypt long says Parkhurst, "Exod. xxv. 4, xxvi. 1, with 2 Chron. before; but it is very likely that though they acknow-ii. 14, and Exod. xxvi. 31, with 2 Chron. iii. 14, it ledged his influence with respect to Joseph, as they appears that 7 buts, cotton, is called v shesh; and saw most clearly that he acted under an influence far by comparing Exod. xxviii. 42, with Exod. xxxix. 28, beyond that of their magicians, for he interpreted that 3 bad, linen, is also called v shesh; so that dreams which they could not; yet they might, notwith-shesh seems a name expressive of either of these, from standing, have their gods many and their lords many at this time, for we know that in religious matters they were exceedingly corrupt afterwards..

Verse 40. According unto thy word shall all my people be ruled] Literally, At thy mouth shall all my people kiss. In the eastern countries it is customary to kiss any thing that comes from a superior, and this is done by way of testifying respect and submission. In this sense the words in the text are to be understood: All the people shall pay the profoundest respect and obedience to all thy orders and commands.

Only in the throne will I be greater than thou.] This, in one word, is a perfect description of a prime minister. Thou shalt have the sole management, under me, of all state affairs.

their cheerful vivid whiteness.”

Put a gold chain about his neck] This was not merely a badge of office. The chain might be intended to point out the union which should subsist between all parts of the government-the king, his ministers, and the people; as also that necessary dependence which they had reciprocally on each other, as well as the connection which must be preserved between the different members of the body politic, and the laws and institutions by which they were to be governed. Its being of gold might be intended to show the excellence,, utility, and permanence of a government constituted on wise, just, and equal laws. We are justified in drawing such inferences as these, because in aneient times, in all nations, every thing was made an emblem or representation of some spiritual or moral subject. It is strange that, probably without adverting to the reasons, the chain of gold worn about the neck is in different nations an emblem of civil authority.

Verse 43. He made him to ride in the second chariot] That which usually followed the king's chariot in public ceremonies.

Verse 42. And Pharaoh took off his ring--and put it upon Joseph's hand] In this ring was probably set the king's signet, by which the royal instruments were sealed; and thus Joseph was constituted what we would call Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Vestures of fine linen] shesh, Whether this mean linen or cotton is not known. It seems to have been a term by which both were denominated; or it may be some other substance or cloth with which we are unacquainted. If the fine linen of Egypt was such as that which invests the bodies of the mummies, and these in general were persons of the first distinc-pose it to be a Hebrew word, it might be considered

Bow the knee] 7728 abrech, which we translate bow the knee, and which we might as well translate any thing else, is probably an Egyptian word, the signification of which is utterly unknown. If we could sup

Joseph is married to Asenath.

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44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, | food of the seven years, which A. M. cir. 2289 I am Pharaoh, and without thee were in the land of Egypt, and shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the laid up the food in the cities: the food of land of Egypt. the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

name

to wife

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45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

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47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

48 And he gathered up all the Which in the Coptic signifies a revealer of secrets, or, the man to whom secrets are revealed. Or, prince; Exod. ii. 16; 2 Sam. viii. 18; xx. 26.—— 1 Sam. xvi. 21; 1 Kings xii. 6,8;

as compounded of 8 ab, father, and 1rach, tender ; for Joseph might be denominated a father, because of his care over the people, and the provision he was making for their preservation; and tender because of his youth. Or it may be compounded of 28 ab, father, and barech, blessing, the latter beth being easily lost in the preceding one; and Joseph might have this epithet as well as the other, on account of the care he was taking to turn aside the heavy curse of the seven years of famine, by accumulating the blessings of the seven-years of plenty. Besides, fa-¡ ther seems to have been a name of office, and probably father of the king or father of Pharaoh might signify the same as the king's îninister among us; see on chap. xlv. 8. But if it be an Egyptian word, it is vain to look for its signification in Hebrew.

Verse 44. I am Pharaoh] The same as if he had said, I am the king; for Pharaoh was the common title of the sovereigns of Egypt.

Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah] There is no likelihood that the Poti-pherah mentioned here is the same as the Potiphar who had purchased Joseph, and, on the false accusations of his wife, cast him into prison. 1. The Scripture gives no intimation that they were one and the same person. 2. Poli-pherah had children, and Potiphar was an eunuch; see on chap. xxxvii. 36; for though eunuchs often kept women, there is no proof that they had any issue by them. Priest of On.] For the signification of the word cohen or priest, see on chap. xiv. 18. On is rendered Heliopolis (the city of the sun, Sunnan buɲh) by the Septuagint and Anglo-Saxon; and it is very likely that this Poti-pherah was intendant of that nome or province, under Pharaoh.

Joseph went out over all the land] No doubt for the building of granaries, and appointing proper officers to receive the corn in every place, as Dr. Dodd has very properly conjectured.

Verse 46. Joseph was thirty years old] As he was seventeen years old when he was sold into Egypt, chap. xxxvij. 2, and was now thirty, he must have been thirteen years in slavery.

and having the honour of his most unlimited confidence. Among the Asiatic princes, the privilege of coming even to their seat, of standing before them, &c., was granted only to the highest favourites.

Verse 45. Zaphnath-paaneah] The meaning of this title is as little known as that of abrech in the preceding verse. Some translate it, The revealer of secrets; others, The treasury of glorious comfort. St. Jerome translates the whole verse in the most arbitrary manner. Stood before Pharaoh] This phrase always means Vertitque nomen ejus, et vocavit eum, lingua Ægypti-admission to the immediate presence of the sovereign, aca, Salvatorem mundi. "And he changed his name, and called him in the Egyptian language, The saviour of the world." None of the Asiatic versions acknowledge this extraordinary gloss, and it is certainly worthy of no regard. The Anglo-Saxon nearly copies the Verse 47. The earth brought forth by handfuls.] Vulgate nemde hine on Egiptic piddaneander pælend. This probably refers principally to rice, as it grows in And named him in Egyptian, The healer of the world.tufts, a great number of stalks proceeding from the All the etymologies hitherto given of this word are, to say the least of them, doubtful. I believe it also to be an Egyptian epithet, designating the office to which he was now raised; and similar to our compound terms, Prime-Minister, Lord-Chancellor, High-Treasurer, Chief-Justice, &c.

:

same seed. In those years the Nile probably rose sixteen cubits; see on ver. 31.

Verse 50. Two sons] Whom he called by names expressive of God's particular and bountiful providence towards him. MANASSEH, menashsheh, signifies forgetfulness, from w nashah, to forget; and

A. M..cir. 2293. hath caused me to be fruitful in | bread: and Pharaoh said unto all A. M. 2296. the land of my affliction. the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph ;' what he saith to you, do.

1. As the providence of God evidently led the but-ness and truth. Reader, there is often as much superler and baker of Pharaoh, as well as the king himself, to dream the prophetic dreams mentioned in this and 236

Jacob sends his ten sons

CHAP. XLII.

to Egypt to buy food.

CHAPTER XLII.

Jacob sends his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn, 1-3; but refuses to permit Benjamin to go, 4.. They arrive in Egypt, and bow themselves before Joseph, 5, 6. He treats them roughly and calls them spies, 7-10. They defend themselves, and give an account of their family, 11-13. He appears unmoved, and puts them all in prison for three days, 14-17. On the third day he releases them on condition of their bring ing Benjamin, 18-20. Being convicted by their consciences, they reproach themselves with their cruelty to their brother Joseph, and consider themselves under the displeasure of God, 21-23. Joseph is greatly affected, detains Simeon as a pledge for Benjamin, orders their sacks to be filled with corn, and the purchase money to be put in each man's sack, 24, 25. When one of them is going to give his ass provender he discovers his money in the mouth of his sack, at which they are greatly alarmed, 26–28. They come to their father in Canaan, and relate what happened to them in their journey, 29-34. On emptying their · sacks, each man's money is found in his sack's mouth, which causes alarm both to them and their father, 35. Jacob deplores the loss of Joseph and Simeon, and refuses to let Benjamin go, though Reuben offers his two sons as pledges for his safety, 36–38.

Before

Verse 1. Jacob saw that there was corn] That is, Jacob heard from the report of others that there was plenty in Egypt. The operations of one sense, in Hebrew, are often put for those of another. agriculture was properly known and practised, famines were frequent; Canaan seems to have been peculiarly vexed by them. There was one in this land in the time of Abraham, chap. xii. 10; another in the days of Isaac, chap. xxvi. 1; and now a third in the time of Jacob. To this St. Stephen alludes, Acts vii. 11 there was great affliction, and our fathers found no

meraggelim מרגלים אתם

Bowed down themselves before him] Thus fulfilling the prophetic dream, chap. xxxvii. 7, 8, which they had taken every precaution to render null and void. But there is neither might nor counsel against the Lord. Verse 9. Ye are spies] attem, ye are footmen, trampers about, footpads, vagabonds, lying in wait for the property of others; persons who, under the pretence of wishing to buy corn, desire only to find out whether the land be so defenceless that the tribes to which ye belong (see ver. 11) may attack it successfully, drive out the inhabitants, and Verse 6. Joseph was the governor] shallit, an settle in it themselves; or, having plundered it, retire intendant, a protector, from shalat, to be over as to their deserts. This is a frequent custom among a protector; hence shelatim, shields, or arms the Arabs to the present day. Thus Joseph spake for protection and defence, 2 Sam. viii. 7; and roughly to them merely to cover that warmth of affecshilton, power and authority, Eccles. viii. 4, 8; and tion which he felt towards them; and that being thus hence the Arabic sultan, a lord, prince, or brought, apparently, into straits and dangerous circumking, from salata, he obtained and exercised stances, their consciences might be awakened to reflect dominion, he ruled. Was it not from this very cir-on and abhor their own wickedness. cumstance, Joseph being shallit, that all the Moham- Verse 11. We are all one man's sons] We do not

sustenance.

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Joseph deals roughly

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12 And he said unto them, Nay, | thren be bound in the house of but to see the nakedness of the prison: go ye, carry corn for the land ye are come. famine of your houses:

13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

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20 But bring your youngest brother unto me: so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

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22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an

17 And he put them all together into ward interpreter. three days.

18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 19 If ye be true men, let one of

your bre

iChap. xxxvii, 30; Lam. v. 7; see chap. xliv. 20.See 1 Sam. i. 26; xvii. 55; Judith xi. 7. Heb. bound.- m Heb. gathered.- Lev. xxv. 43; Neh. v. 15.- - Ver. 24; chapter xliii. 5xliv. 23.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

P Job xxxvi. 8, 9; Hos. v. 15.- - Prov: xxi. 13; Matt. vii. 2. Chap. xxxvii. 21. Chap. ix. 5; 1 Kings ii. 32; 2 Chron. xxiv. 22; Psa. ix. 12; Luke xi. 50, 51. Heb. an interpreter was between them."

seems to say to his brethren, I am a worshipper of the true God, and ye have nothing to fear.

belong to different tribes, and it is not likely that one family would make a hostile attempt upon a whole kingdom. This seems to be the very ground that Joseph took, viz., that they were persons belonging to different tribes. Against this particularly they set up their defence, asserting that they all belonged to one family; 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 their bringing their remaining brother; so that he took exactly the same precautions to detect them as if he had had no acquaintance with them, and had every reason to be suspicious. Verse 13. One is not.] An elliptical sentence, One in this world, it must be heard in the next; and there, is not alive.

Verse 15. By the life of Pharaoh] chey Pharoh, Pharaoh liveth. As if he had said, As surely as the king of Egypt lives, so surely shall ye not go hence unless your brother come hither. Here therefore is no oath; it is just what they themselves make it in their report to their father, chap. xliii. 3 the man did solemnly protest unto us; and our translators should not have put it in the form of an oath, especially as the original not only will bear another version, but is absolutely repugnant to this in our sense of the word.

Verse 18. I fear God] NY 'N Dunns eth haelohim ani yare, literally translated the passage runs thus, I also fear the gods; but the emphatic ha is probably added by Joseph, both here and in his conversation with Pharaoh, the more particularly to point out the eminence and perfection of the Supreme Being as contradistinguished from the gods of Egypt. He

Verse 21. We are verily guilty] How finely are the office and influence of conscience exemplified in these words! It was about twenty-two years since they had sold their brother, and probably their conscience had been lulled asleep to the present hour. God combines and brings about those favorable eircumstances which produce attention and reflection, and give weight to the expostulations of conscience. How necessary to hear its voice in time, for here it may be the instrument of salvation; but if not heard

in association with the unquenchable fire, it will be the never-dying worm. Reader, has not thy sin as yet found thee out?. Pray to God to take away the veil from thy heart, and to give thee that deep sense of guilt which shall oblige thee to flee for refuge to the hope which is set before thee in the Gospel of Christ.

Verse 23. For he spake unto them by an interpreter.} Either there was a very great difference between the two languages as then spoken, or Joseph, to prevent all suspicion, might affect to be ignorant of both. We have many evidences in this book that the Egyptians, Hebrews, Canaanites, and Syrians, could understand each other in a general way, though there are also proofs that there was a considerable difference between their dialects.

Verse 24. Took-Simeon and bound him before their eyes.] This was retaliation, if, as the rabbins suppose, it was Simeon who bound Joseph, and put him