Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? Ver. 1. _Now when Jacob saw that there was corn._] A sale of corn. Heb., A breaking: so called, either because corn breaks famine; or, because it is broken and ground to make bread of; or, fo... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. Ver. 2. _Get you down thither,_] Here the divine decree of Israel's sojourning and suffering in Egypt begins to be fulfilled, by a wonderful providence. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. Ver. 3. And Joseph's ten brethren went.] Forty or fifty miles an end: Austin saith three hundred. Should we think much to go a few steps, say it be miles, to get food for our souls? Beware of that famine. Amo 8:11-12 The seven churches of As... [ Continue Reading ]
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. Ver. 4. _But Benjamin Jacob sent not._] Because best beloved; as last born, and likeliest to live longest; and the least, and least able to shift for himself; and all that was left... [ Continue Reading ]
And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. Ver. 5. _And the sons of Israel came._] God could have fed them by a miracle, as he did Elijah by the ravens; and Israel in the wilderness, where he rained them down manna, and set the flint a... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth._ Ver. 6. _And Joseph was the governor._] Of the Hebrew word here used, is made in Arabic the tit... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. Ver. 7. _Spake roughly unto them._] To bring them the sooner to a sight of their sin. God also,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him._ Ver. 8. _But they knew not him._] As being now altered in stature, voice, visage, his present pomp, and haply also, by his former imprisonment and affliction. We read of a young man, that being condemned to die, was turned gray-headed in one ni... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _And Joseph remembered the dreams._] Event is the best interpreter of divine oracles The disciples understood not many things at first that our Saviou... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come._ Ver. 10. _Nay, my lord._] The world is well changed since they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh." Then they could not find in their hearts to call him brother; now they call him "lord." God, when he plea... [ Continue Reading ]
We [are] all one man's sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies. Ver. 11. We are all one man's sons.] Therefore no spies; for what one man would hazard all his sons at once upon so dangerous a design? _ We are true men._] Heb., _Recti._ The Popish doctors reject those ancient authors t... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. Ver. 12. _Nay, but to see the nakedness._] That is, the weakness, and where we may be best invaded; as Numbers 13:19. By this wile he gets out of them that which he much longed to hear of; his father and brother Benjamin'... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _And one is not._] They tell Joseph that Joseph is not. When God holds men's eyes, they see not the truth that lies befor... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies: Ver. 14. _That is it that I spake unto you._] He lays it hard to them still: as who should say, The longer I hear you, the worse I like you; ere while ye said, ye were ten brethren of you: now you acknowledge two... [ Continue Reading ]
Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Ver. 15. _By the life of Pharaoh._] Joseph, that he might seem enough an Egyptian, swears heathenishly; Egyptians, partly of flattery, and partly of superstition, used to swear b... [ Continue Reading ]
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether [there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye [are] spies. Ver. 16. _By the life of Pharaoh surely, &c._] See how easily sin entereth twice, where it had o... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he put them all together into ward three days._ Ver. 17. _And he put them all together into ward three days._] Not into close prison, but into some chamber, or private room, where they might have opportunity of reflecting upon themselves, and repenting. _a_ I have heard of a grave divine, late... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God: Ver. 18. _And Joseph said unto them the third day._] So God, "after two days, will receive his; in the third day he will raise them up, and they shall live in his sight." Hos 6:2 "The rod of the wicked shall not _rest_ on... [ Continue Reading ]
If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: Ver. 19. _Let one of your brethren be bound._] By binding Simeon, he brought down Benjamin to himself. So doth God, by chastening our bodies, save our souls.... [ Continue Reading ]
But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. Ver. 20. _But bring your youngest brother unto me._] So saith God to all his worshippers, See that you bring your hearts with you, whatever you leave behind you. And as David sent to Abn... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 21. _We are verily guilty, &c._] See here the force of conscience and fruit of affliction to... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 22. _Spake not I unto you, &c._] Fellows in sin oft fall out, and then all comes to light. Mohammed the great Turk had, with gre... [ Continue Reading ]
And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. Ver. 23. _Understood them._] Heb., Heard them. See 1 Corinthians 14:2, marg. So Isaiah 36:11. So a hearing heart is put for "an understanding heart," 1Ki 3:9 which many of our common hearers want; and therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _And wept; and returned, &c._] The better any one is, the more inclined to weeping; as David, than Jonathan. 1Sa 20:41 “Nam faci... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. Ver. 25. _Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks._] This was the revenge he took upon them for their many misusages. So Joshua m... [ Continue Reading ]
And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. Ver. 26. _And they laded their asses._] Which are beasts fit to bear burdens; and have their names in Greek of their usefulness. _a_ a ονος from ονημι. _Asinum oneramus quia est asinus, &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack's mouth. Ver. 27. _To give his ass provender in the inn._] Their inns then were not so well furnished as ours are; but they were forced to carry their provender, which was... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What [is] this [that] God hath done unto us? Ver. 28. _My money is restored._] Joseph had stolen this benefit upon them, which they misi... [ Continue Reading ]
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, Ver. 29. _And they came to Jacob._] Who had looked many a long look for them, no doubt, and was now glad to see their faces and full sacks. But this joy lasted but a little while; for no s... [ Continue Reading ]
The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. Ver. 30. See Genesis 42:9; Genesis 42:11; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:19, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
And we said unto him, We [are] true [men]; we are no spies: Ver. 31. See Genesis 42:9; Genesis 42:11; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:19, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan. Ver. 32. See Genesis 42:9; Genesis 42:11; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:19, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye [are] true [men]; leave one of your brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of your households, and be gone: Ver. 33. See Genesis 42:9; Genesis 42:11; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:19, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men: so] will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. Ver. 34. See Genesis 42:9; Genesis 42:11; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:19, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when [both] they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. Ver. 35. _And it came to pass as they emptied._] Calvin's note on this text is, that Joseph was misundersto... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me. Ver. 36. _Simeon is not._] That is, As good he were not; for ye have left him prisoner, and unless ye return the soon... [ Continue Reading ]
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. Ver. 37. _Slay my two sons._] A simple and sinful offer. Reuben was the oldest, but not the wisest. Age is no just measure of wisdom. Howbeit, of him... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Ver. 38. _Then shall ye bring down my gray hairs, &c._] To the state of the dead; not... [ Continue Reading ]