XXXVII. (1) AND JACOB... — This verse is not the beginning of a new section, but the conclusion of the _Tôldôth Esau._ In Genesis 36:6, we read that Esau went into a land away from Jacob. Upon this follows in Genesis 37:8, “And Esau dwelt in Mount Seir;” and now the necessary information concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TÔLDÔTH JACOB. JOSEPH IS SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN INTO EGYPT. (2) THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB. — This _Tôldôth,_ according to the undeviating rule, is the history of Jacob’s descendants, and specially of Joseph. So the _Tôldôth_ of the heaven and earth (Genesis 2:4) gives the history of the creation a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE. — Jacob was ninety-one when Joseph was born; but at Benjamin’s birth he was eight or nine years older; and according to the common belief that Jacob was only twenty years in Padan-aram, the four sons of the handmaids must have been about Joseph’s age, and Leah’s last t... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSEPH DREAMED A DREAM. — Though dreams as a rule do but arise from the mind being wearied with overmuch business (Ecclesiastes 5:3), or other trivial causes; yet as being from time to time used by God for providential purposes, they are occasionally described as a lower kind of prophecy (Numbers 12... [ Continue Reading ]
STOOD UPRIGHT. — Heb., _took its station._ It is the verb used in Genesis 24:13, where see Note. It implies that the sheaf took the position of chief. We gather from this dream that Jacob practised agriculture, not occasionally, as had been the case with Isaac (Genesis 26:12), but regularly, as seem... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DREAMED YET ANOTHER DREAM. — In Joseph’s history the dreams are always double, though in the case of those of the chief butler and baker, the interpretation was diverse.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FATHER REBUKED HIM. — In making the sun and moon bow down before him. Joseph’s dream seemed to violate the respect due to parents. As Jacob probably regarded his son’s dreams as the result of his letting his fancy dwell upon ideas of self-exaltation, he rightly rebuked him; while, nevertheless,... [ Continue Reading ]
SHECHEM. — Jacob’s sons seem to have retained Shechem, by right of their high-handed proceedings. related in Genesis 34:27. By seizing the “_tafs”_ of the Shechemites, Simeon and Levi must have added. large numbers of grown men to the roll of their retainers; and after accustoming them to their serv... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER IT BE WELL WITH THY BRETHREN. — Jacob might well fear lest the natives should form a confederacy against his sons, and take vengeance upon them for their cruelty. They were too fierce themselves to have any such alarm, but Jacob was of a far more timid disposition. THE VALE OF HEBRON. — The... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTHAN. — This town was twelve miles north of Shechem, and is famous as being the place where Elisha struck the Syrian army with blindness (2 Kings 6:13) It is situated in a small but fertile valley, and Jacob’s sons, having exhausted the produce of the larger plain round Shechem, had moved northwar... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS DREAMER. — Heb., _this lord of dreams,_ a phrase expressive of contempt.... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO SOME PIT. — Heb., _into one of the pits,_ that is, cisterns dug to catch and preserve the rain water. In summer they are dry, and a man thrown into one of them would have very little chance of escape, as they are not only deep, but narrow at the top. The Jewish interpreters accuse Simeon of bei... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THIS PIT THAT IS IN THE WILDERNESS. — Reuben apparently pointed to some cistern in the desolate region which girds the little valley of Dothan around. We learn from Genesis 42:21 that Joseph begged hard for mercy, and to be spared so painful a death, but that his brothers would not hear. Though... [ Continue Reading ]
A COMPANY OF ISHMEELITES. — Dothan was situated on the great caravan line by which the products of India and Western Asia were brought to Egypt. As the eastern side of Canaan is covered by the great Arabian desert, the caravans had to travel in a north-westernly direction until, having forded the Eu... [ Continue Reading ]
TWENTY PIECES OF SILVER. — Twenty shekels of silver were computed, in Leviticus 27:5, as the average worth of a male slave under twenty. It would be about £2 10s. of our money, but silver was of far greater value then than it is now.... [ Continue Reading ]
REUBEN RETURNED. — Evidently he was not present when Joseph was sold to the Midianites. This has been made into a difficulty, but really it confirms the truth of the narrative. For the difficulty arises solely from the supposition that Joseph’s brethren immediately after casting him into the pit “sa... [ Continue Reading ]
A KID of THE GOATS. — Heb., _a full grown he-goat._ Maimonides thinks that the reason why he-goats were so often used as sin-offerings under the Levitical law was to remind the Israelites of this great sin committed by their patriarchs.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BROUGHT IT. — Heb., _they caused it to go,_ that is, sent it by the hand of a messenger. They were unwilling to see the first burst of their father’s agony. AND SAID. — These were the words that were to be spoken by the messenger who was charged to bear the coat to Jacob.... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY DAYS. — Jacob mourned for Joseph not merely during the usual period, but so long as to move even the hearts of those who had wronged him. For not only his daughters, but “all his sons rose up to comfort him.” Probably he had several daughters by Leah and the two handmaidens, Dinah alone having... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE GRAVE. — Heb., _Sheol,_ which, like Hades in Greek, means the place of departed spirits. Jacob supposed that Joseph had been devoured by wild beasts, and as he was not buried, the father could not have “gone down into the grave unto his son.” (Comp. Note on Genesis 15:15.)... [ Continue Reading ]
MIDIANITES. — Heb., _Medanites._ (See Note on Genesis 37:25.) POTIPHAR. — Three chief interpretations are given of this name The first explains it by two Coptic words, according to which it would signify “father of the king.” This would make it an official name equivalent to prime minister or vizie... [ Continue Reading ]