INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 43 This chapter informs us how that the famine continued in the land of Canaan, and the corn that Jacob's family had from Egypt being consumed, Jacob pressed his sons to go down for more, which they refused to do, unless Benjamin was sent with them, for whose safety Judah of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FAMINE [WAS] SORE IN THE LAND. In the land of Canaan; it increased yet more and more: this is observed for the sake of what follows, showing the reason and necessity of Jacob's sons taking a second journey into Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THEY HAD EATEN UP THE CORN WHICH THEY HAD BROUGHT OUT OF EGYPT,.... Which, in so numerous a family as Jacob's was, having so many children, grandchildren, and servants, what nine men on so many asses could bring with them must be consumed in a short time, how long cannot be... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAH SPAKE UNTO HIM,.... Reuben the eldest son had met with a repulse already, Genesis 42:36; Simeon the next was now in Egypt, Genesis 42:24, and Levi, perhaps on account of the affair of Shechem, Genesis 34:25, did not yet stand well in his father's favour and affection; wherefore Judah bei... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WILT SEND OUR BROTHER WITH US,.... Give orders for his going with us, and put him under our care: WE WILL GO DOWN AND BUY THEE FOOD; signifying, on the above condition, that they were ready and willing to take a journey into Egypt, and buy provisions for him and his family, otherwise not.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THOU WILT NOT SEND [HIM], WE WILL NOT GO DOWN,.... This they said not as undutiful, and from a spirit of rebellion and disobedience to their father, or of stubbornness and obstinacy, but because they durst not go down, nor could they with any safety; they might expect to be taken up as spies,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL SAID,.... In answer to the speech of Judah: WHEREFORE DEALT YE [SO] ILL WITH ME; had done that which brought so much evil upon him, gave him so much grief and trouble, and threw him into such perplexity and distress, that he knew not what to do, or course to take: [AS] TO TELL THE MAN W... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID,.... Not Judah only, in the name of the rest, but each of them in turn, being all charged with doing an ill thing: THE MAN ASKED US STRAITLY OF OUR STATE, AND OF OUR KINDRED; or "in asking asked" h; very particularly and closely, putting many questions to us, who we were? to whom we b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAH SAID UNTO ISRAEL HIS FATHER, SEND THE LAD WITH ME, AND WE WILL ARISE AND GO,.... Directly to Egypt for corn; Judah calls Benjamin a lad, because the youngest brother, and tenderly brought up by his father, who had an affectionate fondness for him as if he had been a child; otherwise he mu... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BE SURETY FOR HIM,.... Engage for his safe return: OF MY HAND SHALL THOU REQUIRE HIM; I will be answerable for him: IF I BRING HIM NOT TO THEE, AND SET HIM BEFORE THEE: do not return him from Egypt, and bring him to Canaan, into his father's house and presence safe, and sound: THEN LET ME... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EXCEPT WE HAD LINGERED,.... Delayed going down to Egypt, through the demur Jacob made of tending Benjamin with them: SURELY NOW WE HAD RETURNED THIS SECOND TIME; they would have made their journey to Egypt, and returned again with their corn, and their brother Benjamin too, as Judah supposed, b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEIR FATHER SAID UNTO THEM,.... Being in some measure convinced by their reasonings, and in part at least reconciled to let Benjamin go with them, there being nothing to be done, he perceived, unless he consented to it: IF [IT MUST BE] SO NOW, DO THIS; if nothing else will do but Benjamin must... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TAKE DOUBLE MONEY IN YOUR HAND,.... Than what they carried before, either to buy as much more as they then did; or rather because of the greater scarcity of corn, as Jarchi observes, which made it doubly dearer; for this seems to be different from the money they are also bid to take in return fo... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE ALSO YOUR BROTHER,.... Their brother Benjamin, committing him into their hands and to their care, hereby declaring his consent and willingness that he should go with them: AND ARISE, GO AGAIN TO THE MAN; the governor of Egypt, to buy corn of him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD ALMIGHTY GIVE YOU MERCY BEFORE THE MAN,.... Who has the hearts of all men in his hands, kings, princes, governors, even those who are the most cruel and hardhearted, rough and severe in their tempers and dispositions, and such an one they had represented this man to be; one that had spoke ro... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN TOOK THE PRESENT,.... Their father directed them to: AND THEY TOOK DOUBLE MONEY IN THEIR HAND; besides what they found in their sacks mouths, which they also carried with them: AND BENJAMIN; they took him likewise with their father's leave: AND ROSE UP, AND WENT DOWN TO EGYPT, AND STO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JOSEPH SAW BENJAMIN WITH THEM,.... Whom he knew, though he had not seen him twenty two years, and though he must be very much altered, being but about ten years of age when Joseph was said into Egypt, yet being with the rest of his brethren, whom he knew very well, concluded it must be him:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN DID AS JOSEPH BADE: AND THE MAN BROUGHT THE MEN INTO JOSEPH'S HOUSE. Showed them the way to it, and introduced them into it, and led them into some apartment in it, and ordered every thing to be got ready for dinner as his master had bid him, being a diligent and faithful servant: at old... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN WERE AFRAID, BECAUSE THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO JOSEPH'S HOUSE,.... It not being usual, as Jarchi observes, for those that came to buy corn to lodge there, but at an inn in the city: AND THEY SAID, BECAUSE OF THE MONEY THAT WAS RETURNED IN OUR SACKS AT THE FIRST TIME ARE WE BROUGHT IN; to e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAME NEAR TO THE STEWARD OF JOSEPH'S HOUSE,.... The same person before called the ruler of his house, under whose direction they were; just before they came to the house, as it seems by what follows, they made up to him as having something to say to him: AND THEY COMMUNED WITH HIM AT THE D... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID, O SIR,.... Or, "on me, my lord" a, one said in the name of the rest, perhaps Judah, on me let the blame lie, if guilty of rudeness in making our address to thee; or as the Vulgate Latin version, "we pray, sir, that thou wouldest hear us"; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra say the phrase is expre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN WE CAME TO THE INN,.... Upon the road, on the first day's journey, to refresh themselves and their cattle: THAT WE OPENED OUR SACKS; to give provender to our cattle; by which it appears that they all did this, though it is only said of one of them at the inn, and of all of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OTHER MONEY HAVE WE BROUGHT DOWN IN OUR HANDS TO BUY FOOD,.... Double money for a double quantity, or because the price of corn was now doubled; and their bringing this besides the other showed their honest and upright intentions: WE CANNOT TELL WHO PUT OUR MONEY IN OUR SACKS; we are quite igno... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, PEACE [BE] UNTO YOU, FEAR NOT,.... Do not be uneasy and disturbed, you have nothing to fear, you are in no danger: YOUR GOD, AND THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER, HATH GIVEN YOU TREASURE IN YOUR SACKS; the hidden treasure, as the word signifies, found in their sacks; was there by the providence... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN BROUGHT THE MEN INTO JOSEPH'S HOUSE,.... After the above discourse had passed between them, and he had made their minds easy, both with respect to the money, and by bringing Simeon unbound to them: AND GAVE [THEM] WATER, AND THEY WASHED THEIR FEET; which was usually done in the eastern... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY MADE READY THE PRESENT AGAINST JOSEPH CAME AT NOON,.... They took it out of their vessels or bags in which they brought it, having unladen their asses, and disposed of it in a proper manner to present it to him when he came home at noon to dine: FOR THEY HEARD THAT THEY SHOULD EAT BREAD TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JOSEPH CAME HOME,.... In order to dine, it being noontime: THEY BROUGHT HIM THE PRESENT WHICH [WAS] IN THEIR HAND INTO THE HOUSE; everyone took a part of it in his hand, and brought it to Joseph in the parlour where he was, and delivered it to him as a present from their father, or from th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE ASKED THEM OF [THEIR] WELFARE,.... Or "peace" b, their prosperity, especially of the health of their bodies, whether they were well and in good health after so long a journey: AND SAID, [IS] YOUR FATHER WELL, THE OLD MAN OF WHOM YE SPAKE? when they were with him before, and told him they wer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ANSWERED, THY SERVANT OUR FATHER [IS] IN GOOD HEALTH, HE [IS] YET ALIVE,.... Which is an answer to both his questions; and by calling their father Joseph's servant, he did obeisance to him in them, as well as by sending a present to him, which they delivered as coming from him his servant;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES AND SAW HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN,.... He had seen him before when his brethren first presented themselves to him, but then took no particular and special notice of him, only gave him a side look as it were, but now he looked wistly at him: HIS MOTHER'S SON; the son of Rachel h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH MADE HASTE,.... To get out of the room where he was with his brethren as fast as he could: FOR HIS BOWELS DID YEARN UPON HIS BROTHER; his passions grew strong, his affections were raised, his heart was full of tenderness, and there was such a flow of love and joy at the sight of his brot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WASHED HIS FACE,.... From the tears on it, that it might not be discerned that he had been weeping: AND WENT OUT; of his chamber into the room again, where his brethren were: AND REFRAINED HIMSELF; from weeping, or showing any excess of passion, love, joy, c. AND SAID, SET ON BREAD gave or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SET ON FOR HIM BY HIMSELF,.... A table was placed and provisions set upon it in one part of the room for Joseph by himself; which was done either because he was an Hebrew, and the Egyptians might not eat with him, nor he with them; or rather for the sake of grandeur, he being the next man i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAT BEFORE HIM,.... At a table, so placed that they were in his sight, and he had a full view of them: THE FIRSTBORN ACCORDING TO HIS BIRTHRIGHT, AND THE YOUNGEST ACCORDING TO HIS YOUTH; everyone according to his age, Reuben, the firstborn, first, and so on to Benjamin the youngest: thus t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK [AND SENT] MESSES UNTO THERE FROM BEFORE HIM,.... The several dishes were brought before him, who cut them up, and sent to everyone their part and portion, as was usual in those times and countries, and afterwards elsewhere e, for the master of the family or feast to divide the food into... [ Continue Reading ]