Judah offers to become CHAP. XLIII. surety for Benjamin's return. things were for him; and by all these means was the of him should be so imperfect that we can never merciful God working for the preservation of himself trust in him but while he is under our own eye! If and his family, and the fulfilment of his ancient we see him producing good, we can believe that he promise, that the posterity of Abraham should be as is doing so, and this is all. If we believe not, he the stars of heaven for multitude. How strange is it abides faithful; but our unbelief must make our own that our faith, after so many evidences of his good-way extremely perplexing and difficult. ness, should still be so weak; and that our opinion CHAPTER XLIII. The famine continuing, Jacob desires his sons to go again to Egypt and buy some food, 1, 2. Judah shows the necessity of Benjamin's accompanying them, without whom it would be useless to return to Egypt, 3-5. Jacob expostulates with him, 6. Judah replies, and offers to become surety for Benjamin, 7-10. Jacob at last consents, and desires them to take a present with them for the governor of Egypt; and double money, that which they had brought back in their sacks' mouth, and the price of the load they were now to bring; and, having prayed for them, sends them away, 11-15. They arrive in Egypt, and are brought to Joseph's house to dine with him, at which they are greatly alarmed, 16-18. They speak to the steward of Joseph's house concerning the money returned in their sacks, 19-22. He gives them encouragement, 23, 24. Having made ready the present, they bring it to Joseph when he came home to dine, 25, 26. He speaks kindly to them, and inquires concerning their health, and that of their father, 27, 28. Joseph is greatly affected at seeing his brother Benjamin, 29-31. They dine with him, and are distinguished according to their seniority; but Benjamin receives marks of peculiar favour, 32-34. b 3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. с A. M. 2297. 7 And they said, The man dasked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? f 8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we thou, and also our little ones. will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother. NOTES ON CHAP. XLIII. Verse 8. Send the lad with me] As the original is not yeled, from which we have derived our word lad, but yɔ naar, it would have been better had our translators rendered it by some other term, such as the youth or the young man, and thus the distinction in the Hebrew would have been better kept up. Benjamin was at this time at least twenty-four years of age, some think thirty, and had a family of his own. See chap. xlvi. 21. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 11 And their father Israel said unto them, If mouth. Heb. knowing could we know.- - Ch. xliv. 32. Philem. 18, 19.- Or, twice by this. That we may live, and not die] An argument drawn from self-preservation, what some have termed the first law of nature. By your keeping Benjamin we are prevented from going to Egypt; if we go not to Egypt we shall get no corn; if we get no corn we shall all perish by famine; and Benjamin himself, who otherwise might live, must, with thee and the whole family, infallibly die. Verse 9. Let me bear the blame for ever] nem vechatathi lecha col haiyamim, then shall I Benjamin accompanies A. M. 2297. B. C. 1707. it must be so now, A. M. 2297. B. C. 1707. do this; take 16 And when Joseph saw Benof the best fruits in the land in jamin with them, he said to the your vessels, and carry down the man a pre-ruler of his house, Bring these men home, sent, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. and myrrh, nuts and almonds: 12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man : 14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. e 15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. a Ch. xxxii. 20. Prov. xviii. 16. b Ch. xxxvii. 25. Jer. viii. 22.- - Ch. xlii. 25, 35.- d Esth. iv. 16.- -e Or, and I, as I have been, &c. fCh. xxiv. 2. xxxix. 4. xliv. 1. g h 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in: that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, * we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: Heb. kill a killing. 1 Sam. xxv. 11. 1 Heb. roll himself upon us. Job xxx. 14. Heb. coming down we came down. b Heb. eat. * Ch. xli. 3, 10. sin against thee all my days, and consequently be subject exhausted must have recourse to the Physica liable to punishment for violating my faith. Verse 11. Carry down the man a present] From the very earliest times presents were used as means of introduction to great men. This is particularly noticed by Solomon: A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men, Prov. xviii. 16. But what was the present brought to Joseph on this occasion? After all the labour of commentators, we are obliged to be contented with probabilities and conjecture. According to our translation, the gifts were balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds. Balm] tsori is supposed to signify resin in general, or some kind of gum issuing from trees. Honey] war debash has been supposed to be the same as the rob of grapes, called in Egypt dibs. Others think that honey, in the common sense of the term, is to be understood here: we know that honey was plentiful in Palestine. Spices] nechoth is supposed to mean Gum Storax, which might be very valuable on account of its qualities as a perfume. Myrrh] lot, supposed by some to mean stacte; by others to signify an ointment made of myrrh. Nuts] botnim, by some rendered pistachio nuts, those produced in Syria being the finest in the world; by others, dates; others, walnuts; others, pine-apples; others, the nuts of the terebinth tree. Almonds]p shekedim, correctly enough translated, 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 almonds in the east; and on this account they might be deemed a very acceptable present to the governor of Egypt. Those who wish to see this Sacra of Scheuchzer. Verse 12. Double money] What was returned in their sacks, and what was further necessary to buy another load. Verse 14. This verse may be literally translated thus: "And God, the all-sufficient, shall give you tender mercies 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 privation, till God shall restore my children. It appears that this verse is spoken prophetically; and that God at this time gave Jacob a supernatural evidence that his children should be restored. Verse 16. Slay, and make ready] nav nav teboach tebach, slay a slaying, or make a great slaughter—let preparations be made for a great feast or entertainment. See a similar form of speech, Prov. ix. 2; 1 Sam. xxv. 11; and Gen. xxxi. 54. Verse 18. And the men were afraid] A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Every thing alarms them; they now feel that God is exacting retribution, and they know not what the degrees shall be, nor where it shall stop. And our asses.] Which they probably had in great number with them; and which, if captured, would have been a great loss to the family of Jacob, as such cattle must have constituted a principal part of its riches. Verse 20. O sir, we came indeed-to buy food] There is a frankness now in the conduct of Joseph's Their interview A. M. 2297. CHAP. XLIII. 21 And it came to pass, when | father is in good health, he is yet we came to the inn, that we opened alive. And they bowed down our sacks, and, behold, every man's money their heads, and made obeisance. was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. 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: for they heard that they should eat bread there. 26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. Ch. xlii. 27, 35. b Heb. your money came to me. d Ch. xxxvii. 7, 10.- e Heb. Heb.Is there peace to your father? Ch. xxxvii. 7, 10.- Ch. xxxv. 17, brethren that did not exist before; they simply and honestly relate the whole circumstance of the money being found in their sacks on their return from their last journey. Afflictions from the hand of God, and under his direction, have a wonderful tendency to humble the soul. Did men know how gracious his designs are in sending such, no murmur would ever be heard against the dispensations of Divine Providence. Verse 23. And he said] The address of the steward in this verse plainly proves that the knowledge of the true God was in Egypt. It is probable that the steward himself was a Hebrew, and that Joseph had given him intimation of the whole affair; and though he was not at liberty to reveal it, yet he gives them assurances that the whole business would issue happily. I had your money.] caspechem ba elai, your money comes to me. As I am the steward, the cash for the corn belongs to me. Ye have no reason to be apprehensive of any evil; the whole transaction is between myself and you; receive therefore the money as a present from the God of your father, no matter whose hands he makes use of to convey it. The conduct of the steward, as well as his words, had a great tendency to relieve their burdened minds. k with Joseph. A. M. 2297. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son! 30 And Joseph made haste; for 'his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on "bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birth-right, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was P five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him. 18.- k Ch. xlii. 13.- 1 Kings iii. 26.- m Ch. xlii. 24. n Ver. 25.- -o Ch. xlvi. 34. Exod. viii. 26.- -P Ch. xlv. 22. a Heb. drank largely. See Hag. i. 6. John ii. 10. Verse 24. Brought the men into Joseph's house, &c.] This is exactly the way in which a Hindoo receives a guest. As soon as he enters, one of the first civilities is the presenting of water to wash his feet. So indispensable is this, that water to wash the feet makes a part of the offerings to an image. Verse 27. And he asked them of their welfare] This verse may be thus translated: "And he asked them concerning their prosperity; And he said, Is your father prosperous, the old man who ye told me was alive? And they said, Thy servant our father prospers; he is yet alive." Verse 29. He lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin] They were probably introduced to him successively; and as Benjamin was the youngest, he would of course be introduced last. God be gracious unto thee, my son!] An usual salutation in the East from the aged and superiors to the younger and inferiors, which, though very emphatic and expressive in ancient times, in the present day means no more than "I am your humble servant," or "I am exceedingly glad to see you;" words which among us mean-just nothing. Even in David's time they seem to have been, not only devoid of meaning, but to be used as a cloak for the basest Observations on GENESIS. the preceding chapter. and most treacherous designs: They bless with their | themselves treated with so much ceremony, and at the mouths, but they curse inwardly. Hence Joab salutes same time with so much discernment of their reAmasa, kisses him with apparent affection, and stabs spective ages. him in the same moment! The case of Judas, betraying the Son of Man with a kiss, will not be forgotten. Verse 32. They set on for him by himself, &c.] From the text it appears evident that there were three tables, one for Joseph, one for the Egyptians, and one for the eleven brethren. The Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews] There might have been some political reason for this, with which we are unacquainted; but independently of this, two may be assigned. 1. The Hebrews were shepherds; and Egypt had been almost ruined by hordes of lawless wandering banditti, under the name of Hycsos, or King-shepherds, who had but a short time before this been expelled from the land by Amasis, after they had held it in subjection for 259 years, according to Manetho, committing the most wanton cruelties. 2. The Hebrews sacrificed those animals which the Egyptians held sacred, and fed on their flesh. The Egyptians were in general very superstitious, and would have no social intercourse with people of any other nation; hence we are informed that they would not even use the knife of a Greek, because they might have reason to suspect it had cut the flesh of some of those animals which they held sacred. Among the Hindoos different castes will not eat food cooked in the same vessel. If a person of another caste touch a cooking vessel, it is thrown away. Some are of opinion that the Egyptian idolatry, especially their worship of Apis under the figure of an ox, was posterior to the time of Joseph; ancient monuments are rather against this opinion, but it is impossible to decide either way. The clause in the Alexandrian Septuagint stands thus, Boeλvyua γαρ εστιν τοις Αιγυπτιοις [πας ποιμην προβατων], “ For [every shepherd] is an abomination to the Egyptians;" but this clause is probably borrowed from chap. xlvi. 34, where it stands in the Hebrew as well as in the Greek. See the note on chap. xlvi. 34. Verse 33. The first-born according to his birth-right] | This must greatly astonish these brethren, to find Verse 34. Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs.] Sir John Chardin observes that "in Persia, Arabia, and the Indies, there are several houses where they place several plates in large salvers, and set one of these before each person, or before two or three, according to the magnificence of each house. This is the method among the Hindoos; the dishes are not placed on the table, but messes are sent to each individual by the master of the feast or by his substitute. The great men of the state are always served by themselves, in the feasts that are made for them; and with greater profusion, their part of each kind of provision being always DOUBLE, TREBLE, or a LARGER proportion of each kind of meat." The circumstance of Benjamin's having a mess FIVE times as large as any of his brethren, shows the peculiar honour which Joseph designed to confer upon him. See several useful observations on this subject in Harmer's Observ., vol. ii., p. 101, &c., Edit. 1808. 1. The scarcity in Canaan was not absolute; though they had no corn, they had honey, nuts, almonds, &c. In the midst of judgment, God remembers mercy. If there was scarcity in Canaan, there was plenty in Egypt; and though his providence had denied one country corn, and accumulated it in the other, his bounty had placed in the former money enough to procure it from the latter. How true is the saying, "It is never ill with any but it might be worse!" Let us be deeply thankful to God that we have anything, seeing we deserve no good at his hands. 2. If we examine our circumstances closely, and call to remembrance the dealings of God's providence towards us, we shall find that we can sing much both of mercy and of judgment. For one day of absolute unavoidable want, we shall find we had three hundred and sixty-four, if not of fulness, yet of a competency. Famines, though rarely happening, are every where recorded; innumerable years of abundance are scarcely ever registered! Such is the perverseness and ingratitude of man! CHAPTER XLIV. Joseph commands his steward to put his cup secretly into Benjamin's sack, 1, 2. The sons of Jacob depart with the corn they had purchased, 3. Joseph commands his steward to pursue them, and charge them with having stolen his cup, 4-6. The brethren excuse themselves, protest their innocence, and offer to submit to be slaves should the cup be found with any of them, 7-9. Search is made, and the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, 10-12. They are brought back, and submit themselves to Joseph, 13-16. He determines that Benjamin alone, with whom the cup is found, shall remain in captivity, 17. in a most affecting speech, pleads for Benjamin's enlargement, and offers himself to be a bondman in his stead, 18-34. Judah, ND he commanded steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth; 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. Benjamin's sack. servants should do according to C A.M. 2297. 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold. 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be d 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men my lord's bondmen. were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men: and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, 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. b 10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he, with whom it is. found, shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 11 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, and left at the youngest; and the cup was 6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto found in Benjamin's sack. them these same words. 7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy Heb. him that was over his house. Or, maketh trial. e Ch. xliii. 21. NOTES ON CHAP. XLIV. Verse 2. Put my cup-in the sack's mouth of the youngest] The stratagem of the cup seems to have een designed to bring Joseph's brethren into the byhest state of perplexity and distress, that their deence by the discovery that Joseph was their ther might have its highest effect. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his brethren came to d Ch. xxxi. 32. e Ch. xxxvii. 29, 34. Numb. xiv. 6. 2 Sam. i. 11. whole world and its transactions, is styled by them p↳ jam jehan nima, “the cup showing the universe;" and to the intelligence received by their ancient monarchs, as by it they understood all means of it they attribute the great prosperity of events, past, present, and to come.. Many of the Verse 5. Whereby he divineth?] Divination by information of futurity by means of a cup. When Mohammedan princes and governors affect still to have tips has been from time immemorial prevalent among Mr. Norden was at Derri in the farthest part of the Asiatics; and for want of knowing this, comentators have spent a profusion of learned labour Egypt, in a very dangerous situation, an ill-natured on these words, in order to reduce them to that their people whom they sent to him that "he knew and powerful Arab, in a threatening way, told one of kind of meaning which would at once be consistent what sort of people they were, for he had consulted With the scope and design of the history, and save seph from the impeachment of sorcery and divi- whom one of their prophets had said, that Franks his cup, and found by it that they were those of nation. I take the word wrn nachash here in its gene-(Europeans) would come in disguise; and, passing acceptation of to view attentively, to inquire. Now there has been in the East a tradition, the commenceest of which is lost in immemorial time, that there a CUP, which had passed successively into the Lands of different potentates, which possessed the Strange property of representing in it the whole world, and all the things which were then doing in i. The cup is called ↳ jami Jemsheed, the cup a very ancient king of Persia, whom late historians and poets have confounded with Bacchus, Solomon, Alexander the Great, &c. This CUP, filled with the elixir of immortality, they say, was discovered when digging to lay the foundations of Persepolis. The Persian poets are full of allusions to which, from its property of representing the of Jemsheed, this cup, every where, examine the state of the country; and afterwards bring over a great number of other Franks, conquer the country, and exterminate all." By this we see that the tradition of the divining cup still exists, and in the very same country too in which Joseph formerly ruled. Now though it is not at all likely that Joseph practised any kind of divination, yet probably, according to the superstition of those times (for I suppose the tradition to be even older than the time of Joseph), supernatural influence might be attributed to his cup; and as the whole transaction related here was merely intended to deceive his brethren for a short time, he might as well affect divination by his cup, as he affected to believe they had stolen it. The steward therefore uses the |