Genesis 50

infer the belief they had, in those days, of another life: in society with those who were departed out of this life. For brutes are never said to be gathered to those of their kind, that died before them. if they had apprehended their passage would meet with any hinderance from them. There they mourned, &c] Wherein this great and sore lamentation consisted, we are not able to give a certain account: but in aftertimes they sat with their faces covered; having ashes sprinkled on their heads; crying out with a mournful voice; sometimes wringing, sometimes clapping their hands together; smiting their breasts, or their thighs; with many other expressions of grief and sorrow. But why they made this lamentation at the floor of Atad, rather than at the grave, is harder to resolve. Perhaps it was a more convenient place U> stay in seven days, than that where he was to be buried: and the mourning being made in the country where the body was laid, was the same as if it had been made at the grave. Or, it was the fashion, perhaps, at the very entrance of the country, where they carried a corpse to be buried, to fall into a lamentation: and they made the same again, when they came to the place where it was interred: though there is nothing of that here mentioned. Seven days.] That that was the time of public mourning among the Jews in succeeding ages, it appears from many instances: particularly 1 Sara. xxxi. 13. Ecclus. xxii. 13. Judith xvi. 29. And just so long their joy lasted at solemn weddings; as we read in chap. xxix. of this book, ver. 27. of sinners, turns the evil they do into good, and directs it to the most excellent ends. his embalming was finished; but that they should carry him when they themselves retailed to Canaan: by which time ho knew his flesh would be quite dried up, and nothing left but bones. The reason why he did not desire to be carried away presently, was, that his body remaining with them, they might look upon it as a pledge and security of the promise God had made, of giving them the possession of that land, wherein he desired to be buried, or not buried at all. But he had repeated it twice, that God would surely visit them, (ver. 24, 25.) and was so confident of it, that he desired to bo kept unburied, till the time of that visitation. Perhaps also he considered that they could not be of such authority as he had been: to prevail to have his body carried to Canaan, as his father’s was: and therefore desired them not to think of laying him there, till that time came, when they should make a solemn and universal departure thither. We read nothing what became of the rest of his brethren, but Josephus saith they were all carried into the land of Canaan to be buried: for they had the same desire, in all likelihood, and gave the same charge concerning their bodies;, to keep posterity in hope, that God would certainly bring them thither. Which the words of St. Stephen also may seem to import, when he saith, (Acts vii. 15, 16.) " Jacob died, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem," &c. Though we read of none of their fathers beside Joseph; yet it seems the tradition was, that they were all carried thither, after his example. And so St. Jerome saith, that he saw at Sychem the sepulchres of the twelve patriarchs. (Epitaph. Paulas, cap. 6.)

Genesis 50:1

-&ND the Lord visited Sarah, &c. Bestowed upon her the blessing he had promised her; i. e. made her conceive. For so the word visit signifies, cither in a bad sense to inflict punishment, (Exod. xx. 5.) or in a good sense to confer blessings; as here, and Exod. iii. 16. and many other places. And he did unto her as he had spoken.] Performed his promise by making her bring forth a child: for so it is explained in the next verse, " Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son.** «/ OSEPHfell on his father’s face. 1 He was transported by his affection, to the tenderest expressions of it: though he was a man in great dignity and authority. And kissed him.) It is likely he first closed his eyes, as God promised he should do, xlvi. 4. (and as the custom was,) and then parted from his body with a kiss. Of which we find many examples both among heathen and Christian people: but they will not warrant us to say that it was done by everybody; for all that I have observed -were such near relations as Joseph was to Jacob. Thus Ovid represents Niobe as kissing her slain sons; and Meleager’s sisters kissing him when he lay dead: and Corippus represents Justin the younger falling upon Justinian, and weeping, and kissing him, just as Joseph did here: " Ut prius ingrediens corpus venerabile vidit, Incubuit lachrymans, atque oscula frigida carpsit Divini patris." Yet Dionys. Areopag. cap. vii. Eccles. Hierarch. describing the funerals of Christians, saith, the bishop prayed over the corpse when it was brought into the church, and after prayer, Avrbg a<r?raZsTcu rbv KtKotfxrifiivov, &c. Both he himself kissed the dead person, and after him all that were present did the same: so it seems to have been their taking a solemn leave of the dead, till they met in another world.

Genesis 50:2

Sarah conceived, &c. God not only made her womb fruitful, but brought the fruit of it to perfection, and then brought it into the world. At the set time of which God had spoken to him.’] (xviii. 14.) It is not said where Isaac was born: for we are not told here, whether Abraham departed from Gerar into any other part of this country, as Abimeleeh kindly offered and gave him liberty to do, (xx. 15.) But it appearing by the latter end of this chapter, that he continued a long time in Abimelech’s country, though not at Gerar, it is probable Isaac was born at Beer-sheba, (ver. 31.) His servants the physicians.] Great men anciently, among other servants that waited on them, had a physician. And Joseph, being viceroy of Egypt, may well be supposed to have kept more than one in his retinue. To embalm his father.] Of which there was now the greater necessity; because his body was to be carried a great way to its sepulchre. And both Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus tell us there were those in Egypt who professed the art of preserving bodies from corruption. Which, it is likely, was a part of their physicians’ employment: for the word ropheim (which we translate physicians) constantly signifies in Scripture, such as cure or heal sick bodies. But the LXX. here aptly enough translate it IvrafytaoraQ (those that prepared and fitted bodies for their interment, by embalming them, as we translate it), because this now was their proper business. Whence it is that Pliny saith, (lib. xi. cap. 37.) " Mos est Egyptiis cadavcra asservare medicata," it is the custom of the Egyptians to preserve dead bodies ordered by the physician’s art. In which art they excelled all other people: bodies of their embalming remaining to this day; and are often brought into these countries, under the name of mummy: concerning which a late German physician (Joach. Struppius) hath written a peculiar treatise. And the physicians embalmed Israel.] The forenamed authors (Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus) tell us the manner how it was performed; and at what rates: there being three several prices, according to the cost that men would bestow upon their friends. Upon the first rank of funerals they spent a talent of silver: the second cost about twenty pound: about the third they made small expense, as Diodorus expressly tells us, (lib.i. §. 2. p. 57. edit. Hen. Steph.) And Herodotus, in three distinct chapters, shews how they ordered the bodies of the better, middle, and meaner sort, so as to preserve them; and yet with greater or lesser expense. (Vid. Euterpe, cap. 86, 87, 88.) If things were thus in Joseph’s days, it is not to be thought that he would spare any cost, but had his father’s body embalmed in the noblest manner.

Genesis 50:3

And forty days were fulfilled for him. That is, for his embalming: which could not be finished in a little time. For Diodorus tells us of several officers who were employed about it, one after another; and says expressly they spent more than thirty days in it. Which differs something from what is here related: but, it is likely, in future times (when Diodorus lived) they might have attained to a greater perfection in this art; and made their spices penetrate the whole body in less than forty days, but more than thirty. And Herodotus doth not really differ from this, when he saith, in the place beforenamed, Tavra 7iWj<rav7£c. when they had done these things (stuffed the body with myrrh, cassia, and other spices, except frankincense), ragi^vovaL virgt^, tcptyavTsg -hiiigag Ij3Sojli?jkovtcl, they pickled it in nitre, where it lay soaking seventy days. That is, thirty days more; till the forty were made up seventy: longer than which neither the bodies of the better nor the meaner sort were to be salted. But after that, they were wrapped in fine linen and gums; to make it stick like glue: and so they delivered the body to the kindred of the deceased entire (as IJiodorus writes, p. 58.) in all its features, the very hairs of the eye-lids being preserved. There have been some so morose as to censure Joseph for following the perverse customs, as they call them, of the Egyptians: who spent too much upon dead bodies. But they should have considered how much more perverse it is not to follow the decent customs of the country where we live; and that dead bodies, especially of the faithful, are not to be neglected, but treated (as St. Austin speaks, lib. i. de Civ. Dei, cap. 13.) as the organs of the Holy Ghost: which the ancients, he thinks, did well to carry to their funerals, offwiosd pietate. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.] i. e. All that time they were preparing his body, in the manner before related, for its funeral: which Herodotus says, was just seventy days. He and also Diodorus describe their manner of mourning; and say that they daubed their heads with mud (as the Jews sprinkled ashes on their heads), and went about lamenting till the corpse was buried: abstaining from bathing and from wine, and from all delicate food, or fine clothes. Which latter part of their mourning, it is likely, might be in use in Joseph’s time; though not the former, of besmearing their heads and faces with mud. But it is sufficient to say that they appeared in the habit of mourners (all the time the body was embalming), which was very various in different times and places: and continued in some countries a great many days longer than in others. This time of seventy days may seem to some too long: but Jacobus Capcllus proposes this to their consideration, (Hist. Exot. et Sacra, ad A. M. 2310.) that Joseph being next to their king, the Egyptians honoured his father

Genesis 50:6

God hath made me to laugh. i. e. To rejoice exceedingly. So tliat all that hear will laugh with me.] All my friends and neighbours will congratulate my happiness and rejoice with me.

Genesis 50:7

Give children suck. It is usual to put the plural number for the singular, as was observed before, (xix. 29.) Or, she hoped, perhaps, to have more children after this. And her giving him suck was a certain proof, that she had brought him forth of her own womb; and that he was not a supposititious child, as Menochius well observes. Others note, that the greatest persons in those ancient days suckled their own children: which Favorinus, a Greek philosopher, pressed as a duty upon a noble woman by many strong arguments: which arc recorded by A. Gcllius, who was present at his discourse; (lib. xii. Noet. Attic, cap. 1.)

Genesis 50:8

The child grew, and tvas tveaned. At the age of five years old, as St. Jerome reports the opinion of some of the Hebrews. Made a great feast the same day.] Rather now than at his nativity, because there was greater hope of life, when he was grown so strong as to be taken from his mother’s breast.

Genesis 50:9

Sarah saw the son ofHagar, &c. mocking J. He laughed and jeered, perhaps, at the great bustle which was made at Isaac’s weaning: looking upon himself as the first-born, and by the right of that to have the privilege of fulfilling the promise of the Messiah. This gives a good account of Sarah’s earnestness for the expulsion, not only of him, but of his mother also, who, it is likely, flattered and bare him up in those pretensions. Many think he did more than mock him, because St. Paul calls it persecution, (Gal. iv. 29.) which St. Jerome takes for beating Isaac; who, perhaps, resenting his flouts, might say something that provoked Ishmacl to strike him. And it is very probable his mother encouraged him to this, or maintained him in his insolence, which was the reason Sarah pressed to have them both turned out of doors. vol. i. Some think he jested upon his name, and made it a matter of merriment. For so the word is used, xix. 14.

Genesis 50:10

Cast out, &c. Let them not dwell here any longer, nor continue a part of thy family. Shall not be heir, &c] She judged, by what she had seen of his fierce and violent spirit, that it would not be safe for her son to let Ishmael have any share in his father’s inheritance: for she was afraid he would make himself master of all.

Genesis 50:11

Grievous, because of his son. His wife is not here mentioned, because his principal concern was for his son: but it appears, by the next verse, he had some consideration of her also. This is a grievous mounting to the Egyptians.] By this it appears this was a solemn public mourning, in which the Egyptians themselves Joined, though not related to him. And therefore, it is likely, consisted in such wailings, and outward expressions of sorrow, as were made even by those who had no inward grief. For in following times there were a sort of men called DTI3D, lamenters (from the Hebrew word saphad used in the foregoing verse), who had a public office, as our bearers have, to attend upon funerals and make doleful lamentations. (Sec Buxtorf. Lex. Talm. f. 1524.) Abel-Mitzraim.’] This shews the lamentation was exceeding great, that it changed the very name of the place where it was made: or, at least, gave a name to it.

Genesis 50:12

God said unto Abraham, &c. By this he was satisfied that Sarah’s motion proceeded not merely from her anger; but from a Divine incitation. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.] Here the blessing promised to Abraham’s secd,(xvii. 7, 8.) is limited to the posterity of Isaac; and the meaning of the phrase is, they that descend from Isaac, and not they that descend from Ishmael, shall be owned by me for the children of Abraham; particularly the Messiah shall be one of his seed.

Genesis 50:13

Also of the son of thy hand-maid, &c. He renews the promise he had made him before, (xvii. 20.) that Ishmael should have a numerous posterity: because he was descended from Abraham.

Genesis 50:14

Rose up early in the morning. Delayed not to fulfil the Divine will. Took bread and abottleoftvater.] Which includes all sort of provision for their present necessity, till they came to the place unto which, in all probability, he directed them to bend their course. For it is not reasonable to think, that he sent them to seek their fortune (as we speak) without any care what became of them. It may seem strange rather, that he did not send a servant to attend them, but let Hagar carry the provision herself: which I suppose was done to humble her, and to shew that her son was to have no portion of Abraham’s inheritance, nor of his goods; of which servants were a part. Doctor Jackson, (book i. on the Creed, cap. 25.) thinks that Abraham would scarce have suffered them to go into a wilderness so poorly provided, when he had store of all things, unless he had been directed by some secret instinct, presaging the rude and sharking kind of life unto which his progeny was ordained. Yet, it is probable, lie was as kind to him as he was to the sons he had by Keturah, and sent him some tokens of his love afterwards. (See xxv. 6.) And Joseph returned into Egypt, &c] They had a prosperous journey: and there is no ground for what some Jews bid us here note; that not one man was lost, though they had a battle with the Edomites in their way to Canaan.

Genesis 50:15

She cast the child under one of the shrubs. He being faint, and ready to die with thirst. A presage (saith the great man beforenamed) that his posterity should be pinched with the like penury: scantiness of water (which was their best drink) straitening their territories in Arabia, asStrabo observes, lib. xvi. And after they had enlarged their bounds, even in Mesopotamia itself, they were still confined to the dry and barren places of it. Joseph will peradventure hate ns, 8cc] Their guilt was so great, that it continued to make them suspicious. Ver. 1G. And they sent messengers unto Joseph. ~] The same guilt made them fearful to go themselves; but they first tried how he would answer a messenger they sent to him (for it doth not appear there was more than one) in all their names; with a letter, perhaps, confirming what he delivered by word of mouth. Some think this message was sent before they went to bury their father; while the time of mourning lasted: when Joseph’s heart, they thought, was tender, and his father fresh in memory. Bat this is not a sufficient reason to make us think it was not done in order of time as it is here placed in the story. Thy father commanded before he died.] This was a feiq^ied story: for we do not find that Joseph had acquainted his father with their usage of him. Or, if lie did, it would have been more proper to have left this charge with Joseph, than with them; or rather, he knew him so well, that he needed not to command him to take no revenge.

Genesis 50:16

And she went and sat her down, &c. Her strength carried her further than he could go: but her affection still kept her within sight of the place where he was.

Genesis 50:17

And God heard the voice of the lad. Who cried, it seems, as well as his mother: and it movid the Divine pity to send an angel to their relief. Forgive the trespass.] So we well translate the Hebrew phrase, take away the trespass: which is used elsewhere in this book, xviii. 24. 20. and in Hoseaxiv. 2. And by forgive is meant, " Remitte poenam, quam ab illis possisjure exigere propter peccatum in te commissum;" asBochartwell explains this passage; (par. i. liierozoic. lib. ii. cap. 41.) Remit the pwushment, which thou mayest justly exact of them, for the offence they committed against thee. Of. the servants of the God of thy father.] They urge besides the command of their father, and the relation they had to him as his brethren, that they were of the same religion with him: which makes the greatest conjunction of minds and affections, if it be rightly understood and practised. For how can the worshippers of the same God hate one another? There are those who think they call themselves the servants of God, not merely upon the account of their worshipping the true God, but because they were teachers also of the true religion: for this made them, above other Israelites, to be the servants of God. So Jac. Alting. lib. iii. Shilo, cap. 14. And Joseph wept when they spake iinto him.] By their messenger. Which shews he. was so far from bejng angry at them, that he pitied them, and had a tender affection to them.

Genesis 50:18

And his brethren also went,.Sic. The messenger acquainting them how he stood affected to them; and, it is likely, carrying back a kind message from him, and an invitation to come to him; they went to his house, and humbled themselves at his feet. In which Joseph’s dream was still further fulfilled. We are thy servants.] They had not yet overcome their fear (so close did their guilt stick to their consciences), and therefore call themselves his servants, not his brethren. They had sold him to be a servant; and now they offer themselves to be so to him…;.< ■.,

Genesis 50:19

For am I in the place of God?. His father Jacob had said the same to Rachel, (xxx. 2.) to persuade her to submit to Divine Providence: which seems to be the scope of the words here. Shall I presume to oppose myself to what is come to pass; as if I were God, and not He, who hath ordered things so much for our good? This appears to be the sense by what follows: and may be thus expressed: shall I punish you for that (for that may be meant by being in the place of God, to whom vengeance belongs) which God hath turned so much to all our advantage? Though the words may be simply rendered, I am in the place of God, without an interrogation. As much as to say, I have nourished and sustained you all this while, and can yon think I will now do you hurt?

Genesis 50:20

But as for yon, ye thought evil against me, &c.) It is true, indeed, ye thought to destroy me: but God designed by that very evil contrivance, of yours, to bring about the greatest good both to you and me. To bring to pass as it is this day, &c] To accomplish what you now see, the preservation of our whole family: which he understands by much people, in the next words, who by this means were saved from perishing. Herein appears the wonderful wisdom of God’s overruling providence: which, contrary to the nature of sin, and the will

Genesis 50:21

Now therefore fear you not. He again encourages their hope; by repeating what he had said, vcr. 19. J will nourish you, &c] I will still take care of you all, as I have done hitherto. And he comforted them, tec] With such discourse as this ho raised up their drooping spirits: for he spako most kindly to them.

Genesis 50:22

And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, toe. He continued in Egypt; and so did his brethren, to their dying day. And, no doubt, made his word good to them: being one of the greatest examples of heroic virtue; to which none can arrive, unless they be meek and placable as he was. For, " Nihil est magnum, quod non idem sit placidum;" as Seneca truly said. Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.] Not so long as his forefathers; for he was the son of his father’s old age, and lived a great part of his time full of thought and care: having the weight of a great kingdom’s affairs lying on him. For eighty of these years he spent in Egypt (being but thirty years old when he first stood before Pharaoh), in great prosperity, indeed; but in no less solicitude to discharge so great a trust as was committed to him.

Genesis 50:23

Ephraims children of the third generation. i. e. His great grandchildren. In which Jacob’s prediction began to be fulfilled, (xlviii. 19, 20. xlix. 25.) We find indeed that after Joseph’s death (I suppo&e) Ephraim had some of his children slain, (1 Chron, vii. 21, &c.) But God so blessed those who remained, that when Moses took an account of them after their coming out of Egypt, they were increased to above eight thousand more than the children of Manassch, (Numb. i. 33. 35.) Brought tip upon Joseph’s knees.] He lived to embrace and dandle them (as we now speak), in which old men and women much delight. Machir had only Gilead by his first wife; but he had more children by a second, as we read 1 Chron. vii. 16. All which were born before Joseph died’; and, perhaps, by children he means the children of his grandchildren. Joseph’s great authority, and his children’s great increase, overawed his brethren so that they never durst dispute their father’s will: inwhich ho gave a double portion unto them. Which one would guess by their temper, was as displeasing to them, as their fathers kindness to Joseph anciently had been: but they durst not oppose it; nor do we find they quarrelled at it.

Genesis 50:24

God mil surely visit you. He explains his meaning by what follows; and bring you out of this land, &c. For the word visit is used indifferently either for bestowing good things, or inflicting evil. Thus he died in the same faith with his ancestors; that God would make good his promises to them.

Genesis 50:25

And Joseph took an oath. As his father had done of him, (xlvii. 30> 31.) Of the children of Israel.] Not only of his brethren mentioned before, (ver. 24.) but of all their family, who Mere to succeed them; and might live (when his brethren were dead) to carry his body out of Egypt; which he desired, for the same reason his father had done. Carry np my bones from hence.] He did not desire to be carried immediately after his death, as his father was when

Genesis 50:26

So Joseph died. After he had taken the forenamed oath of them, and assured them again of the truth of God’s promise: which were the last things he did. Some, perhaps, may think it strange that so wise and great a man as Joseph, whose dying words, one cannot but think, would have left a deep impression upon his brethren, should not give them abundance of good counsel at his departure from this world: and lay some other charge upon them, besides this of carrying up his bones to the land of Canaan. But Moses did not intend to write all that excellent men said and did: and we may very well think, when he declared his steadfast faith in the promise made to Abraham, (which the apostle takes notice of, Hebr. xi. 22.) and assured them God would perform it, he enlarged himself on that subject, in more words than are here related. Being a hundred and ten years old.] This was said before, (ver. 22.) but here repeated, to signify he did not live a year beyond it; and so died just fifty-four years after his father; and a hundred and forty-four years before their departure out of Egypt. And they embalmed him.] His brethren took the same care of his body, that he had done of his father’s, ver. 2. See there. For that Joseph died before any of his brethren, the Jews gather from Exod. i, 6, where it is said, " Joseph died, and all his brethren." He first, and they followed him. But not content with this, some of them adventure to tell us how many years every one of them lived; nay, the very month and day of their birth, as may be seen in 11. Bechai. Iteuben, for instance, they say was born the 14th day of Cisleu, and died when he was a hundred and twenty-five years old, &c. And he was put in a coffin in Egypt.] To be pre- CHAP. I.]