�1:� And the famine was sore in the land.
�2: �And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn
which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to
them, "Go again, buy us a little food."
a��3. Judah's words. �b��4. Jacob's act. �b��5-. Jacob's act. a��-5. Joseph's words.
�3:� And Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man did solemnly
protest to us, saying, 'You all shall not see my face,
except your brother be with you.'
�4:� If you will send our brother with us, we will go down
and buy you food:
�5:� But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, 'You all shall not see my face, except
your brother be with you.' "
�6:� And Israel said (note the name. Jacob is used in weakness-42:36 &c., Israel of his resignation to God's will. In the use of the names Jacob and Israel, men might well invent a Jacobite and Israelite authorship, as well as Elohist Yehohist theory!), "Why did you all dealt so ill with me (=planed, ploted, and designed), as to tell the man whether you all had yet a brother?"
�7:� And they said, "The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? have you all 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?' "
�8:� And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.
�9:� I will be surety for him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him not to you, and set him before you,
then let me bear the blame for ever: (Heb.=all the days)
�10:� For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time."
�11:� And their father Israel said to them, "If it must be
so now, do this; take of the best fruits (=praise of the land, "praise" put for choise fruits which had brought forth praise) in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, 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; perhaps it was an oversight:
�13:� Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the
man:
�14:� And GOD ALMIGHTY (El Shaddai) give you mercy (mercy put for favors shown) before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
�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.
�16:� And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house (house put for servants of it), "Bring these men home, and slay (food, abundantly), and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon."
�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:
�21:� And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money 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 ("Peace" put for all its blessings), fear not: your Elohim (God), and the Elohim of your father, has given you (secret) treasure in your sacks: I had your money." And he brought Simeon out to 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. (Cp.37:7,8)
�27:� And he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your aged father, of whom you all spoke? Is he yet alive?"
�28:� And they answered, "Your servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive." And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. (Cp. 37:7-10)
�29:� And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother
Benjamin (now 22, and father of 10 sons. Cp. 46:21), his mother's son, and said, "Is this your younger brother, of whom you all spoke to me?" And he said, "Elohim be gracious to you, 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. (see 42:24)
�31:� And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained
himself, and said, "Set on bread." (="Sit down to eat food")
�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 to the
Egyptians.
�33:� And they sat before him (Egyptian pictures show that it was the custom to sit at meals), the firstborn according to his birthright (Joseph thus showing that he knew their ages and order, and causing them to marvel), and the youngest according to his youth (This was to try them, and see whether they were stil "moved with envy". Cp. 37:4,8,11,18. It was also a type of the comming day, when the True Joseph will be able to do for the scattered and mingled tribes what was done here for the tribal heads): and the men marvelled one at another.
�34:� And he took and sent messes (=choise portions) to them from before him: but Benjamin's portion was five times (#5=grace) so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry (Heb.=drank abundantly. Cp Hag.1:6. John 2:10) with him.
x��b��44:1-13. Feigned Dismissal. ����c��44:14-34. Brethren's explanaton to Joseph. ����c��45:1-16. Joseph's explanation to Brethren. ���b��45:17-24. Actual Dismissal.
b��d��1,2. The Cup concealed. ����e��3. The sending away. ���d��4-12. The Cup found. ����e��13,14. The return.
�3:� As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
�4:� And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet
far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow after the men; and when you do overcome them, say to them, "Why then have you all the silver cup? have you all rewarded evil for good?
�5:� Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby
indeed he divines? (This was to confirm their belief that Joseph was an Egyptian) you all have done wickedness in so doing."
�6:� And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same
words.
�7:� And they said to him, "Why does my lord say these
words? far be it from your servants should do according
to this thing:
�8:� Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold?
�9:� With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die (This was the penalty in the "Code", with which they were aquainted with in Canaan, death for stealing from a palace. Property more sacred than life), and we also will be my lord's bondmen."
�10:� And he said, "Now also let it be according to your
words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and
you all 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 found in Benjamin's sack.
�13:� Then they tore their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
�14:� And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the
ground.
c��f��15. Joseph. ����g��16. Judah. ���f��17. Joseph. ����g��18-34. Judah.
�15:� And Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you all have done? know you all not that such a man as I can certainly divine?" (=diligently observe)
�16:� And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God (Elohim) has found out the iniquity (=a course of bad conduct flowing from the evil desires of fallen nature, rather than breaches of the law as such) of your servants (this confession was what Joseph had been laboring to procure): behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found."
�17:� And he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace to your father."
�18:� Then Judah came near to him (he who proposed to sell Joseph and save his life-37:26,27-now proposes to remain a bondman for Benjamin. He had already become surety for his safety-43:8,9), and said, "Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are even as Pharaoh.
�19:� My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you all a
father, or a brother?'
�20:� And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an aged father, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'
�21:� And you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.'
�22:� And we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his
father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
�23:� And you said to your servants, 'Except your youngest
brother come down with you, you all shall see my face no
more.'
�24:� And it came to pass when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
�25:� And our father said, 'Go again, and buy us a little
food.'
�26:� And we said, 'We cannot go down: if our youngest
brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not
see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with
us.'
�27:� And your servant my father said to us, 'You all know
that my wife bare me two sons:
�28:� And the one went out from me, and I said (here Joseph learned what happened after they sold him; and how they had decieved their father-37:31,32), 'Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
�29:� And if you all take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you all shall bring down my gray hairs (=me, in my old age) with sorrow to the grave.' (The whole phrase is a Euphemism for "You all will kill me" so v.31, "he will die")
�30:� Now therefore when I come to your servant my father,
and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound
up in the lad's life (soul);
�31:� It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is
not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall
bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with
sorrow to the grave.
�32:� For your servant became surety for the lad to my
father, saying, 'If I bring him not to you, then I shall
bear the blame to my father for ever.'
�33:� Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide
instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
�34:� For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest perhaps I see and grieve over the evil that shall come on my father." (Evil is thus personified, by Fig. Personification)
c��h��1. Joseph affected. ����i��2-. Weeping. �����k��-2. Pharaoh and his house. ���h��3-13. Joseph revealed. ����i��14,15. Weeping. �����k��16. Pharaoh and his house.
�2:� And he wept aloud (gave forth his voice in weeping, showing the intensity of feelng, see 42:24):
and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
h��l��3,4. Declaration. ������m��5. Overruling by God. �������n��6. Famine. ������m��7,8. Overruling by God. ���l��9-13. Invitation.�3� And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am Joseph (so the True Joseph will one day reveal Himself, and His Brethren will then be troubled indeed, Rev.1:7. Matt.24:30. Zech.12:9-14) ; does my father yet live?" (for he had just been informed of the fact-43:28. Fig. Erotesis) And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
�5:� Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves (=let not anger kindle your eye, cp. Acts 3:17), that you all sold me to this place: for Elohim did send me before you to preserve life. (So v.7; 50:20. Ps.105:17.=To preserve you a posterity in the earth [v.7], and hence, to ensure the birth of the True Joseph, and all who have life eternal in Him)
�6:� For these two years has the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be ploughing nor harvest.
�7:� And Elohim sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
�8:� So now it was not you that sent me to this place, but Elohim: and he has made me a father to Pharaoh (this is not the Heb Ab, "father"; but Ab en Perao is an Egyptian title of high office of State. See 41:43=first minister of Pharaoh's household), and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
�9:� Make haste you all, and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, 'God (Elohim) has made me lord of all Egypt: come down to me, tarry not:
�10:� And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen (=rain, shower), and you shall be near to me, you, and your sons, and your son's sons, and your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have:
�11:� And there will I nourish you; for yet there are five years of famine; lest you, and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.'
�12:� And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, because my own mouth is speaking to you I cannot speak of all my glory, but you shall tell my father of all my glory.
�13:� And you all shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you all have seen; and you all shall haste and bring down my father to this place."
�14:� And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and gave forth his voice in weeping; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
�15:� Moreover he kissed all his brothers, and gave forth his voice in weeping upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
�16:� And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brothers are come:" and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
A���G��1. Departure to Beer-sheba and Egypt. �����H��2-. Divine Manifestation and Call. ������I��-2. Jacob's response. �����H��3,4. Divine Manifestation and Promise. ����G��5-7. Arrval in Egypt from Beer-sheba.
�2:� And God (Elohim) spoke to Israel (see 32:28; 43:8; 45:26,28) in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob." (for emphasis, to remind him of what he was and had been, in contrast to what God would make him. See 22:11)
And he said, "Here am I."
�3:� And He said, "I am GOD (El), the God (Elohim) of your father: fear not to go down into Egypt (though Isaac forbidden to go-26:2, and Abraham warned-15:13,14, no need to fear where God goes with Jacob and us); for I will there make of you a great nation:
�4:� I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again (cp. 15:14): and Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes." (=close your eyes in peace)
1706 B.C. Begins sojourn in Egypt which was 215 years.
�5:� And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father (they now take the ground of faith), and their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
�6:� And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
�7:� His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters (cp. 31:55 and 46:15,16), and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
B���K���8-25. Severally. ����K���26,2. Collectively.
K���L��8-15. Leah. �����M��16-18. Zilpah. ����L��19-22. Rachel. �����M��23-25. Bilhah.
�8:� And these are the names of the children of Israel (70 names), which came into Egypt, Jacob (=supplanter) and his sons: Reuben (=behold a man), Jacob's firstborn. (Cp. the above order with 49:3-27)
�9:� And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch (=dedicated), and Phallu (=distinquished), and Hezron (=enclosed), and Carmi (=vine dresser).
�10:� And the sons of Simeon (=heard); Jemuel (=day of God), and Jamin (=he shall establish), and Ohad (=united), and Jachin (=he shall establish), and Zohar (=light), and Shaul (=asked) the son of a Canaanitish woman.
�11:� And the sons of Levi (=joined); Gershon (=exile), Kohath (=assembly), and Merari (=bitter, unhappy. Jochebed = whose glory is Yehovah-is to be added, for she "came into" Egypt in her mother-Num.26:59).
�12:� And the sons of Judah (=praised, celebrated); Er (=watchfull), and Onan (=strong), and Shelah (=a petition), and Pharez (=a breach), and Zerah (=a ring of light): but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan (These are not to be reckoned). And the sons of Pharez were Hezron (=enclosed) and Hamul (=pitied. These grandsons take the place of Er and Onan).
�13:� And the sons of Issachar (=reward); Tola (=worm), and Phuvah (=mouth), and Job (=persecuted), and Shimron (=watch-height).
�14:� And the sons of Zebulun (=a habitation); Sered (=fear), and Elon (=an oak), and Jahleel (=hoping in Yehovah).
�15:� These are the sons of Leah (=wearied), which she bare to Jacob in the plains of Syria, with his daughter Dinah (=judged, acquitted): all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. (Heb. Nephesh. Soul put by Fig. Synecdoche for the person, and "of"=the Gen. of Apposition: i.e. "the souls", that is to say, his sons &c.)
�16:� And the sons of Gad (=a troop); Ziphion (=watch), and Haggi (=festive), Shuni (=fortunate), and Ezbon (=working), Eri (=watchfull), and Arodi (=a wild ass), and Areli (=heroic).
�17:� And the sons of Asher (=happy); Jimnah (=prosperity), and Ishuah (=quiet), and Isui (=quiet), and Beriah (=in evil, or a gift), and Serah (=exceedingly, superfluidity) their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber (=alliance), and Malchiel (=king of i.e. appointed by, God).
�18:� These are the sons of Zilpah (=a trickling), whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare to Jacob, even sixteen souls.
�19:� The sons of Rachel (=ewe) Jacob's wife; Joseph (=increase), and Benjamin (=son of the right hand, fortunate).
�20:� And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh (=forgetfull) and Ephraim (=double fruitfulness), which Asenath (=worshipper of Neith) the daughter of Potipherah (=belonging to the sun. One of the shepherd kings of lower Egypt) priest of On (=abode, or city of the sun) bare to him.
�21:� And the sons of Benjamin were Belah (=destruction), and Becher (=young, or firstborn), and Ashbel (=reproof of God), Gera (=a grain), and Naaman (=pleasantness), Ehi (=my brother), and Rosh (=head), Muppim (=serpent), and Huppim (=protected), and Ard (=one that descends).
�22:� These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
�23:� And the sons of Dan (=a judge); Hushim (=who makes haste).
�24:� And the sons of Naphtali (=wrestling); Jahzeel (=whom God alots), and Guni (=painted), and Jezer (=power), and Shillem (=requital).
�25:� These are the sons of Bilhah (=timid, bashful), which Laban (=white) gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bare these to Jacob: all the souls were seven.
A���P��46:28-47:12. Israelites. �����Q��47:13-26. Egyptians. ����P��47:27-50:13. Israelites.
P��R���46:28. Jacob's arrival in Goshen accomplished. ����X���S��46:29,30. Jacob's meeting with Joseph. ���������T��o��46:31,32. Presetationplanned. �������������p��46:33,34. Directions given. ���R���47:1. Jacob's arrival in Goshen announced. ����X���T��o��47:2. Presentation made. ���������������47:3-6. Directions followed. ��������S��47:7-10. Jacob's meeting with Pharaoh. ���R���47:11,12. Jacob's settlement in Rameses.
�28:� And he sent Judah before him to Joseph (see 44:18 and cp. 37:26), to direct his face to Goshen (The land east of Memphis, suitable for grazing, called "the field of Zoan". Zoan, or Tanis, mentioned in the Insciptions as containing non-Egyptian inhabitants and Semites); and they came into the land of Goshen (=land of departure).
�29:� And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself to him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
�30:� And Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are yet alive."
�31:� And Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say to him, 'My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come to me;
�32:� And the men are shepherds (see v.34), for their trade has been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.'
�33:� And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, 'What is your occupation?'
�34:� That you all shall say, 'Your servant's trade has been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers:' that you all may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians." (Apepi the Pharaoh of Joseph, was one of the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. Joseph's advise would command his brothers to Pharaoh-47:6, and keep them seperate from the Egyptians. It was a race prejudice, not a class prejudice)