Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII.
Ver. 1. AND Jacob dwelt in the Land, &c.] Having given us an Account of Eſau's removal to Seir, (XXXVI. 6, 7.) and of the Proſperity of his Family there: He now goes on to tell us, that Jacob ſtill continued in the Country, where his Father had ſojourned, in the Land of Canaan.
Ver. 2. Theſe are the Generations of Jacob.] Theſe words are to be connected with the latter end of XXXV. 23, 24, &c. where he relates how many Sons Jacob had; and then gives an account of the Family of Eſau, (in the XXXVI Chapter) which being ended he returns to finiſh the Hiſtory of Jacob.
And the Lad was with the Sons of Bilhah, &c.] Theſe words vehu naar, ſignifie he was very young, in the ſimplicity of his Childiſh Years; and come in, by way of a Parentheſis, in this manner. Joſeph being ſeventeen Years old, was feeding the Flock with his Brethren, (and he was but a Youth, unexperienced, and therefore called a Child, verſe 30.) with the Sons of Bilhah, &c. Which laſt words are an explication of the former, ſhowing with which of his Brethren he was. Not with the Sons of Leah, but with the Sons of his Hand-Maids: Particularly with Bilhah's; whom we may look upon as a Mother to him, now Rachel was dead, having waited upon her. And Zilpah's Sons are alſo mentioned in the ſecond place, as thoſe, it is likely, who were thought to have leſs emulation to him, than the Sons of Leah. But we ſee by this, how much our greateſt Prudence often fails: For Reuben and Judah, the Children of Leah, had more Kindneſs for Joſeph than any of the reſt.
Their evil report.] What evil Lives they led.
Ver. 3. Becauſe he was the Son of his old age.] Benjamin was more ſo than he; and the reſt were born not many Years before him. But he is ſo called, becauſe he had been married a good while to Rachel before he had him: And he was the greateſt Comfort of his old Age; Benjamin not being yet grown up, to give any proof of his future worth.
He made him a Coat of many colours.] It is commonly thought to ſignifie a Garment wrought with Threds of divers Colours; or, made up of pieces of Silk or Stuff, which had much variety in them; or, wrought, as ſome think, with Figures of Fruit, or other things. See Salmaſius upon Flav. Vopiſcus, p. 396. But Braunius (de Veſtib. Sacerd. Hebr. L. I. cap. 17.) hath proved, I think, that the Hebrew word Paſſim here ſignifies, a long Garment, down to the Heels or Ankles; and with long Sleeves, down to the Wreſts: Which had a Border at the bottom, and a Facing (as we ſpeak) at the Hands, of another Colour, different from the Garment. See verſe 23.
Ver. 4. Could not ſpeak peaceably to him.] In a kind and friendly manner: But churliſhly, and with evident ſigns of hatred. Aben-Ezra fanſies, they would not ſo much as ſalute him, or wiſh him peace (as the Phraſe then was, peace be to thee) or, ask him how he did; as our Cuſtom is.
Ver. 5. Joſeph dreamed a Dream.] This was uſual among the ancient Patriarchs, and others alſo, as appears by Elihu: Who ſhows that all Dreams were not Illuſions of evil Spirits, Job XXXIII. 14, 15, &c. And long before his time Abimelech was warned by God in a Dream, Chapter XX. of this Book, verſe 3, 6, 7. Upon which Conſideration (as Dr. Jackson well obſerves) we ſhould not miſtruſt the Reports of ſeveral ancient Hiſtorians; who tell us how Princes and Fathers of Families have had Fore-warnings of future Events: Either concerning themſelves, their Kingdoms, or Poſterity. Book I. upon the Creed, chap. 9.
He told his Brethren.] This argues his great Innocence and Simplicity; that he had not yet Underſtanding enough to conſider, how ill this Dream might be expounded; or, not Prudence enough to conceal, what might be ill interpreted by them.
They hated him yet more.] The firſt ground of their Hatred was, their Father's great Love to him; and then, his informing their Father of their bad Behaviour: Which was ſtill increaſed by the fine Clothes his Father beſtowed on him; and now moſt of all, by this Dream; which they interpreted to ſignifie his Superiority over them.
Ver. 7. Your Sheaves ſtood round about, and made obeyſance, &c.] Or, gathered round about mine: Which was fulfilled, when they came for Corn into Egypt; of which theſe Sheaves, ſome think, were an apt repreſentation.
Ver. 8. Shalt thou indeed reign over us?] It ſeems they could readily interpret the meaning of a Dream: Which ſhows how common they were in thoſe Days.
For his Dreams, and for his Words.] This ſeems to import, that he had more Dreams of like nature; and was wont to talk of them: Which they thought ſavoured of Arrogance.
Ver. 9. He dreamt yet another Dream.] Which confirmed the former; by repeating the ſame thing, under different Figures. For as the former was taken from the Earth; ſo this from Heaven: And is more comprehenſive than the former; for it concerns his Father, as well as his Brethren.
Behold the Sun and the Moon, &c.] They ſeemed to deſcend to him, or he to be carried up to them: Where they bowed, and lay at his Feet.
Ver. 10. His Father rebuked him.] Gave him a check; that Joſeph might not grow conceited of himſelf; and his Brethren might not be provoked to hate him.
What is this Dream, that thou haſt dreamed?] What an idle Dream is this?
Shall I, and thy Mother, and Brethren, &c.] Who can believe this? Thy Mother is dead, (which is ſufficient to ſhow the vanity of this Dream) and thy Father ſure is not to truckle unto thee; no, nor thy elder Brethren.
Ver. 11. His Brethren envied him.] Though Jacob ſeemed to ſlight what he ſaid; it incenſed his Brethren againſt him.
But his Father obſerved the Saying.] He did not look upon it as a mere Fancy; but thought there might be ſomething in it. And therefore, though he thought fit publickly to ſlight it, yet he took ſuch notice of it privately, that he preſerved it in Mind, and laid it up in his Heart; as the Scripture elſewhere ſpeaks. And it really was fulfilled, when he went down into Egypt; and, no doubt, ſhowed that Reſpect which was due to the Vice-Roy of the Country: And ſo did his Mother Bilhah, and all his Brethren.
Ver. 12. His Brethren went to feed their Father's flock in Shechem.] As their Flocks increaſed, ſo they inlarged their Paſture: And they often removed to find freſh Paſture. Beſides, he had made a Purchace in this Place; where they fed his Flocks in his own Ground.
Ver. 13. Come, I will ſend thee unto them.] Make thy ſelf ready, that I may ſend thee to inquire of thy Brethrens Welfare. About which he was now the more ſolicitous; becauſe they were gone to a Place, where they had, ſome Years ago, given great provocation to the Country, by their barbarous Cruelty.
Ver. 15. A certain Man found him.] Some take this to have been an Angel: Who took care of him, when he was at a loſs, which way to go. So Maimonides, P. II. More Nevochim, cap. 42: Where he makes this Paſſage the very ſame with that XVI. 7. The Angel of the LORD found her, &c.
Ver. 18. They conſpired againſt him.] The Hebrew word ſignifies, they took ſubtil and crafty Counſel againſt him to ſlay him. Laid their Heads together (as we now ſpeak) to kill him ſo, that the Murder might be concealed from their Father.
Ver. 19. Behold, this Dreamer cometh.] In the Hebrew, This Maſter of Dreams; or, a frequent Dreamer; one that hath Dreams at command.
Ver. 20. Caſt him into ſome pit.] Which they were wont to dig frequently in thoſe Countries, to hold Rain-Water for their Cattle, when they could not find a Spring, or were near no River.
Ver. 21. He delivered him out of their Hands.] Preſerved him from being murdred by them, as they intended: Which he did by the following Counſel. Which ſeemed to have ſomething of Humanity in it; and yet would effect what they reſolved.
Ver. 22. Caſt him into this pit.] That he might periſh with hunger.
And lay no Hands upon him, &c.] Let not us kill him. This he ſaid that he might ſave his life; intending ſecretly to draw him out of the Pit, and reſtore him ſafe to his Father. By which piece of good Service, Reuben, perhaps, hoped to reconcile his Father to him; who was juſtly angry with him, for defiling his Bed, XXXV. 22.
Ver. 23. His Coat of many colours.] By this it ſeems he was diſtinguiſhed from the reſt of his Brethren: Being not yet grown up to ſuch laborious Imployments as they followed abroad; and therefore indulged to wear a richer ſort of Garment, with his Father at home. For, according to the common Notion, it was wrought, or embroidered with Flowers; which was accounted Noble, as well as Beautiful, in ancient Times. As appears by Plato, who, commending the Government then admired in Greece, compares it to ſuch a Garment that hath variety of Colours in it, L. VIII. de Republ. p. 557. foreign.
Ver. 24. The pit was empty, there was no Water in it.] This ſhows, the uſe of ſuch Pits was to hold Water: Which at this time was dried up, for want of Rain.
Ver. 25. A company of Iſhmaelites.] In the Language of theſe Times, it is called a Caravan: Merchants not daring to travel alone, or in ſmall Numbers, in thoſe Eaſtern Countries, through the Deſarts; for fear of Robbers, or of wild Beaſts.
From mount Gilead.] They came from Parts beyond that; but paſſed that way to Traffick there.
With there Camels.] Which were, and ſtill are, the moſt proper Beaſts for Carriage in thoſe Countries: Being able to travel a great way, in the Deſarts, without Drink. And the Midianites (who are here the ſame with the Iſhmaelites, ver. 28.) had as great a breed of them, as any other Country: As Bochart obſerves, P. I. Hierozoic. L. II. cap. 3.
Bearing Spicery.] The word Necoth, which we, and a great many others tranſlate Spicery in general, ſeems to ſignifie ſome particular ſort of Spicery, as the following words do. A great many Conjectures there are, what ſort; and Bochart moſt probably concludes it to be Storax. See the fore-named Book, P. II. Lib. IV. cap. 12.
Balm.] So Kimchi, whom the Modern Interpreters generally follow, expounds the Hebrew word Tzeri: Which the Ancients interpret Reſin; and Bochart juſtifies them, by ſuch Reaſons as theſe. That there was no Balm in Gilead in theſe Days; but it was brought thither out of Arabia Foelix in the Reign of King Solomon: And then it grew on this ſide Jordan, about Engaddi and Hiericho; not beyond Jordan in the Land of Gilead. Ib. Par. I. Lib. II. cap. 51.
Ver. 26. What profit is it, if we ſlay our Brother? &c.] We ſhall get nothing by letting him die in the Pit: Had we not better make Money of him?
And conceal his Blood.] Though we ſhould be able to conceal his Murder; which is not eaſie to do.
Ver. 27. For he is our Brother, and our Fleſh.] Natural Affection perſuaded to this; rather than to the other.
And his Brethren were content.] As many of them as were then preſent; for Reuben was not among them at this Conſultation.
Ver. 28. Then paſſed by Midianites.] They are called Iſhmaelites juſt before, verſe 25: And ſo they are immediately in this very Verſe, [Sold Joſeph to the Iſhmaelites.] For they were very near Neighbours, and joyned together in Trade, making now one Caravan, with a joynt Stock, as this Story intimates. Read Judg. VIII. 1, 3, 22, 23, 24, 26. and it will appear the Scripture ſpeaks of them, as one and the ſame People, in after-times.
For twenty pieces of Silver.] Moſt underſtand ſo many Shekels: Which was a very ſmall Price; but therefore demanded and no more, that the Bargain might be clapt up the ſooner.
Ver. 29. Reuben returned to the pit.] He pretending ſome buſineſs, had withdrawn himſelf from the Company, with an intention, when his Brethren were gone from the Pit, to come privately and take Joſeph out, and carry him to his Father. Upon that Deſign he now came thither.
Rent his Clothes.] As they uſed to do, when they mourned for the dead: Whereby he expreſſed his real Grief for his Brother.
Ver. 30. The Child is not.] He is dead; as this Phraſe commonly ſignifies.
Whither ſhall I go?] I know not whither to flee, to hide my ſelf from my Father's Anger. Who might juſtly expect the eldeſt Son ſhould take the greateſt Care of him.
Ver. 31. And they took Joſeph's Coat, &c.] His Brethren it ſeems perſuaded Reuben alſo, to joyn with them, in concealing the Sale of Joſeph; and making their old Father believe he was devoured by ſome wild Beaſt.
Ver. 32. They ſent the Coat, &c.] They firſt ſent it by a Meſſenger; and immediately followed themſelves, with the Tale which is here related.
Ver. 33. An evil Beaſt.] Some wild Beaſt, of which there were great ſtore in thoſe Countries, (ſuch as Lions, and Bears) for he could not ſuſpect his Brethren would kill him.
Ver. 34. Rent his Cloathes, and put ſack-cloth on his loins.] This was the higheſt degree of Mourning in thoſe Days. We read often of putting on Sack-Cloth in future Ages, upon ſuch ſad Occaſions: But this is the firſt time we meet with it; which ſhows the great Antiquity of ſuch Cuſtoms.
Mourned for his Son many Days.] Beyond the ordinary time of Mourning. Many Years (as the word Days ſometimes ſignifies) perhaps, till he heard he was alive. So the following Verſe ſeems to denote; that he reſolved not to ceaſe Mourning for him, as long as he lived.
Ver. 35. All his Sons and Daughters.] He had but one Daughter: Therefore the meaning is, his Sons Wives, or their Daughters.
I will go down into the Grave, &c.] If Scheol here be expounded Grave, then the next words muſt be thus tranſlated, mourning for my Son; as R. Solomon interprets them. For Joſeph was not buried in a Grave; and therefore he could not think of going down to him thither. And thus Chriſtophorus à Caſtro upon the Second of Baruch acknowledges Scheol ſignifies in this place, and interprets it in this manner. Lugere non deſinam, donec me ſepulturae demandetis. I will not ceaſe to Mourn, till you lay me in my Grave. But if we follow our Tranſlation, which is moſt common, I will go down to my Son, then Scheol muſt ſignifie the State, or Place of the dead; as it often doth: And particularly Iſaiah XIV. (where the King of Babylon is expreſly denied the honour of a Grave, verſe 19, 20.) Scheol is ſaid, to be moved for him, and to meet him, and to ſtir up the dead for him, verſe 9.
Thus his Father wept for him.] Continued his Mourning; not only by wearing Sack-Cloth, but in ſuch paſſionate Expreſſions as theſe.
Ver. 36. And the Midianites.] In the Hebrew the word is Medanim (a diſtinct Name from thoſe verſe 38.) who were a People derived from Medan, one of the Sons of Keturah, and Brother to Midian, XXV. 2. They and the Midianites lived near together in Arabia, not far from the Iſhmaelites: Who all joyned together in this Caravan and made one Society of Merchants; conſiſting of Medanites, Midianites, and Iſhmaelites.
An Officer.] The Hebrew word Saris, oftentimes ſignifies an Eunuch: By whom the Eaſtern Queens were attended. But it likewiſe ſignifies all the great Courtiers, (as the Chaldee here tranſlates it) ſuch as the Bed-Chamber-Men, the Lord-Chamberlain, (as we now ſpeak) and ſuch like Officers of State: And therefore is rightly tranſlated here, for Potiphar had a Wife. The truth is, this was the prime ſignification of the word: Till, in after times, the depravation of Manners, and the jealouſie of the Eaſtern Kings, made them ſet none but Slaves, who were caſtrated, to attend their Queens; by whom they were preferred to great Offices; and ſo came to enjoy this Name.
Pharaoh.] This was a common Name to all the Kings of Egypt. See XII. 15.
Captain of the Guard.] The LXX tranſlate it, Maſter Cook: And ſo Epiphanius calls his Wife, foreign, Haereſ. XXVI. n. 17. Our Margin hath it, Chief of the Slaughter-men, or Executioners. But the word Tabachim may better be tranſlated Soldiers, than Butchers, or Executioners: And here, ſome think, may denote him, whom we call the Provoſt-Marſhal. Others, will have it, the Maſter of the Horſe. But I ſee no more proper tranſlation than ours, Captain of the Guard: Or, rather, Chief Commander of the King's Guard; ſuch an one as Nebuzaradan was, 2 Kings XXV. 20. For Schar is more than one whom we now call a Captain. See XL. 3. This Phraſe Schar-Hatabachim is explained by Hottinger out of the Ethiopick Tongue. See Smegma Orient. p. 85.