Observations Upon the Old Testament, Genesis · Chapter 50
CHAP. L.
Verse 1. ANd Joseph fell upon his face] Exceeded his brethren, as in Piety toward God, so in filial affection and duty to his father. Religion rejects not, but regulates natural affections.
wept upon him] Not womanish weaknesse to weep, Men of excellent spirit and valour have been noted for it; David, Ezekiah, Ne hemiah, Joseph seven times, Christ himself thrice. John. 11. 3. Luke 19. 41. Heb. 57. Paul, Acts 20. 19, 31. 2 Cor. 2. 4. Lawful in Funerals, if mixt with faith, and exceed not a just measure. The want is a fault, Esay 57. 1. Acts 8. 2. Jer. 22. 18.
and kissed him] To touch the dead was after forbidden, Numb. 19. 11, 12. yet in Josephs time not forbidden. Filial affection in a good sonne dieth not with a good father, but surviveth.
V. 2. His servants the Physicians] The Antiquity of Physick, Physicians, and embalming the dead. Luke a Physician, Col. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 4. 10, 11.
embalmed] Embalmed bodies are transported from Egypt into other parts of the world, at this day to be used for medicine. Hence the Jewes had the custome of embalming; so they embalmed King Asa, 2 Chron. 16. 14. 21. 16. and our Saviour, John 12. 7, 19, 39, 40. Mar. 14. 8. Though his body needed it not, being secured from corruption, Psal 16. 10. Act. 2 31. 13. 35. yet they that embalmed him knew not so much. Jacobs body was to be kept long and carried far.
V. 3. Seventy dayes] To honour him, as, 2 Chron. 32. 33. The Hebrewes time of mourning was thirty dayes, Numb. 20. 29. Deut. 21. 13. 34. 8. And the Egyptians time for embalming was fourty dayes. These two might make up the seventy dayes; much time taken in the very ceremonies of mourning.
V. 4. Joseph spake unto the house] Useth the mediation of Egyptian Courtiers, to testifie his modesty in a businesse concerning himself, to prevent all suspicion of his not returning, and to decline their envie, and endear himself to them the more. And perhaps also Mourners were not to come into the presence of Princes, Esther 4. 2.
V. 5. Made me swear] Lest he should seem to disdain to have his father buried in Egypt, he alledgeth this tie upon him by the dead.
which I have digged for me] So spacious was the place, that they might dig themselves several Repositories or Cells for their dead bodies in it; where his Progenitors and wife were buried. The manner of men to build sepulchres while they were alive. So Absalom, so Asa, 2 Chron. 16. 14. so Joseph of Arimathea, Mat. 27. 60. so Shebna, Esay 22. 16.
bury me] Some bodies are embalmed and not buried; most buried without embalming; some embalmed with Aromatick spices put into their bodies, some only had spices upon them and about them; some had sweet odours burnt at their burials, 2 Chron. 16. 14. 21. 19. Jer. 34. 5. some had their dead bodies themselves burnt, 1 Sam. 31. 12. sundry other manners amongst Heathen. Want of burial is a calamity bewailed, Psal. 79. 3. and a judgement threatened, Jer. 7. 33. 22. 19.
V. 6. As he made thee swear] Very infidels would have oathes performed.
V. 7. All the servants] A very great multitude of them. So, Mat. 3. 5. All Judea; and so again many is put for all, Rom. 5. 19. Such was Josephs prudence, and sweetnesse of disposition, that he kept the height of honour still without envie, which Court-favourites seldome do.
and all the Elders] Senatours, Governours, Officers, Counsellours, Ezech. 7. 26. Psal. 105. 22.
V. 10. Valley of Atad] Signifies a bramble or thistle. Likely not far from Hebrou or Machpelah.
beyond Jordan] As Moses stood when he wrote this, Deut. 1. 1. 3. 25. being now in the plaines of Moab. Else in a direct journey from Egypt to Hebron, Mamre or Machpelah, their way was not to passe over Jordan.
seven dayes] So long in Moses Law they were unclean, the touched the dead, Numb. 19. 11. See Annot. on v. 3.
V. 13. And buried him in the cave which] Acts 7. 15, 16. saith Stephen, to Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers, and were carried over into Sichem, and laid in the Sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of money of the sons of Emor, the father of Sichem. The case is clear, that the two places which Abraham bought, ch. 23. and which Jacob bought, ch. 33. are not one and the same but divers; as appears by the place or situation, by the name, use, price and persons, buyers and sellers. And yet these two purchases seem to be confounded in the speech of Stephen. Again, Stephen might have a failer in memory, in his long and sudden speech, as not being then infallibly guided as an Inditer of Scripture, though full of the Holy Ghost, Acts 6. 5. 7. 55. For so it is said of the other Deacons, Acts 6. 3. of Peter, Act. 4. 8. of Paul, Acts 9. 17. yet Peter erred, Acts 10. 14. Gal. 2. 11, &c. and all the Apostles erred in the point of Christs Resurrection, and of his Kingdome, Acts 1. 6. and of the calling of the Gentiles. And St. Luke might do right in recording it as it came from Stephen. As the like is in ch. 27. 19, 24. and, 1 Kings 13. 18. Josephs bones were buried in Shechem, the place his father bequeathed to him and his on his death-bed, and likely the rest of his brethren, in conformity to his example, would be buried there, have their bones likewise carried thither; and this, though not mentioned in Scripture, might by other Records or Revelation be made known to Stephen, as the names of …annes and Jambres to Paul, 2 Tim. 3. 8. the Prophecie of Enoch to Jude, v. 14. the Genealogy to Luke, ch. 3. v. 23, to 31. Jacob himself was certainly buried in Machpelah, as is here recorded: and though he be joyned together with his sonnes in a state of mortality, Acts 7. 15. yet the sixteenth verse of their burial may well be confined to his sonnes as the next Antecedent without taking him into the number. And that Jacob bought the field of the sonnes of Emor or Hamor, Shechems father, is likewise certain. By Abraham then, Acts 7. 16. we must understand Abrahams Grand-Child Jacob; And so expound it, which is a very harsh Exposition, the whole text considered, and could not be so apprehended by the multitude of his hearers. Or rather we may say, that Stephen mistook the story, and named Abraham in stead of Jacob, which may be done without any great offence, as hath been shewed, and so Luke relates what rightly he should; for to lay an errour upon the sacred text, by saying Jacob should be put in the text in stead of Abraham, and that Abraham came into it by the errour of the transcribers, mistaking the one name for the other, or whereas neither was in the Original, and Abraham errour being put in the margin, that from the margin they put it into the text, all this is not so likely, nor any way so safe. That Emor or Hamor was father to Sichem, not sonne to Sichem, appears, Josh. 24. 32. Gen. 33. 19. and therefore it is so to be supplied in Acts 7. 16. so is the word mother supplied, Luke 24. 10. out of Mar 15. 40. That Zohar, Gen. 23. 8. was not otherwise called Hamor, not had a sonne called Sechem, but called Ephron, the Scripture-Story declares. And Sechem of Hamors sonnes is only mentioned, because he was more honourable then all the house of his father, and so it is most probable, that in the sale of the ground to Jacob he had most to do, and the rest consented to his transaction. They that would make a reconciliation, by saying that the two places and sepulchres, that Abraham bought, and that which Jacob bought were near one another, presuppose what is not sound, for Hebron and Machpelah were in the tribe of Judah, and Sechem or Sychar a city of Samaria in the tribe of Ephraim, above twenty miles distant. And if granted, yet helps nothing to answer the other difficulties of the text.
of the field] Places for burials have been very various. Fields as here. Moses in a valley, Deut. 34. 6. Uzziah in the field of the burial which belonged to the Kings; in the same field; but apart from the corpses of the Kings, 2 Chron. 26. 23. The Potters field was bought to bury strangers in, Mat. 27. 7. Manasseh was buried in the garden of his own house, 2 Kings 21. 18. Our blessed Saviour in a garden, Joh. 19. 41. Among Christians, after they had peace from persecutions, and Churches for devine service, they soone buried in the Church yards, and afterwards came to bury in the Churches themselves, which grew in time into a superstition among many, and to be an annoyance to the living through the commonnesse of it.
V. 15. And will certainly require us] The unquietnesse of guilty consciences now after fourty yeares, Lev 26. 36.
V. 16. Sent a messenger] And after went themselves, v. 18.
thy father did] Most likely that they feigned this.
V. 17. So shall ye say unto Joseph] They use arguments from his fathers command, their relation as brethren, their Penitencie, his Piety.
wept] As pitying their perplexity, and grieving at their doubt of his good will.
V. 18. Fall down before his face] Wittingly confirming the prediction, ch. 37. 7. and yielding themselves his servants, whom they had sold for a slave.
V. 19. Am I in the place of God?] Ch. 30. 2. Am I in Gods stead to revenge myself; or to crosse Gods purpose, turning it to your hurt, which he turned to your preservation? or feare ye me more then God? am not I under God?
V. 20. But God] Joseph] ascribes nothing to himself, but all to God, whose goodnesse over-masters mans malignity and badnesse, chap. 45. 5. Acts 3. 12, 13. Psal. 119. 71.
much people] Them, Egyptians and others.
V. 21. I will nourish you] Doing good for evil, Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 21.
V. 23. Third generation] So soon was Jacobs blessing begun to be accomplished in Josephs life-time, ch. 48. 19. 49. 22.
of Machir] Numb. 32. 39. 1 Chron 7. 16.
V. 24. Surely visit] Ch. 15. 14. 46. 4. Heb. 11. 22.
V. 25. Took an oath] V. 5.
of the children of Israel] His brethren haply were now dead, many of them; yet was Levi alive, who lived one hundred thirty seven yeares, Exod. 6. 6. and so out-lived Joseph some sixteen yeares. Therefore the oath was taken of the children of Israel: and it may be renewed by the succeeding generation, that they in whose time the deliverance should be brought to passe, should perform this oath.
from hence] Mean while his body was interred in Egypt to the contentment of the Egyptians, and to the comfort of his family and kindred, to have his body and bones among them; and so to have them there the more preserved for their good. And Josephs bones were carried thence. And not kept as reliques to be worshipped. but were buried at Shechem, Josh. 24. 32. Jacobs purchase, and Josephs sonnes heritage. And this, to testifie his owne, and confirme his brethrens faith, in the belief of the Promises of Canaan, and that as a type or pledge of the heavenly Cannan. There were the other Patriarchs Jacobs sonnes and Josephs brethren also buried, Acts 7. 16. Their bones likely being carried with his bones.
V. 26. An hundred and ten yeares old] Eighty yeares after his advancement. At that age also died Joshua, who was of his race, Josh. 24. 29. Joseph died in the two thousand three hundred sixty nineth yeare of the world; sixty yeares before the birth of Moses, and one hundred and fourty yeares before the Israelites coming out of Egypt, as may be gathered out of Gen. 15. 13. and Exod. 12. 41. See Annot. on ch. 15. 13.
FINIS.