Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Verſ. 1. And came to Beerſheb….
A Place, 1. Conſecrated to Gods worſhip. 2. Where he and his fathers had met God, and received many mercies. 3. That lay in his way from Hebron to Egypt. But ſay it had been out of his way, yet it had been nothing out of his way to go thither, and ſeek God. A whet, is no let; a bait by the way, no hinderance; the oyling of the wheel, furthers the journey. As it is, Tithe, and be rich; ſo, Pray, and be proſperous. But ſay it ſhould be ſome prejudice, Is it not wiſdom, 2 Chron. 25.9to make Gods ſervice coſtly to us? Cannot he make us amends? give us much more then the hundred talents? Is any thing loſt by his ſervice? Prayer furthers thrift. The night of Popery will ſhame many of us; who in their ſuperſtitious zeal, had this proverb, Maſſe and meat, hindereth no mans thrift. The very Heathen offered ſacrifices, when they took journeys; as Feſtus witneſſeth.Feſt. lib. 14.
Verſ. 2. Here am I.] Joſephus tells us, he ſaid, who is there? He ſeems never ſeriouſly to have read the Bible; Lib. 1. Antiq.but only in tranſcurſu, & quaſi aliud agens. Quod vere ad biſto…iam Vet. Teſt. cam ſuſe et magis ex vulgi intellectu in Joſepho inveniunt. Barcl. paraen.Is not that then a proper excuſe for the Church of Rome her ſacriledg, in robbing the vulgar of the holy Scriptures, that ſhe allows them to read Joſephus; where they may find the hiſtory of the old Teſtament more plainly and plentifully ſet forth, then in the Bible? But Barclay, that made this apology, was of the minde (belike) of Walter Mapes, ſometimes Arch-Deacon of Oxford; who relating the groſs ſimony of the Pope, for confirming the election of Reginald, baſtard ſon to Iocelin, Biſhop of Sarum, into the Sea of Bathe: concludes his narration thus. D. Sanderſon.Sit tamen domina mater que noſtra Roma baculus in aqua fractus, et abſit credere quae vidimus. Howbeit, far be it from us, to believe our own eyes.
Verſ. 3. Fear not to go down to Egypt] Cauſe of fear he mightſee ſufficient: But God would have him not to look downward on the ruſhing and roaring ſtreams of miſeries, that ran ſo ſwiftly under him and his poſterity; but ſtedfaſtly faſten on his power and providence, who was his God, and the God of his father. He loves to perfect his ſtrength in our weakneſs; as Eliab would have the ſacrifice covered with water; that Gods power might the more appear in the fire from heaven.
Verſ. 4. I will go down with thee] That was as good ſecurity, as could be. P…rge contra tempeſtatem forti animo. Caeſarem fers, & fortunam Caeſaris.For if Caeſar could ſay to the fearful Ferry-man, in a terrible ſtorm, Be of good chear, thou carrieſt Caeſar, and therefore canſt not miſcarry; how much more may he preſume to be ſafe, that hath God in his company? A child in the dark fears nothing, whiles he hath his father by the hand. [And I will alſo ſurely bring thee up again] So ſaith God to his dying people, when they are to enter into the grave. He will ſurely bring them back from the jawes of death, to the joyes of eternal life. Yea by rotting, he will refine their frail bodies; as the Goldſmith melts a picture of gold, or bruiſed peece of plate, that's out of faſhion, to make it up better. [And Ioſeph ſhall put his hand upon thine eyes] An ancient and an honourable cuſtome, in uſe among the Romanes alſo; as Pliny tells us. The eyes are commonly open, lift up to heaven, when men are adying; unleſs they be ſuch as that Pope was, who breathing out his laſt, Joh. 24. Sic Benedic. 9. Alexander 6. & Leo 10. Bell. de arte moriendi, lib. 2. cap. 10.ſaid, Now I ſhall know whether the ſoul be immortal, or not. Or that deſperate Advocate in the Court of Rome, mentioned by Bellarmine, who dying, uſed theſe words, Ego propero ad inferos, neque eſt, ut aliquid pro me agat Deus. But Iacob had hope in his death; and Ioſeph had the honour of cloſing up thoſe eyes, that ſhall ſhortly ſee God again in the fleſh, Iob 19.26.
Verſ. 5. And Iacob roſe up from Beerſheba] The word (roſe up) is Emphatical, and imports, that his heart was lightened, and his joynts oyled, and nimbled, as it were, with the heavenly viſion. As when he had ſeen God at Bethel, he lift. up his feet, and went on his way luſtily, Gen. 28.1. ſo here, as faſt as his old legs would carry him; Act. & Mon.as Father Latimer ſaid to Ridley, when they were going to the ſtake. And as it is recorded of good old Rawlins White, Martyr; that whereas before, he was wont to go ſtooping, or rather crooked, through infirmity of age, having a ſad countenance, Act. & Mon. fol. 1415.and very feeble complexion, and withal, very ſoft in ſpeech and geſture; now he went and ſtretched up himſelf, not only bolt upright (as he went to the ſtake,) but alſo bare, withall, a moſt pleaſant and comfortable countenance, not without great courage and audacity, both in ſpeech and behaviour. In like ſort, Iacob here, having ſought God, and received a gracious promiſe of his preſence and protection, roſe up merrily from Beerſheba, and doubts not to follow God, whitherſoever he ſhall leade him.
Verſ. 6. And they took their cattle and their goods] Though Pharaoh ſent to them they ſhould not, yet, not willing to be much chargeable, they brought that they had. It is a happineſs ſo to live with others, as not to be much beholden; but rather helpfull, then burthenſome. He that receives a courteſie, we ſay, ſells his liberty: And the borrower, is ſervant to the lender. Saint Paul glories in this, to the liberall Corinthians; that when he was preſent with them, he was chargeable to no man. foreign, I dunnied no man, I was no mans trencher-fly. foreign torped… piſcis, cujus ea eſt natura ut prepius accedentes ſeque tangentes obſtupefaciat. Hine foreign obſtupe…, cum alicujus incommode Paſ…r. Heil. Geog… pag. 291. Turk. hiſt. fol. 477.950.He was not of thoſe, that ſerved not the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, but their own bellies, Rom. 16. The Duke of Bavaria's houſe, is ſo peſtered with Friers and Ieſuites, that, notwithſtanding the greatneſs of his revenue, he is very poor; as ſpending all his eſtate, upon theſe Popiſh Paraſites. Such among the Turks are the Derviſlars and Imailers, that under pretence of religion, live, like body-lic…, upon other mens ſweat and labours.
Verſ. 7. His daughters, and his ſons daughters] That is, by a Synechdoche integri; his neece Serah, and his daughter Dinah; who came down with the reſt into Egypt, and therefore was not Iobs wife, as the Iewes would perſwade us.
Verſ. 12. And the ſons of Pharez were Hezron] Hezron and Hamul, not yet born, are reckoned in ſtead of Er and Ona…, who were dead before the deſcent into Egypt. See Funccius his Chronolog. Comment. A. M. 2273.
Verſ. 26. Which came out of his loynes] Heb. è femore ejus, A modeſt deſcription of generation, by the inſtrumentall and materiall cauſe thereof. And becauſe it is ſaid, that ſo many ſouls came out of Iacobs body; Auguſtine moves the queſtion here, whether ſouls alſo are not begotten, as well as bodies? Annon igitur animae propage… tur extraduce? Argumenta poſt trid…um demum ſolve. Melancthon. Chemnitius.And when the learned Father demurred, and would not preſently determine the point; a raſh young man, one Vincentius Victor (as Chemnitius relates it) boldly cenſured the Fathers unreſolvedneſs: and vaunted that he would undertake, to prove by demonſtration, that ſouls are created, de novo,, by God. For which peremptory raſhneſs, the Father returned the young men, a ſober reprehenſion. But, ſouls are, doubtleſs, here put for perſons, which the Latines call Capita.
Verſ. 27. Threeſcore and ten] Saint Steven reckons 75. Act. 7.14.And ſo the Greek tranſlateth here, which Steven ſeemeth to follow; as doth likewiſe Saint Luke for Cain…n, Chap 3. 36. That tranſlation being then received, and they not willing to alter it. The Iewes ſay, that theſe ſeventy ſouls were as much as all the ſeventy nations of the world. And Moſes tells them, that whereas their fathers went down into Egypt, with ſeventy ſouls; now Iehovah had made them, as the ſtars of Heaven for multitude, Deut. 10.22.
Verſ. 28. And he ſent Iudah before him] A good man guides his affaires with diſcretion, Pſal. 112.5. Coloſ. 2.5.doth all things decently, and in order. It was great joy to the Apoſtle, to behold the Coloſſians order, &c.
Verſ. 29. Preſented himſelf unto him] Joſeph a Prince, was no whit aſhamed of the poor old ſhepherd his father, afore ſo many his compeeres, and other Courtiers, that accompanied him; and abhominated ſuch kinde of perſons. Colonell Edmonds is much commended, for his ingenuous reply to a countryman of his, newly come to him, into the low-countries, out of Scotland. This fellow deſiring entertainment of him, told him; My Lord his father, and ſuch Knights and Gentlemen his couſins, and kinſmen, Peacham's compleat Gentlem. pag. 5.were in good health. Quoth Colonell Edmonds, gentlemen, (to his friends by,) believe not one word he ſayes; my father is but a poor baker; whom this knave would make a Lord, to curry favour with me, and make you believe, I am a great man born. See the notes, on Chap. 32. Verſ. 10.
And he fell on his neck, and wept, &c.] For exceeding joy; what then ſhall be the meeting of Saints in Heaven! Chriſt ſhall ſay, come ye bleſſed of my father. As if he ſhould ſay, where have ye been all this while, my dear brethren? It was a part of his joy, when he was on earth, that we ſhould be where he is, to behold his glory, Ioh. 17.24. And this he now prayes not, but, Father I will that they be with me; …ugie…dum ad …l…iſſrmam p… triam: ibi pater, ibi omnia. Aug. de civit. Dci. l. 9. c. 16.as that which he had merited for them. And now, what joy there will be, to ſee them and ſuaviate them, for whoſe ſake, he ſhed his moſt pretious blood; through which they may ſafely ſaile, into the boſome of the Father. Surely, if Plotinus the Philoſopher could ſay, let us make haſte to our heavenly country; there's our Father, there are all our friends: how much more triumphantly, may Chriſtians ſay ſo? If Cicero could ſay, O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium caetumque pro ficiſcar, ad Catonem meum &c. Cic. de ſen. foreign: Heb. 12.23.O praeclarum diem cum ad illum animorum concilium coetumque proficiſcar, &c. O what a brave day will that be, when I ſhall go to that councell and company of happy ſouls; to my Cato, and other Romane worthies, dead before me: How much more may Chriſtians exult, to think of that glorious night-leſs day, as Nazianzen cals it, when they ſhall be admitted into the congregation houſe of the firſt born; as the Apoſtle calls Heaven; and joyfully welcommed by Abraham, David, Paul, &c. Who ſhall be no leſs glad of their, then of their own happineſs? Who can conceive the comfort of Jacob and Joſeph? Or, of thoſe two couſins, Mary and Elizabeth, at their firſt meeting? But for the joyes of Heaven, it is as impoſſible to comprehend them, as to compaſs Heaven it ſelf with a ſpan, or contain the ocean in a nut-ſhell. They are ſuch, ſaith Auguſtine; ut quic quid homo dixerit quaſi gutta de mari, quaſi ſcincilla de foco. Aug. de tripl…ci habitu. c. 4. foreign. Luk. 1.44.If the preſence of Chriſt, though but in the womb, made Iohn to ſpring, and dance a galliard, as the word imports; what ſhall it do, when we come to Heaven? Sermo non valet exprimere, experimento opus eſt, ſaith Chryſoſtom. It's fitter to be believed, then poſſible to be diſcourſed, ſaith Proſper. Nec Chriſtus nec coelum patitur hyperbolen, ſaith another. The Apoſtle, after he had ſpoken of Glorification, breaks forth by way of admiration, into theſe words; what ſhall we ſay to theſe things? Rom. 8.31. foreign, 2 Cor. 4.theſe word-leſs words, as he elſewhere phraſeth it; and ever uttereth himſelf, in a tranſcendent expreſſion, as 2 Cor. 4.17. Where he calleth it a weight of glory; ſuch as, if the body were not by the power of God upheld, it were not able to bear. Iacob could hardly hear the news of Ioſeph, and live: but when once he ſaw him; Now let me dye, ſaith he, &c.
Verſ. 30. Now let me dye] What would this good old man have ſaid, had he ſ…en Chriſt in the fleſh, Optavit ſe videre potuiſſe Romam in flore, Paulum in ore, Chriſtum in corpore. Luk. 2.29, 30.which was one of Auguſtines three with …s? how merrily would he have ſung out his ſoul, as Simem did, who had long looked for the conſolation of Iſrael; and having now laid in his heart, what he lapt in his armes, cryes, Nunc dimittas domine: I fear no ſin, I dread no death; (as one engliſheth it:) I have lived enough, I have my life; I have long'd enough, I have my love: I have ſeen enough, I have my light: I have ſerved enough, I have my Saint: I have ſorrow'd enough, I have my joy. Sweet babe, let this ſong, ſerve for a lullaby to thee, and a funerall for me. O ſleep, in my armes; and let me ſleep in thy peace.
Becauſe thou art yet alive] If this were ſo great a matter to Iacob, what ſhould it be to us, that Chriſt was dead, and is alive; yea that he ever lives, Act. 7.56.to make requeſt for us? and that he ſtands at the right hand of his father, (when any Steven of his is ſtoned;) as ready preſt to interpoſe betwixt them and any hurt, that may thereby come unto them? If Seneca could ſay to his Polybius. Fas tibi non eſt ſalvo Caeſare de fortuna tua queri; how much leſs cauſe have we to complain, ſo long as Chriſt is a live? Can our hearts dye within us, whiles our head is the Lord of life? yea our life, as Saint Paul calls him.
Verſ. 32. The men are ſhepherds] The truly vertuous or valorous, are no whit aſhamed of their mean parentage, but rather glory in themſelves, that their merit hath advanced them above ſo many thouſands, far better deſcended. Doctor Cox Almoner, and Sir John Cheek, Sir Jo. Heyw. in his Edw. 6.Tutor to King Edward the ſixth, were men of mean birth, but ſo well eſteemed (ſaith the Hiſtorian) for vertue and learning, that they might well be ſaid to be born of themſelves. So were Iphicrates, that brave Athenian, the ſon of a cobler; Eumenes, one of Alexanders beſt Captains, the ſon of a Carter; Agathocles King of Sicily, of a potter, &c. And theſe would many times freely diſcourſe of their beginning, and plainly relate their bringing up, and what their parents were. [And they have brought their flocks] As chuſing rather a poor ſhepherds life in Gods ſervice, then to ruffle it, as Courtiers, out of the Church. So did Moſes afterwards, and David, Iſal. 84, 10. and the poor Prophet that dyed ſo deep in debt; and Micaiah, and thoſe that wandered about in ſheep-skins, Heb. 11.37.and goat-skins, who haply might have ruſtled in ſilks and velvets, if they would have ſtrained their conſciences. Origen was contented to be a poor Catechiſt at Alexandria, every day in fear of death, when he might have been with his fellow-pupill Plotinus, in great author…y and favour, if not a Chriſtian. Luther was offered a Cardinalſhip, to have held his tongue. Galeacius Cara…ciplus, a great ſum of gold, to have returned to his Marqueſdom in Italy, &c. God takes it kindly when men will go after him in the wilderneſs, in a land not ſown, Ier. 2.2. that is, chuſe him and his wayes in affliction, and with ſelf-de…iall.
Verſ. 33. When Pharaoh ſhall call you] At Athens every man gave an yearly account to the Magiſtrate, by what trade, Lex illa Solonis inprimis commendatur, ut, quiſque quot annis, &c. Textor Epiſt. Peacham.or courſe of life, he maintain'd himſelf; which if he could not do, he was baniſhed. By the law, Mahomet, the great Turk, himſelf is bound to exerciſe ſome manual trade or occupation, (for none muſt be idle:) as Solyman the Magnificent, his trade was, making of arrowheads. Achmat the laſt, horn-rings for Archers, &c.
Verſ. 34. Thy ſervants trade hath been, &c.] They were not aſhamed of their trade, though mean and deſpicable. Tertull. de fug. Perſee.Malo miſerandum quam erubeſcendum, ſaith Tertullian; No lawful calling, but hath an honour put upon it by God; unlawful only, are ſhameful. Ask a poor ſcavenger, what his occupation is, hee'l anſwer, I am a Scavenger, Tankerd-bearer, &c. Ask an Uſurer, Gameſter, &c. that queſtion, and he will not ſay, I am an Uſurer, &c. [That ye may dwell in the land of Goſhen] Which as it was next to the land of Canaan, ſo it was moſt fat, fertile, and fit for their cattle. Sumen totius regionis, the like to Egypt, that Campauia was to Italy; of which, Florus thus writeth; L. Flor. lib. 1. cap. 16.Nihil mollius coelo, nihil uberius ſolo, nihil hospitalius mari, &c. Liberi, Cereriſque certamen dicitur. [For every ſhepherd is an abomination, &c.] An Iſraelite is ſtill an abomination to an Egyptian, the righteous to the wicked, Prov. 29.27. and will be to the worlds end. And there is no love loſt betwixt them. The ſhepherds of Iſrael eſpecially, are by profane great ones, thought ſcarce worthy to wait upon their trenchers; the baſer ſort make ſongs of them, and the abjects vilifie them. Papiſts make more of hedge-Prieſts, then moſt amongſt us do of powerful preachers: A ſad fore-runner of the departure of the goſpel. If diſhonour kept Chriſt from Nazareth, Joh. 4.44. much more will it drive him thence, when he is come.