Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Verſ. 1. Now theſe are] Heb. And theſe are &c.
FOR this Book is a continuation of the former hiſtorie: and this verſ a repetition of what was before recorded. ….Gen. 46.8. The whole law (ſaie the Schoolmen) is but one copulative. The whole Scripture but Cor & anima Dei (ſaith a Father) the Heart and Soul of God, Luke 1.….uttered by the mouth of the holie Prophets which have been ſince the world began.
Verſ. 5. And all the ſouls] That is perſons; for ſouls are not begotten, but infuſed, beeing divine particulae aurae. Eccleſ. 12.7. Ariſtotle himſelf ſaw and acknowledged as much. foreign lib. 2. cap. 9. de gene. ar.Were ſeventie ſouls] More worth then the ſeventie nations of the whole world, ſaie the Jews: God reckon's of men by their righteouſneſs.
Verſ. 6. And all that generation] Eâ enim lege nati ſumus ut moriamur: God alſo maketh haſte to have the number of his Elect fulfilled; and therefore diſpatcheth away the generations.
Verſ. 7. Increaſed abundantly] Heb. ſpawned and bred, ſwiftly as fiſhes. Trogus author affirmat in Aegypto ſeptenos vno utero ſimul gigni. Aegypt is a fruitful Countrie: it is ordinarie there, ſaith Trogus, to have ſeven children at a birth; Solinus give's the reaſon, quòd faetifero potu Nilus, non tantùm terrarum, ſed etiam hominum faecundat arva. The River Nilus, whereof they drink, make's men, as well as fields, fruitful. But this increaſ of the Iſraëlites was alſo by the extraordinarie bleſſing of God, that they might becom a mightie and populous Nation, Deut. 26.5.
Verſ. 8. A new King] Called Buſiris, a moſt ſavage Tyrant, as Heathen hiſtories report him. Who knew not] Nothing ſooner periſheth then the remembrance of a good turn. The Aegyptians are renowned in hiſtories for a thankful people; Diod. Sicul. Lib. 2.But it ill appeared in their dealing here with Joſeph; who (had hee now been alive) might well have ſaid to them as Themistocles once did to his Athenians, Are yee wearie of receiving ſo manie benefits by one man? But herein was fulfilled that of the Wiſe man, Eccleſ. 9.15.
Verſ. 9 More and mightier] Hee ſpeak's as if hee had looked through a multiplying glaſs. See the Note on Gen. 31.1.
Verſ. 10. Com let us deal wiſely] So as the world's wiſards uſe to do: foreignBut God taketh theſe foxes in their own craft, 1 Cor. 3.19. Your laboring men have the moſt and luſtieſt children. Everie Oppreſſoris a fool, Pro. 28.16. Leſt when there fall out anie war] It may ſeem by 1 Chron. 3.21.22. compared with Pſal. 78.9. That the Ephraïmites, wearie of the Aegyptian bondage, and over-haſtie to enjoie the promiſed land, invaded the Philiſtines, and plundered them. But were purſued and ſlain by the men of Gath, to the great grief of their father Ephraïm, and to the further exaſperating of the Aegyptians againſt all the children of Iſraël; which might occaſion alſo this cruel edict and proceeding againſt them. It is a ſingular skill to bear bondage or anie other burden wiſely and moderately. They that break pri…on before God's gaol-deliverie, get nothing but more irons laid upon them.
Verſ. 11. To afflict them] Becauſ they would not ſerv God with gladneſs of heart, Deut. 28.47, 48. For now they began to go a whoring after the Idols of Egypt, Ezek. 23.8. and 20.5, 7, 8. And they built for Pharaoh treaſure-cities] They built alſo thoſe famous Pyramides (as ſom think) of which it is reported that for the great hight of them, Bucholcer.a man cannot ſhoot an arrow ſo high, as the mid'ſt of the lower tower, whereon the ſpire ſtandeth.Turk. hiſt. ſol. 544.
Verſ. 12. The more they multiplied] As the ground is moſt fruitful that is moſt harrowed: and as the wal-nut tree bear's beſt when moſt beaten. Fiſh thrive better in cold and ſalt-waters, then in warm and freſh. And they were grieved] Or irked, as Moab likewiſe was becauſ of Iſrael: they did fret and vex at them, Num. 22.3, 4. Yet they were allied, and paſſed by them in peace: No other reaſon, but the old enmitie, Gen. 3. and that utter antipathie, Pro. 29.27.
Verſ. 13. To ſerv with rigor] Heb. With fierceneſs: foreign Quidam cum ferocia voce latinâ …onſerunt. Mercer.ſo thinking to cow out their ſpirits, and to exanimate them. So deal's the Turk with the Chriſtians.
Verſ. 14. Bitter with hard bondage] Did wee but live a while (ſaith One) in Turkie, Perſia, yea or but in France, a dream of that libertie wee yet enjoie would bee as precious to us, as a drop of cold water would have been to the rich man in hell, when hee was ſo grievouſly tormented in thoſe flames.
Verſ. 15. To the Hebrew Midwives] In Egypt and Greece, the midwives of old had their ſchools; and ſom of them were great writers; I know not whether the Prieſts were then ſo officious to them as manie are now among the Papiſts; who ſaie they therefore ſtudie Albertus Magnus de ſecretis mulierum that they may adviſe the Midwives: foreign. Rom. 1.but I doubt it is for a worſ purpoſe; to gratifie and greaten thoſe abominable luſts, wherewith they are ſcalded.
Verſ. 16. Then yee ſhall kill him] No greater argument of an ill cauſ then a bloodie perſecution. George Tankerfield the Martyr was in King Edward's daies a verie papiſt, Act & Man. fol. 1535.till the time Queen Marie came in: And then, perceiving the great crueltie uſed on the Popes ſide, was brought into a miſdoubt of their doing, and began, as hee ſaid, in his heart to abhor them.
Verſ. 17. And did not as the King &c] Wherein they did no more (though out of a better principle) then Nature it ſelf dictateth. Antigona ſaith thus in Sophocles, Magis obtemper andum eſt Dijs apud quos diutiùs manendum erit, quàm hominibus, quibuſcum admodum breui tempore vivendum eſt. (See the Note on Act. 4.19) Wee muſt rather obeie God then men.
Verſ. 18. Why have yee don this thing] They might well have anſwered, as ſhee did in Euripides, Obediemus Atridis boneſta mandantibus: Sin verò inhoneſta mandabunt, non Obediemus. If you command things honeſt wee will obeie you; not elſ. Or as that brave woman upon the rack, Non ideo negare volo, nè peream: ſed ideo mentiri nolo, Hieronym.nè peccem.
Verſ. 19. For they are livelie] By that voice of the Lord, which maketh the hindes to calv. Pſal. 29. Ladie Faith was their midwife: And ſhee hath delivered the graves of their dead. (Heb. 11.35.) how much more wombes of their quick Children?
Verſ. 20. dealt well with the midwives] God is a liberal paiemaſter: and his retributions are more then bountiful. Bee yee therefore ſtedfaſt and unmoveable, alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord: ſith yee know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15. vlt. Greg. Moral.And the people multiplied] Sic divinum conſilium dum devitatur, impletur: humana ſapientia, dum reluctatur, comprehenditur, as Gregory hath it. Prov. 19.21.There are manie devices in the heart of a man: but the counſel of the Lord, that ſhall ſtand. Among the Romanes, the more children anie man had, the more hee was freed from publick burdens. And of Adrian the Emperor it is ſtoried, that when thoſe that had manie Children were accuſed of anie crime, Dio in Adriano.hee mitigated their puniſhment, according to the number of their Children. But theſe poor Iſraëlites were otherwiſe uſed.
Verſ. 21. Becauſ the midwives feared God] There is no neceſſitie of granting, that the midwives told the King a lie, ſee ver. 19. But if they did, St. Auſtin ſaith well. Non remunerata fuit ijs fallacia, ſed benevolentia; benignitas mentis, non iniquitas mentien…is. Their lie was not rewarded, but their kind-heartedneſs. That hee made them houſes] i. e. hee gave them poſteritie: Thus hee builded David an houſ. 2 Sam. 7. And thus Rachel and Leah are ſaid to have built the houſ of Iſraël Ruth. 4.11. The parents are as it were the ſoundation of the houſ, the children as ſo manie livelie ſtones in the building. Hence the Hebrews call a Son Ben of Banah to build, quòd ſit aedificium & ſtruciura parentum, quoad generationem & educationem.
Ver. 22. And Pharaoh charged] Imperio non tam duro quàm diro. This was a moſt bloodie edict: therefore when God came to make inquiſition for blood, hee gave them blood again to drink, for they were worthie. Tertullian.The like hee did to Nero (qui orientem fidem primus Romae cruentavit) to Julian, Valens, Valerian, Attilas, Girzerichus. Charls the ninth of France, and manie other bloodie Perſecutors. See the note on Rev. 16.6.