CHAPTER XLII. a Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Ja a Acts 7. 12, cob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold I have ed to see the voice that spake with me.' their commencements, we can see how wisely every step was ordered to accomplish the destined end. The distress occasioned by the famine would no doubt tend to bring down the high spirit of Jacob's sons and prepare them for that scene of overwhelming humiliation which awaited them in Egypt. Seeing their children crying for bread with none to give them, conscience would unquestionably awaken the bitter memory of guilt long past, and bring before them the time when they resolved, in cold blood, to starve an in-paσis a selling. Chal. "That corn was nocent brother to death. But there was still a farther design in all this. It was the will of God that Jacob should go down with his whole family to the land of Egypt, where his seed were to be oppressed till the time of their glorious deliverance; and considering the patriarch's great age and his hereditary attachment to the land of promise, we can see that under the influence of ordinary motives he would not have been induced to leave it. But it did not come within the plan of the divine proceedings to exercise any force upon Jacob's will. Whatever he did, he was to do it freely and rationally. Precisely such a train of events as that here re-wrought to give relief, when lawful and lated was adapted, as every one can see, with infinite wisdom to bring about the designed result.-But we proceed to the details. sold.'-T Why do ye look one upon practicable means are in our power. He therefore rouses his hesitating sons from their torpor, and proposes an immediate journey into Egypt to purchase 1. Now when Jacob saw, &c. That corn. As there is no necessity so is, learnt, understood, received infor- strong as that of hunger, whatever remation. The word 'see' is often equiv- pugnance they may have felt, from the alent to understand or to have a per- haunting recollections of the past, to ception of a thing, whether by means of going down to Egypt, the country to the sense of seeing or any other. Thus, which Joseph had been sold, it was at Ex. 20. 18, 'And all the people saw the length overruled, and they determined thunderings.' Rev. 1. 12. 'And I turn- ❘ to go. heard that there is corn in Egypt: | ren went down to buy corn in get you down thither, and buy Egypt. for us from thence; that we may b live, and not die. 4 But Benjamin,Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his breth 3 ¶ And Joseph's ten brethren: for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. b ch. 43. 8. Ps. 118. 17. Isa. 1. c ver. 38. T 2. Behold, I have heard that there is by the overruling providence of God. corn in Egypt, &c. If Jacob had heard And how do we know that he had not from common report that there was a revelation of the mind of God as to corn in Egypt, why had he not heard the way and the time of conveying that from Joseph himself? Why did this information to his father which he cerfavorite son delay a moment to inform tainly wished to communicate ?————¶ his mourning father of the happy That we may live and not die. The change in his circumstances? While patriarch uses strong language to shew he was a slave or a prisoner, it was not his sons the necessity of going down probably in his power to send him ti- to Egypt to buy food. He sets life dings of his fate. But when he had and death before them; not their own become lord of all Egypt, he certainly life or death only, but the life or death had it in his power to send as many of the whole family. The Lord was messengers as he pleased. Surely, it the God of their life; but they could will be said by some, he had but little not properly trust him for preserving it regard to his father's comfort, when he without using the appropriate means. left him seven years ignorant of what But in humble dependence on the divine had befallen his best-beloved son. But blessing they might set their faces let us not be precipitate in forming a cheerfully to the pains and perils of a judgment to the disadvantage of such long journey, and a protracted separaa man as Joseph. He doubtless often tion from their father, their wives, and thought of his beloved father, and their children. And that man deserves would have been very happy to com- not the gift of life, who would not put municate any pleasure to a parent himself to expence, who would not toil, whom he so dearly loved. But there who would not even risk his life when is a time for every thing. It is very necessary, for those to whom he is possible that the news of Joseph's ex- | indebted, or who are indebted to him, altation would have given more pain for life. than pleasure to the good man, when informed of the circumstances that brought it about. The highest earthly grandeur of one son might not have compensated the grief which he would feel for the wickedness of the others. The time might come when Joseph would be enabled to inform his father of his glory to more advantage, and with less risk of making him unhappy. At any rate, we cannot doubt that Joseph was directed in all his movements 3, 4. And Joseph's ten brethren went, &c. They are called 'Joseph's brethren' and not Jacob's sons, because Joseph is at present the principal character in the story. But Benjamin is called Joseph's brother in a stricter sense. One mother brought them both into the world, and Jacob's fond attachment to Benjamir was in part the effect of his grief for the loss of Joseph. Benjamin became to him a second Joseph, and the other brethren ap earth. 5 And the sons of Israel came | fore him with their faces to the to buy corn among those that came for the famine was din the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor e over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and f bowed down themselves be d Acts 7. 11. e ch. 41. 41. fch. 37. 7. pear to have taken no exception to their father's preference in this instance. It is likely they had already felt so bitter remorse for their wrongs to Joseph and the grief they had caused to their father, that he might safely have given Benjamin a coat of many colors without at all exciting their envy. The sad effects of former sins sometimes prevent men from involving themselves in the guilt of new ones. 6. Joseph was the governor over the land. Heb. 3 shallit from the root shalat, to have dominion, from which comes 1 shilton, one that hath power, Eccl. 8. 4, and also the Chal. sholtan, prince, to which we are evidently to trace the Arabic and Turkish 'sultan,' the title of the thief ruler of the Ottoman empire, otherwise denominated the Grand Seignior. The term has gradually passed from implying a subordinate to signifying a supreme ruler. The time was when Joseph's brethren were men of high respectability in the land of Canaan, whilst Joseph himself was a slave or a prisoner in the land of Egypt. Now, by a signal reverse, Joseph was governor over all the land of Egypt, while they appeared before him as humble suppliants, almost craving as an alms those supplies of food for which they were both able and willing to pay the price demanded. He it was that sold, &c. Heb. nn ham mashbir, that caused to break, or to 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. sell; i. e. that superintended the selling. We cannot suppose that Joseph, in person, sold all the corn that was carried out of the land of Egypt; but it is probable that he exercised an active and vigilant control over the selling, and he may have given more special attention to the travellers from Canaan, than to those of other countries, because the easiest entrance into Egypt, for an enemy, was from Canaan.— -T Bowed down themselves. Where now were the lofty looks and the contemptuous tone with which they said to him, after he had told them one of his dreams, 'Shalt thou indeed reign over us, or shalt thou have dominion over us? Are these the men who said too on another occasion, 'Come, let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some wild beast hath devoured him, and wo will see what will become of his dreams.' They did not indeed slay him, but they took a method which they hoped would be no less effectual to hinder the accomplishment of his dreams. And yet the remote consequence of their measures was the very thing which they hoped to prevent. They did not know how wonderful is the Lord of hosts in counsel, and how excellent in working, and how easily he can accomplish his purposes by the very means which are used to prevent their accomplishment. 7. Mude himself strange unto them, 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Joseph remembered g ch. 37. 5, 9. and spake roughly unto them. Heb. the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. -yedabber ittam ka ידבר אתם קשות brethren never imagined that Joseph was to be lord of Egypt. Besides, it was now a long time since they had seen him; and they were then grown to man's estate, while he was but a lad. In the interval between that time and the present, he had endured much affliction, by which his countenance would be in some degree altered, and his habit and dress must have been greatly changed by his exaltation, while his brethren retained the man shoth, spake hard things with them. Although 'Joseph knew his brethren, yet he affected not to know them. Although he still loved them, he addressed them harshly. It would be an injury to Joseph's memory to suppose that his rough treatment of them was the effect of a revengeful spirit. He never thought of revenging himself on any of the persons who had dealt unkindly or unjustly with him in his lowners and costume to which they had estate. We shall afterward find, that even when his heart melted for the distress of his brethren, he still continued to deal roughly with them. What then were his motives for assuming this stern demeanor? Partly, no doubt, to obtain a much-desired information in respect to his father and his father's family, without prematurely making himself known; and partly, to humble them by affliction, and bring them to a sense of the evil of dealing unjustly and harshly with himself. He was like a wise father, who thinks it necessary to correct his son, although he feels in his own bosom more distress than the object of his chastisement. 'Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.' Kindness must sometimes put on an angry aspect, as on the other hand hatred too often wears smiles on its countenance. 8. Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. It is not difficult to see how this might have been the case. Joseph would naturally conjecture that his brethren, like others in the land of Canaan, would be compelled to come down to Egypt, to buy food. But his been accustomed in their early years. They had, moreover, as Fuller remarks, only one face to judge by, whereas he had ten, the knowledge of any one of which would lead to the knowledge of all. Something too may perhaps be attributed to the effect of their feelings. While Joseph had often thought of his brethren, and called to mind the features of their countenances, he was probably banished from their remembrance. It would have been very unpleasant to them to think of one whom they had treated with such unnatural cruelty. They willingly forgot the features of a man of whom they could not think without pangs of sorrow. Yet though they did not remember his face, they could not forget their guilt. We shall soon see that in a day of distress they remembered it with horror. 9. Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed. It is not to be supposed that Joseph had ever really forgotten his dreams; but as God is said to remember his covenant or his promise when he begins to put them in execution, so this was an efficient remombrance on the part of Joseph, implying 10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man's sons, we are true men; thy servants are no spies. or a city without walls or garrison is said to be 'naked.' Chal. 'The weaker places.' Others take it to mean the barrenness and destitution of the land occasioned by the failure of the crops. In either case the charge would simply be that they had come to see what prospect there would be of invading it with advantage in the present distress, 'We may here remark, that such an imputation as this remains to this day that to which a stranger is continually exposed in the East. The Orientals generally have no idea that people will make a journey unless from urgent necessity, or on gainful speculations; and if, therefore, a person does not travel in a mercantile character, or on some public business, he is invariably consid that he now began to put his dreams in a process of fulfilment. See Note on Gen. 8. 1.-T Ye are spies. Heb. Heb. box - meraggelim attem, ye are footing it; i. e. going from place to place, traversing the country. The Hebrew has no other term to answer to the Eng. 'spy' than the present. The conduct of Joseph in this affair has been variously viewed. Some have supposed it impossible to exempt him from the charge of culpable dissimulation, when he alleged that his brethren were spies. His words express, it is said, a suspicion which certainly did not enter into his mind; and the apology made for him is, that he is nowhere represented as a perfect man; and although his departure from strict veracity is inexcusable, yet the good-ered as a spy-more especially if he ness of his motives goes very far to extenuate the delinquency of the step. But to this it may be replied, that Joseph speaks designedly under an assumed character; and why such a character might not be assumed for the purpose for which Joseph had recourse to it, it is not easy to see. If it was lawful for the sacred writers and for the Savior to speak parables or allegories, why might it it not be lawful for Joseph to act one? His brethren it is true were, for the present, led into a mistake as to the matter of fact, but no wrong was done them, they were defrauded of nothing, and no doubt when they themselves came to look back upon it afterward, they would acknowledge that the whole affair had been managed with the most entire innocence, as well as with the most consummate skill. ness of the land. ness of the land; turns aside or stops to examine any remarkable object, or is discovered in the act of writing, or making observations of any kind. Curiosity, or the desire of collecting information, are motives perfectly incomprehensible to them, and are always treated as shallow and childish pretences. They ask triumphantly whether you have no trees, birds, animals, rivers, or ruins at home to engage your attention, that you should come so far to look for them.' Pict Bible. 10. They said unto him, Nay, my lord, &c. lord, &c. The conduct of Jacob's sons in the affair of the Shechemites shews them to have been ordinarily men of spirit, yet they here behave themselves humbly and submissively to the man who endeavored to fix upon them a groundless imputation. They modest¶ To see the naked-ly and respectfully disowned the charge, That is, the exposed- and if they cherished any resentment, as a man unarmed it was swallowed up by fear, as the |