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50 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Sacred Texts Archive

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Chapter forty seven Genesis Chapter forty seven. In this chapter we have instances Numeral
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one of Joseph's kindness and affection to his relations, presenting his brothren first and
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then his father to Pharaoh Verses one through ten, settling them in Goshen,
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and providing for them there Verses eleven and twelve, and paying his respects to
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his father when he sent for him Verses twenty seven through thirty one. Numeral
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two of Joseph's justice between prince and people in a very critical affair, selling
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Pharaoh's corn to his subjects, with reasonable profits to Pharaoh, and yet without
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any wrong to them Verse thirteen, et cetera. Thus he approved himself wise
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and good, both in his private and in his public capacity. Pharaoh's generosity.
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Jacob presented to Pharaoh the see seventeen O six, Verse one. Then
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Joseph came and told Pharaoh and said, my father and my brethren, and
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their flocks and their herds, and all that they have are come out of
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the land of Canaan, and behold they are in the land of Goshen verse
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two. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and
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presented them unto Pharaoh verse three, and Pharaoh said, unto his brethren,
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what is your occupation? And they said, unto Pharaoh, thy servants are
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shepherds, both we and also our fathers. Verse four. They said,
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moreover, unto Pharaoh, for too sojourn in the land are we come,
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for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks. For the famine is sore
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in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, pray thee let thy servant
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dwell in the land of Goshen. Verse five, And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph,
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saying, thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee verse six.
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The land of Egypt is before thee in the best of the land. Make
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thy father and thy brethren to dwell in the land of Goshen. Let them
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dwell, And if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make
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them rulers over my cattle. Verse seven. And Joseph brought in Jacob,
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his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And
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Pharaoh said, unto Jacob, how old art thou verse nine, and Jacob
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said, unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are one
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hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have the days of the years of
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my life then, and have not attained unto the days of the years of
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the life of my fall others in the days of their pilgrimage Verse ten,
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And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from before Pharaoh. Verse eleven. And
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Joseph placed his father and his brethren and gave them a possession in the land
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of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses,
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as Pharaoh had commanded. Verse twelve. And Joseph nourished his father and
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his brethren, and all his father's household with bread according to their families.
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Here is numeral ie the respect which Joseph as a subject showed to his prince,
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though he was his favorite and prime minister of state, and had had
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particular orders from him to send for his father down to Egypt, yet he
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would not suffer him to settle till he had given notice of it to Pharaoh.
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Verse one. Christ Our Joseph disposes of his followers in his kingdom as
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it is prepared of his father, saying it is not mine to give Matthew.
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Chapter twenty, Verse twenty three Numeral two, the respect which Joseph as
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a brother showed to his brethren, notwithstanding all the unkindness he had formerly received
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from them. Number One. Though he was a great man and they were
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comparatively mean and despicable, especially in Egypt, yet he owned them. Let
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those that are rich and great in the world learn, hence not to overlook
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nor despise their poor relations. Every branch of the tree is not a top
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branch, but because it is a lower branch, it is therefore not of
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the tree. Our Lord Jesus, like Joseph here, is not ashamed to
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call us brethren. Number two, they being strangers and no courtiers. He
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introduced some of them to Pharaoh to kiss his hand, as they say,
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intending thereby to put an honor upon them among the Egyptians. Thus Christ presents
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his brethren in the court of heaven and improves his interests for them, though
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in themselves unworthy and an abomination to the Egyptians. Being presented to Pharaoh according
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to the instructions which Joseph had given them, they tell him one what was
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their business? That they were shepherds? Verse three. Pharaoh asked them,
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and Joseph knew it would be one of his first questions. Chapter forty six,
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Verse thirty three, What is your occupation? He takes it for granted
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they had something to do. Else Egypt should be no place for them,
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no harbor for idle vagrants. If they would not work, they should not
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eat of his bread in this time of scarcity. Note, all that have
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a place in the world should have an employment in it, according to their
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capacity, some occupation or other, mental or manual. Those that need not
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work for their bread must yet have something to do to keep them from idleness.
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Again, magistrates should inquire into the occupation of their subjects, as though
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that have the care of the public welfare. For idle people are as drones
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in the hive, unprofitable burdens of the commonwealth. Number two, What is
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their business in Egypt? To sojourn in the land? Verse four? Not
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to settle there forever, only to sojourn there for a time while the famine
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so prevailed In Canaan, which lay nigh, that was not habitable for shepherds,
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the grass being burnt up, much more than in Egypt, which lay
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low, and where the corn chiefly failed, where there was tolerably good pasture.
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Three He obtained for them a grant of a settlement in the land of
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Goshen Verses five and six. This was an instance in Pharaoh's gratitude to Joseph.
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Because he had been much a blessing to him and his kingdom, he
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would be kind to his relations purely for his sake. He offered them preferment
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as shepherds over his cattle, provided they were men of activity. For it
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is the man who is diligent in his business that shall stand before kings.
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And whatever our profession or employment is, we should aim to be excellent in
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it, and to prove ourselves ingenious and industrious Numeral three. The respect Joseph
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as a son showed to his father number one, he presented him to Pharaoh
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verse seven. And here one Pharaoh asks Jacob a common question, how old
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art thou? Verse eight, a question usually put to old men. For
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it is natural to us to admire old age and to reverence it Levitigus chapter
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nineteen, verse thirty two, as it is very unnatural and unbecoming to despise
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it Isaiah chapter three, verse five. Jacob's countenance, no doubt, showed
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him to be very old, for he had been a man of labor in
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sorrow. In Egypt, people were not so long lived as in Canaan,
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And therefore Pharaoh looks upon Jacob with wonder he was as a show in his
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court. When we are reflecting upon ourselves, this should not come into the
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account. How old are we? Number two, Jacob gives Pharaoh an uncommon
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answer verse nine. He speaks as becomes a patriarch, with an air of
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seriousness, for the instruction of Pharaoh. Though our speech be not always of
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grace, yet it must thus be always with grace. Observe here one he
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calls his life a pilgrimage, looking upon himself as a stranger in this world
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and a traveler towards another world. This earth his inn, not his home.
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To this the apostle refers Hebrews, chapter eleven, verse thirteen. They
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confess that they were strangers and pilgrims. He not only reckoned himself a pilgrim
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now that he was in Egypt, a strange country in which he never was
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before. But his life, even in the land of his nativity, was
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a pilgrimage. And those who so reckon it can the better bear the inconvenience
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of banishment from their native soil. They are but pilgrims still, and so
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they were always two. He reckons his life by days, for even so
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it is soon reckoned, and we are not sure of the continuance of it
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for a day to an end, but may be turned out of this tabernacle
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at less than an hour's warning. Let us therefore number our days Psalms chapter
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ninety, verse twelve, and measure them Psalms Chapter thirty nine, verse four
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three. The character he gives of them is first that they were few,
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though he had now lived one hundred and thirty years, they seemed to him
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but a few days in comparison with the days of eternity, the eternal God
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and the eternal state in which a thousand years longer than ever any man lived
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are, that is one day. Secondly, that they were evil. This
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is true concerning man in general. He is of few days and full of
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trouble Job chapter fourteen, verse one. And since his days are evil,
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it is well they are few. Jacob's life particularly had been made up of
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evil days, and the pleasantest days of his life were yet before him.
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Thirdly, that they were short of the days of his father's not so many,
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not so pleasant as their days. Old age came sooner upon him that
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it had done upon some of his ancestors. As the young man should not
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be proud of his strength or beauty, so the old man should not be
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proud of his age and the crown of his hoary hairs. Though others justly
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reverence it for those who are accounted very old, attain not to the years
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of the patriarchs. The hoary head is a crown of glory only when it
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is found in the way of righteousness. Three Jacob both addresses himself to Pharaoh
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and takes leave of him with a blessing. Verse seven. Jacob blessed Pharaoh
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and again verse ten, which was not only an act of civility he paid
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him respect and returned him thanks for his kindness, but an act of piety.
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He prayed for him as one having the authority of a prophet and a
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patriarch. Though in worldly wealth Pharaoh was the greater, yet in interest with
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God, Jacob was the greater. He was God's anointed Psalms, Chapter one,
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O five, Verse fifteen, And a patriarch's blessing was not a thing
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to be despised, no, not by a potent Prince Darius valued the prayers
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of the Church for himself and for his sons. Ezra Chapter six, verse
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ten. Pharaoh kindly received Jacob, and whether in the name of a prophet
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or no, thus he had a prophet's reward, which sufficiently recompensed him,
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not only for his courteous converse with him, but for all the other kindnesses
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he showed to him and his number two. He provided well for him and
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his placed him in Goshen verse eleven, nourished him and all his with food
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convenient for them verse twelve. This bespeaks not only Joseph, a good man,
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who took this tender care of his poor relations, but God, a
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good God, who raised him up for this purpose and put him into a
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capacity of doing it as Esther came to the kingdom for such a time as
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this, what God here did for Jacob, he has in effect promised to
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do for all his that serve him and trust in him. Psalms chapter thirty
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seven, verse nineteen. In the days of famine, they shall be satisfied
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distressed occasioned by the famine b c. Seventeen o six, verse thirteen.
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And there was no bread in all the land for the famine was very sore,
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so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by
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reason of the famine verse fourteen. And Joseph gathered up all the money that
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was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the
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corn which they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house verse fifteen.
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And when money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of
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Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph and said, give us bread,
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for why should we die in thy presence for the money faileth Verse sixteen.
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And Joseph said, give your cattle, and I will give you for your
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cattle if money fail verse seventeen. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph,
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and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses and for flocks, and for
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the cattle of the herds, and for the asses. And he fed them
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with bread for all their cattle for that year verse eighteen. When that year
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was ended, they came unto him the second year and said, unto him,
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we will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is
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spent. My Lord also hath our herds of cattle. There is not aught
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left in the sight of my Lord but our bodies and our lands verse nineteen.
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Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land,
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by us and our land for bread. And we and our land will be
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servants unto Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die,
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that the land be not desolate verse twenty. And Joseph bought all the
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land of Egypt for Pharaoh, and the Egyptians sold every man his field because
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the famine prevailed over them. So the land became Pharaohs verse twenty one.
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And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of
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the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof verse twenty two.
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Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priest had a
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portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them.
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Wherefore they sold not their lands verse twenty three. Then Joseph said,
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unto the people, behold, I have bought you this day and your land
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for Pharaoh. Lo here is seed for you, and ye shall so the
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land verse twenty four. And it shall come to pass in the increase,
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that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be
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your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and
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for them of your households, and for food for your little wanes verse twenty
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five. And they said, thou hast saved our lives. Let us find
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grace and the side of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants verse
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twenty six. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto
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this day that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the
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priests only, which became not Pharaoh's care, being taken of Jacob and his
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family, the preservation of which was especially designed by providence. In Joseph's advancement
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and account is now given of the saving of the kingdom of Egypt too from
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ruin, for God is king of nations as well as king of saints,
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and provideth food for all flesh. Joseph now returns to the management of that
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great trust which Pharaoh had lodged in his hand. It would have been pleasing
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enough to him to have gone and lived with his father and brethren in Goshen,
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but his employment would not permit it. When he had seen his father
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and seen him well settled, he applied himself as closely as ever to the
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execution of his office. Note even natural affection must give way to necessary business.
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Parents and children must be content to be absent from one another when it
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is necessary on either side for the service of God or their generation. In
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Joseph's transactions with the Egyptians, observe numeral one the great extremity the egypt and
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the parts adjacent were reduced to by the famine. There was no bread,
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and they fainted Verse thirteen. They were ready to die Verse fifteen and nineteen.
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Number one, See here what the dependence we have upon God's providence.
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If its usual favors are suspended but for a while we die, we perish,
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We all perish. All our wealth would not keep us from starving if
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the reign of heaven were but withheld for two or three years. See how
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much we lie at God's mercy, and let us keep ourselves always in his
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love. Number two, See how much we smart by our own improvidence.
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If all the Egyptians had done for themselves in the seven years of plenty,
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as Joseph did for Pharaoh. They had not been now in these straits,
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but they regarded not the warning they had of the years of famine, concluding
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that tomorrow shall be as this day. Next year is this and much more
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abundant. Note because man knows not his time, his time of gathering when
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he has it. Therefore his misery is great upon him when the spending time
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comes. Ecclesiastes, chapter eight, verses six and seven, number three.
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See how early God put a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites. As
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afterwards in the Plagues Exodus chapter eight, verse twenty two, Chapter nine,
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verse four and twenty six. Chapter ten, verse twenty three, Jacob and
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his family those strangers were plentifully fed on free cost, while the Egyptians were
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dying for want. See Isaiah chapter sixty five, verse thirteen. My servants
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shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Happy art thou o Israel,
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whoever wants God's children shall not Psalms Chapter thirty four, Verse ten, numeral
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two. The price they had come up to for their supply in this exigency
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number one, they parted with all their money which they had hoarded up verse
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fourteen. Silver and gold would not feed them, they must have corn.
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All the money of the kingdom was by this means brought into the exchequer.
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Number two. When the money failed, they parted with all their cattle,
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those for labor as the horses and asses, and those for food as the
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flocks and the herds verse seventeen. By this it should seem that we may
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not better live upon bread without flesh than upon flesh without bread. I suppose
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that they parted the more easily with their cattle, because they had little or
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no grass for them. And now Pharaoh saw in reality what he had before
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seen in vision, nothing but lean kine. Number three. When they had
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sold their stalks off their land, it was easy to persuade themselves, rather
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than starve, to sell their land too, for what good would that do?
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Then, when they had neither corn to sow it, nor cattle to
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eat of it. They therefore sold that next for a further supply of corn.
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Number four. When their land was sold, so that they had nothing
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to live on, they must of course sell themselves that they might live purely
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upon their labor and hold their lands by the base tenure of villainage at the
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courtesy of the crown. Note skin for skin, and all the man hath,
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even liberty and property, those darling twins will he give for his life,
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For life is sweet. There are few, though perhaps there are some
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who would even dare to die rather than live in slavery and dependence on an
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arbitrary power. And perhaps there are those who, in that case could die
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by the sword in a heat, who yet could not deliberately die by famine,
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which is much worse. Lamentations, Chapter four, verse nine. Now
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it was a great mercy to the Egyptians that in this distress they could have
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corn at any rate. If they had all died for hunger, their lands
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perhaps would have as cheated to the crown. Of course, for want of
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heirs. They therefore resolved to make the best of bad Numeral three the method
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which Joseph took to accommodate the matter between prince and people, so that the
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prince might have his just advantage, and yet the people not be quite ruined.
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Number One, for their lands. He needed not come to any bargain
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with them, for the years of famine lasted. But when these were over,
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for God will not contend forever, nor will he be always wroth.
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He came to an agreement, which it seems both sides were pleased with,
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that the people should occupy and enjoy the lands as he thought fit to assign
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them, and should have seed to sow them without of the King's stores for
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their own proper use, and behoof yielding and paying only a fifth part of
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the yearly prophets as a chief rent to the crown. This became a standing
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law verse twenty six. And it was a very good bargain to have food
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for their lands, when otherwise they and theirs must have starved, and then
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to have their lands again upon such easy terms. Note those ministers of state
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are worthy of double honor, both for wisdom and integrity that keep the balance
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even between prince and people, so that liberty and property may not intrench upon
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prerogative, nor the prerogative bear hard upon liberty and property. In the multitude
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of such counselors, there is safety. If afterwards the Egyptians thought it hard
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to pay so great a duty to the King out of their lands, they
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must remember not only how just, but how kind the first imposing of it
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was. They might thankfully pay a fifth where all was due. It is
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observable how faithful Joseph was to him that appointed him. He did not put
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the money into his own pocket, nor entail the lands upon his own family,
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but converted both entirely to Pharaoh's use. And therefore we do not find
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that his posterity, when out of Egypt, any richer than the rest of
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their poor brethren. Those in public trusts, if they raise great estates,
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must take heed that it be not at the expense of a good conscience,
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which is much more valuable. Number Two, For their persons, he removed
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them to cities Verse twenty one. He transplanted them to show Pharaoh's sovereign power
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over them, and that they might in time forget their titles to their lands
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and be the more easily reconciled to their new condition of servitude. The Jewish
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writers say he removed them thus from their former habitations because they reproached his brethren
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as strangers to silence, which reproached They were all made, in effect strangers.
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See what changes a little time may make with the people, And how
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soon God can empty those from vessel the vessel who had settled upon their leaves,
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How hard soever this seems to have been upon them, They themselves were
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at this time sensible of it as a very great kindness, and were thankful
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they were not worse used. Thou hast saved our lives Verse twenty five.
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Note there is good reason that the savior of our lives should be the master
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of our lives. Thou hast saved us. Do what thou wilt with us
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Numeral four. The reservation he made in favor of the priests. They were
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maintained on free cost, so that they needed not to sell their lands.
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Verse twenty two. All people will thus walk in the name of their God,
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and they will be kind to those that attend the public service of their
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God and that minister to them in holy things. And we should, in
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like manner honor our God by esteeming his ministers highly in love for their work's
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sake. Jacob's charge concerning his burial the c. Seventeen o six Verse twenty
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seven. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of
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Goshen, and they had possessions therein and grew and multiplied exceedingly verse twenty eight.
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And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the whole
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age of Jacob was one hundred forty and seven years, verse twenty nine.
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And the time drew nigh that Israel must die. And he called his son
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Joseph, and said, unto him, if now I have found grace in
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thy sight, put I ray thee thy hand under my thigh, and deal
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kindly and truly with me. Bury me. Not I pray THEE in Egypt
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verse thirty. But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry
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me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place. And he said,
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I will do as thou hast said verse thirty one. And he said,
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swear unto me, and he swear unto him, And Israel bowed himself
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upon the bed's head. Observe one the comfort. Jacob lived in verse twenty
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seven and twenty eight. While the Egyptians were impoverished in their own land,
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Jacob was replaced in a strange land. He lived seventeen years after he came
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into Egypt, far beyond his own expectation. Seventeen years. He had nourished
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Joseph for so old he was when he was sold from him Chapter thirty seven,
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verse two, And now by way of requital seventeen years Joseph nourished him.
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Observe how kindly Providence ordered Jacob's affairs, that when he was old and
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least able to bear care or fatigue, he had least occasion for it,
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being well provided for by his son without his own forecast. Thus God considers
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the frame of his people number two the care Jacob died in at last the
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time drew nigh that Israel must die Verse twenty nine. Israel a prince with
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God that had power over the angel and prevailed, yet must yield to death.
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There is no remedy. He must die. It is appointed for all
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men, therefore for him, and there is no discharge in that war.
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Joseph supplied him with bread that he might not die by famine, but this
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did not secure him from dying by age or sickness. He died by degrees.
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His candle was not blown out, but gradually burnt down to the socket,
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so that he saw at some distance the time drying nigh. Note it
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is an improvable advantage to see the approach of death before we feel its arrests,
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that we may be quickened to do what our hand finds to do with
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all our might. However, it is not far from any of us.
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Note Jacob's care, he saw the day approaching, was about his burial,
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not the pomp of it, he was no way solicitous about that, but
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the place of it. One he could be buried in Canaan. This he
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resolved on not from mere humor, because Canaan was the land of his nativity,
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but in faith, because it was the land of promise, which he
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desired thus as it were, to keep possession of till the time should come
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when his posterity should be masters of it. And because it was a type
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of heaven, that better country, which he that said these things declared plainly
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that he was in expectation of Hebrews Chapter eleven, verse fourteen. He aimed
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at a good land which would be his rest and bliss on the other side
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death. Two, he would have Joseph sworn to bring him thither to be
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buried Verse twenty nine and thirty one. That Joseph, being under such a
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solemn obligation to do it, might have that to answer to the objections which
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otherwise might have been made against it. And for the greater satisfaction of Jacob,
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now in his dying minutes, nothing will better help to make a deathbed
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easy than the certain prospect of the rest in Canaan after death. Three.
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When this was done, Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head, yielding himself,
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as it were, to the stroke of death. Now let it come,
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and it shall be welcome or worshiping God, as it is explained Hebrews
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chapter eleven, verse twenty one, giving God thanks for all his favors,
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and particularly for this that Joseph was ready not only to put his hand upon
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his eyes to close them, but under his thigh, to give him the
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satisfaction he desired concerning his burial. Thus, those that go down to the
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dust should with humble thankfulness thou before God, the God of their mercies.
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Psalms, chapter twenty two, verse twenty nine.