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Matthew Henry |
G E N E S I S
CHAP. XLIII.
Here the story of Joseph’s brethren is carried on, and very particularly
related.
I. Their melancholy parting with their father
Jacob in Canaan,
II. Their pleasant meeting with
Joseph in Egypt,
&c. For on this occasion nothing occurs
there but what is agreeable and pleasant.
| Jacob Unwilling to Part with Benjamin. | B. C. 1707. |
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1 And the famine was sore in the
land.
2 And it came to pass,
when they had eaten up the corn which
they had brought out of Egypt, their
father said unto them, Go again, buy
us a little food.
3 And Judah spake
unto him, saying, The man did solemnly
protest unto us, saying, Ye
shall not see my face, except your
brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt
send our brother with us, we will go
down and buy thee food:
5 But if
thou wilt not send him, we will not
go down: for the man said unto us,
Ye shall not see my face, except your
brother be with you.
6 And Israel
said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with
me, as to tell the man whether ye had
yet a brother?
7 And they said, The
man asked us straitly of our state,
and of our kindred, saying, Is your
father yet alive? have ye another brother?
and we told him according to
the tenor of these words: could we certainly
know that he would say, Bring
your brother down?
8 And Judah
said unto Israel his father, Send the
lad with me, and we will arise and go;
that we may live, and not die, both
we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my
hand shalt thou require him:
if I bring him not unto thee, and set him
before thee, then let me bear the blame
for ever:
10 For except we had lingered,
surely now we had returned this second time.
Here,
1. Jacob urges his sons to go and
buy more corn in Egypt,
The famine
continued; and the corn they had bought
was all spent, for it is meat that perisheth.
Jacob, as a good master of a family, is in
care to provide for those of his own house
food convenient; and shall not God provide
for his children, for the household of faith?
Jacob bids them go again and buy a little
food; now, in time of scarcity, a little must
suffice, for nature is content with a little.
2. Judah urges him to consent that Benjamin
should go down with them, how much soever
it went against his feelings and previous determination.
Note, It is not at all inconsistent
with the honour and duty which children
owe their parents humbly and modestly
to advise them, and, as occasion is, to reason
with them. Plead with your mother, plead,
Hos. ii. 2.
(1.) He insists upon the
absolute necessity they were under of bringing
Benjamin with them, of which he, who was
a witness to all that had passed in Egypt,
was a more competent judge than Jacob
could be. Joseph’s protestation
(v. 3)
may be alluded to to show upon what terms we
must draw nigh to God; unless we bring
Christ along with us in the arms of our faith,
we cannot see the face of God with comfort.
(2.) He engages to take all possible care of
him, and to do his utmost for his safety,
Judah’s conscience had lately smitten
him for what he had done a great while ago
against Joseph
(ch. xlii. 21);
and, as an evidence
of the truth of his repentance, he is
ready to undertake, as far as a man could do
it, for Benjamin’s security. He will not only
not wrong him, but will do all he can to protect
him. This is restitution, as far as the
case will admit; when he knew not how he
could restore Joseph, he would make some
amends for the irreparable injury he had
done him by doubling his care concerning
Benjamin.
| Joseph’s Brethren Again Sent to Egypt. | B. C. 1707. |
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11 And their father Israel said unto
them, If it must be so now, do this;
take of the best fruits in the land in
your vessels, and carry down the man
a present, a little balm, and a little
honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and
almonds:
12 And take double money
in your hand; and the money that
was brought again in the mouth of
your sacks, carry it again in your
hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and
arise, go again unto the man:
14 And
God Almighty give you mercy before
the man, that he may send away your
other brother, and Benjamin. If I
be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Observe here,
I. Jacob’s persuasibleness.
He would be ruled by reason, though they
were his inferiors that urged it. He saw the
necessity of the case; and, since there was
no remedy, he consented to yield to the necessity
(v. 11):
“If it must be so now, take
your brother. If no corn can be had but
upon those terms, we may as well expose him
to the perils of the journey as suffer ourselves
and families, and Benjamin amongst the rest,
to perish for want of bread.” Skin for skin,
and all that a man has, even a Benjamin, the
dearest of all, will he give for his life. No
death so dreadful as that by famine,
Jacob had said
(ch. xlii. 38),
My son
shall not go down; but now he is over-persuaded
to consent. Note, It is no fault, but
our wisdom and duty, to alter our purposes
and resolutions when there is a good reason
for our so doing. Constancy is a virtue, but
obstinacy is not. It is God’s prerogative not
to repent, and to make unchangeable resolves.
II. Jacob’s prudence and justice, which
appeared in three things:–1. He sent back
the money which they had found in the sacks’
mouths, with this discreet construction of it,
Peradventure it was an oversight. Note,
Honesty obliges us to make restitution, not
only of that which comes to us by our own
fault, but of that which comes to us by the
mistakes of others. Though we get it by
oversight, if we keep it when the oversight
is discovered, it is kept by deceit. In the
stating of accounts, errors must be excepted,
even those that make for us as well as those
that make against us. Jacob’s words furnish
us with a favourable construction to put
upon that which we are tempted to resent as
an injury and affront; pass it by, and say,
Peradventure it was an oversight.
2. He
sent double money, as much again as they
took the time before, upon supposition that
the price of corn might have risen,–or that
if it should be insisted upon they might pay
a ransom for Simeon, or his prison-fees,–or
to show a generous spirit, that they might be
the more likely to find generous treatment
with the man, the lord of the land.
3. He
sent a present of such things as the land
afforded, and as were scarce in Egypt–balm
and honey, &c.
(v. 11),
the commodities that
Canaan exported,
Note,
(1.) Providence dispenses its gifts variously.
Some countries produce one commodity,
others another, that commerce may be preserved.
(2.) Honey and spice will never
make up the want of bread-corn. The famine
was sore in Canaan, and yet they had
balm and myrrh, &c. We may live well
enough upon plain food without dainties;
but we cannot live upon dainties without
plain food. Let us thank God that that
which is most needful and useful is generally
most cheap and common.
(3.) A gift in
secret pacifies wrath,
Prov. xxi. 14.
Jacob’s
sons were unjustly accused as spies, yet Jacob
was willing to be at the expense of a present,
to pacify the accuser. Sometimes we must
not think it too much to buy peace even
where we may justly demand it, and insist
upon it as our right.
III. Jacob’s piety appearing in his prayer:
God Almighty give you mercy before the man!
v. 14.
Jacob had formerly turned an angry
brother into a kind one with a present and a
prayer; and here he betakes himself to the
same tried method, and it sped well. Note,
Those that would find mercy with men must
seek it of God, who has all hearts in his
hands, and turns them as he pleases.
IV. Jacob’s patience. He concludes all
with this: “If I be bereaved of my children,
I am bereaved; If I must part with them
thus one after another, I must acquiesce, and
say, The will of the Lord be done.” Note,
It is our wisdom to reconcile ourselves to
the sorest afflictions, and make the best of
them; for there is nothing got by striving
with our Maker,
| Joseph Entertains His Brethren. | B. C. 1707. |
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15 And the men took that present,
and they took double money in their
hand, and Benjamin; and rose up,
and went down to Egypt, and stood
before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph
saw Benjamin with them, he said to
the ruler of his house, Bring these men
home, and slay, and make ready; for
these men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade;
and the man brought the men into
Joseph’s house.
18 And the men were
afraid, because they were brought into
Joseph’s house; and they said, Because
of the money that was returned
in our sacks at the first time are we
brought in; that he may seek occasion
against us, and fall upon us, and
take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward
of Joseph’s house, and they communed
with him at the door of the
house,
20 And said, O sir, we came
indeed down at the first time to buy
food:
21 And it came to pass, when
we came to the inn, that we opened
our sacks, and, behold, every man’s
money was in the mouth of his sack,
our money in full weight: and we
have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought
down in our hands to buy food: we
cannot tell who put our money in our
sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to
you, fear not: your God, and the God
of your father, hath given you treasure
in your sacks: I had your money.
And he brought Simeon out unto
them.
24 And the man brought the
men into Joseph’s house, and gave
them water, and they washed their
feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25 And they made ready the
present against Joseph came at noon:
for they heard that they should eat
bread there.
Jacob’s sons, having got leave to take
Benjamin with them, were observant of the
orders their father had given them, and went
down the second time into Egypt to buy
corn. If we should ever know what a famine
of the word means, let us not think it much
to travel as far for spiritual food as they did
for corporal food. Now here we have an account
of what passed between them and Joseph’s
steward, who, some conjecture, was
in the secret, and knew them to be Joseph’s
brethren, and helped to humour the thing;
I rather think not, because no man was permitted
to be present when Joseph afterwards
made himself known to them,
Observe,
1. Joseph’s steward has orders from
his master (who was busy selling corn, and
receiving money) to take them to his house,
and make ready for their entertainment.
Though Joseph saw Benjamin there, he
would not leave his work at working-time,
nor trust another with it. Note, Business
must take place of civility in its season. Our
needful employments must not be neglected,
no, not to pay respect to our friends.
2. Even this frightened them: They were afraid,
because they were brought into Joseph’s house,
v. 18.
The just challenges of their own consciences,
and Joseph’s violent suspicions of
them, forbade them to expect any favour,
and suggested to them that this was done
with a bad design upon them. Note, Those
that are guilty and timorous are apt to make
the worst of every thing. Now they thought
they should be reckoned with about the
money in the sacks’ mouths, and should be
charged as cheats, and men not fit to be dealt
with, who had taken advantage of the hurry
of the market to carry off their corn unpaid
for. They therefore laid the case before the
steward, that he, being apprized of it, might
stand between them and danger; and, as a
substantial proof of their honesty, before
they were charged with taking back their
money they produced it. Note, Integrity
and uprightness will preserve us, and will
clear themselves as the light of the morning.
3. The steward encouraged them
(v. 23):
Peace be to you, fear not; though he knew
not what his master drove at, yet he was
aware these were men whom he meant no
harm to, while he thus amused them; and
therefore he directs them to look at the
divine Providence in the return of their
money: Your God, and the God of your
father, has given you treasure in your sacks.
Observe,
(1.) Hereby he shows that he had
no suspicion at all of dishonesty in them: for
of what we get by deceit we cannot say, “God
gives it to us.”
(2.) Hereby he silences
their further enquiry about it. “Ask not
how it came thither; Providence brought it
to you, and let that satisfy you.”
(3.) It appears
by what he said that, by his good
master’s instructions, he was brought to the
knowledge of the true God, the God of the
Hebrews. It may justly be expected that
those who are servants in religious families
should take all fit occasions to speak of God
and his providence with reverence and seriousness.
(4.) He directs them to look up to
God, and acknowledge his providence in the
good bargain they had. We must own ourselves
indebted to God, as our God and the
God of our fathers (a God in covenant with
us and them) for all our successes and advantages,
and the kindnesses of our friends;
for every creature is that to us, and no more,
which God makes it to be. The steward encouraged
them, not only in words but in
deeds; for he made very much of them till
his master came,
26 And when Joseph came home,
they brought him the present which
was in their hand into the house, and
bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare,
and said, Is your father well, the
old man of whom ye spake? Is he
yet alive?
28 And they answered,
Thy servant our father is in good
health, he is yet alive. And they
bowed down their heads, and made
obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his
eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin,
his mother’s son, and said, Is this your
younger brother, of whom ye spake
unto me? And he said, God be gracious
unto thee, my son.
30 And
Joseph made haste; for his bowels
did yearn upon his brother: and he
sought where to weep; and he entered
into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out,
and refrained himself, and said, Set on
bread.
32 And they set on for him by
himself, and for them by themselves,
and for the Egyptians, which did eat
with him, by themselves: because the
Egyptians might not eat bread with
the Hebrews; for that is an abomination
unto the Egyptians.
33 And they
sat before him, the firstborn according
to his birthright, and the youngest according
to his youth: and the men marvelled
one at another.
34 And he took
and sent messes unto them from before
him: but Benjamin’s mess was five
times so much as any of theirs. And
they drank, and were merry with him.
Here is,
I. The great respect that Joseph’s
brethren paid to him. When they brought
him the present, they bowed themselves before
him
(v. 26);
and again, when they gave him
an account of their father’s health, they made
obeisance, and called him, Thy servant our
father,
v. 28.
Thus were Joseph’s dreams
fulfilled more and more: and even the father,
by the sons, bowed before him, according to
the dream,
Probably Jacob
had directed them, if they had occasion to
speak of him to the man, the lord of the land,
to call him his servant.
II. The great kindness that Joseph showed
to them, while they little thought it was a
brotherly kindness. Here is,
1. His kind enquiry concerning Jacob: Is
he yet alive?–a very fit question to be asked
concerning any, especially concerning old
people; for we are dying daily: it is strange
that we are yet alive. Jacob had said many
years before, I will go to the grave to my son; but
he is yet alive: we must not die when we will.
2. The kind notice he took of Benjamin,
his own brother.
(1.) He put up a prayer
for him: God be gracious unto thee, my son,
v. 29.
Joseph’s favour, though he was the
lord of the land, would do him little good,
unless God were gracious to him. Many
seek the ruler’s favour, but Joseph directs
him to seek the favour of the ruler of rulers.
(2.) He shed some tears for him,
His
natural affection to his brother, his joy to see
him, his concern at seeing him and the rest
of them in distress for bread, and the remembrance
of his own griefs since he last saw
him, produced a great agitation in him, which
perhaps was the more uneasy because he endeavoured
to stifle and suppress it; but he
was forced to retire into his closet, there to
give vent to his feeling by tears. Note,
[1.] Tears of tenderness and affection are no disparagement
at all, even to great and wise
men.
[2.] Gracious weepers should not
proclaim their tears. My soul shall weep in
secret, says the prophet,
Peter
went out and wept bitterly. See
3. His kind entertainment of them all.
When his weeping had subsided so that he
could refrain himself, he sat down to dinner
with them, treated them nobly, and yet contrived
every thing to amuse them.
(1.) He ordered three tables to be spread,
one for his brethren, another for the Egyptians
that dined with him (for so different were
their customs that they did not care to eat
together), another for himself, who durst not
own himself a Hebrew, and yet would not sit
with the Egyptians. See here an instance,
[1.] Of hospitality and good house-keeping,
which are very commendable, according as
the ability is.
[2.] Of compliance with
people’s humours, even whimsical ones, as
bishop Patrick calls this of the Egyptians not
eating with the Hebrews. Though Joseph
was the lord of the land, and orders were
given that all people should obey him, yet he
would not force the Egyptians to eat with the
Hebrews, against their minds, but let them
enjoy their humours. Spirits truly generous
hate to impose.
[3.] Of the early distance
between Jews and Gentiles; one table would
not hold them.
(2.) He placed his brethren according to
their seniority
(v. 33),
as if he could certainly
divine. Some think they placed themselves
so, according to their custom; but, if so, I
see not why such particular notice is taken
of it, especially as a thing they marvelled at.
(3.) He gave them a very plentiful
entertainment, sent messes to them from his own
table,
This was the more generous in
him, and the more obliging to them, because
of the present scarcity of provisions. In a
day of famine, it is enough to be fed; but
here they were feasted. Perhaps they had
not had such a good dinner for many months.
It is said, They drank and were merry; their
cares and fears were now over, and they ate
their bread with joy, concluding they were
now upon good terms with the man, the lord
of the land. If God accept our works, our
present, we have reason to be cheerful. Yet
when we sit, as they here did, to eat with a
ruler, we should consider what is before us,
and not indulge our appetite, nor be desirous
of dainties,
Joseph gave
them to understand that Benjamin was his
favourite; for his mess was five times as much
as any of theirs, not as if he would have
him eat so much more than the rest, for then
he must eat more than would do him good
(and it is no act of friendship, but rather an
injury and unkindness, to press any either to
eat or drink to excess), but thus he would testify
his particular respect for him, that he might
try whether his brethren would envy Benjamin
his larger messes, as formerly they had
envied himself his finer coat. And it must be
our rule, in such cases, to be content with what
we have, and not to grieve at what others have.
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