4 This Story ſeems a little involved, and the Perſons to whom Wd; 192! he was fold, doubtful. Here ſeem to be two, if not three. ſorts of 13- Ads : Merchants mentioned, Jbmaelites, and Midianites here, and Meda- 7: 9- _: +, nites, as it 151n the Hebrew, werſe 36. which were a diſtin Peo- * See Math: ple from the Midianizes, as deſcended from Meaan; when the Mi- 27:9: dimites, deicending from Midian, both Abraham's Sohs, Gen: 25: 2, The buiineſs may be accomodared. divers ways, either 1. the ſame Pertons o: People are promiſcucuſly called both Ifhmaelizes and Mix dipnites, as they alſo are, Judges 8: 1, 24, 28 either becauſe they were mixed together in their Dwellings, and by Marriages-; or be. cauſe they were here joyned together, and. made one Caravan or Company of Merchants. And the next may be read thus, 2nd the Mia diamie Merchant-men (either the ſame who »ere called 1bmael:tes, werſe 27. or others being in the ſame Company with them.) paſſed by. and they,i 6. not the Merchant-men, bur Joſeph's Brethren ſpoken- of,verſs 27. the Relative being referred to the remoter Antecedent, as it ig frequently in the Scripture ) lift up Joſeph and ſold him t6 the Iſbmae- lites o: Maianites, &c. Or 2. The Perſons may be diſtinguiſhed, and the Story may very well be conceived thus, The 1hmaelites are going to Ezypr, and are diſcerned at ſome diſtance by 7oſeph's Brethren, while they were diſcourſling about their Brother. ; In the time of their diicourſe, the Midianizes, who feem to be. coming from Egypr,. coming by the Pir and hearing Joſeph's Cries there, pull him our of the Pir, and {ell him to the' bmaelites, who carrie him with thens into Egypt, There they ſell him ro the Medianites, tho that, as many other i1liſtorical paſſages, be omitted. in the Sacred, Story.. And the. Medanites, or Midianites, if you pleaſe, only ſuppoſing them to be other Perſons than thoſe mentioned, werſe 28. which is bur a fair and reaſonable Suppoiition, ſell him to Potiphar.
29 1 And Reuben returned unto che pit e, and behold, Joſeph was nor in the pit: and he rent his clothes f. | — 1: 3% Res
e That according to his Brethren's order, werſe 27. he might take; him thence and fel] him. f As the manner was upen doletyl Oc- currencies. See below, verſe 34: Numb: 14: 6. Ezra 9: 3. Job 1: 200 :and 2: 12. | |
. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and faid,' The child g is. not b, and 1, whether ſhall I goz? _
£ So he calls him comparatively to his Brethren,' though he was 17 years old, wverſe.2. . þ (i: e.) Is not in the Land of the Living, or, is Dead, as that Fhraſe is commonly uſed,' as Gen: 42. 13," 36. com-
red with Ge, ,44;20+ 7ob 7: 21. Jer:31: 15, Lam: 5:7 Matth: 2.18. ; Either to find the Ch11d,” or to fles from onr Father ?-He is more ſolicitous than the reit, becauſe he being the eldeſt Brorher,” his. ' Father would require Joſeph ar his hayI,” ad- being-16 highly mcen= ſed againſt -him tor his former Crime, would be the more apt to
hy
| fulpect hun, and deal more Ro 7 with hum, F þ i Fl
21 And they took Joſephs coat, and killed a kid of
the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32 And they ſent the coat of many colours, and they brought & it te their father, and faid, This have we found : know now whether it be thy ſons coat or no. - k They brought it by a Meſſenger whom they ſent : Men are com-
monly ſaid to do what they cauſe others to do.
33 And he knew z, and ſaid, 1: 5: my ſons coat ; an * evil beaſt hath devoured him ; Joſeph is without
doubt rent in pieces.
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put ſackcloth ] upon his loins, and mourned for his ſon many days.
T (5.e.) ( A coarſe and mournful Habit. This is the firſt Exam-
ple of that kind,but afterwards was in common uſe upon theſe oc- caſions. See 2 Sam: 3. 31. 1 Kings 20: 31. and 21:27. &c. -
25 And all his ſons, and all his daughters »- roſe up to comfort him : but he refuſed to be comforted - and he ſaid, for I will go down into the grave » unto my
{on o mourning : thus his father wept for him.
m Dinh, and his Daughters-in-law, and his Son's Daughters. 'y This Hebrew word Shel is taken ſomrtimes for Hell, as 0b 11. 8. Prov: 15: 11. but moſt commonly for the Grave, or the place or State of the Dead, as Gen: 42: 38: and 44: 29, 31. Pſalm 6. 5. and 16: 10, &c. And whether of thoſe it ſignifies, muſt be deter- mined by the Subje& and the Circumſtances of the Place ; here it cannot be meant of Hell, for Jacob neither could believe thar good Joſeph was there, nor would have reſolved to go thither ; bur the ſenſe is, I will kill my ſelf with Grief,oc I will never leave mourn- ing till T dye. s Or, for my ſon : ſo the Prepoſition E is oft uſed for Al, as 1 Sam: 1: 27. and 4: 19, 27, 22. and 2 Sam. 21. 2.
36 And the Mcdianites fold him into Egypt unto
Potiphar, an + officer of Pharaohs, and | * captain of
the E wn fp p Whoſe office it was to apprehend and puniſh Criminal Perſons. See Gen: 40: 3. Jer: 39: 9. Mark 6: 27. - CH A P. XXXVIIE
Tudah marries a Caananitiſh woman, who bears him three ſons, y==<=5. ' He marries his eldeſt ſon to Tamar, 6. He being wicked is ſlain by God,7. The ſecond ſon is commanded to marry her, 8. His wickedneſs, 9. and | death, 10. He promiſes her his third ſon, but perforins not, 11. She by * a ſubtile praffice commits inceſt with him, 12. He gives her a pledge, 18. She is found with child ; Judah commands her to be burnt, 24. She brings to her father the pledge, 25. He acknowleages it ; Acquits her, and
condemns himſelf, 26. She brings forth two ſons, 27——30-
AND it came to paſs at that time s that Judah went down from his brethren b, and turned in to a certain Adullamite c, whoſe name was Hirah.
# This Story is not withour difficulty, if we conſider how Jit- tle time is allowed for all the events of this Chapter, there being not above twenty three years between Judah's Marriage, and the Birth of Pharez, yea, andthe Birth of his Sons too, Eſrom and Ha- ful, who are ſaid to go into Egypr with Jacob, Gen: 46: 12. But there are two ways propoſed for the Reſolution of it, as the Phraſe, at that time, may be underſtood two ways, cither x. More largely, for the time ſince Jacob's return from Padan to Canaan, and 1o the Hiſtory may be conceived-thus ; Judah was married ſome years before the ſelling of Joſeph, tho it be here mentioned after ir, and