: matter and manner of the feaſts and entertainments of the Egyptians; or rather, at the ſingular honour which Foſeph did to themabove all others, the reaſon whereof they could not conceive, and therefore marvelled at it. |
34 And he took, and ſent meſſes unto them from
before him d : but Benjamin's meſs was five times ſo much as any of theirs e : and they drunk, and f were
merry f with him.
d It was the ancient cuſtom of Egypt and other Countries 1n their Feaſts, that either all the mear, or at leaſt ſome eminent parts and parcels of it, were not promiſcuouſly ſet before all the Gueſts, but peculiarly diſtributed by the Maſter of tne Feaſt to the ſeveral Gueſts, and that differently, accordiity to his reſpe& and affeftion to them, or to their ſeveral qualities. See 1 Sam: 1: 5: and $22, 23, 24. e Partly becauſe of his nearer relation and dearer affetion to him, and partly to obſerve wherher this would raiſe thatenvy in them towards him, which was the occaſion of their malicious en- terprize againſt himſelf, that he might accordingly provide for his ſecurity» The Hebrew woid oft fignities to be drunk, but oft-times
f Heb.:hey tank
it is only to arink liberaly,though not to drynkenneſs,ag may appear |
#Frqm Cant: 5: 1; Hz; 1: 6; John: 19,
-_—_ ” Y Y | CHAP, XLIV. Joſeph commands his fteward to fill their ſacks ; reſtore every man's money; — ana put his ſilver cup into Benjamin's ſack; ſends them away, 1-=-3.
Thereby contriving to bring them back again ; they are purſued, mand
Charged with theft, q=-+=-6. Whereat being greatly perplex'd, they - 7gnorantly make themſelves liable to puniſhment, 75---19. The cup is
found in Benjamin's ſack ; they return to Joſeph, ſubmitting to bis cen=
Sure, 10---14. Joſeph pretends the gift of prophecy, 15. Judah ſpeaks
much and earneſtly on Benjamin's behalf, offering ro remain in his ſtead;
I 6---34.
N.D he commanded the | ſteward of his houſe, + Heb.him ſaying, Fill the mens ſacks with food, as much as #5 Fe
they can carry, ahd put every man's money in his ſacks Loaf 5 mouth. - | "_ 2 And put my cup a, the ſilver cup, in the ſacks mourh of tie youngelt þ, and his cormm-money : and he did according to the word that Joſeph had ſpoken. © a It ſeems to have been a large cup, and of great price,and much uicd by Joſeph. b Wirth deſign to ditcover their intentions and af. fections towards Benjamin, whether they did envy him, and would deſert him in his danger, as.they did Joſeph ; or would cleave to him, that hence he might take his meafures how to deal with him and them.
3 As ſoon as the morning was light, the men were ſent away, they, and their aſles, .
4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joſeph ſaid unto his ſieward, Up, fol- low after the men ; and when thou dott overtake them, ſay unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good ? ES 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh ? and whereby indeed he Þ divineth c? Ye have done evil * in + Or, 14« {o doing, #F keth trial. c Amongſt the ſeveral kinds of divination in uſe among the Egy- ptians and other Heathens, this was one;to do it by a cup or baſon; which they filled with water, and put in them plates of ſilver, or precious ſtones, in which certain charafters were engraven, by which, and ſome words they uſed,they called upon the Devil, who gave them anſwer. 7oſcph did nor uſe this courſe, nor was a Divi- ner, but the people thought him ſuch a one, and the ſteward might repreſent him as ſuch, for the betrer covering or carrying "vn his delign. Butthis ſenſe agrees not with the 15:4 verſe of this Chap= ter, 1/0 you not, &c, Which words ſhew that he ſpeaks of ſome. * thing which they all might eaſily know ; but they did not+ know that Joſeph was a Diviner, muchleſs that he divined by that Cup, whereas that kind of divination was generally performed by a Glas, not by aCup Others obſerve, that the Hebrew word oft-times ſignifies not to avine, but only to obſerve and diſcover a thing,as Gen.
30: 27: 1 Kings 20: 33: and render the place thus, whereby he will cer tainly obJervve or diſcover, to wit, what you are, and do. Bur this alſo lecms not to conſiſt with ver. 15. and the ſupplement is too large and remote. The true ſenſe then is this, the Hebrew bo is not to be render'd by which, but concerning which, as the Particle beth is oft uſed, and it notes not the Inſtrument whereby, but the Obje& about which he did divine, and the words muſt be rendred, con cerning which he can or would certainly divine. And this agrees well with ver: 15: q:d. Did you think you could deceive my Maſter > Did not you and all others know that he could divine, and diſcover ſe cret things, whence he had both his name and preferment ? And this Cup being much prized and uſed by him, you might ealtly , ju9ge that he would uſe his art to recover it. * (i: e: ) Veryevil, unjuſtly, unthankfully, ahd fooliſhly. | |
6 And he overtook them, and he ſpake unto them theſe ſame words. |
7 And they ſaid unto him, Wherefore faith my lord theſe words? God forbid that thy ſervants ſhould do according to this thing. |
8 Behold, tlie money which we found in our ſacks mouths, we brought again unto thee our of the land of Canaan 3: how then ſhould we ſteal out of thy lords
houſe ſilver or gold 4?
d It is not probable that we who reſtored that which was in our power to keep, and to conceal without any danger,ſhould ſteal that which was likely to be diſcovered with ſo much ſhame and hazard to our ſelves.
9 With whom ſoever of thy ſervants it be found, both * let himdye, and we aiſo will be my lora*, bond- » Chap: men e. 31. J2, e This over-daring offer proceeded f:om hence, that they were all conſcious of their own innoceiicy, and did nor ſuſpe& any fraud or artifice in the matter. £
Io And he faid, Now alſo let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found, ſhall be my. ſervant, and ye ſhall be blameleſs f. |
f Thus he moderats the conditions which they propoſed,exempt« ing the innocent, and exchanging the deſerved,and offered death of the nocent into ſlavery. :
11 Then they ſpeedily took down every man his ſack to the ground, and opened every man his ſack.
12 And he ſearched, and began at the eldeſt g, and lefe at the youngeit : andthe cup þ was found in Ben- Jamin's ſack. | |