Joſeph no longer able to refrain, diſcovers himſelf to his brethren, and weeps; asks concerning his father : they are troubled at his preſence, <---=3. He forbia's their grief for their ſm, and comforts them with God's gracious deſign and providence in it, 4---8. He haftens them to. go and ac« quaint their father, and bring him xo Egypt ; his meſſnge to his father, 9---13. His kindneſs to Benjamin and his brethremy, 14, 15. Pha- raoh is glad, andinvites them down to Egypt, 16---20. Joſeph diſmiſſes them with gifts and preſents to his father; exhorting them not to fall out by the way, 21---24. Coming home they relate all to their father, who at laſt believes them, rejoycing that he ſhould ſee his ſon before he di= ed, 25---28, A |
: i 'Hen Joſeph could not refrain - himſelf before all
them that ſtood by him, and he cryed, - Cauſe every man fo go out from me a: and there ftood no man with him, while Joſeph made himſelf known unto his brethren.
a Remove all the Egyptians out of my Preſence and Chamber, Which he did, partly that he might maintain the honour of his place, and not make himſelf cheap and contemprible to the Egypri- ans, by his exceſlive tears and pafſions, and by his free and famili- ar, and affeCtionat converſe with his Brethren ; and partly to pre- ſerve the Reputation of his Bxethren,by conccaling their Fault from the Egyptians.
the houſe of Pharzoh heard *.
were near with their own ears, and others by report.
anſwer him : for they were + treubled at his preſence}.
c He repeats his former queſtion, Gen: 43: 27: either becauſe he queſtioned the truth of their former relation, or would be further {atisfied in it, it being uſual with men to ask over and over again whatthey long to know ; or becauſe he now deſired a more parti= cular relation of his Father's Condition, and how he did bear up under all his Calamities. f From a ſudden and deep ſenſe of their horrid guilt, and their juſt fear of ſome dreadful puniſtmentr.
4 £ind Joleph ſaid unto his brethren, Come near to me 4, I pray you : andthey came near, and he ſaid, [ am Joſeph your brother, whom ye ſold into Egypte.
4 Be not afraid of me, but come nearer to me with chearfulneſ; and confidence, that you may be aſſured that I am he, and that we may more freely and privatly diſcourſe together, ſoas none others may hear. It 1s probable that Joſeph ſat in State, and that they hi- therto kept a due diſtance from him. e ( 7. e. ) Sold unto them that brought me ints Egypr, and ſold me there. Sec Gen. 37. 28. and 39.1. So they ſold him into Egypt occaſionally and eventually.
fact, neither break forth into contentions and wrath, and upbraid-
ings of one another. þ God by his wiſe, powerful, and gracious
Providence over-ruled your evil Intentionsto an happy end. i Nor only your lives, for the expreſſion is here indefinite and general, bur the lives of all the People in this and the neighbouring Countries. Which though it doth not leſfien your ſin, yet ought to qualifie your ſorrow.
6 For theſe two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there ſhall neither be earing nor harveſt &,
k Neither ſowing nor reaping, except in a few places near N:lys becauſe the People could not ſpare ſeed-corn, and would not loſe it; underſtanding from Joſeph that their coſt and labour would be loſt, and that the famine would be of long continuance.
7 And God ſent me before you ro Þ preſerve you a poſterity / in the earth, and te ſave your lives by a great deliverance . | T That you and your Children might be ſuſtained and preſerved in this time of Famine, and afterwards abundantly multiplied, ag God hath promiſed. » Or, For a great remnant, or eſcaping, ( 5. e. ) that you who are now but an handful, eſcaping this danger, may grow into a vaſt multitude. The word evaſion, or eſcaping, is here put for the perſons that do cſcape, agitis a Chron, 30, 6, 1/a, 10. 20.
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Chap. XLV.
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2 4nd heT wept aloudb ; and the Egyptians, and + Heb.
b His tears and voice which had been hitherto kept in by main his voice in} force, now breaking forth with greater violence. * Some who PPS.
3 nd Joſeph ſaid unto his brethren, * I am Joſeph ; * As 7. | Doth my father yet live c ? And his brethren could not !
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5 Now therefore be not grievedf, + nor angry with n mad your ſelves g, that ye ſold me hicher : * for God did :;c; 1; | ſend me h before you to preſerve life 5. there be
f To wit, immoderatly, and for the Injury which you did to anger in me, or for the danger which you have brought upon your ſelves. your eyes. | Otherwile he doth not difſwade them from a godly ſorrow for their * Chap. ! offence againſt God, for the procurement of which he deſigned 50. 20. and uſed that ſtrange and rough. carriage towards them. g Nei- Pſal. 105. ther exceſſively torment your ſelves with the remembrance of the I6, 17.
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Chap- XLV. g | : and as captivity 1s oft put for the Captives, as 1t 18 Numb: 21:1:Dent: 21:10. And fo what was faid in the former Clauſe is repeated in this, with an emphatical Addition. :
$ So now it wasnotyou 7hat ſent me hither, but
God »: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh o,
- 3 _ £
ard iord of all his houfe, and a ruier throughout all the land of Egypt. | |
» Thar I came to this place, and pitch of honour and power, 15
not to be imputed to your deſign, which was of another nature,but
. - ; i - to God's over-ruling Providence, which ordered the cu ON | ation, ſo as I ſhould be brought to this place and Rare. | o To adviſe him, and to provide for him as
of your Compare Gen: 50: 29. | NI 4p do for their Children, and to have the authority, reſpeCt, and power of a Father with him.
o Haſte you, and go up to my father, and fay unto him, Thus ſaich thy fon Joſephz God hath made me lord of all Egypt : come down unto me, tarry not.
10 And thou ſhalt dwell in the land of Goſhen p, and- thou ſhalt be near unto me,thou, and thy chiidren, and thy childrens children,and thy flocks,and thy herds,
. and all that thou haſt.