lately committed there by the Phenician Shepherds, who as ſome very Ancient Writers aftirm, were ſeated in Egypt in great Num- bers, and had arrived to great Power, and waged a cruel War with other Egyptians, wherein they walted divers Cities, and burned rheir Temples, and barbaroutly murdered a multitude of People. And therefore it is no wonder if the Calling of Shepherds was grown out of uſe and credit among them. True it is, the Egypt:
' Strangers which were diſperſed among them, and looked upon the
ans had ſome Sheep, and other Cattel, Gen. 47: 6, 17: Exod: 8: 26: and 9: 3: which they kept for delight or profit by their Milk, Wool, &c. or for Sale toothers, but they did nor uſe them, as other Shep- herds generally did, kill and eatthem:; And it is probable that they committed even the keeping of their Sheep and Cattel to thoſe
Employment as too vile and mean for any, Egyptian. And tho Pha« rao offered it to Joſeph's Brethren as a favour to be Rulers over his Cattel, Gen: 47: 6: that might proceedonly from hence, becauſe he ſaw them firmly reſolved upon that courſe of Life, and therefore could not beſtow any higher Preferment upon them.
C H AP. XLVIL
Foſeph acquaints Pharaoh with his father's arrival ; preſents five of his brethren to him, 1, 2. He after ſome enquiry inflates them in Goſhen ; they being ſhepheral, he orders Joſeph, if he knew any men of attivity amongſt them, to make them rulers over his cattel, 3-=--6. Joſeph likewiſe brings his father before Pharaoh, who enquires after his age, and is bleſſed by Jacob, 7-===10. Joſeph maintains his father; and all big houſe ins Goſhen, 33, 1. {92h gets all the money; cattel, and
Jani
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*. Chap,
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XLVIL.
lands of the Egyptians into bis hands for corn; yemoves them #1 diftant quarters of the land, 13---a===---=21. [he priefts only excepted, who have a portion aſſigned them by Pharaoh, 22, Joſeph leaves the land zo the people ro till, and_ groves them corn to ſow, they giving Pharaoh the fifth pars of the crop, 23-= -=-26. Facobs life in Egypt, and full age, 27, 28 He takes an oath of Foſeph concernirg his burial
29--==3I. BR”
ten Joſeph came and told Pharaoh, and ſaid,
My father, and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan : and bebold, they are 1a the landof Goſhen a» -
2 Either to abide there * Or to remove thence to any other pace which thou ſhalt appoint for theme
2 Andhe took ſome b of his brethren, even five men, and preſented them unto Pharaoh. |
b Or, part, as this Hebrew word is uſed, Dan. 1: 2. Or the extre- mity,or #nd, or tail of them, 7.e. the meaneſt of chem for Perſon and Preſence, as the word is taken, 1 Kings 125 3: leſt if he had pre- ſented the goodlieſt of them, Phara2h might have required their atren- dance? upon him;either at Court orCamp.And for the ſame reaſon for which he did inluſtriouſly repreſent them to Pharaoh as contemprible in their imploym<nt, he mightalſo preſent thoſe to him who were ſo in their Perſons. :
2 4nd Pharaoh ſaid unto his brethren, What is your occupation ? And they ſaid unto Pharaoh, Thy ſervants are ſhepherds both we, and alſo ourfachers-
* This Employment is not pretended nor taken up by us in de- ſign, or in contempt of thee or thy People, bur was handed to us by our Fathers, and hath been our buſineſs to this day.
4 They ſaid moreover unto Pharaoh, For to ſojourn in the land c are we come: for thy ſervants have no paſture fortheir flocks, for thefamine is fore in the land of Canaan 4: now therefore we pray thee, ler thy ſer- vants dwell in the land of Goſhen. _ --
c Nox to defraud thy People of their Lands and Habitations : but only to be here for a ſeaſon as Strangers and Sojourners till we can conveniently return to our own Land. 4 Which being an higher Ground than Ezypr, and watered in a manner on'y by Rain from Heaven, muſt needs ſooner and ſorer feel the effefts of a- Droughr and Scarciry rhan Ezypr, which had relief from Nilus in that kind.
5 And Pharaoh ſpake unto Foſeph, faying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee.
6 The land of Egypt is before thee e ; in the beſt of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell, in the land of Goſhen let them dwell: and if thou knoweſt any man of activity f- amongit them, then make chem rulers over my cattel. | Ye
e To view it, and takerhy choice where thou pleſeft, it is in thy power. Sze Gen. 13: 9: f Or, of Strength or Vigor of Body and Mind,
-'fir for the Employment. By which Expreſſion ir ſeems probable that thote five preſented. to Pharaoh were of the meaneſt ſort of them. See On verſe 2.
\ F | 7 And Joſeph brought in Jacob. his father, and ſet him before Pharaoh : and Jacob bleſſed g Pharaoh, £ Not in an authoritative way, as the greater bleGeth the leſs,but In a general manner, 7. e. he ſalureth him, thank:d him for all his favours to him and his, and prayed to God to bleſs and recompence him for it. Thus bl-/ing is pur for ſalutmg, 1 Sam. 13: 10.2 Kings 4* 29. for praying, Numb. 6. 23. 24. for chankſgiving, Matth. 26: 26, + Heb, compare with Luke 22.19, how many And Pharaoh ſaid unto Jacob, T How: old art are the anys thou ? of he yeers 9g And Jocob ſaid unto Pharaoh, * The days of the of thy life? . . - -d d hi : {11.p." Years of mypilgrimageiarean hundred and thirty years: 11:9,:13. few and-evil hath the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained untothe days of the years of the life of my fathers &, in the days of their pilgrimage. z; (7.e.) Of my unſtable or unſ-ttled Life, in which 1 have
been flicting from place to place. Sce Gen, 17: 8: Pſalm 119: 19: | belonging tothe Territory and Government of each City;fcr the ſeed
Heb. 11: 9, 13: k. Though I ſeem old in compariſon of thy People, yer I fall much ſhort of my Progenitors, Iſaac, and AYravam, and Terah.
10 4 And Jacob bleſſed Pharaoh, and went out.
' Famine, out of the Publick Srore-houſes which were there ; or that
from before Pharaoh.
11 1 AndJoſeoh placed his father and his brethren, |
and gave them a poſſeſſion in the land of Egypt, inthe beſt of the land, ia the land of Rameſes 7, as Pharaoh
had commanded. { A part of the land of Goſhen, poſſibly that part where after-
wards the City Rameſes was iLuilt by the Tſraelites, Exod. 1: 11: | and 12:37; whence it is ſo called here by Anticipation. For the | Iſraelites were not-now numerous enough ro poſſeſs rhe whole Land