for the Priefts had aportion afligned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them -:
'wherefore they fold not their lands, :
s Under thisnime he underſtands chiefly thoſe who adminſtred the Worſhip of rhe gods or Idols of Egypr, and withal thoſe who applied themſelves to the Study of the Arts and Virtues, called their Wiſemen and Magicians, Though ſome underſtand it of the Princes ( as thar word ſometimes ſignifies ) or Officers of Pharaoh, who were nouriſh?d our of the King's Treaſures. And poſſibly the ſame Hebrew word may here comprehend both, wiz. the Miniſters of the King, and of their Idols roo, for both enjoyed the ſame Pri- viledges, as Diodorus Siculus relates. And that the Prieſts are includ- ed, if not mainly intended here, will be evident enough to any one that conſiders the ſtate of £zypr, how mad that people univerſally were upon their Idols, how numerous their Prieſts were and in kow great houour and veneration beth wich Prince and People : Beſtdes, reaſon of State obliged Pharaoh to engage and ſecure to himſelf that ſort of men, which bore ſo great ſway with the old
more willing to go thither when Cod called them, by virtue of
that inclination which is in moſt perſons, to be buried with their
Fathers ; and in the mean time to declare his deteſtation of Idolaters,
with whom he would have no communion either in life, as far as
he could avoid it, or in the place of burial ; and on the contrary, to.
profeſs his communion with his godly Anceſtors, by his deſire to
be joined with them in burial. And for the ſame reaſons Joſeph deſired
the tranſlation of his Bones thither, Gen. 50: 25: :
31 And he ſaid, Swear unto me : and he {ware un- , "FIEa
to him. And * Iſrael bowed himſelf »» upon the bed's * head ». | |
Chap. XLVII:: b Evap.?
mm Not to Joſeph, who being now not upon his Throne, nor | amongſt the FEgyprians, but in his Father's Houſe, was donbtleſs more | ready to pay that Reverence, ( as he did chap. 48: 12:) than to re- ccive Veneration from him, which he owed to his Father ; but ro God, who is here to be underſteod, as he is in the ſame Phraſe, 1 Kings
the Promiſe of Canaan, and the aſſurance which he had now received
inhabitants of their ſeveral places, and were likely to have the ſame authority with the new inhabitants, to quiet and fatisfie them at their firſt change , which muſt needs be very ungrateful ro them. b Ofthis Immunity of the Prieſts, that Ancient Writer Diedorw Siculus makes mention. But this is not to be aſcribed to Joſeph's will or choice ; for he who abhorred their Idolatry, could nor have a kindneſs for, nor would have given encouragement. to the great . upholders and promorers of it ; but in this he wasover-ruled either by Pharos expreſs command, ( it being nor probable thar ſo great an Intereſt as that of the Prieſts ſhould not have Friends at Court, or that their Friends ſhould not plead for them, or that their pleas and Deſires ſhould nor be granted by an Idolatrous Kiag ) or by the Laws of Eeypr, or by their Cuſtoms and Ulſages in things ofa like na- ture, which would have the force: of a law among them.
22 Then Joſeph ſaid unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land for Pharaoh,
Lo, here is {eed for you, and ye ſhall ſow the land + :
"A <4" 2-4 4 %s.
+ For this was the Jaſt year of the Famine, as was noted before, 24 Andit ſhall come to pals in the increaſe, that you ſhall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts ſhall be your own c, for feed of the field, and for your food, and fer them of your houſholds, and for food for your littleones,
c Whereas he might have reſerved four parts to Pharaoh,and have allowed them only rae fifth. Herein he fhewed borh his bu | nity anJ kindneſs, in mitigating that hard bargain which themſelves had made, and were neceſſitated to make, and his prudence in com- poling, ſweetning, and winning the hearts of the ' people to the King,and making them pay their Tribute for the furure with more ' chearfulneſs. |
25 And they ſaid, Thou haſt ſaved our - lives d let us find grace in the ſight of my lord e, and we will :
be Pharaoh's ſervants *. | b
d Without thy Care and Providence we had all been dead men : ' and therefore if thou hadſt kept us to the firſt bargain, thou hadfſt | done us more kindneſs than wrong, much more when thou hadſt uſed us with ſo much equity and clemency. e Be thou our friend with | Pharaoh inthis and upon all other occaſions. * To manage his land for him upon the terms which thou haſt propoſed.
..26 And Foſeph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto thisday, that Pharaoh ſhould have the fifth | part f: exceptthe land of the + Prieſts only, which be-
camenot Pharaoh's.
f Thar the Propriety of the land ſhould be Pharaoh's ; and that in token thereof the people ſhould pay the fifch part of the Produds of it to Pharaoh.
27 1 And Iſrael dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the
countrey of Golhen, and they had poſleſlions g therein,
g (7.e.) Lands, not for the Dominion of Propriety ofthem, for that reſted in Phara0,but for the uſe and profit of them for their
preſent ſubſiſtance. | 23 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt ſeventeen
years : ſo + the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty
and ſeven years. |
| 29 And the time drew nigh that Hrael muſt die, and he called his ſoa Foſeph, and ſaid unto him, Ifnow I have found grace in thy fight, * put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh þ, and dealz kindly and truly & with me, * bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.
h (7:.e.) Swear tome. (as ver. 31.) that thou wilt do what I am now deſiring of thee. Sez the Noteson Gen. 24: 2: He requires this, not out of any diſtruſt of Joſeph's promiſe, bur partly as a more ſolemn proreſtation of his right to, and affeftion for that promiſed Land ; partly as a motive to all his Children to have their minds and hearcs there, even when their bodies were in £zyp: ; and partly to give Joſeph an argument and excuſe to Pharaeb, that he mighr more willingly permit Joſeph to fulfil his father's deſire,becauſe of his own Oath. # Or,that theu wilt deal; as the Hebrew Yau joined with the Furure Tenſe, is elſe where uſed; as Pſal. 24: 7: and 35: 24: and 51:+5: & Kindly in promiſing, andrtruly in performing thy promiſe.
30 But i will lye wich my fathers /, and thou ſhalt carry me ourof Egypt, and bury me in their burying- place : and hefſaid, I will do as thou haſt ſaid.