1thich the dead disappear, and whcro tl\oy Midianitcs or -l\fedanilcs were the actual consciously exist (2 Sam. xii. 23). Thu■ purchasers of Joseph, while the caravan took (literally, an<l) his father (not Isaac) wept itll name from tho Ishnrnelites, who formed for him, tho larger portion of it (Murphy)-eold him Yer. 36.-And the Midianitea -or Mc- into Egypt (i. e. having brought him into danitcs, descendants of Medan, a brather of Egypt, perhaps, as Luther conjectures, pass- Midian, both of whom were sons of Abraham ing through Hebron on the way, sold liim) by Keturah (eh. xxv. 2). That the .Arnbian unto Potiphar,-the name is abbreviated ruerchantll arc called Ishmaelites (ver. 27), from Poti-Phera (eh. xli. 60), i. e. he who :Midianites (ver. 28), and Medanites (ver. 36), belongs to the sun (Gesenius, &Ub voce). Tho is explained as an ev1denco of varying legends LXX. render Thr•,Ppf11: or rr,r,,ppij-11n (Tuch, Bleck, Davidson, Colenso), but is oflicer-C 1ii;', from OJI;', an unused root better accounted for as indicating that the signifying to pull up by the roots, originally traders ,-ere composed of men of various means a eunuch (Isa. lvi. 3, 4), such as nations (Clericus); that the Jlfidia.nites, lsh- Orient.'\! monarchs were 11ccustomcd to set rnaelitcs, and Medanites were often confounded over their harems (Esther ii. 3, 14, 15; iv. f:oi:i their .comm~n parentage and closely 5), but is here employed to denote an officer similar habits (Keil); that the narrator did or courtier generally, without any reference not intend to lay stress upon the nationality, to the piimary signification, since Potiphar bnt npon the occupation, of the travellers was married-of Pharaoh's (vide eh. xii. 15), (Havernick); that the proprietors of the and captain of the guard-literally, captain caravan were Jshmaclites, and the company of the slaughterers, i. e. chief officer of tho attending it Midianites or Medanites (Lange); executioners, the nature of whoso duties may that the Ishmaelites were the genus, and the be understood from the fact that he was Midianites and Medanites the species, of tho keeper of the State prison, "where the king's same nation (Rosenmiiller, Quarry); that the prisoners were bound" (eh. xx.x.ix. 20).
HOMILETICS. Vera. 26-36.-Joseph carried by Midianites to Ev,ypt. I. THE INll'AMOUS SALE. 1. The wi,cked proposal. "Come, and let us sell him.' By whatever motives Judah was actuated, the notion that either he or his brethren had a right thus to dispose of Joseph's life was not simply nn open violation of the Divine law which constituted all men with equal rights, and in particular made every man his brother's keeper, not his brother's destroyer or proprietor, but a hideous discovery of the utter per- version of moral nature which had taken place in the case of Joseph'e brethren, So low had they now sunk, that they were become not alone without humanity, but without natural affection as well. 2. Tlie double reason. (1) The advantageous character of the proposed transaction is exhibited by Judah, who doubtless under- stood the sort of arguments that would weigh most powerfully with his brethren. Simply to assassinate the hated stripling and conceal hie blood might indeed gratify their feelings of revenge, but would not do much to enrich them. Might it not be possible to dispose of him more profitably than by the coarse way of killing him? 'l'hen (2) the humane aspect of the proposed transaction is pathetically dwelt upon by Judah,-" he is our brother and our flesh,"-in which perhaps may also be de- t"cted Judah's subtle knowledge of human nature, in reasoning that mon who cared nothing for the claims of humanity and brotherhood in themselves might be induced to do a little cheap philanthropy by sparing Joseph, nfter they ha.d first been made to see that it would likewise be profitable. Judah's last rernnrk was n master-stroke which overbore every vestige of opposition: "his brethren were content." 3. T!ie favourable opporlunity. Many wicked schemes are happily never carried through because the opportumty is wa11ting-thanks to Divine providence I But, on the other hand, thousands of nefarious crimes are born of the opportunity-thanks to 1.be sinful ingenuity of the fallen heart I The scheme of Judah was clearly suggested by the providential circumstance that at the moment an Ishmnelitish cam.van was passing by on its way with gums and spicery to Egypt. That camvnn wns God's ch:iriot sent to convey Joseph to the throne of Egypt. Judah naked his l,retbrcn to Ree in it a piison van to take their brother into slavery in Egypt. Wicked men and G?d may often seem to play at cross purposes with one _another, but ~od always tnumph8. Man propQBes; God disposes. 4. The accomplislied transaction. "They o!.I. xxxvu. 26-3G. J THE DOOK OF GEN'ES1S. 4$9