,nd told him all that befell unto them prompted him to endeavour to recover (literally, all the tMngs happening to them, Simeon, as formerly he had sought to deliver the participle being constmed with the ac- Joseph), Slay my two eons,-as Reuben had cusative); saying, The mo.n, who is the lord four sons (eh. xlvi. 9), he must be understood of the land, spake roughly to us (literaUy, as meanin~ two of my sons (Ainsworth spake tke man, loi·d of tke counti-y, with us Murphy), either the two then present (Junius) harsh things, the order and arrangement of or the two oldest (Mercerus)-if I bring the words indicating the strong feeling which him (i. e. Benjamin) not to thee. Reuben's their treatment in Egypt had excited), and proposal, though in one sense "the greatest took us for spies of the country. And we and dearest offer that a son could make to a said unto him, We are true men; we are no father" (Keil), was either only a sample of spies: we be twelve brethren, sons of our strong rhetoric (like J oseph'e "By the life of father; one is not, and the youngest is this Pharaoh!) " designed to assure his father of day with our father in the land of Canaan the impossibility of failure (Lawson, Cand- (vide ,-ers. 11, 13). And the man, the lord lish, Inglis), and of the fact that neither he of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall nor his brethren entertained any injurious I l,."llow that ye are true men; leave one of designs against Benjamin (Calvin); or, if your brethren here with me, and take food seriously made, was not only inconsiderate for the famine of your households, and be and rash, spoken in the heat of the moment gone. It is obsen-able that they do not (Kurtz), but sinful and unnatural (Ains- mention J oseph's first proposal, probably worth), plusquam barbarum (Calvin), and because of Joscph's subsequent kindness; absolutely worthless besides, as what consol- neither do they intimate the fact that Simeon ation would it be to Jacob to add to tho was bound, perhaps through a desire to soften loss of a son the murder of his grandchildren I the blow as much as possible for their vener- (Calvin, Willet). Deliver him into my hand, able parent. And bring your youngest and I will bring him to thee again. Reuben brother unto me: then shall I know that might have learned to avoid strong assevera- ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: tions on this point. "It was his wish to so will I deliver you your brother, and ye bring Joseph home to his father, and yet he shall traffic in the land (cf. eh. xxxiv. 10). could not persuade his brethren to comply Ver. 35.-And it came to pass as they with his intentions. It wa~ his desire to emptied (literally, they emptying) their bring Simeon safe to his father, and yet he sacks, that (literally, and), behold, every was compelled to leavo him in Egypt" man's bUD.dle of money (or silver) was in his (Lawson). • sack: and when (literally, and) both they Ver. 38.-And he (i. e. Jacob) said, My and their father saw the bundles of money, son shall not go down with you ;-not be- they (literally, and tkey) were afraid. cause h~ could not trust Reuben after the Ver. 36.-And Jacob their father said sin described in eh. xxxv. 22 (Wordsworth), 11.D.to them, Me have ye bereaved (or are ye or because he could not assent to Reuben's bereaving) of my children: Joseph is not, proposal (Ainsworth), but because of what is and Simeon is not (Jacob appears to suspect next stated-for his brother (i. e. by the that in some wav or another his sons had same mother, viz., Joseph) is dead (cf. ver. been responsible ·for J oseph's disappearance 13; xxxvii. 33 ; xliv. 28), and he is left as well as Simeon's), and ye will take alone :-i. e. he alone (of Rachel's children) Benjamin away: all these things are against is left as a survivor-if mischief befall him me-literally, upon me, as an heavy burden, (literally, and miscliiqf shall befall him) u;l,;ich I muse bear alone. by the way in the which ye go, then sha.11 Ver. 37.-And Reuben spake unto his ye (literally, and ye shall) bring down my father, saying (Reuben was probably actu- grar ha.ire with sorrow to the grave-SheoZ aled by an ardent brotherly e.tfection, which (cf. eh. xxxvii. 35).
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-38.-Tlte first vi,si,t of Joseph's bretltren to Egypt. I. Trrn: JOURNEY 'l'O EGYPT (vers. 1-5). 1. Thefamisltiny liouseliold. Although Canaan was the land of promise, and the family of Jacob the Church of God, yet neither was the one nor the other exempted from the pressure of that heavy famine which had fallen on all surrounding lands and peoples. It is not God's intention that his people should escape participating in the ills of life. Besides enabling them, collectively and indi- vidually, to sympathise with their fellow-men, it is a means under God of advancing their own sanctification, a.nd oftentimes as well of furthering the purposes of God concerning both the world and the Churcli. 2. The J?_erplexed brethren. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and the rest of them were mamfoBtly at their wits' end whnt OH. XLII. 1-38.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 479