The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 543

his rrotection (Rosenmiiller, Keil, Lange, Jacob of their sad communication Judah Murphy, 11.nd others). How nobly they docs not recite (eh. xlii. 36), but passes on stood the test Judah's pathetic supplication to the l?eriod of the commencement of the reveals. second J oumey. Aud our father said (i. e. Vers. 18-34.-Then J'udah came near to after the consumption of the corn supply), him, snd ssid,-the speech of Judah iu be- Go again, and buy us a little food (vide eh, half of his young brother Benjamin has been xliii. 2). And we said, We cannot go down: fittingly ch11.racterised as •' one of the master- if our youngest brother be with us, then will pieces of Hebrew composition" (Kalisch), we go down: for we may not see the man's "one of the grandest and fairest to be found face, except our youngest brother be with in the Old Testament" (Lange), " & more us. And thy servant my father said unto moving oration than ever orator pronounced" us (at this point Judah with increased (Lawson), "one of the finest specimens of tenderness alludes to the touching lament- natural eloquence in the world" (Inglis). stion or the stricken patriarch as he first Without being distinguished by either bril- listens to the unwelcome proposition to take liant imagination or highly poetic diction, Benjamin from his side), Ye know that my "its inimitable charm and excellence consist wife-Rachel was all through her life the in the power of psychologir.al truth, easy wife of his nffeotions (cf. eh. xlvi. 19)-bar~ simplicity, and a.ffecting pathos" (Kalisch)- me two sons :-Joseph and Benjamin (eh. Oh my lord (the interjection Ohl is the same xxx. 22, 24; xxxv.18)-and the one (Joseph) as that used by Judah in eh. :tliii. 20 ; q. v. ), went out from me (and returned not, thus let thy servant, I prsy thee, speak a word indirectly alluding to bis death), and I said, in my lord's ears (probably pressing towards Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him him in his eagerness), and let not thine not since. Jacob means that had Joseph been anger burn against thy servant: for thou alive, he would certainly have returned; but art even as Pharaoh (i. e. one invested with that as since that fatal day of his departure the authority of Pharaoh, and therefore able, from Hebron he had never beheld him, he like Pharaoh, either to pardon or condemn). could only conclude that his inference was My lord asked his servants, saying, Have correct, and that Joseph was devoured by ye a father, or a brother! And we said some beast of prey. And if ye take this also unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, from me (in the sense which the next clause and a child of his old age (vide eh. =vii. 3), explains), and mischief befall him, ye shall a little one ; and his brother is dead, and bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to he alone is left of his mother, and his father the grave - Sheol (vide eh. xxxvii. 35). loveth him. Substantially this is the account Now therefore (literally, and now) when I which the brethren gave of themselves from come (or go) to thy servant my father, and the first (eh. :tlii. 13); only Judah now with the lad be not with us; seeing that his life exquisite tact as well as resist.less pathos (or soul) is bound up in the lad's life (or dwells on the threefold circumstance that soul); it shall come to pass, when he seeth the little one whose life was at stake was that the lad is not with us, that he will die: inexpressibly dear to his father for his dead and thy servants shall bring down the grey brother's sake as well as for his departed hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow mother's and his own. And thou saidst to the grave. For thy servant became unto thy servants, llring him down unto surety for the lad unto my father, saying, me, the.t I may set mine eyes upon him. If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall This le.st clause is also a rhetcrical enlarge- bear the blame to my father for ever (vide meut of Joseph'e words, i1r,µEXouµa, avrou eh. xliii. 9). Now therefore (literally, and (LXX.) ; the phrase, to set one's eyes on any now), I pray thee, let thy servant abide one, being commonly used in e. good sense, instead of the lad a bondman (or servant) to signifying to regard any one with kindness, my lord; and let the lad go up with hia to look to his good (cf. Ezra v. 6; Job xxiv. brethren. " There was no duty that im- 23; J er. xxxi.x. 12; xl. 4). And we said periously prohibited Judah from taking the unto my lord, The lad cannot lesve his placeofhisunfortunate brother. His children, father: for if he should leave his father, and even his wife, if he had been in the his father would die. Judah in this no married state, might have been sent to Egypt. doubt correctly reports the original conversa- Ho was so far master of his own liberty that tion, although the remark is not recorded in he could warrantably put himself in Benja- the first account. And thou saidst unto thy min's room, if the governor gave his consent" servants, Except your youngest brother (Lawson). For how shall I go up to my come down with you, ye shall see my face father, and the lad be not with me 1 lest no more (cf. eh. xliii. 3-5). And it came peradventure I see the evil that shall come to pasa (literally, it was) when we came up on (literally, shall find) my father. The unto thy aervant my father, we told him sublime heroism of this noble ad of self-sacri- the words of my lord. The effect upon fice on the part of Judah it is impossible to OH, XLIV. 1-34.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 491