much as that in the shape of rent, and with the military order; and of Strabo (nii. quite as much case I At all events the people 787), that the peasants wero not Iandownera, themselves did not consider that they were but occupiers of rateable land; as also by being subjected to any harsh or unjnst the monuments, which represent the king, exaction. priest~, and warriors alone as having landed Ver, 25.-And they said, Thou hast saved property (Wilkinson, Keil}. Dr. Robinson our lives (literally, thou hMt kept us alive): quotes a modern parallel to this act of J oseph's, let us find grace in the sight of my lord which both illustrates its nature and by way (i. e. let us have the land on these favourable of contrast exhibits its clemency. Up to the terms), and we will be Phe.re.oh's servants. middle of the present century the people of " That a sort of feudal service is here Egypt had been the owners as well a.s tillers intended-the service of free labourers, not of the soil. " By a single decree the Pasha bondmen-we may learn from the relation- (Mohammed Ali) declared himself to be tho ship of tha Israelites to God, which was sole owner of all lands in Egypt; and the formed after the plan of this Egyptian people of course became at once only his model" (Gerlach). - tenants at will, or rather his slaves." "The Ver. 26.-And J'oseph made it a law over modern Pharaoh made no exceptions, an(l the land of Egypt unto this day (i. e. the stripped the mosques and other religious an(l day of the narrator), that Phare.oh should charitable institutions of their landed endow- have the fifth part ; except the land of the ments as merciles.sly as the rest. Joseph gave priests only, which Deco.me not Pharaoh's. the people seed to sow, and required for the The account here given of the land tenure king only a fifth of the produce, leaving four- in Egypt, viz., (1) that after the time of fifths to them as their uwn ; but now, though Joseph the kings of Egypt became lords para- sr.ed is in like manner given out, yet every mount of the soil, (2) that the only free village is compelled to cultivate two-thirds of landholders in the country were the members its lands with corn and other articles for the of the priestly caste, and (3) that the popu- Pasha, nnd also to render back to him, in the lation generally occupied their farms at the form of taxes and exactions in kind, a large uniform fixed rent of one fifth of their yearly proportion of the produce rem:iining after" produce, is abundantly corroborated by the (' Biblical Researches,' i. 42). statements of Herodotus (ii. 109), that Ver. 27.-And Israel (i. e. the people) Sesostris divided the soil of Egypt among the dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country inhabitants, "assigning square plots of equal of Goshen; and they had possessions therein size to all, and obtaining his chief revenue (i. e. acquired holdings in it), and grew (or from the rent which the holders were required became fruitful), and multiplied exceedingly to pay him year by year;" of Diodorus Siculus -or became very numerous, This was tha (i. 73), that the land in Egypt belonged commencement of the promise (eh. xlvi.3). either to the priests, to the king, or to
HOMILETICS. Vera. 11-27.-Joseplt's poli-cy in Egypt. I. TowAn.ns THE IsnAELITES. 1. He gave th= a seUlement in Goshen. Though in one sense the land of Goshen wns Pharaoh's grant, it is appnrent from the Mtory that they owed it chiefly to the wise and prudent mnnngement of Joseph that they found themselves located in the fattest corner of the land. In thus providing for them Joseph had without doubt nn eye to their enrichment, to their sepnrntion ns n people from the Egyptian inhabitants of the lnnd, nnd to their convenience when the day came for their return. Thus we see an evidence of Joseph's fervent piety. 2. He supplied tltem wit/1 f()od while tlie famine lasted. That he did so without charges to them tho narrative oxplicitly asserts. Nor can Joseph's right so to provide for his own household bo legitimately challenged, tho more especially that it wne owing purely to his wise administration that the king's granaries were filled with corn. That Joseph did so was a proof of his natural affection. 3. He allowed them to acquire possessions. That is to say, he secured them in their rights of property while they resided among strangers. He cast around them the protection of the lnw nil the same as if they had been Egyptian8. This was n testimony to Joseph's political eqnity. II. TowAnns THE EGYPTIANS. 1. Josepli's policy descril,ed. (1) Defore tho coming of the famine. Joseph gathered up a fifth part of the prod11ce of tho hncl ond stored it up in granaries ag,iinst the succeeding yours of fnmino, paying dunl,t- less for wliat ho took, and affording the inhabitants of the country an example oE economy and foresight. (2) During the continuance of the famine ho resolu the GENF,RJS, L L THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [en. XLVII, 28-31.