The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 569

father would mnke Rn indelible impression families of their brethren, ns here directed (cf, on their heart.s" (Lawson), rather thRn in Numb. xni. 28-37; I Citron, vii. 14-29). order to obtain from Jncob "a pledgo of Ver. 7.-Aud e.s fo1· me (literally, and, I, their unq1rnlified Rdmission as members of tl1e pronoun being emphatic), when I oe.me his house," of their exclusion from which from Pade.n,-litemlly, in my coming, i. e. Joseph was not altogether groundlessly np- while on my journey, fi·o,n Padan, or l'adan- prch~nsive, in conseq_uence of their being the aram. This is the only place where the children of Rn E~'pti~n mother (Kalisch). shorter designation is employed (cf. eh. xxv. Yer. 2.-And ono told Jacob (i).:1, also 20)-Rachel-the mention to Joseph of his used impersonally, like "l~~•l in ver. 1), and beloved mother could not fail to kindle said, llehold, thy son Joseph cometh unto emotion in his breast, ns obviously it had thee: and Israel-the significance of this revived A. pang of sorrow in th11t of the old change of name it is impossible to overlook man-" the remembrance of the never-to-be- (cf. eh. xlv. 27, 28)-strengthened himself forgotten one ea using a sudden spasm of (for the work which, as head of the theocratic feeling" (Delitzsch)-died by me-not for family, he now felt himself inwardly moved me iu the sense of sharing with me my toils to perform), and eat upon the bed-i. e. he and perils, and so bringing on herself the raised himself up to a sitting posture. deadly travail which cut her off (Lange), which is too subtle and metaphysical in its Vers. 3, 4.-And Jacob said unto Joseph, refinement ; but either upon me, i. e. ns an -recalling the experiences of early days- heavy affliction falling on me (Rosenmiiller, God Almighty-El Shaddai (vide eh. xvii 1) Gesenius, Murphy, et alii) ; or at my side, -appeared unto me at Luz-i. e. Bethel i. e. near me (Keil, Wordsworth, 'Speaker's (vide eh. xxviii. 17, 19; xxxv. 6, 15)-in Commentary'); or perhaps to me, meaning, the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and This happened to me, or, I saw Rachel die said unto me, llehold, I will make thee (Kalisch) ; or possibly with e. touch of tender fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make emotion, Rachel to mo, i. e. my Rachel died of thee a multitude of people; and will give (Tayler Lewis)-in the land of Co.no.an in the this land to thy seed after thee for e.n ever- way, when yet thero was but e. little we.y- lasting possession. It is obvious that Jacob literally, a length of ground; the LXX. add principally hn.s in his mind the theophany at i11"1r6opoµoc, meaning probably such a distance Bethel on his return from Padan-aram, ns a horse can go without being over-worked Vers. 5, 6.-And now thy two sons, (vule eh. xxxv. 16)-to come unto Ephre.th: I'.phraim and Manasseh, which were born e.nd I buried her there in the way of UL.to thee in the land of Egypt (vide eh. xli Ephrath; the so.me is Bethlehem. ii0-52) before I ea.me unto thee into Egypt, • Ver. 8.-And Israel beheld Joeeph's sons, - this would almost seem to imply that e.nd sn.id, Who are these 1 The failing sight Jacob knew of Joseph's havi.ug had sons of the patriarch (ver. 10) probably was the born to him since his (Jacob's) arrival at reason why he did not sooner recognise his Goshen-are mine (i. e. I shall reckon them grandchildren, and the fact that he did not n! my own sons, giving them an equal place at first discern their presence shows that his with the other members of my family) ; e.a adoption of them into the number of the Reuben e.nd Simeon, they shall be mine- theocratic family was prompted not by the literally, Ephraim and, lifanasseh, as Reuben accidental impulse of a natural affection and Simeon, shall be mine. The double excited through beholding the youths, but portion thus conferred upon Joseph in the by the inward promptings of the Spirit of persons of his sons was a practical investiture God. of llim with tile birthright of which Reuben Ver. 9.-And Joseph so.id unto his father, had been deprived (I ChroIL v. I), in respect They are my sons (of whom you ho.vo just at least of the inheritance ; in respect of the spoken), whom God hath given me in this honour of being the next connecting liuk in place. 1t speaks highly in J oseph's favour the chain of redemption, leading on and that, after listening to Jacob's promiso re- down to the coming of the Saviour, the garding Ephraim and Manasseh, he did not Lirthright appears to have been transferred seek to draw his aged father's attention to to Judah (eh. xlix. 8-10). And thy issue, the young men before him, but quietly which thou begettest after them, sha.ll be waited for Jacob to take the initiative in any thine (i. e. sllall be reckoned in thine own further communications of a personal nature family), a.nd shall be called after the no.me that ho might wish to address to them. And of their brethren in their inherite.uce. he (i. e. Jacob) ea.id Bring them, I pray They should not form heads of separate thee, unto me, a.nd I will bless them. tribes, but be ranked under the banners of Ver. 10.-Now (literally, and) the eyes of Ephraim and Manasseh. It is uncertain Iarael wore dim (literally, heamJ) for e.ge, so whether Joseph had more sons than two (vide that he could not see. This explains wny he ,upra); if he had, they were included in the did not earlier rccogniso his grandchildren, err. XLVIII, 1-22.J 'l'HE BOOR. OP GENESIS. 519