Genesis 46

Genesis 46:1

BEersheba] A place distant from Hebron (where Jacob now dwelt) about eight Germane miles: that is, of our English miles thirtie two: it was the ready way from Egypt to Canaan, and the utmost part of the Land of Canaan Southward toward Egypt. The word Beersheba, signifieth the well of the oath, or swearing: whereof see Annot. on Chap. 21. vers. 31. Here Abraham and Isaac had dwelled a long time, where they had built Altars, and offered sacrifices to God many times; and here doth Jacob offer sacrifice unto him, by way of thankfulnesse for former mercies, and of supplication for further favour in his journey. It is good to have recourse unto God, which way soever we take our course in the world.

the God of his father Isaac] Whereby he signified that he worshipped the true God, and also that he kept in his heart the possession of the Land, from whence present necessitie drove him; and he calleth him the God of his father Isaac, rather then of Abraham, (though he were his God also) because he learned to know him, and serve him by his father, and not by his grandfather. See Annot. on Chap. 31. vers. 42.

Genesis 46:2

in the visions of the night] God watcheth in the night over the welfare of those that sincerely serve him in the day. What this vision was, and in what manner it was, the Scripture is silent, and it becometh not us to be curiously inquisitive after it; but the apparition was no dumbe ceremonie, for the word of God was joyned with it. Of visions see Annot. on Chap. 15. vers. 1.

Jacob, Jacob,] Moses calleth him Israel, and God calleth him Jacob, and that twice together; so in the fifth verse he is called once Israel, and Jacob twice; therefore when the name Israel was imposed, and the name Jacob forbidden, the prohibition was not absolute, but comparative: See Annot. on Chap. 32. vers. 28. The doubling of the name was to raise up Jacobs attention, as Chap. 22. vers. 11. & 1 Samuel 3:10. and for assured confirmation, for there is that use of doubling of words, as there is of doubling of dreames, Chap. 41. vers. 32.

Genesis 46:3

feare not] Though Jacob had good cause to hope well both of his warrant for this journey into Egypt, of his welcome thither, and welfare there; yet his thoughts by the way might suggest unto him causes of feare of many kinds: First, concerning himselfe, he might feare, whether he might lawfully goe downe into Egypt, though for reliefe against the famine, because Isaac his father was forbidden to goe thither upon the like occasion, Gen. 26. 2 He might feare that being old and feeble, he might dye by the way: 2.ly, concerning his posteritie: he might apprehend perill both to their soules, and to their bodies; to their soules by idolatry, because the Egyptians were much addicted to it, (and indeed afterwards it appeared the sraelites were infected with it, who learned to worship a Calfe of them who worshipped a Cow) and by dissolutenesse, because it was a pleasant, and plentifull Countrey, and the people were given to ease, and delicacie; which corrupt the manners, and incline the mind to sensuall pleasures: and for their bodies, knowing the prediction of their servitude in that Countrey, Chap. 15. 13. he might feare that now to come downe into Eygpt, was to make haste to that miserable condition, which but too soone would come upon them: And thirdly, concerning both; he might haply feare, that going thither his eies might see that which would not so afflict him if he kept him thence; and that he and his posteritie going thither, might seeme to forsake the Land of Promise, the pledge of the heavenly Canaan.

there make of thee a great nation] God promiseth there a great multiplication of his off-spring, where he most feared their suppression; and he made good his word to the full, for they went into Egypt but seventy soules, Exodus 1:5. and there came out of Egypt of those that came out of Jacobs loines (notwithstanding the Egyptians did what they could to diminish their number) about sixe hundred thousand men, besides children, Exod. 12 37 which was a miraculous increase; especially if we consider that it was brought forth in the space of two hundred and fifteene yeares: whereas in two hundred and fifteene years (next before Jacobs descending into Egypt,) the posteritie of Abraham by Isaac and Jacob, was increased but to seventie persons: See Deuteronomy 10:22.

Genesis 46:4

I will goe downe with thee] Conducting and defending thee by my power, and disposing of thy condition, and those that are thine by my providence; so that though I be every where, I will be with thee there in especiall favour, to blesse thee, and those thou bringest with thee.

bring thee up againe] That is, in thy posteritie; for the Progenitors live in their posteritie who descend from them, and are a part of them, especially when God doth good unto them, in the name of their forefathers, and for their sakes; which is the case betwixt Israel, and his seed, who are therefore (though many descents removed from him) called by his name, not onely the children of Israel, but Israel, in many places of the Scripture, both of the Old and New Testament. Besides, when Jacob was dead, he was brought back, and buried in the Land of Canaan, Chap. 50. 13. to take possession of the promise.

his hands upon thine eyes] Shall shut thine eyes, when thou diest; which appertained to him, who was the chiefe and most dearely beloved of the kindred; thus God incourageth Jacob against all his feares, and indeed it had beene enough (if he had said no more) to cheere him up, and to secure him against all discomforts that he said, he would goe downe with him; but out of the abundance of his goodnesse, besides that most gracious, though generall, promise, he tels him that he will bring him (viz. in his posteritie) up againe, and that Joseph shall there close up his eyes.

Genesis 46:6

gotten in the land of Canaan] Jacob had gotten much riches in Mesopotamia, but that is not reckoned of in comparison of his increase in the Land of Canaan: besides, his children now had stocks gotten there, who were not of age to get riches in the Countrey from whence he came into that Land; here is no mention of servants, yet having servants (as so great an estate could not well be without them) it is not like they left them behind them.

Genesis 46:7

his daughters] He had but one daughter of his owne, which was Dinab, and but one of his sonnes had a child of that sexe (it was Asher) and he had but one daughter, to wit, Serah, vers. 17. so that here we must take the word daughters (by enallage, a figure putting one number for another) for daughter, as sonnes for sonne, vers. 23. of this Chapter, which is often used in the Hebrew Tongue. See Chap. 21. 7. & 50. 5: 23. Numbers 26:8. 1 Chron. 2. 8. 31.

Genesis 46:8

these are the names] A register of their names, and the number of their persons is here brought in at their entrance into Egypt, that it may appeare how strangely they were multiplied at their going out of Egypt. See Deuteronomy 10:22.

Genesis 46:12

Hezron and Hamul] These were borne afterward in Egypt, yet they are said here to come with Jacob into Egypt, because they came in the loines of their father Pharez, in which they lay hid.

Genesis 46:15

thirtie and three] Making Jacob himselfe one in this account; as vers. 8.

Genesis 46:20

Priest of On] See Annot. on Chap. 41. vers. 45.

Genesis 46:21

The sonnes of Benjamin] Of which are reckoned ten, where may be said of some of them as of Hezron and Hamul, for he was but twenty foure yeares old when he came into Egypt.

Genesis 46:26

soules] That is, persons, by a Synecdoche familiar and frequent in Scripture, whereby the soule, the better part, is put for the whole man: for the soule it selfe cometh not from the loines of the fathers of our flesh, but from God the Father of Spirits, Heb. 12 9. Ecclesiastes 12. 7.

loines] Or, thigh. This is put in modestie for the part betwixt the thighs, and the rather because (as Anatomists write) there bee veines in the thigh, which rising from the veines of the loines, goe along to that part, and carry in the matter for the seed of generation. Of the modest expressions of the Scripture, see Annot. on Genesis 4:1. and the fourth Annot. on Chap 49. 10.

threescore and sixe] Not reckoning in this number either Jacob or Joseph, or his two sonnes, who were in Egypt already.

Genesis 46:27

threescore and ten] (Exodus 1:5. & Deuteronomy 10:22.) This is made the totall summe of all the house of Jacob which came into Egypt; and to make up that number, Jacob, as head of the family, is one, and Joseph, (though he were in Egypt before) is another, and Josephs two sonnes born in Egypt are reckoned with them, and all foure added to the number of sixty sixe (noted, vers. 26.) are just seventy: so that this number consists wholly of Jacob, and his off-spring, whereof all but three came with Jacob into Egypt; of those three, one was Joseph who came before, and two came not at all, being borne there; yet they that came with him are said to be seventy, the totall taking its denomination from the greater part, but without any appearance of errour or fraud, in that the story setteth downe plainly, not onely who came with Jacob, but who came not, 5: 12. and in this vers. In this place there were no great difficultie, but that Acts 7:14. Stephen addeth five more to these seventie, saying, Then sent Joseph and called his father Jacob unto him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteene soules: The Seventie Interpreters, though they keepe the just number of seventie in their Translation of Deu 10:22. yet in this verse, and Exodus 1:5. they make the number to be seventie five, which five are Machir the sonne, and Gilead his sonne, and nephew, or grandchild of Manasses, and Sutalam and Taham two sonnes of Ephraim, and Edom his grandchild by Sutalam; which they seeme to have taken as a supplement out of 1 Chron. 7. 14. 20. though neither the names nor number well agree; and to the five forenamed, they adde two more, vers. 29. So that by their account, if they reckon right, they should give in for the full number not seventy five, but seventy seven. But for that Translation of the Septuagint, which was not free from errour, when it was at the best, but now is much more corrupt then it was at first, there needs no more adoe, but to correct it by the Hebrew text in this vers. which must be the Standard to all Translations, and Testimonies. For this matter that which is more considerable, and questionable is, how it cometh to passe that Stephen speaking of the number, and Saint Luke writing of it, both set down no fewer then seventy five, Acts 7:14.

The Doway Translators (in Augustines name) making the doubt insoluble, give it up as a mystery to meere silence; and this the rather, because they would have the Scripture conceived to be so hard, that it is not fit to be read by Lay people: and they that answer the Objection, either endevour to cleare the greater number from errour, or else confesse it with Caution against inconveniencies, that may ensue upon it: For the first, the reconcilement is endevoured by some, by saying, that to make up that number there is use of the figure called Anticipation, whereby they are put in, as then brought into Egypt, who were not borne untill afterwards; who yet might be said to come in with Jacob, because they were once in his loines who came thither, though not then when he came in, their father being both borne, and in Egypt also before the time of Jacobs removall; so Levi is said to pay tithes to Melchisedes in Abraham, Hebrews 7:9. though Levi were not till at least an hundred and fiftie yeares after their time; as Leah is said to beare unto Jacob 33. sonnes, and daughters, vers. 15. of this Chapter, and Zilpah to beare unto Jacob sixteene soules, vers. 18. whereas they were not all their immediate children, but many of them grandchildren, for which they never groaned, for they had other mothers, both to conceive and beare them; and of those who are reckoned for the children of Benjamin, who are of the number of them that make up the seventie that came with Jacob into Egypt, Naaman and Ard, named, vers. 21. were grandchildren to Benjamin, the sonnes of Bela, Numbers 26:40. which were borne after Jacobs coming into Egypt, for Benjamin was then too young to be a grandfather, when Jacob came thither; and there is this relation betwixt the progenitors, and their off-spring, that as the children are included in their parents, so the parents are sometimes included in their children; as where God cheering up Jacob concerning his journey telleth him not onely that he will goe downe with him into Egypt, but that he will bring him up againe into Canaan, vers. 4. which is principally to be understood of his posteritie: See Annot. on vers. 4. Object.

But if these five be added, because they were virtually in the loines of Jacob, there might be added as well five thousand, yea sixe hundred thousand to which the Israelites increased, as hath beene noted on vers. 3. for all these are virtually included in Jacobs loines. Answ. That will not follow: First, because the scope of this genealogie was to distinguish the Tribes, and to shew from how small a number they increased to so great a multitude. Secondly, that being the purpose it must be confined to a certaine number, and that number made up of such as either were, or might be, of one family; as the father, sonne, and grandchild, and great grandchild, which Jacob might see before he died. And of these the most being such as he brought with him out of Canaan, they might all in reference to Jacob be sorted to his company. Some conceive that besides Jacob, and those that are reckoned as descended from him, there might be added five women of his company, who were wives.

If this doe not satisfie, the other answer is the confession of errour, and that is diversly applied. First, to the Seventie Interpreters.

Secondly, to those that copied out the Scripture at the first. Thirdly, to Stephen. Fourthly, to Luke. First, for the Seventie Interpreters of the Old Testament, though divers Popish Doctors hold they were inspired by the Holy Ghost (and so make it of unquestionable authoritie) yet it is, especially as now it is extant, very erroneous, and in this point in question contradictory to it selfe; for in Deuteronomy 10:22. and this place it translteth (but according to the Hebrew Originall) threescore and tenne, or seventie; and Exodus 1:5. it addeth five more. Secondly, for those that copied out the Scripture in the New Testament (being ignorant in the Hebrew) they might either corrupt the Greeke Originall, by conforming it to the Text of the Septuagint, which was in much use and account in the Primitive Church, even in the time of our Saviour; or might mistake the word Pente, five, for Pantes, all; and this if it were their errour, was very ancient, else it could never have beene so generall; nor would the Syriack Translation have seventie five; (as the Septuagint Greek hath) and that for the New Testament is so ancient, that in time it came very neere the Originall, and is thought by some to have beene made in the time of the first Antiochian Christians. Thirdly, for Saint Stephen, some conceive he related the story of Jacobs coming into Egypt, according to the Edition of the Seventie Interpreters, which was in much use and estimation in his time, and which brings in the number with variation, for it twice reckons seventie five, and but once seventie; which whether it may be imputed to his ignorance of the Hebrew, as some say, or (confessing that he understood and spake Hebrew at that time, as others, both by conjecture onely) to his unwillingnesse to contradict a Translation so accounted of by the beleeving Greeks, or to such a meaning of the words of addition, as hath beene formerly set downe, is not easie to resolve; and in case he should mistake the Translation for the Originall Text, and so be in an errour (which is the worst that can be made of the collision, or opposition betwixt this place, and Acts 7:14.) the matter is not so dangerous, as some conceive it; for though Stephen were said to be a man full of the Holy Ghost, Acts 6:5. & Chap. 7. 55. yet that is no more then was required for qualification of all the seven Deacons, Acts 6:3.

Nor was he an inspired Penman of the Scripture, more then any of the rest of that rank; nor were the Apostles alwaies, and equally inlightned by the Holy Ghost, though the same phrase be used of them, which was applied to Stephen (as of Peter, Acts 4:8. and of Paul, Acts 9. 17.) and that in a sense importing more infallible assistance; for Peter who could tell by the Holy Ghost, that Ananias, and Sapphira told a lye, Acts 5:3. was not told by the Holy Ghost, what businesse the men had with him that came from Cornelius, Acts 10:21. Nor did he know the meaning of the vision of the vessell like unto a sheete, when it was shewed unto him, vers. 17. and when God spake to him to kill, and eat of that which was presented to him, he answered (not by the instinct of the Holy Ghost, but rather as resisting it) not so Lord, vers. 14.

Nor was he so guided by the Spirit as Paul was, when he deserved such a sharpe rebuke, as Paul gave him to his face, Gal. 2. from vers. 11. to the 15. Nor was Paul alwaies in the same sort assisted by the Holy Ghost, and therefore he distinguisheth betwixt direction given by himselfe, and that which cometh by inspiration from the Lord, 1 Cor. 7. vers. 10. 12. See Annot. on Chap. 40. vers. 14. It is not necessary then to beleeve that Stephen was infallibly assisted in all hee said in his Apologie to the Councell; and if he did either not know the Originall Hebrew, which saith seventy soules; or cited the erroneous Greeke of the Septuagint not knowing it to be erroneous in a matter of so small moment as this (which in effect is of no great weight for faith, or manners) since he was neither an Amanuensi, or Scribe to the Holy Ghost; nor delivered that number of seventie five, as a Dictate of the Holy Ghost, the misprision is no prejudice at all to the truth of Religion, or to the Authoritie of the holy Text, on which we are bound to ground our beliefe. Fourthly, and lastly, for Luke, (though some think him as ignorant of the Hebrew Text in this Chapter, and Exodus 1:5. & Deuteronomy 10:22. Or as complying with the times, wherein the Greeke Edition of the Seventie was in great reputation) I doubt not but without any such excuse as binds to the impeachment of his authoritie, (as this doth) we may say, that though Stephen were mistaken he was not; for as an Historian, he was bound to make the report according to Stephens speech; which be it good, or bad, true, or false, must in historicall truth be related, as it was; and so we need not conceive there was any corruption of the Sacred Text, whereof we ought to be more chary then of Stephens credit, when it is no more concerned or impeached, then in the premises hath beene shewed; for to say that it is erroneous, generally erroneous in all, or in most of the Copies in this place, is to bring the whole Bible under doubt, and suspition of errour, and so to shake the foundation of our faith; and if the transcribers of the New Testament might justly here be suspected, so generally to have mis-written this Text, Acts 7:14. it had beene requisite by the Hebrew Originall in this place to have corrected it how ancient soever had been the errour, whether of the Syriack, or any other Language whatsoever.

But supposing Stephen to have spoken (as hath beene noted) and Luke to have truly written what he spake, there can be none inference made from that, which we may not safely acknowledge without diminution of due respect to; and with reservation of infallible assistance in the holy Scripture. Object.

If it 〈◊〉 said, that God promised such assistance of his Spirit to those, that should be called in question for his Cause, (as Stephen was) that they should not need to take any thought for what they should say, Luke 12:11. And so what they said must be taken not for an humane, but for a Divine answer; and consequently must of necessitie be free from errour. Answ. Those words are no generall promise to every one that is drawn to the Barre of an unchristian Tribunall, but to the Apostles, as is plaine by Matthew 10:19. And though God might, and doubtlesse did, many times inspire apologies into the hearts of other holy witnesses of his truth; yet this promise in regard of persons, and of perpetuitie, was the peculiar priviledge of the Apastles.

Genesis 46:28

to direct his face] That is, to meet him ac Goshen and to appoint a convenient place for that purpose.

Genesis 46:29

he fell on his neck] That is, Jacob fell on Josephs neck, for Joseph, notwithstanding his greatnesse in Egypt, no doubt came downe to performe the offices belonging to the affections of a sonne, and so in that posture Jacob fell on his neck, and wept over him with reares of exceeding great joy. See Chap. 45. 1.

Genesis 46:30

let me die] See Annot. on Chap. 45. vers. 28.

Genesis 46:31

unto him, My brethren] He was not ashamed of his kindred, though they were of mean condition in the opinion of the Egyptians: See Chap. 47. 7. In this Joseph was a Type of our Saviours humilitie, who though he were Lord, not of Egypt, but of all Lands, and of heaven as well as of earth; was not ashamed to call the meanest of the godly, brethren, Hebrews 2:11.

Genesis 46:34

in the land of Goshen] Herein Joseph sheweth his modestie, prudence, and goodnesse, in that he would not place them in the Court where they might be corrupted with ill manners.

abomination] God suffereth the world to hate his, that they may forsake the filth of the world, and cleave to him: and they were an abomination because they did kill and eate those creatures which the Egyptians did adore as Gods: See Exodus 8:26. Yet the Egyptians nourished such cattell, though not for meat, or sacrifice, yet for delight and profit by their milke and wooll, and manuring of the ground, and by passing them by bargaine and commerce. See Annot. on Chap. 43. 5: 32.