tali to an Hind let loofe, Jofeph to a fruitfull Bough, or Tree planted by the Waters, fo Benjamin is fitly compared to a ravenous Wolf for his War-like Courage and Succefs a-. gainft his Enemies; an account of which we have Judg. 20 and 21. Efth. 2. 5. and ch. 9. Judg. 3. 15.

28. All these are the twelve tribes of Ifrael: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and bleffed them; every one according to his bleffing he blessed them.

28. Twelve tribes: They are confidered here with refpect to their future Inheritance, and Levi not inheriting as the rest did, they are faid to be twelve. Befides, they are in facob's words here, spoken of as Twelve: For though Levi be mentioned here exprefsly, yet Ephraim and Manaffeh are not expressly mentioned, but are bleffed in Jofeph. They are here called twelve Tribes rather than Perfons or Sons of Jacob, because they are not here fo much confidered as fingle Perfons, as they are in their Pofterity and several Habitations. Bleffed them: Even Reuben, Simeon and Levi, who are reprehended by their Father, yet received a Bleffing in being taken in as Heads of their Tribes and Inheritors of the promised Land: And though Reuben lost the priviledges of the First-born, and Simeon and Levi were scattered, yet none of them were excluded the Land of Canaan, and deprived of any fhare of it. And very probable it is, that Jacob difmiffed all his Sons with a general Benediction. According to, &c. As God directed him and faw meet.

29. Bury me: See ch.47.30.

29. And he charged them and faid unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30. In the cave that is in the

field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite, for a poffeffion of a burying place.

30. In the cave, &c. This very parti the Place, as it might cular defcription of be needfull to them, who had been long

abfent from that

Country where it was, so it speaks Jacob very follicitous a

bout

bout this matter; and it put them in mind of returning to their Country which God had promised.

31. (There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.)

32. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein, was from the children of Heth.

33. And when Jacob had made an end of commanding bis fons, be gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

CHA P. L.

The ARGUMENT.

The Mourning for Jacob. Jofeph obtaineth leave of Pharaoh to bary his Father as he had defired. He is buried in the Cave of the Field of Machpelah. Jofeph, with his Company, returns into Egypt. Jofeph removes the Fear and Sufpicion of his Brethren. The Age of Jofeph. He takes an Oath of his Brethren to carry bis Bones with them into Canaan. He dies, and his Body is embalmed.

1. ND Jofeph fell upon his father's face, and wept

2. And Jofeph commanded his fervants the physicians to embalm his father and the phyficians embalmed Ifrael.

:

2. Phyficians: Those to whom the care of Embalming belonged. To embalm: i. e. So to apply

Spices to the Body that it might be preferved from Putrefaction.

3. And forty days were fulfilled for him (for fo are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed)

3. Threefcore and ten days: i. e. Thirty days (according to the custom of the Hebrew's

and the Egyptians mourned for him Hebrews, Numb.20.

threefcore and ten days.

29. Deut. 21. 13. with Deut. 34. 8.)

befides the forty days of embalming mentioned before, which were likewife days of Mourning. 4. And when the days of his mourning were past, Jofeph Spake unto the boufe of Pharaoh, faying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, fpeak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, faying,

not come into his Prefence.

5. My father made me fwear, Jaying, Lo I die: in my grave which I have digged for me, in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again..

4. Unto the boufe of Pharaoh: He does not fpeak to Pharaoh haps because he was himfelf, and that pera Mourner, and for that reafon might See Efth. 4. 2. ·

5: Which I have digged: It was ufual for Men to dig their life-time. And the Sepulchres in their place which Abraham bought was fpacious enough for Ja cob to build his bury

ing-place in, 2 Chron. 16. 14. Ifa. 22. 16. Matt. 27. 60. Gen. 28. 17.

6. And Pharaoh faid, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee fwear.

7. And Jofeph went up to bury bis father: and with him went up all the fervants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

7. All: i. e. A great number of them, Matt. 3.5.

8. And all the house of Jofeph, and his brethren, and his father's houfe: onely their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

9. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

10. And

10. And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond Fordan, and there they mourned with a great and very fore lamentation: and he made a mourning for bis father feven days.

10. Atad: A place not far, 'tis probable, from Hebron. yond Jordan: In re writes this Relation. fpect to Mofes who

11. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, faw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they faid, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

12. And his fons did unto him according as he commanded them.

13. Machpelah: See Notes on Gen.

23.9.

13. For his fons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah; which Abraham bought with the field for a poffeffion of a burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, before

Mamre.

14. And Jofeph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury bis father, after he had buried his father.

14. He had buried: He was principally concerned in it, and was obliged by Oath, ch 47.31.

15. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they faid, Jofeph will peradventure hate m, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16. And they fent messengers unto Jofeph, Saying, Thy father did command before he died, faying,

17. So fhall ye fay unto Jofeph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trefpafs of thy brethren, and their fin; for they did unto thee evil: And now we pray thee, forgive the trefpafs of the fervants of the God of thy father. And Jofeph wept when they spake unto him.

18. And

18. And his brethren alfo went and fell down before his face and they faid, Behold, we be thy fervants.

19. And Jofeph faid unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of

God?

19. For am I in the place of God? q.d. It belongs not to me to punifh you for your

fins, nor will it become me to remember your former faults, fince God hath turned your Evil into Good.

20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to fave much people alive.

20. God meant it, &c. Jofeph does not vaunt his own, Wif dom and Skill, but owns God as the Author of the Good

which befell him and his Father's House.

21. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

22. And Jofeph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's houfe: and Jofeph lived an hundred and ten years. 23. And Jofeph Saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children alfo of Machir, the fon of Manaffeh, were brought up upon Fofeph's knees.

23. Ephraim's children: See ch. 48r 19, 20,

24 And Jofeph faid unto his brethren, I die: and God will furely vifit you, and bring you out of this land, unto the land which be fware to Abraham, to Ifaac, and to Jacob.

25. And Jofeph took an oath of the children of Ifrael, faying, God will furely vifit you, and Shall carry up my bones from bence.

ye

25. An oath: See ch. 47. 29. Of the children of Ifrael It Brethren. For be is not faid, of his fides that, 'tis very

probable, they were moft of them dead, fo they were leaft concerned had they now been alive; because the Ifraelites

were