Ver. 9. The days of the years of my pilgrimage.] All saints here are sojourners, all good people “pilgrims and strangers.” (1 Peter 2:11 Hebrews 11:13,14) Far they are from home, and meet with hard measure; as Israel did in Egypt; as those three worthies in Babylon. (Daniel 3:23) Their manners are of another manner: hence the world owns them not. (John 15:19) But God both owns and honours them; he knows their whole way; (Psalms 1:6) “leads them in his hand”; (Isaiah 63:13) “guides them with his eye”; (Psalms 32:8) “bears them in his bosom,” (Isaiah 40:11) when ways are rough and rugged; provides “mansions” (John 14:2,3) for them, where they shall “rest in their beds,” (Isaiah 57:2) feast “with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” (Matthew 8:11) walk arm in arm with angels, (Zechariah 3:7) be “gathered to their people,” (Genesis 25:8 Hebrews 12:23) to their God, to their Christ,” &c.—Provided that, in the meanwhile, they “set their faces towards Sion, inquiring the way”; (Jeremiah 50:4,5) that they walk therein “from strength to strength”; (Psalms 84:7) that they take in good part any kindness, as Ruth did; (Ruth 2:10) that they put up any unkindness, as Paul did; (Galatians 4:12) that they make much of any company; (Psalms 119:63) send home by any hand; (Nehemiah 2:5) “abstain from fleshly lusts”; (1 Peter 2:11) and have “their conversation in heaven”; (Philippians 3:20) eating, drinking, and sleeping eternal life; so wishing to be at home, yet waiting the Father’s call; sighing out, when moved to be merry, -as the French king did, when prisoner here in England, in the days of King Edward III, -“How can we sing songs in a strange land?” (Psalms 137:4)

Ver. 10. [See Trapp on “Ge 47:7”]

Ver. 11. In the land of Rameses.] That is, in the whole territory where Rameses was afterwards built. (Exodus 1:11)

Ver. 12. And Joseph nourished his father.] For which end he was “sent before” (Psalms 105:17) by God: and for whose sake so many thousands were preserved, that else would have perished. What fools, then, are they that hunt out the saints, their only safeguard! and hate them to whom they owe all the good they have! This is, with the foolish deer, to eat up the leaves that hide them from the huuter.

Ver. 13. The famine was very sore.] Of this famine mention is made by Justin, lib. i., and Orosius, lib. i., cap. 8. So that the land of Egypt fainted.] Furebat, saith Junius. The Egyptians in the fifth year of the famine began to rage, if they could have told at what; and were well-nigh mad. Our Saviour’s friends “went out to lay hold of him: for they said, He is beside himself.” (Mark 3:21) Or, as some render it, he will faint: for, Mark 3:20, “The multitude came so together, that they could not so much as eat bread.” These Egyptians, whether they fainted or fretted, it was for want of bread. Joseph had foretold them of this seven years’ famine; but saturity and security had so besotted them, that they feared nothing, till they felt it. Fulness bred forgetfulness; and now they are ready to let fly at others, because pinched with that penury that they might have prevented. “The wickedness of a man perverts his way, and his heart frets against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3) See it in that furious king, 2 Kings 6:33. οτι εξεστη. So Genesis 45:26. εξεστη τη διανοια. — Sept.

Ver. 14. And Joseph gathered up all the money.] There is something, then, besides grace, that is better than money: though misers will as easily part with their blood, as with their good. Constantinople was lost through the citizens’ covetousness. The like is reported of Heidelberg. Worthy they were, in this name, to have been served as the great Caliph of Babylon was by the great Cham of Tartary. He was set in the midst of those infinite treasures which he and his predecessors had most covetously amassed; and bidden to eat of that gold, silver, and precious stones, what he pleased, and make no spare. In which order, the covetous catiff kept for certain days, miserably died for hunger. Money is a baser thing than “food and raiment”: these if we have, “let us be content.” (1 Timothy 6:8) Chaldaei nummum מד, id est, Sanguinem, appellant. Turk. Hist., fol. 113.

Ver. 15. Why should we die in thy presence?] When it is in thy power to save us alive in this our extreme indigency? Qui non cum potest, iuvat, occidit, saith the proverb. And, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil? to save, or to destroy a life?” (Mark 3:4) -intimating that not to save when we may, is to destroy. The Egyptians, therefore, put Joseph to it. Money they had none, but must have answered, if now it had been required of them, as those inhabitants of Andros did Themistocles. He being sent by the Athenians for tribute money, told them that he came on that errand accompanied with two goddesses; eloquence to persuade, and violence to enforce them. Whereunto the Andraeans made this answer; that they had on their side, also, two goddesses as strong; necessity, they had it not, and impossibility, whereby they could not part with that which they possessed not. Ingens telum, necessitas. Plutarch.

Ver. 16. Give your cattle.] [See Trapp on “Ge 47:17”]

Ver. 17. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange,] An ancient and yet usual way of traffic, with savages and barbarians especially; as in Virginia, &c., where they usually change, as Glaueus did with Diomedes, χρυσεα χαλκειων. Homeri Ilias, lib. vi.

Ver. 18. We will not hide it from my lord.] Confess we our pitiful indigence also to God, and he will furnish us with food and seed. Say with learned Pomeran, Etiamsi non sum dignus, nihilo minus tamen sum indigens.

Ver. 19. Buy us and our land for bread.] It was their own desire, therefore no injury. Nay, it was charity in Joseph, in remitting their services, and taking only their lands: yea, liberality, in reserving the fifth part only to the king; when husbandmen usually till for half the increase. And this the Egyptians thankfully acknowledge, Genesis 47:25.

Ver. 20. So the land became Pharaoh’s.] Regi acquisivit imperium despoticum. This the Egyptians would never have yielded unto, but that stark hunger drove the wolf out of the wood, as the proverb is. Philo Judaeus reports of a heathenish people who in their wars used only this expression, to put spirit into their soldiers; estote viri, libertas agitur. The contention was hot in this land between prince and people for fourscore years together, about liberty and property; and ceased not till the great charter, made to keep the beam right between sovereignty and subjection, was in the maturity of a judicial prince, Edward I, freely ratified. Dan., Hist. of Engl.

Ver. 21. And as for the people, he removed them.] So to alter tim propriety of their land, and to settle it upon Pharaoh; who with his own money had bought it. See his prudence and policy f or his lord and master. So Daniel, though sick, did the king’s business with all his might. These were, as the philosopher saith, πεπραγωνοι ολοκληροι; few such now-a-days. Great need we have all to flee to Christ who “dwells with prudence”; (Proverbs 8:12) as Agur did, when he found his own foolishness. It was he that made Aholiab wise-hearted.

Ver. 22. Only the land of the priests bought he not.] Ministers’ maintenance, we see, is of the law of nature. Jezebel provided for her priests; Micah for his Levite. “Do ye not know,” saith that great apostle, “that they which minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar?” (1 Corinthians 9:13) Where, by “holy things,” St Ambrose understands the law of the Gentiles by “the altar,” the law of the Jews. Before them both, Melchizedek, δεδεκατωκε, tithed Abraham; by the same right, whereby he blessed him. (Hebrews 7:6) As after them, the apostle rightly infers, “Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:14) But where hath the Lord ordained it? “The workman is worthy of his meat,” saith Matthew; (Matthew 10:10) “of his hire,” saith Luke: (Luke 10:7) of both, no doubt; as the labourers in harvest, who have better fare provided than ordinary, and larger wages. See Nehemiah’s zeal for church maintenance, Nehemiah 13:10,14. He knew well that a scant offering makes a cold altar; and that, ad tenuitatem beneficiorum necessario sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum; as in Ireland, where, in former time, some of the bishops had no more revenue than the pasture of two milk cows, &c. In the whole province of Connaught the stipend of the incumbent is not above forty shillings; in some places but sixteen shillings. Melancthon complains of his Germany, that the ministers for most part were ready to say with him in Plautus: Ego non servio libenter: herus meus me non habet libenter, tamen utitur me ut lippls oculis. Such use Micah made of his Levite; more fit to have made a Gibeonite, to cleave wood, than to divide the word; and yet he maintained him; and doubted not, thereupon, to promise himself God’s blessing. He is a niggard to himself, that scants his beneficence to a prophet; (Matthew 10:41) whose very cold water shall not go unrewarded. Many rich refuse to give anything to the minister’s maintenance; because they cannot be tithed. But “be not deceived; God is not mocked,” saith the apostle in this very case. “Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all his goods.” (Galatians 6:6,7) Such tribes as had more cities in their inheritance were to part with more to the priests: such as had fewer, with less. (Numbers 35:8) The equity of which proportion is still in force. The Jews, at this day, though not in their own country, nor having a Levitical priesthood, yet those who will be reputed religious among them do distribute, in lieu of tithes, the tenth of their increase unto the poor: being persuaded that God doth bless their increase the more; according to that proverb of theirs, Tithe and be rich. But how is both the word and the world now altered among us? All is thought by the most to be well saved that is kept from the minister; whom to deceive is held neither sin nor pity. Fisco potius apud multos consulitur quam Christo, ac tonsioni potius gregis quam attentioni; as one complaineth, Covetous patrons care not to sauce their meat with the blood of souls; while by them, et succus pecori, lac et subducitur agnis, Besides, they bestow their benefices, non ubi optima, sed ubi quaestuosissime; being herein worse than these Egyptians, shall I say? nay, than the traitor Judas. He sold the head, they the members: he the shepherd, they the sheep; he but the body, they the souls; like that Romish strumpet, (Revelation 18:13) of whom they have learned it. But let them look to it, lest they ruin their wages of wickedness, with Judas. In the meanwhile, let them give us a just commentary upon that in Proverbs 20:25, and tell us who hath authority to take that, from a church, shall I say? nay, from God, that hath been once given him? We can tell them a sad story, of five servants of Cardinal Wolsey’s, employed by him, in tot piorum hominum donariis intervertendis, saith the annalist, and came all to fearful ends. Two of them disagreed; and, challenging the field, one killed the other, and was hanged for it. A third drowned himself in a well. The fourth, from great riches, fell to extreme beggary and was starved with hunger. The last, one Dr Alan, being Archbishop of Dublin, was there cruelly murdered by his enemies. Now, if divine justice so severely and exemplarily pursued and punished these that converted those abused goods of the Church to better uses without question, though they looked not at that, but at the satisfying of their own greedy lusts, what will be the end of such sacrilegious persons as enrich themselves with that which should be their minister’s maintenance? Sacrum, sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritque, parricida esto, said the Roman law. It is not only sacrilege, but parricide, to rob the Church. Panormitan. Heyl., Geog., p. 524. Manlii, loc. com., 472. Perstringit tenaces. -Pareus. Godw., Heb. Antiq., 277. Episc. Winton. Virgil. Scultet., Annal., p. 332. Ex duod. tab.— Neand. Chron.

Ver. 23. Lo, seed for you, and ye shall sow.] This was the last of the seven years of famine: they might therefore sow “in hope.” (1 Corinthians 9:10) Spes alit agricolas.

Ver. 24. Ye shall give the fifth part.] [See Trapp on “Ge 47:19”]

Ver. 25. Let us find grace.] That is, Do us the favour to intercede for us to Pharaoh, that we may be his perpetual farmers, and hold of him. It seems that Pharaoh was no proper name, but common to the kings of Egypt; as Caesar, to the emperors of Rome; a title of honour, as His Majesty amongst us. Otherwise these poor people had been too bold with his name.

Ver. 26. Except the land of the priests only.] [See Trapp on “Ge 47:22”]

Ver. 27. Grew and multiplied exceedingly.] Here that promise in Genesis 46:3 began to be accomplished. God dies not in any man’s debt.

Ver. 28. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.] So long he had nourished Joseph; and so long Joseph nourished him; paying his αντιθρεπτηρια to the utmost penny. These were the sweetest days that ever Jacob saw. God reserved his best to the last. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for,” be his beginning and his middle never so troublesome, “the end of that man is peace.” (Psalms 37:37) A Goshen he shall have, either here or in heaven.

Ver. 29. Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.] This he requested, partly to testify his faith concerning the Promised Land, heaven, and the resurrection; partly to confirm his family in the same faith; and that they might not be glued to the pleasures of Egypt, but wait for their return to Canaan; and partly also to declare his love to his ancestors, together with the felicity he took in the communion of saints.

Ver. 30. Bury me in their burying place.] That he might keep possession, at least by his dead body, of the Promised Land. There they would be buried, not pompously, but reverently, that they might rise again with Christ. Some of the fathers think that these patriarchs were those that rose corporally with him. (Matthew 27:53)

Ver. 31. And Israel bowed himself.] In way of thankfulness to God, framing himself to the lowliest gesture he was able; rearing himself up upon his pillow, “leaning” also “upon” his third leg, “his staff.” (Hebrews 11:21) In effaeta senecta, fides non effaeta.

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