Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

Joseph is sold by his brethren, but God advances him.

9 And the patriarchs

moved with envy, sold

God was with him.

10 And delivered providence towards him.

575

xiii.

Acts

And in those days the providence of God SECT. Joseph into Egypt: but began to work for the accomplishment of that surprising prediction, which I mentioned but now: For the rest of the patriarchs, though vii. 9. their relation to such holy ancestors might have taught them a much better lesson, being moved with envy at the superior regard which Jacob shewed to his favourite son, most inhumanly sold Joseph their brother into Egypt, where he became a slave, and went through a great variety of calamities: Nevertheless God was with him there, though no longer in the promised land, and made that country a scene of very glorious And be there de-10 him out of all his affliclivered him out of all his afflictions, which his intions, and gave him favour and wisdom in tegrity and piety had brought upon him, and the sight of Pharaoh gave him favour and high veneration, on account of that distinguished wisdom which appeared to be in him, in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he constituted him ruler over the land of Egypt, and in particular over all his royal house, committing all things in the palace as well as elsewhere, to his direction and management, even to the management of this despised Joseph, whom his brethren (then the whole house of Israel) had most outrageously insulted and abused, and even sold for a slave.

king of Egypt; and he made him governor

over Egypt, and all his

house.

11 Now there came

a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affiction; and our fa

thers found no sustenance.

And according to the predictions of Joseph, 11 which had awakened so great an attention, when seven years of plenty were past, a famine came upon all the land of Egypt, and extended itself over Canaan too; and this calamity reduced them to such great affliction and distress, that they knew not how to subsist, and even in this fruitful land our fathers did not find sufficient sustenance to support themselves and their fami12 But when Jacob lies. But Jacob hearing that there was corn in 12 Egypt, ordered his sons to go and fetch them a supply from thence, and sent our fathers, the ten patriarchs thither first, keeping Benjamin 13 And at the se- with him at home. And the second time that 13

heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent Out our fathers first.

cond

Being moved with envy.] From what Stephen mentions of the story of Joseph, it was obvious to infer, (as many good writers have observed,) that the greatest favourites of heaven might suffer by the envy of those who were called the Israel of God, and might be exalted by him after having been rejected by them: A thought worthy of their consideration with respect

they

to Jesus; but it would not have been pro-
per directly to insert such a reference in the
paraphrase, as prudence would not allow
Stephen in the beginning of this finely
adjusted defence, to say expressly what
they could not have borne to hear, as ap-
pears by the manner in which they re-
sented his application of these promises when
he was drawing towards a conclusion.

mounting

576

xiii.

Acts

Reflections on the remarkable facts mentioned by Stephen.

brethren; and Joseph's was made

SECT. they went, when sorely against his good father's cond time Joseph was will Benjamin accompanied them, Joseph was made known to his made known to his brethren; and as the matter- kindred VII. 15. was immediately made public, the family and known unto Pharaoh. descent of Joseph was discovered to Pharaoh, of which he had not been particularly informed before.

14

14 Then sent Jo

And upon this, with the full consent of that generous prince, Joseph sent and invited his aged seph, and called his father Jacob to him, father Jacob, and all his kindred to him into and all his kindred, Egypt; who accordingly went down thither in threescore and fifteen a company, amounting in the whole, together souls. with their wives, to seventy-five souls", without reckoning Jacob himself, and Joseph's family already there. And thus their sojourning in that land began, during which they were still under the care of divine Providence, till the time of their return to Canaan approached, of which I shall presently speak.

Acts vi. 13 14

IMPROVEMENT.

THUS loud may the clamour of malice and falsehood rise against innocence and truth. Incessant blasphemy is charged on one of the most pious of men; and we wonder at it the less, since it was charged upon Jesus himself; and, if they called the master of the Acts house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? (Mat. x. 25.) His disciple learns of him not to render evil for evil, but an

vii. 2

hAmounting to seventy-five souls.] Of the various solutions which learned men have given of the seeming inconsistency between this account, and that given by Moses, (Gen. xlvi. 27. Exod. i. 5. and Deut. x. 22.) which makes them but seventy, (with which also Josephus agrees, Antiq. lib. ii. cap. 7, [al. 4,] § 4,) the most probable seems to be this. Moses expressly leaves out all the wives, (Gen. xlvi. 26,) whom he had said before the sons of Israel carried wish them, (ver. 5.) and only speaks of those that came out of Jacob's loins, inserting in the catalogue that he gives of his children, two grand-children of Judah, (to supply the place of Er and Onan, who had died in Canaan Hezron and Hamul, though it is probable they were not born till after Jacob's arrival in Egypt; and, having first computed them at sixsy sir, he then adds Joseph and his two sons that were before in Egypt, and, reckoning Jacob with them, makes the whole number to amount to seventy. But Stephen speaks of all that went down with him, and so excludes Jacob himself, and the two afterwards born, and

swers

Joseph and his children, which reduces the number thus: The eleven brethren with Dinah their sister, and fifty-two that had descended from them, amount to sixty-four; to which adding eleven wives, (some of the patriarchs having probably buried theirs, and but few of their children being yet married,) they amount in all to seventyfive. See Pool's Synopsis, and Whitby in loc. and Biscoe, at Boyle's Lec. chap. xvii. p. 602-606.-Could the reading of πανίες or πανίως instead of πωλε, (which Beza mentions as a conjecture,) be supported by proper authorities, so that it might be rendered all amounting to seventy souls, it would make the whole matter quite easy. Grotius also supposes, that the original reading here was seventy, and that the Septuagint copy was altered to its present form, to suit with the mistaken reading of seventy-five; for, in the two first texts referred to in the beginning of this note, the Septuagint read seventy-five, while in Deut. x. 22 they agree with the Hebrew, and read seventy, which is somewhat strange.

Reflections on the remarkable facts mentioned by Stephen.

577

xiii.

swers in the language of calm reason, and of meek though power- SECT. ful conviction

2-5

While Stephen leads back our contemplation to so many re- Ver. markable facts of the Old Testament, let us reflect upon them with those decout affections which become the Israel of God. Let us adore the God of glory that appeared to Abraham, and called him forth to be so bright an example of faith and piety, in leaving his country and kindred, to follow the leadings of providence, when he knew not in what settlement they should end. Let us, in imitation of him, whose children, if true believers, we also are sit loose to every thing in this world, that we may be ready to leave it when God shall, by one providence or another, give the signal for our remove, If the next step of duty lies plain before us, let us trust our leader to mark out all that follow, in such an order, and to such an end, as he shall think fit; secure of this, that, while we follow infinite Wisdom, we cannot wander out of the way to true happiness, and that all the divine promises shall certainly be accomplished, whatever cross event may seem to interpose and obstruct.

When God appointed that the seed of Abraham should sojourn, 6, 7 and suffer in a strange land, the pious patriarch acquiesced in it: nor let us be over anxious about the difficulties into which our posterity may be led. Let us adore the divine goodness, that he has established his covenant with us, and with our seed after us; g and while we, in imitation of Abraham, bring our infant offspring to receive the solemn seal of that covenant, let us remember our engagements to instruct them, as they grow up, in the tenor of it, and labour to the utmost to engage their own personal con- 11, 12 sent to it; and then they will be truly rich and free, though in the penury of a famished land, or under the rod of an Egyptian tyrant.

[ocr errors]

10

The mysterious conduct of divine Providence with regard to the pious Joseph, who became a slave, that he might be made a prince, and who was trained up for the golden chain in the discipline of iron fetters, may surely be sufficient to teach us to judge nothing before the time, and to wait the end of the Lord, before we arraign the seeming severity of a part of his conduct towards those, whom we might imagine the most proper objects of his regard. And surely it will appear none of the least considerable 13, 14 of those rewards, which Providence bestowed on the approved and distinguished virtue of Joseph, that he had an opportunity of nourishing his pious father in his declining days, of spreading a mild and pleasant ray over the evening of a life, which had been so often beclouded with storms, and of sheltering (as it were) under his princely robe, that hoary head, which had once been turned into a fountain of tears over the bloody fragments of the many coloured coat.

SECT.

578

ВЕСТ.

XIV.

Jacob and his sons are carried into Canaan to be buried.

SECT. XIV.

Stephen proceeds, in his discourse before the Sanhedrim, to enumerate several other facts in the Jewish history, all tending to the purpose of his own vindication, and their conviction. Acts VII.

15-36.

ACTS VII. 15.

ACTS VII. 15.

ICT. STEPHEN, while he stood before the council So Jacob went down into Egypt, and with the radiancy of countenance taken no- died, he and our fatice of above, proceeded in his discourse, and thers.

Acts

16

16 And were carried over into Sy

VII. 15. said, I have observed to you, brethren, and fathers, how Jacob went down into Egypt; and you well know, that having been supported about seventeen years by the filial gratitude and tenderness of Joseph, he died there; and our fathers also, the patriarchs his children, ended their lives in the same country. And yet, by the way, they were solicitous not to be buried chem, and laid in there; but as Jacob was immediately brought the sepulchre that up, with solemn funeral pomp and procession, Abraham bought for to be buried in the cave of Machpelah with a sum of money of Abraham and Isaac, (Gen. xlix. 30,) so the patriarchs also, having been embalmed and put into coffins in Egypt, (Gen. 1. 26,) were, at the return of Israel from thence, carried over to Sychem, and were laid in the sepulchre which was made in that field which Jacob bequeathed to Joseph as a peculiar legacy; he having first, as Abraham had done in a like case, purchased it for a sum of money, that is, for an hundred

a Which Abraham purchased, &c.] It is so evident from Gen. xxxiii. 19. and Josh. xxiv. 32, that the field at Sychem or Shechem, in which the bones of Joseph (and, as it should seem from this passage; and from what is asserted by Jerom, Epiaph. Paule, those of the other patriarchs,) were buried, was purchased, not by Abraham, but by Jacob, and also that Abraham's sepulchre was purchased, not of Emmor, or Hamor, the former proprietor of Jacob's ground, but of Ephron the Hittite, (Gen. xxiii. 10, & seq.) that it seems demonstrable, that this passage has suffered something by the addition or omission of transcribers; for to suppose, that Stephen or Luke designedly used the name of Abraham for Jacob, is, I think, one of the grossest affronts that can be offered to the character of either. A real slip of memory would be a trifle,

pieces

the

when compared with such a designed pre
varication. But, without supposing ei-
ther, I apprehend with Beza in his admi-
rable note on this text, that Luke pro-
bably wrote only which he (that is, as the
connection fixes it, Jacob) bought, &r.
which was the exact truth; and some of-
ficious transcriber, who fancied the cerb
wanted a nominative case, and thought be
remembered the purchase of Abraham,
(which it is plain he did not exactly dis-
tinguish,) put in his name.
which is advanced by the learned Bo-
chart (Hierozoic. Part I. lib. ii. cap. 43.)
Dr. Benson, and others, is so natural,
that I will not trouble the reader with the
mention of several others, which may be
seen in Dr. Whitby, Sir Norton Knaich-
bull, and Brennius; but shall only obs
serve, that, if this be not allowed, (which
has indeed no copy to support it, the ea

This solution,

The Israelites are cruelly oppressed in Egypt.

579

Acts

the sons of Emmor the pieces of silver, of the sons of Emmor [the father] SECT. father of Sychem. of Sychem, from whom in particular, the place, xiv. was named; and the Amorites having afterwards seized it, Jacob had by force recovered VII. 16. it out of their hands. (Compare Josh. xxiv. 32. with Gen. xlviii. 22.) And it was by their own direction the heads of our tribes were kept to be interred here, that they might testify thereby to their posterity, as long as their embalmed bodies continued unburied in Egypt, that they died in the faith of Israel's being led forth from thence and settled in the land of promise, which accordingly happened.

17 But when the

time of the promise had sworn to Abraham, the people grew

drew nigh, which God

And to make way for the accomplishment of 17 this event, as the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, (Gen. xxii. 16, 17.) the people of Israel, though they had and multiplied in such a small beginning, grew very numerous, Egypt; 18 Till another king and multiplied exceedingly in Egypt: And 18 arose, which knew not they continued there for many years in very Joseph: comfortable circumstances, till another king arose, of a different race and family from the former, who knew not Joseph, and had no regard to his memory. (Exod. i. 8.) He there-19 fore used them in a barbarous way, and formng crafty and treacherous designs against our hindred, lest they in time should grow to be too powerful, treated our fathers most injuriously, and cruelly contrived to cut them off from being a people, by causing all their male infants in obedience to a most inhuman order that he published, to be exposed or cast into the river Nile, that in a little time their race might perish, and be quite extinct. (Exod. i. 22.)

19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindour fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end

red, and evil entreated

they might not live.

20 In which time

Such was the miserable state to which our 20 Moses fathers were reduced, in which afflictive persecuting

siest sense seems to be that which Mr. L'Enfant has given in his note, that Jacob died, he and our fathers, and they, [that is, our fathers] were carried over to Sychem, and buried: he that is, Jacob,] in the sepulchre which Abraham bought for a sum of money, and they [that is, the other patriarchs, in that which was bought of the sons of Em

mor,

Innus is Mary the mother of James: (Luke
xxiv. 10. compared with Mark xv. 40.) and
Idag Ina is Judas the brother of James:
Acts i. 15. compared with Jude, ver. 1. Nor
was this only usual with the Jews, but
(as Bochart Las shewn in the place cited
before,) we have many instances of the
like way of speaking in the most approved
Greek writers. See Dr. Whitby's note
on Luke xxiv. 1.-The other objections,
which Rabbi Isaac has made against this
passage Chiss. Emun. Part II. cap. 63.)
are so trifling, that I content myself with
referring ! Mr. Biscoe's full account and
learned solution of them, Boyle's Lect.
chap. xviii. p. 607-609.

the father of Sychem.-That Epps Zox is very justly rendered Emmor the father of Sychem, (as he is declared to be in the Old Testament,) though the relation be not here expressed in the original, sufliciently appears from other passages, in which not only the relation of a son, of which we have frequent instances, but other relations too are left to be supplied. So Magia VOL. VII. 4 D

b Exceeding

« FöregåendeFortsätt »