ing to their habitations, in the land CHAP. XXXVII. of their possession: he is Esau, the AND Jacob dwelt in the land father of the Edomites. wherein his father was stranger, in the land of Canaan. a ch. 17. 8. & 23. 4. & 36. 7. Hebr. 11. 9. a as holding his by a permanent tenure, in which the history of Joseph is to be and therefore it is called the land of his pos- viewed, it is still worth while to observe session, whereas, when Canaan is spoken that merely as a human composition, of as the allotment of Jacob, it is term-as a specimen of simple, graceful, eloed the land of his sojourning. And so of quent, and pathetic narrative, it is uniAbraham and Isaac. They were pil-versally conceded that it has no parallel. grims and not possessors. CHAP. XXXVII. We find in it all that gives beauty to the finest drama-a perfect unity of design; a richness and variety of incident involving the plot in obscurity, yet gradually drawing to its intended de WE here enter upon one of the most remarkable and interesting portions of the whole mass of sacred history. The velopment; and the whole issuing life and fortunes of Joseph, embracing, happily, rewarding pre-eminent virtue with the exception of two chapters, the with appropriate honors and blessings, residue of the book of Genesis, or about and visiting iniquity with deserved huone-tenth of the whole, form a story miliation and punishment. It is a story of unrivalled attraction, whether we which persons of all ages, and minds of consider the simplicity and beauty of all orders, peruse with equal interest; the narrative, the touching pathos of and the degree of secret moral influence the events related, or the vastly import- which the spotless example of Joseph ant moral lessons which it teaches. has exercised upon countless numbers Viewed as an illustration of the doc- of the readers of the Scriptures, can trine of a particular Providence, bring-never be appreciated till the day of the ing to pass the grandest results from the revelation of all things. We behold in most apparently trivial events, nothing him one who in every period of life, in can be more significant or striking. It every change of condition, in every vahas all the effect of a pictorial delineariety of relation, secures our confidence, tion. While the recital flows on with our respect, our love In adversity, we all the charm of a highly-wrought tale of see him evincing the most exemplary fiction, we are still assured of the truth patience and resignation; in temptation, and reality of every incident, and feel the most inflexible firmness; in exaltathat we are contemplating an epitome tion, the most unaffected simplicity, of the dispensations of that overruling integrity, gentleness, and humility. Power which is 'wonderful in counsel Whether as a son, a brother, a servant; and mighty in operation'-which con- a father, a master, a ruler, we behold trols the free and voluntary action of him exhibiting a deportment equally intelligent creatures, even when prompted by a spirit of malevolence and rebellion, so as to render them subservient to the accomplishment of those very plans which they are intent upon defeating, while the guilt of the agents remains resting upon them in all its unabated aggravations. But while this is doubtless the most important aspect amiable and praiseworthy; and the respect which we entertain for the sagacity of the statesman and the penetration of the prophet, mingles with our profound admiration of the purity of the saint. But we leave it to the sequel to disclose, in all their richness, these interesting traits of biography and history. 1. Jacob dwelt in the land where his fa 2 These are the generations of with the sons of Bilhah, and with Jacob: Joseph being being seventeen the sons of Zilpah, his father's years old, was feeding the flock wives: and Joseph brought unto with his brethren, and the lad was his father their evil report. 7 ' b 1 Sam. 2. 22, 23, 24. ther was a stranger. Heb. Jacob was 130, (compare Gen, 41. 46, 1 bearetz megure abiv, in the land of with 45. 2. and 47. 9,) it will follow that his father's sojourning; where fa- Joseph was born when Jacob was 91, ther's may be taken as a collect. sing. and consequently when he was 17 his including Abraham as well as Isaac. father was 108. But when Isaac died The character of ' sojourners' was com- at the age of 180, Jacob was 120, as he inon to the patriarchs, and as Jacob was born when Isaac was 60; therefore dwelt in the same country with his Joseph's age of 17, and Jacob's of 108, forefathers, he dwelt in the same way, will bring the date of his being sold into and under the influence of the same mo- Egypt, twelve years prior to the death tives. This he afterwards confessed to of Isaac Joseph being seventeen Pharaoh. Though he had bought a years old, was feeding the flock, &c. Heb. small piece of ground in the country, yet 717% ON 19- Fish hayah roek he still was, and counted himself, a stranger and a sojourner in the land of Canaan. Heaven was the country which he regarded as his possession, his inheritance, his home. eth chav batztzon, literally, was tending, or acting the shepherd over, his brethren in the flock. However uncouth to our ears the phraseology, this is undoubtedly the exact rendering, and the import 2. These are the generations of Joseph. of the words we take to be, that Joseph Hebb toledoth, births: i. e. the was charged with the superintendence family history. That the original signi- of his brethren, particularly the sons of fies something more than mere genealo- Bilhah and Zilpah. Whether this was owgy, is obvious from the matter which the ing merely to the fond favoritism of his history contains, although it can hardly father, or to his superior fidelity, capabe taken in the extended and general city, and diligence in the discharge of sense of our word history. When the sa- his duties, we know not; but we cancred writer, therefore, says, 'these are not but infer from the text that such the generations of Jacob,' he may either was the fact, that in some way the refer to what goes before, implying that management and direction of the flocks these were the principal events in the per- and their keepers was entrusted to him. sonal and domestic history of Jacob, of If so, his making report to his father of which, being about to pass to another the conduct of his brethren, instead of subject, he says no more at present; | being an act of officious intermeddling, or it may refer to what follows, in was in fact but the discharge of an imwhich case the sense will be that this portant part of his duty; 'for it is is the family history of Jacob, an ac- required in stewards that a man be found count of the most important incidents faithful.' From the Note on Gen. 29. 3, that befel his house, but more especial- it will be seen that the term 'flocks,' as ly in respect to Joseph, who hencefor-used by the sacred writers, frequently ward becomes the prominent theme of carries with it by implication the idea of the story. The date of this narrative is to be placed twelve years before Isaac's death, when he was 168 years old, and Jacob 108; for if Joseph were 39 when shepherds' or 'keepers,' to whose care they were consigned. See the Note also on Gen. 47. 6.—————¶ And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah. Heb. 71 8771 vehu naar, and he a lad. From a careful | remaineth yet the youngest, and beinspection of the original we are persua- hold, he keepeth the sheep,' ded that the exact shade of meaning is The second is found 1 Sam. 17. 34, not represented here by the rendering And David said unto Saul, Thy servant of our version. The definite article 'the, kept his as well as the supplemental word 'was,' father's sheep.' In both these cases we conceive to have been introduced we doubt not the true rendering is without authority, as there is nothing to that David performed the office of a countenance them in the Hebrew. The shepherd-overseer in or among the flocks, correct translation is doubtless the fol- just as we say of a military officer, lowing;' 'Joseph being seventeen years he commanded in the army. As to old, was tending his brethren among the the true meaning of m, it will be flocks, and he a (mere) lad, (even) the found that all the Lexicons give it the sons of Bilhah, &c.' The mention of sense of overseeing, governing, presiding his youth is brought in parenthetically, as | over, superintending, and such, we cansomething peculiarly worthy of notice, not question, is its import here, in reswhile the clause 'with the sons of Bil-pect to Joseph. This circumstance, in hah,' &c. is designed to limit and speci- all probability, first prompted the envious fy the term 'brethren' going before. As this construction, however, is somewhat new, and as it can be established only by an appeal to the common diction of the sacred writers, we shall briefly advert to a few passages which go strongly to confirm it. The common translation, it will be observed, renders feelings of his brethren, which were greatly enhanced by the incident mentioned below.- T Brought unto his father their evil report. That is, an evil report concerning them. It may be remarked, too, that the Heb. has abihem, their father, instead of 7 abiv, his father, as our translators have reneth ehav, by with his brethren. But the dered it. Heb. eth diban particle eth very generally follows batham raah. The original dibbah, the verb raah, as the sign of the ac- signifies a report of infamy, scandalous cusative, and not as a preposition. Thus information. The term is in itself peGen. 30. 36, ' And Jacob y culiarly expressive and emphatic, but it fed the flocks of Laban.' 2 Sam. 7. 7, has here an augmented sense by the 'Whom I commanded 3 addition of the epithet raah, evil, to feed my people Israel.' Jer. 23. 2, as if it was intended to convey the idea Thus saith the Lord God of Israel of some peculiar, flagrant, enormous against the pastors as a ban that act of wickedness, the report of which feed my people.' Indeed, in no other in- Joseph carried to his father. Chal. stance throughout the Bible, if the 'Their evil accusation.' What this present be excepted, does my follow conduct was, are not informed. as a preposition. Again, according to The silence of the sacred oracles the established version, roeh has veiled it from human view till batztzon signifies to feed or tend the flock, the judgment day. Suffice it for us as if governed its accusative by to know, that the feelings of Joseph the interposition of the particle b. But were wounded by the bad behaviour this is contrary to usage in every in- of his brethren, and that he could stance in the Heb. Scriptures except not rest easy without disclosing the parIn this he is to two, and those are undoubtedly cases ticulars to his father. precisely parallel to the present, in which the particle signifies in or among. The first occurs 1 Sam. 16. 11, 'There be commended, as it was in fact performing a kind and brotherly office. Though a child should not be indulged 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. c ch.44. 20. by his parents in reporting every trivial of superintendent over his brethren. tale to the disadvantage of his brothers For ourselves, although the common or sisters, yet some offences are so gross interpretation does no violence to the that they ought not to be concealed. original, we feel strongly inclined to faParents should be made acquainted vor this sense of the phrase. It affords with them that they may correct them, a more worthy reason for Jacob's loving or if that cannot be, that they may, as him so intensely than the time of his far as possible, counteract their ill ef- birth. The time of birth would proba fects. The witnesses of evil conduct bly have ingratiated the oldest son, raoften contract no small part of its crim-ther than the youngest but one or two, inality by neglecting or refusing to with his father, had not Reuben been make it known. THe made utterly unworthy of Jacob's fondness 3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because, &c. Joseph held this high place in his father's affections, not only because he was the firstborn son of his best beloved wife, and the child of many prayers, but because he was the son of his old age. This latter expression, however, as used in the original, is not of very definite import, nor if taken as usually understood, is it easy to see precisely the ground of the assertion. Benjamin was much more the son of his old age than Joseph; and it cannot well be supposed that Joseph was younger than Zebulun and Dinah. In fact, Jacob was an old man before any of his children were born. How then is the language to be understood? The original 15prben zekunim lo, is literally rendered son of old age to him, which in the Chal. is paraphrased by 'wise son,' taking the phrase 'son of coat of pieces) upon old age,' to be equivalent to 'son of wis- her: for with such robes were the king's dom,' the ideas of age and wisdom being daughters that were virgins apparelled ;' intimately related. In this case the from which it is plain that it was a garidiom is to be considered the same ment worn as a mark of distinction. with that which appears in the expres- But whether the common rendering sions, 'son of wickedness,' 'son of per-coat of many colors,' gives the true imdition,'' son of strength,' 'son of peace.' port of the original, may justly be doubtAccording to this the idea is, that Jo- ed. As the Heb. has simply coat of seph, even in his early years, had the pieces,' it is a matter of inference only wisdom of a sage; and perhaps, as to suppose that these 'pieces' were of hinted above, it was on this account different colors,' although not improbathat he was preferred to the office ble that this was the case. But it would kethoneth passim, properly signifying coat of pieces. The Chal. has 'tunic of strips or shreds.' Gr. χιτώνα Tokiλov, parti-colored or variegated coat. Vulg. 'Tunicam polymitam,' embroidered coat. Syr. 'Fringed tunic.' The phrase occurs only here and 2 Sam. 13. 18, And she had a garment of divers colors (Heb. Do 4 And when his brethren saw him, and could not speak peaceably that their father loved him more unto him. tiently suffering even unto the shedding of their own blood in the cause of the Lamb, and by the merits of the Lamb's blood, they have entitled themselves to be clothed with the white robes, indicative of the spiritual and eternal blessings which belong to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names be important to show that the art of in- expression, Rev. 7. 14, 'These are they terweaving a piece in various colors was which came out of great tribulation, and at this time actually discovered. Judging have washed their robes, and made them from the information offered by the pre-white in the blood of the Lamb ;' or Gr. ‘by sent passage, we should rather infer that the blood of the Lamb;' i. e. by pait was not; for the peculiar term pieces here employed, makes it probable that the agreeable effect resulting from a combination of colors was obtained, if at all, by patch-work in the first instance, and in after-times by being wrought with a needle. Such variegated garments were no doubt worn as they still are in the East at this day, but as to Joseph's are written in heaven.' coat, Braunius, in his great work ‘On 4. They hated him. This result showed the Dress of the Jewish Priests,' con- that Jacob acted unwisely in distinguishtends that it was a long robe reaching ing Joseph from his brethren by this to the ankles and wrists, and that the mark of his regard. It seemed to be word 'pieces' refers, not to the body of a palpable, invidious, and premature the garment, but solely to the borders taking away of the birth-right from of the skirts and sleeves, which were Reuben and giving it to the firstfurnished with an ornamental fringe, born of his beloved wife. The birthcomposed, perhaps, of parti-colored right was indeed to be Joseph's; and 'pieces.' The body of it was probably it was due to him as the eldest son of white, corresponding with the 'stole,' Rachel, when the first-born son of Leah of which see Note on Gen. 27. 15. This had forfeited it. But, as might have coat we cannot but regard, like the been expected, Joseph was at once ex' goodly raiment' of Jacob, as a badge of posed to the envy of his brethren by the birthright, which we are expressly this mark of his father's fondness; and taught, 1 Chron. 5. 1, having been for- the effects of that envy cost the good feited by Reuben, was transferred to old man many years of pungent afflicJoseph; and we regard it as highly pro- tion. Parents indeed cannot well avoid bable that it was this circumstance, loving most affectionately those chilmore than any other, which inflamed dren who best deserve their love, nor is the envy of his brethren; so that as it wrong they should. But they have Esau, under the galling sense of his lost great need of caution lest by imprusuperiority, laid wait for the life of his dent testimonies of their regard, they brother Jacob, in like manner the bre-injure instead of benefitting the children thren of Joseph plotted against his inno- whom they love. Joseph might have cent blood. The birthright-robe we lived happily in his father's house withhave before ventured to consider as an out being clothed with a garment of emblem of the resurrection-garments of divers colors, but he could not wear it the saints, and we suppose that a direct without encountering the hatred of all allusion to the dipping of Joseph's coat his brethren. Yet let us not blame in the blood of the kid is made in the Joseph for accepting this token of his |