Genesis 46:28 Kommentar

Jacob is here removing to Egypt in his old age, forced thither by a famine, and invited thither by a son. Here, I. God sends him thither (Gen 46:1-4). II. All his family goes with him (v. 5-27). III. Joseph bids him welcome (Gen 46:28-34).

We have here, I. The joyful meeting between Jacob and his son Joseph, in which observe, 1. Jacob's prudence in sending Judah before him to Joseph, to give him notice of his arrival in Goshen. This was a piece of respect owing to the government, under the protection of which these strangers had come to put themselves, Gen 46:28. We should be very careful not to give offence to any, especially not to the higher powers. 2. Joseph's filial respect to him. He went in his chariot to met him, and, in the interview, showed, (1.) How much he honoured him: He presented himself unto him. Note, It is the duty of children to reverence their parents, yea, though Providence, as to outward condition, has advanced them above their parents. (2.) How much he loved him. Time did not wear out the sense of his obligations, but his tears which he shed abundantly upon his father's neck, for joy to see him, were real indications of the sincere and strong affection he had for him. See how near sorrow and joy are to each other in this world, when tears serve for the expression of both. In the other world weeping will be restrained to sorrow only; in heaven there is perfect joy, but no tears of joy: all tears, even those, shall there be wiped away, because the joys there are, as no joys are here, without any alloy. When Joseph embraced Benjamin he wept upon his neck, but when he embraced his father he wept upon his neck a good while; his brother Benjamin was dear, but his father Jacob must be dearer. 3. Jacob's great satisfaction in this meeting: Now let me die, Gen 46:30. Not but that it was further desirable to live with Joseph, and to see his honour and usefulness; but he had so much pleasure and satisfaction in this first meeting that he thought it too much to desire or expect any more in this world, where our comforts must always be imperfect. Jacob wished to die immediately, and lived seventeen years longer, which, as our lives go now, is a considerable part of a man's age. Note, Death will not always come just when we call for it, whether in a passion of sorrow or in a passion of joy. Our times are in God's hand, and not in our own; we must die just when God pleases, and not either just when we are surfeited with the pleasures of life or just when we are overwhelmed with its griefs. II. Joseph's prudent care concerning his brethren's settlement. It was justice to Pharaoh to let him know that such a colony had come to settle in his dominions. Note, If others repose a confidence in us, we must not be so base and disingenuous as to abuse it by imposing upon them. If Jacob and his family should come to be a charge to the Egyptians, yet it should never be said that they came among them clandestinely and by stealth. Thus Joseph took care to pay his respects to Pharaoh, Gen 46:31. But how shall he dispose of his brethren? Time was when they were contriving to get rid of him; now he is contriving to settle them to their satisfaction and advantage: This is rendering good for evil. Now, 1. He would have them to live by themselves, separate as much as might be from the Egyptians, in the land of Goshen, which lay nearest to Canaan, and which perhaps was more thinly peopled by the Egyptians, and well furnished with pastures for cattle. He desired they might live separately, that they might be in the less danger both of being infected by the vices of the Egyptians and of being insulted by the malice of the Egyptians. Shepherds, it seems, were an abomination to the Egyptians, that is, they looked upon them with contempt, and scorned to converse with them; and he would not send for his brethren to Egypt to be tramped upon. And yet, 2. He would have them to continue shepherds, and not to be ashamed to own that as their occupation before Pharaoh. He could have employed them under himself in the corn-trade, or perhaps, by his interest in the king, might have procured places for them at court or in the army, and some of them, at least, were deserving enough; but such preferments would have exposed them to the envy of the Egyptians, and would have tempted them to forget Canaan and the promise made unto their fathers; therefore he contrives to continue them in their old employment. Note, (1.) An honest calling is no disparagement, nor ought we to account it so either in ourselves or in our relations, but rather reckon it a shame to be idle, or to have nothing to do. (2.) It is generally best for people to abide in the callings that they have been bred to, and used to, Co1 7:24. Whatever employment or condition God, in his providence, has allotted for us, let us accommodate ourselves to it, and satisfy ourselves with it, and not mind high things. It is better to be the credit of a mean post than the shame of a high one.

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 46 In this chapter we are told, that Jacob with all his family and substance took a journey to Egypt to see his son Joseph, as he determined, in which he was encouraged to proceed by a vision from God, Gen 46:1; and an account is given of all his sons, his sons' sons and daughters that went thither with him, Gen 46:8; when he came near to Egypt he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to acquaint him of his coming, who met him at Goshen, where there was a most affectionate interview between them, Gen 46:28; and when he gave directions and instructions what answers to give to Pharaoh's questions, when they should appear before him, to whom he proposed to go and inform him of their being come into Egypt, Gen 46:31.

And the men are shepherds,.... That was their occupation and employment, by which they got their livelihood. Joseph was not ashamed of the business his father and brethren followed, even though mean; and besides, such men were an abomination to the Egyptians: this he thought proper to tell Pharaoh, lest he should think of putting them into some offices of the court or army, which would expose them to the envy of the Egyptians, and might endanger the corruption of their religion and manners, as well as be the means of separating them one from another, which he was careful to guard against, as Josephus (b) the historian suggests: for their trade hath been to feed cattle; this was what they were brought up to from their youth, and were always employed in, and for which only they were fit: and they have brought their flocks and their herds, and all that they have; in order to carry on the same business, and lead the same course of life. (b) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 5.)

(v. 28) But Judah was sent ahead of him to Joseph, to meet him in the city of Heroum in the land of Ramesse. In Hebrew, there is no city called Heroum, nor a land called Ramesse, but only Gesen. Some Jews assert that Gesen is now called Thebaid. And what follows afterwards: He gave them the best land in Egypt, in Ramesse, which they believe to be the village called Arsenoites in ancient times.

Jacob begins his journey to Egypt, comes to Beer-sheba, and offers sacrifices to God, Gen 46:1. God appears to him in a vision, gives him gracious promises, and assures him of his protection, Gen 46:2-4. He proceeds, with his family and their cattle, on his journey towards Egypt, Gen 46:5-7. A genealogical enumeration of the seventy persons who went down to Egypt, Gen 46:8, etc. The posterity of Jacob by Leah. Reuben and his sons, Gen 46:9. Simeon and his sons, Gen 46:10. Levi and his sons, Gen 46:11. Judah and his sons, Gen 46:12. Issachar and his sons, Gen 46:13. And Zebulun and his sons, Gen 46:14. All the posterity of Jacob by Leah, thirty and three, Gen 46:15. The posterity of Jacob by Zilpah. Gad and his sons, Gen 46:16. Asher and his sons, Gen 46:17. All the posterity of Jacob by Zilpah, sixteen, Gen 46:18. The posterity of Jacob by Rachel. Joseph and his sons, Gen 46:19, Gen 46:20. Benjamin and his sons, Gen 46:21. All the posterity of Jacob by Rachel, fourteen, Gen 46:22. The posterity of Jacob by Bilhah. Dan and his sons, Gen 46:23. Naphtali and his sons, Gen 46:24. All the posterity of Jacob by Bilhah, seven, Gen 46:25. All the immediate descendants of Jacob by his four wives, threescore and six, Gen 46:26; and all the descendants of the house of Jacob, seventy souls, Gen 46:27. Judah is sent before to inform Joseph of his father's coming, Gen 46:28. Joseph goes to Goshen to meet Jacob, Gen 46:29. Their affecting interview, Gen 46:30. Joseph proposes to return to Pharaoh, and inform him of the arrival of his family, Gen 46:31, and of their occupation, as keepers of cattle, Gen 46:32. Instructs them what to say when called before Pharaoh, and questioned by him, that they might be permitted to dwell unmolested in the land of Goshen, Gen 46:33, Gen 46:34.

He sent Judah before him unto Joseph - Judah was certainly a man of sense, and also an eloquent man; and of him Joseph must have had a very favorable opinion from the speech he delivered before him, Gen 44:18, etc.; he was therefore chosen as the most proper person to go before and announce Jacob's arrival to his son Joseph. To direct his face unto Goshen - The land of Goshen is the same, according to the Septuagint, as the land of Rameses, and Goshen itself the same as Heroopolis, 'Ἡρωων πολις Heroonpolis, the city of heroes, a name by which it went in the days of the Septuagint, and which it still retained in the time of Josephus, for he makes use of the same term in speaking of this place. See Clarke on Gen 46:34 (note).

SACRIFICE AT BEER-SHEBA. (Gen 46:1-4) Israel took his journey with all that he had--that is, his household; for in compliance with Pharaoh's recommendation, he left his heavy furniture behind. In contemplating a step so important as that of leaving Canaan, which at his time of life he might never revisit, so pious a patriarch would ask the guidance and counsel of God. With all his anxiety to see Joseph, he would rather have died in Canaan without that highest of earthly gratifications than leave it without the consciousness of carrying the divine blessing along with him. came to Beer-sheba--That place, which was in his direct route to Egypt, had been a favorite encampment of Abraham (Gen 21:33) and Isaac (Gen 26:25), and was memorable for their experience of the divine goodness; and Jacob seems to have deferred his public devotions till he had reached a spot so consecrated by covenant to his own God and the God of his fathers.

ARRIVAL IN EGYPT. (Gen 46:28-34) he sent Judah before him unto Joseph--This precautionary measure was obviously proper for apprising the king of the entrance of so large a company within his territories; moreover, it was necessary in order to receive instruction from Joseph as to the locale of their future settlement.

This list of the house of Jacob is followed by an account of the arrival in Egypt. Gen 46:28 Jacob sent his son Judah before him to Joseph, "to show (להורת) before him to Goshen;" i.e., to obtain from Joseph the necessary instructions as to the place of their settlement, and then to act as guide to Goshen. Gen 46:29 As soon as they had arrived, Joseph had his chariot made ready to go up to Goshen and meet his father (ויּעל applied to a journey from the interior to the desert or Canaan), and "showed himself to him there (lit., he appeared to him; נראה, which is generally used only of the appearance of God, is selected here to indicate the glory in which Joseph came to meet his father); and fell upon his neck, continuing (עוד) upon his neck (i.e., in his embrace) weeping." Gen 46:30 Then Israel said to Joseph: "Now (הפּעם lit., this time) will I die, after I have seen thy face, that thou (art) still alive." Gen 46:31-32 But Joseph told his brethren and his father's house (his family) that he would to up to Pharaoh (עלה here used of going to the court, as an ideal ascent), to announce the arrival of his relations, who were מקנה אנשׁי "keepers of flocks," and had brought their sheep and oxen and all their possessions with them. Gen 46:33-34 At the same time Joseph gave these instructions to his brethren, in case Pharaoh should send for them and inquire about their occupation: "Say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, we like our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination of the Egyptians." This last remark formed part of Joseph's words, and contained the reason why his brethren should describe themselves to Pharaoh as shepherds from of old, namely, that they might receive Goshen as their dwelling-place, and that their national and religion independence might not be endangered by too close an intercourse with the Egyptians. The dislike of the Egyptians to shepherds arose from the fact, that the more completely the foundations of the Egyptian state rested upon agriculture with its perfect organization, the more did the Egyptians associate the idea of rudeness and barbarism with the very name of a shepherd. This is not only attested in various ways by the monuments, on which shepherds are constantly depicted as lanky, withered, distorted, emaciated, and sometimes almost ghostly figures (Graul, Reise 2, p. 171), but is confirmed by ancient testimony. According to Herodotus (2, 47), the swine-herds were the most despised; but they were associated with the cow-herds (βουκόλοι) in the seven castes of the Egyptians (Herod. 2, 164), so that Diodorus Siculus (1, 74) includes all herdsmen in one caste; according to which the word βουκόλοι in Herodotus not only denotes cow-herds, but a potiori all herdsmen, just as we find in the herds depicted upon the monuments, sheep, goats, and rams introduced by thousands, along with asses and horned cattle.