Genesis 46:4 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).

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.

I will go down with thee into Egypt,.... Which was enough to silence all his fears; for if the presence of God went with him to protect and defend hide, to bless and prosper him, and to direct, support, and comfort, he had nothing to fear from any quarter: and I will also surely bring thee up again: Jarchi takes this to be a promise that he should be buried in the land of Canaan, which had its fulfilment, when his corpse was carried out of Egypt to Machpelah, and there interred; but rather this refers to the bringing up of his posterity from thence in due time, for which Jacob might be most solicitous, and so the Targum of Jonathan,"and I will bring up thy children from thence:" and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes: and so close them when he was dead; this, as Aben Ezra says, was a custom of the living to the dead, and it used to be done by the nearest relations and friends, though now with us commonly by strangers, or those that are not akin: this was a custom among the Greeks and Romans, as appears from Homer (o), Virgil (p), Ovid (q), and other writers (r); and so, among the Jews, Tobias is said to shut the eyes of his wife's father and mother, and to bury them honourably,"Where he became old with honour, and he buried his father and mother in law honourably, and he inherited their substance, and his father Tobit's.'' (Tobit 14:13)Of the Vulgate Latin version: Maimonides (s) reckons this of closing the eyes of the dead, among the rites used towards them, and so in the Talmud (t): now by this expression Jacob was assured that Joseph was alive, and that he should live to see him, and that Joseph would outlive him, and do this last office for him; and, as Ben Melech observes, by this he had the good news told him that Joseph should remain behind him, to sustain and support his sons, and his sons' sons, all the years that he should live after him. (o) Odyss. 11. (p) Aeneid. l. 9. (q) Trist. l. 1. Eleg. 2. (r) Vid. Kirchman, de Funer. Rom. l. 1. c. 6. & Kipping. Rom. Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. (s) Hilchot Ebel, l. 4. sect. 1. (t) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 151. 2.

But I think a still greater mystery lies hidden in this passage. For this statement disturbs me: “I will make a great nation of you, and I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will recall you from there in the end.” Who is it who is made “into a great nation” in Egypt and is recalled “in the end”? To the extent that it pertains to that Jacob of whom one supposes it to be said, it will not appear true. For he was not recalled from Egypt “in the end,” since he died in Egypt. But it will be absurd if someone says Jacob was recalled by God in that his body was carried back. But if it is accepted, it will not be true that “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” It is not proper, therefore, that these words be understood of a dead body but that they apply to the living and vigorous.Let us consider therefore whether there may be depicted in this statement a figure of the Lord who descends into this world and is made “into a great nation,” that is, the church of the Gentiles, and after all things were completed, returned to the Father. Or, whether it is a figure of “the first-formed man” who descends to the struggles of this world after he was cast out of the delights of paradise. The struggle with the serpent was set before him when it is said, “You shall watch for his head, and he shall watch for your heel,” and again, when it is said to the woman, “I will put enmity between you and him, and between your seed and his seed.” Nevertheless God does not desert those placed in this struggle but is always with them. He is pleased with Abel; he reproaches Cain; he is present with Enoch, when he is invoked. He commands Noah to construct an ark of salvation in the flood; he leads Abraham “from the house of his father” and “from his kinsmen"; he blesses Isaac and Jacob; he leads the sons of Israel out of Egypt. He writes the law of the letter through Moses. He completes what was lacking through the prophets. This is what it means to be with them in Egypt. But regarding the statement “I will recall you from there in the end,” I think this means, as we said above, that at the end of the ages his only-begotten Son descended even into the nether regions for the salvation of the world and recalled “the first-formed man” from there. For what he said to the thief, “This day you shall be with me in paradise,” understand not to have been said to him alone but also to all the saints for whom he had descended into the nether regions. In this man, therefore, more truly than in Jacob the words “I will recall you from there in the end” will be fulfilled.

But each of us also, in the same manner and in the same way, enters Egypt and struggles and, if he is worthy that God should always remain with him, he will make him “into a great nation.” For the number of virtues and the multitude of righteousness in which all the saints are said to be multiplied and to increase is a great nation.That which is said is also fulfilled in the saint: “I will recall you from there in the end.” For the end is considered to be the perfection of things and the consummation of virtues. Indeed, for this reason also another saint said, “Recall me not in the midst of my days.” And again the Scripture bestows testimony on the great patriarch Abraham since “Abraham died full of days.” This statement, therefore, “I will recall you from there in the end,” is as if he had said, Since “you have fought a good fight, you have kept the faith, you have finished the course,” I will now recall you from this world to the future blessing, to the perfection of eternal life, to “the crown of justice which the Lord will give in the end of the ages to all who love him.”

But let us see how also the statement after that should be understood: “And Joseph shall put his hands upon your eyes.” I think many mysteries indeed of secret understanding are hidden within the veil of this statement. It belongs to another time to approach and touch upon these mysteries. Now, meanwhile, it will not appear to be said without reason, since it has appeared also to some of our predecessors that a certain prophecy seemed to be designated in this statement. Since indeed that Jeroboam who made two golden calves that he might seduce the people to worship them was from the tribe of Joseph, by this he blinded and closed the eyes of Israel, as if his hands were placed on them, lest they see their impiety, of which it is said, “Because of the impiety of Jacob are all these things, and because of the sin of the house of Israel. But what is the impiety of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?”32But if someone perhaps asserts that those things that are said by God about a future form of piety ought not be turned to a censurable function, we will say that just as the true Joseph, our Lord and Savior, put his physical hand on the eyes of the blind man and restored his sight that he had lost, so also he put his spiritual hands on the eyes of the law, which had been blinded by the corporeal understanding of the scribes and Pharisees. He restored sight to them, that to these to whom the Lord has opened the Scriptures spiritual vision and understanding might appear in the law. And would that the Lord Jesus might put “his hands on” our “eyes” too, that we too might begin to look not at those things “which are seen but at the things which are not seen.” And would that he might open for us those eyes which contemplate not present things but future, and might reveal to us the aspect of the heart by which God is seen in spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ himself, to whom belongs “glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”

Our God himself also exhorts that people with his own prophecy and promises them advancement in the faith, the fruit of his gift, for he says to them, “Joseph shall put his hand on your eyes.” It was not that the holy patriarch was troubled as to who should close his eyes, although in the clear understanding of it a natural love is also being expressed. For we often desire to embrace those whom we love. How much more, when we are about to depart from this body, do we take delight in the last touch of our beloved children and find consolation in such a provision for our journey. Yet in a mystical sense we may take it to mean that afterward the Jewish people are going to know their God. For this is a mystery, that the true Joseph places his hands over the eyes of another, so that he who before did not see may now see. Come to the Gospel, read how the blind man was healed, when Jesus put his hand on him and took away his blindness. Indeed, Christ does not put his hand on those who are going to die but on those who are going to live or, if on those who are going to die, rightly so, because we first die in order that we may live again. For we cannot see God unless we die to sin previously.

See how whatever the good man longed for the Lord promises him, and in fact much more. That is to say, in his generosity he exceeds our requests out of fidelity to his characteristic love. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,” he says. Because Jacob dreaded the length of the journey, accordingly he says, “Have no regard for the weakness of your old age—I will make you into a great nation there. I will accompany you and make everything easy for you.” Notice the considerateness of the expression: “I will go down with you to Egypt.” What could be more blessed than to have God as traveling companion? Then he spoke the consoling thought that the old man had particular need of: “Joseph’s hands will close your eyes in death.” That dearly beloved son of yours will personally prepare your body for burial, and his hands will close your eyes in death.So, quite happy and free from all concern, Jacob took to the road. Consider at this point, I ask you, with what cheerfulness the good man makes the journey, being so reassured by God’s promise.

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.

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.

I will also surely bring thee up again--As Jacob could not expect to live till the former promise was realized, he must have seen that the latter was to be accomplished only to his posterity. To himself it was literally verified in the removal of his remains to Canaan; but, in the large and liberal sense of the words, it was made good only on the establishment of Israel in the land of promise. Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes--shall perform the last office of filial piety; and this implied that he should henceforth enjoy, without interruption, the society of that favorite son.