Gen. 47 Joseph acquaints Pharaoh with his father’s arrival; presents five of his brethren to him, Gen. 47:1–2. He after some inquiry instates them in Goshen: they being shepherds, he orders Joseph, if he knew any men of activity amongst them, to make them rulers over his cattle, Gen. 47:3–6.

Either to abide there, or to remove thence to any other place which thou shalt appoint for them.

Some of his brethren, or part, as this Hebrew word is used, Dan. 1:2; or the extremity, or end, or tail of them, i.e. the meanest of them for person and presence, as the word is taken 1 Kings 12:31, lest if he, had presented the goodliest of them, Pharaoh might have required their attendance upon…

This employment is not pretended nor taken up by us in design, or in contempt of thee or thy people, but was handed to us by our fathers, and hath been our business to this day.

To sojourn in the land are we come; not to defraud thy people of their lands and habitations, but only to be here for a season, as strangers and sojourners, till we can conveniently return to our own land.

The land of Egypt is before thee, to view it, and take thy choice where thou pleasest, it is in thy power. See Gen. 13:9. Any man of activity, or, of strength, or vigour of body and mind, fit for the employment.

Not in an authoritative way, as the greater blesseth the less, but in a general manner, i.e. he saluted him, thanked him for all his favours to him and his, and prayed to God to bless and recompense him for it. Thus blessing is put for saluting, 1 Sam. 13:10, 2 Kings 4:29; for praying, Num.

My pilgrimage, i.e. my unstable or unsettled life, in which I have been flitting from place to place. See Gen. 17:8, Ps. 119:19, Heb. 11:9, Heb. 11:13. And though I seem old in comparison of thy people, yet I fall much short of my progenitors, Isaac, and Abraham, and Terah.

The land of Rameses; a part of the land of Goshen, possibly that part where afterwards the city Rameses was built by the Israelites, Ex. 1:11, Ex. 12:37, whence it is so called here by anticipation; for the Israelites were not now numerous enough to possess the whole land of Goshen, which was given…

Or, according to the mouth of the family; mouth being put for their will or desire, as it is Gen. 24:57, Isa. 30:2, as much as every one desired, without any restraint; or, according to the manner of a little child, he put their meat into their very months; it was brought to them without any more…

Quest. Whence came it that the people in this extremity did not take the corn by force out of the several store-houses? Answ. Besides that singular providence of God which watcheth over kings and rulers, and stilleth the tumults of the people, Joseph had no doubt foreseen this difficulty, and took…

Wherein he did no more than any of the subjects might have done; he bought great store of corn in the plentiful years with the king’s money, and kept it till a time of famine, and sold it at a rate which was agreeable to the Season.

1702 Why shouldst thou see and suffer us to perish for our want of money, when thou canst relieve us?

The second year; not the second from the beginning of the famine, but from their great extremity, the second year after that last mentioned, wherein they had sold their cattle; but this seems to have been the last year of the famine, because he now gives them corn for food and for seed too, Gen.

Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, i.e. whilst thou lookest upon us like an idle spectator, not pitying and relieving us? The land is said to die improperly, when it is desolate and barren, and when the fruits of it die, or, which is equivalent to it, do not live.

Under the cities are here comprehended the villages and lands belonging to the territory and government of each city; for the seed which he gave them was not to be sown in cities, but in the country: but the cities only are here mentioned, because they were sent thither first, either for the…

The priests: under this name he understands chiefly those who administered the worship of the gods or idols of Egypt, and withal those who applied themselves to the study of the arts and virtues, called their wise men and magicians; though some understand it of the princes (as that word sometimes…

For this was the last year of the famine, as was noted before.

Whereas he might have reserved four parts to Pharaoh, and have allowed them only the fifth. Herein he showed both his humanity and kindness, in mitigating that hard bargain which themselves had made, and were necessitated to make, and his prudence in composing, sweetening, and winning the hearts of…

Without thy care and providence we had all been dead men; and therefore if thou hadst kept us to the first bargain, thou hadst done us more kindness than wrong, much more when thou hast used us with so much equity and clemency. Be thou our friend with Pharaoh in this and upon all other occasions.

That Pharaoh should have the fifth part; that the propriety of the land should be Pharaoh’s; and that in token thereof the people should pay the fifth part of the products of it to Pharaoh.

They had possessions, i.e. lands, not for the dominion or propriety of them, for that rested in Pharaoh, but for the use and profit of them for their present subsistence.

Put thy hand under my thigh, i.e. swear to me, as Gen. 47:31, that thou wilt do what I am now desiring of thee; see Poole on “Gen. 24:2”. He requires this, not out of any distrust of Joseph’s promise, but partly, as a more solemn protestation of his right to and affection for that promised land;…

I will lie with my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, in Canaan. See Gen. 23:19, Gen. 25:9, Gen. 35:29. Which he desired not so much for himself, as knowing that wherever he was buried he should rise to glory; as for his children, to show his own, and confirm their faith in God’s promise of Canaan; to…

Israel bowed himself, not to Joseph, who being now not upon his throne, nor amongst the Egyptians, but in his father’s house, was doubtless more ready to pay that reverence (as he did Gen.