Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Tilt rnlriarchal Blessing, GENESIS L. Mourning for Jac(A>, yet still formidable.* until Shiloli come—Sliiloh—this obscure word is variously interproled to mean " tlie sent (John 17. H), "the seed" (Xsaiali 11. 1>, the "peaceable or prosperous one" (Kijhesiaiis 2. 14)— i. e., the Messiah able that he was supernatnrall.v strfnthened for tliis last nionieiilous ol Hce of tlie palriaieli, and that when the Divine utllatus cea-sed, his e>kliausie<l powers giving way, he yielded up Ihegliosl, and was gmii Lied unto his people.
(Isaiah 11. lU; Homaiis 15. 12); and when He sliould come, "the tribe of Judah should no longer boast either an independent king or a judge of their own." L<-'alvin.J Tlie Jews have been for eighteen centuries without a ruler and without a judge since Shiloh came, and "to Him the gathering of tile people has been."
CHAPTER L.
Ver. 1-26. Mourning for Jacok. l. Joseph fell upon his father's face, &c.—On him, as the principal member of tlie family, devolved the duty of closing the eyes of his venerable parent (cf. ch. 46. 4), and imprinting the farewell kiss. Si. Joseph commanded his servants the i>hy8l» ciaus to embalm his father, &c.—In ancient Egypt the embalmers were a class by themselves. The process of embalmment consisted in Infusing a great quantity of resinous substances into the cavities of the body, after the Intestines had been removed, and then a regulated degree oi heat was applied to dry up the humours, as well as decompose the tarry materials which had been previously introduced. Thirty days were allotted for the completion of this process; forty more were spent in anointing It with spices; the body, tanned from tliis operation, being then washed, was wrapped in numerous folds of linen cloth—the joinings of which were fastened with gum, and then deposited in a wooden chest made in the form of a human figure. 3. the Egyptians mourned, &c.—It was made a period of public mourning, as on tlie death of a royal personage. Joseph spake unto tl»e house of Pharaoh, &c.—Care was taken to let it be known that the family sepulchre was provided before leaving Canaan, and that an oath bound his family to convey the remains thither. Besides, Joseph deemed it right to apply for a special leave of absence; and being unfit, as a mourner, to appear in the royal presence, he made the request through the medium of others. 7-9. Joseph went up to bury his father—a journey of 300 miles. The funeral cavalcade, composed of the nobility and military, with their equipages, would exhibit an imposing appearance. 10. tliey came to the threshing-floor of Atad, &c.—" Atad " may be taken as a common noun, signifying " the plain of the thorn bushes." It was on the border between Egypt and Canaan ; andas the last opportunity of indulging grief was always the most violent, the Egyptians made a prolonged halt at this spot, while the family of Jacob probably proceeded by themselves to the place of sepulture, 15-21. When Joseph's brethren saw tliat tltcir father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, &c.—Joseph was deeply affected by this comra'unication. He gave them the strongest assurances of his forgiveness, and thereby gave both a beautiful trait of his own pious character, as well as appeared an eminent type of the Saviour. 38, 23. Joseph dwelt in Egypt—He lived eighty years after his elevation to the chief power, witnessing a great increase In the prosperity of the kingdom, and also of his own family and kindred—the infant church of God. 21. Joseph said unto his brethren, I die—The national feelings of the Egyptians would have been opposed to his burial in Canaan ; but he gave the strongest proof of the strength of his faith and full assurance of the promises, by "the commandment concerning his bones." 26. they embalmetl him—His funeral would be conducted in the highest style of Egyjtian magnificence, and his mummied corpse carefully preserved till the Exodaa.
13. Zebulun was to have its lot on the sea coast, close to Zidon, and to engage, like that state. In maritime pursuits and commerce.
14, 15. IssACHAit.—A strong ass couching down brtween two burdens i. e., it was to be active, patient, given to agricultural labours. It was established in lower Galilee— a "good land," settling down In the midst of the Canaan-
Ites, where, for the sake of quiet, they "bowed their shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute."
ltt-18. Dan—thougli the son of a secondary wife, was to be "as one of the tribes of Israel." Dan— "a judge." a serpent, . . . an adder—A serpent, an adder. Implies subtlety and stratagem; such was pre-eminently the character of Samson the most Illustrious of its judges.
19. Gad.—This tribe should be often attacked and wasted by hostile powers on their borders (Judges 10.8; Jeremiah 49. 1). But they were generally victorious in the close of their wars.
20. AsUKR—" Blessed." Its allotment was the sea coast between Tyre and Carmel, a district fertile In the production of the finest corn and oil In all Palestine.
21. Naphtali—The best rendering we know is this, "Naphtali is a deer roaming at liberty; he shooteth forth goodly branches," or majestic antlers [Taylor's Scripture
Zlluntralioiis], and the meaning of the prophecy seems to be that the tribe of Naphtali would be located in a territory so fertile and peaceable, that, feeding on the richest pasture, he would spread out, like a deer, its branching antlers.
22-26. JoSErH.—A fmttful bough, &c.—denotes the extraordinary increase of that tribe (cf. Numbers 1. 33-35; Joshua 17. 17; Deuteronomy 33. 17). The patriarch describes him as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude, yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so that he became the sustainer of
Israel ; and then he proceeds to shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this favourite son. The history of the tribes of Ephralm and Manasseh, shows how fully these blessings were realized.
27-33. Bekjamin shall ravin like a wolf.—This tribe in
Its early history spent its energies In petty or inglorious warfare, and especially in the violent and unjust contest (Judges 19., 20.), in which it engaged with the other tribes, when, notwithst Anding two victories, it was almost exterminated. !48. all these are the twelve tribes of Israel or ancestors. Jacob's prophetic words obviously refer not so much to the sons as to the tribes of Israel. 29. he charged them—The charge had already been given, and solemnly undertaken (ct 47.31). But In mentioning his wishes now, and rehearsing all the circumstances connected with the purchase of Machpelah, he wished to declare, with his latest breath, before all his family, that he died in the same faith as Abraham. 33. when Jacob bad made an end of commanding hla sons—It is prob-