Commentary on Genesis John Calvin
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
31. I will go up and show Pharaoh. After Joseph had gone forth to meet his father for the purpose of doing him honor, he also provides what will be useful for him. On this account, he advises Jacob to declare that he and all his family were keepers of cattle, to the end that he might obtain, from the king, a dwelling-place for them, in the land of Goshen. Now although his moderation deserves commendation on the ground, that he usurps no authority to himself, but that, as one of the common people, he waits the pleasure of the king: he yet may be thought craftily to have devised a pretext, by which he might circumvent the king. We see what he desired. Seeing that the land of Goshen was fertile, and celebrated for its rich pastures; this advantage so allured his mind, that he wished to fix his father there: but then, keeping out of Pharaoh's sight the richness of the land, he puts forth another reason; namely, that Jacob with his sons, were men held in abomination, and that, therefore, he was seeking a place of seclusion, in which they might dwell apart from the Egyptians. It is not, however, very difficult to untie this knot. The fertility of the land of Goshen was so fully known to the king, that no room was left for fraud or calming, (though kings are often too profuse, and foolishly waste much, because they know not what they grant,) yea, Pharaoh, of his own accord, had offered them, unsolicited, the best and choicest place in the kingdom. Therefore this bounty of his was not elicited from him by stratagem; because he was free to form his own judgment respecting what he would give. And truly Joseph, in order that he might act modestly, felt it necessary to seek a habitation in Goshen, on this pretext. For it would have been absurd, or at least inconsiderate, for men who were obscure and strangers, to desire an abode in the best and most convenient place for themselves, as if they possessed a right to choose for themselves. Joseph, therefore, having regard to his own modesty and that of his father, adduces another cause, which was yet a true one. For seeing that the Egyptians held the occupation of shepherds in abhorrence,638 he explains to the king that this would be a suitable retreat for his brethren. Herein was no dissimulation, because, in no other place, was a quiet habitation accessible to them. Nevertheless, though it was hard for the holy Fathers to be thus opprobriously rejected, and, as it were, to be loathed by a whole nation; yet this ignominy with which they were branded, was most profitable to themselves. For, had they been mingled with the Egyptians, they might have been scattered far and wide; but now, seeing that they are objects of detestation, and are thought unworthy to be admitted to common society, "The monuments even now furnish abundant evidence of this hatred of the Egyptians to shepherds. The artists of Upper and Lower Egypt vie with each other in caricaturing them. In proportion as the cultivation of the land was the more unconditionally the foundation of the Egyptian state, the idea of coarseness and barbarism was united with the idea of a shepherd among the Egyptians." — Egypt and the Books of Moses, p. 42. — Ed.
JOHN CALVIN
they learn, in this state of separation from others, to cherish more fervently mutual union between themselves; and thus the body of the Church, which God had set apart from the whole world, is not dispersed. So the Lord often permits us to be despised or rejected by the world, that being liberated and cleansed from its pollution, we may cultivate holiness. Finally, he does not suffer us to be bound by chains to the earth, in order that we may be borne upward to heaven.
Notes
Chapter 47
CHAPTER 47
Genesis 47:1-31
Genesis 47:1-31
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
1. Et venit Joseph, et nuntiavit Pharaoni, et dixit, Pater meus, et fratres mei, et pecudes eorum, et boves eorum, et omnia quae erant eis, venerunt e terra Chenaan: et ecce, sunt in terra Gosen.
2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them
2. Et de extremis fratribus suis cepit quinque viros, et statuit eos ante Pharaonem. unto Pharaoh.
JOHN CALVIN
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
3. Tune dixit Pharao ad fratres ejus, Quae sunt opera vestra? Et dixerunt ad Pharaonem, Pastores ovium sunt servi tui, etiam nos, etiam patres, nostri.
4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
4. Et dixerunt ad Pharaonem, Ut peregrinaremur in hac terra, venimus, quia non est pascuum pecudibus, quae sunt servis tuis: gravis enim fames est in terra Chenaan: nunc igitur habitent quaeso servi tui in terra Gosen.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
5. Et dixit Pharao ad Joseph, dicendo, Pater tuus et fratres tui venerunt ad to.
6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
6. Terra Aegypti coram to est, in optimo terrae hujus habitare fac patrem tuum, et fratres tuos, habitent in terra Gosen. Et si cognoveris quod sint inter eos viri robusti, pones eos praefectos pecorum super ea quae sunt mihi.
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
7. Postea adduxit Joseph ipsum Jahacob patrem suum, et statuit eum coram Pharaone, et salutavit Jahacob ipsum Pharaonem.
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
8. Et dixit Pharao ad Jahacob, Quot sunt dies annorum vitae tuae?
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
9. Et dixit Jahacob ad Pharaonem, Dies annorum peregrinationum mearum sunt triginta et centum anni: pauci et mali fuerunt dies annorum vitae meae, et non attigerunt dies annorum vitae patrum meorum in diebus peregrinationum suarum.
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
10. Et salutavit Jahacob ipsum Pharaonem, et egressus est a facie Pharaonis.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
11. Et habitare fecit Joseph patrem suum et fratres suos, et dedit eis possessionem in terra Aegypti, in optimo terrae, in terra Rahameses, quemadmodum praeceperat Pharao.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
12. Et aluit Joseph patrem suum, et fratres suos, et omnem domum patris sui pane, usque ad os parvuli.
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by
13. At panis non erat in omni terra: gravis enim fames erat valde, et elanguit terra Aegypti et terra Chenaan propter famem. reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
14. Et collegit Joseph omnem peeuniam, quae inventa est in terra Chenaan pro alimento quod ipsi emebant; et intulit Joseph pecuniam in domum Pharaonis.
JOHN CALVIN
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
15. Et consumpta est pecunia e terra Aegypti, et e terra Chenaan: et venit omnis Aegyptus ad Joseph, dicendo, Da nobis panem: et utquid moriemur coram to? Defecit enim pecunia.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
16. Tune dixit Joseph, Date pecudes vestras, et dabo vobis pro pecudibus vestris, si defecit pecunia.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
17. Et adduxerunt pecudes suas ad Joseph, et dedit eis Joseph panem pro equis, et pro grege pecudum, et pro armento boum, et pro asinis: et sustentavit eos pane pro omnibus gregibus illorum anno ipso.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
18. Finitus vero est annus ipse, et venerunt ad eum anno secundo, et dixerunt ei, Non abscondemus a domino meo, quod integra pecunia, et grex jumentorum apud dominum meum: non remansit coram domino meo praeterquam corpus nostrum, et terra nostra.
19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
19. Utquid moriemur in oculis tuis, etiam nos, etiam terra nostra? Eme nos, et terram nostram pro pane, et vivemus nos et terra nostra servi Pharanois: da semen, et vivemus, et non moriemur, et terra non desolabitur.
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
20. Et emit Joseph omnem terram Aegypti pro Pharaone: vendiderunt enim Aegyptii unusquisque agrum suum, quia invaluerat super eos fames: et fuit terra ipsi Pharaoni.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
21. Et populum transire fecit ad urbes ab extremitate termini Aegypti usque ad extremitatem ejus.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
22. Tantummodo terram sacerdotum non emit, quia pars sacerdotibus erat a Pharaone, et comedebant partem suam, quam dederat eis Pharao: idcirco non vendiderunt terram suam.
23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow
23. Tunc dixit Joseph ad populum, Ecce, emi vos hodie, et terram vestram Pharaoni: ecce, vobis semen, et seretis terram. the land.
24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
24. Et erit, e frugibus dabitis quintam partem Pharaoni, et quatuor partes erunt vobis pro semine agri, et pro cibo vestro, et eorum qui sunt in domibus vestris, et ad comedendum pro parvulis vestris.
25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
25. Et dixerunt, Vivificasti nos: inveniamus gratiam in oculis domini mei, et erimus servi Pharaonis.