32:8. Saying: If Esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other company that is left, shall escape.
32:9. And Jacob said: O God of my fahter Abraham, and God of my father Isaac: O Lord who saidst to me, Return to thy land, and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee.
32:10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.
32:11. Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him; lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children.
32:12. Thou didst say, that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which connot be numbered for multitude.
32:13. And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau,
32:14. Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
32:15. Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals.
32:16. And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove.
32:17. And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?
32:18. Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us.
32:19. In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.
32:20. And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.
32:21. So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.
32:22. And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc.
32:23. And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,
32:24. He remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till morning.
A man, etc... This was an angel in human shape, as we learn from Osee 12.4. He is called God, ver. 28 and 30, because he represented the person of the Son of God. This wrestling, in which Jacob, assisted by God, was a match for an angel, was so ordered (ver. 28,) that he might learn by this experiment of the divine assistance, that neither Esau, nor any other man, should have power to hurt him.-It was also spiritual, as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the angel's blessing.
32:25. And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.
32:26. And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
32:27. And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.
32:28. But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?
32:29. Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.
32:30. And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.
Phanuel... This word signifies the face of God, or the sight, or seeing of God.
32:31. And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.
32:32. Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.
Genesis Chapter 33
Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar.
33:1. And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids.
33:2. And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last.
33:3. And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near.
33:4. Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.
33:5. And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me, thy servant.
33:6. Then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed themselves.
33:7. Lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like manner; and last of all, Joseph and Rachel bowed down.
33:8. And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.
33:9. But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.
33:10. And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me,
33:11. And take the blessing which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him,
33:12. And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.
33:13. And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die.
33:14. May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir.
33:15. Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people, at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.
33:16. So Esau returned that day, the way that he came, to Seir.
33:17. And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents.
33:18. And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town.
33:19. And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem, for a hundred lambs.
33:20. And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.
Genesis Chapter 34
Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed.
34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.
34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin.
34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.
34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.
34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.
34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,
34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter.
34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:
34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters.
34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.
34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:
34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.
34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:
Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable.
34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable.
34:15. But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:
34:16. Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people:
34:17. But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart.
34:18. Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son:
34:19. And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house.
34:20. And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:
34:21. These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours.
34:22. One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.
34:23. And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people.
34:24. And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.
34:25. And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the men.
34:26. And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina out of Sichem's house.
34:27. And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.
34:28. And they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields.
34:29. And their children and wives they took captive.
34:30. And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my house shall be destroyed.
34:31. They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?
Genesis Chapter 35
Jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by God's commandment to Bethel, and there buildeth an altar. God appearing again to Jacob blesseth him, and changeth his name into Israel. Rachel dieth in childbirth. Isaac also dieth.
35:1. In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother.
35:2. And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments.
35:3. Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in my journey.
35:4. So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.
35:5. And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.
35:6. And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.
35:7. And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.
35:8. At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.
35:9. And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,
35:10. Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.
Israel... This name signifieth one that prevaileth with God.
35:11. And said to him: I am God almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.
35:12. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.
35:13. And he departed from him.
35:14. But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink fferings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:
35:15. And calling the name of that place Bethel.
35:16. And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,
35:17. By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.
35:18. And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.
35:19. So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.
35:20. And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.
35:21. Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.
35:22. And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
The concubine... She was his lawful wife; but, according to the style of the Hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction.
35:23. The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.
35:24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
35:25. The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephthali.
35:26. The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.
35:27. And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
35:28. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.
35:29. And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Genesis Chapter 36
Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his descendants, and of the first kings of Edom.
36:1. And these are the generations of Esau, the same is Edom.
36:2. Esau took wives of the daughters of Chanaan: Ada the daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon the Hevite:
Ada... These wives of Esau are called by other names, Gen. 26. But it was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons to have two names, as Esau himself was also called Edom.
36:3. And Basemath, the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth.
36:4. And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel.
36:5. Oolibama bore Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core. These are the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan.
36:6. And Esau took his wives, and his sons and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into another country, and departed from his brother Jacob.
36:7. For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks.
36:8. And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: he is Edom.
36:9. And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in mount Seir.
36:10. And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada, the wife of Esau: and Rahuel, the son of Basemath, his wife.
36:11. And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham and Cenez.
36:12. And Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau: and she bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada, the wife of Esau.
36:13. And the sons of Rahuel were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These were the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.
36:14. And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core.
36:15. These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez,
36:16. Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada.
36:17. And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.
36:18. And these the sons of Oolibama, the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, and wife of Esau.
36:19. These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is Edom.
36:20. These are the sons of Seir, the Horrite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana,
36:21. And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.
36:22. And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan was Thamna.
36:23. And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan, and Manahat, and Ebal, and Sepho, and Onam.
36:24. And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon, his father:
36:25. And he had a son Dison, and a daughter Oolibama.
36:26. And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and Jethram, and Charan.
36:27. These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan.
36:28. And Dison had sons: Hus and Aram.
36:29. These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana,
36:30. Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir.
36:31. And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children of Israel had a king, were these:
36:32. Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city Denaba.
36:33. And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zara, of Bosra, reigned in his stead.
36:34. And when Jobab was dead, Husam, of the land of the Themanites, reigned in his stead.
36:35. And after his death, Adad, the son of Badad, reigned in his stead, who defeated the Madianites in the country of Boab; and the name of his city was Avith.
36:36. And when Adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, Semla, of Masreca.
36:37. And he being dead, Saul, of the river Rohoboth, reigned in his stead.
36:38. And when he also was dead, Balanan, the son of Achobor, succeeded to the kingdom.
36:39. This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.
36:40. And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth,
36:41. Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon,
36:42. Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar,
36:43. Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their government; the same is Esau, the father of the Edomites.
Genesis Chapter 37
Joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt.
37:1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherein his father sojourned.
37:2. And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
37:4. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him.
37:5. Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
A dream... These dreams of Joseph were prophetical, and sent from God; as were also those which he interpreted, Gen. 40. and 41.; otherwise generally speaking, the observing of dreams is condemned in the Scripture, as superstitious and sinful. See Deut. 18.10; Eccli. 34.2,3.
37:6. And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
37:7. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf.
37:8. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
37:9. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
37:10. And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
Worship... This word is not used here to signify divine worship, but an inferior veneration, expressed by the bowing of the body, and that, according to the manner of the eastern nations, down to the ground.
37:11. His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
37:12. And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks,
37:13. Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
37:14. I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
37:15. And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
37:16. But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks.
37:17. And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
37:18. And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him:
37:19. And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
37:20. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
37:21. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
37:22. Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
37:23. And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
37:24. And cast him into an old pit where there was not water.
37:25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
37:26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
37:27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
37:28. And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
37:29. And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy:
37:30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?
37:31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
37:32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.
37:33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
37:34. And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
37:35. And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,
Into hell... That is, into limbo, the place where the souls of the just were received before the death of our Redeemer. For allowing that the word hell sometimes is taken for the grave, it cannot be so taken in this place; since Jacob did not believe his son to be in the grave, (whom he supposed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and therefore could not mean to go down to him thither: but certainly meant the place of rest where he believed his soul to be.
37:36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
An eunuch... This word sometimes signifies a chamberlain, courtier, or officer of the king: and so it is taken in this place.
Genesis Chapter 38
The sons of Juda: the death of Her and Onan: the birth of Phares and Zara.
38:1. At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.
38:2. And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.
38:3. And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.
38:4. And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.
38:5. She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
38:6. And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was Thamar.
38:7. And Her, the first born of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.
38:8. Juda, therefore, said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother's wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.
38:9. He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother's name.
38:10. And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing:
38:11. Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter-in-law: Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way, and dwelt in her father's house.
38:12. And after many days were past: the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite, the shepherd of his flock.
38:13. And it was told Thamar that her father-in-law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.
38:14. And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.
38:15. When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.
38:16. And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company?
38:17. He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give me a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest.
38:18. Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived.
38:19. And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.
38:20. And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,
38:21. Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,
38:22. He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover, the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there.
38:23. Juda said: Let her take it to herself, surely she cannot charge us with a lie, I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her.
38:24. And behold, after three months, they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt.
38:25. But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.
38:26. But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However he knew her no more.
38:27. And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:
38:28. This shall come forth the first.
38:29. But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares.
Phares... That is, a breach or division.
38:30. Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called his name Zara.
Genesis Chapter 39
Joseph hath charge of his master's house: rejecteth his mistress's solicitations: is falsely accused by her, and cast into prison, where he hath the charge of all the prisoners.
39:1. And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought.
39:2. And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master's house:
39:3. Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
39:4. And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him:
39:5. And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and multiplied all his substance, both at home and in the fields.
39:6. Neither knew he any other thing, but the bread which he ate. And Joseph was of a beautiful countenance, and comely to behold.
39:7. And after many days, his mistress cast her eyes on Joseph, and said: Lie with me.
39:8. But he in no wise consenting to that wicked act said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house:
39:9. Neither is there any thing which is not in my power, or that he hath not delivered to me, but thee, who art his wife; how then can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God?
39:10. With such words as these day by day, both the woman was importunate with the young man, and he refused the adultery.
39:11. Now it happened on a certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business, without any man with him:
39:12. And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out.
39:13. And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded,
39:14. She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me; and when I cried out,
39:15. And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got him out.
39:16. For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home:
A proof of her fidelity... or an argument to gain credit, argumentum fidei.
39:17. And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought, came to me to abuse me.
39:18. And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out.
39:19. His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife's words, was very angry,
39:20. And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king's prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up.
39:21. But the Lord was with Joseph, and having mercy upon him gave him favour in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison:
39:22. Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners that were kept in custody: and whatsoever was done, was under him.
39:23. Neither did he himself know any thing, having committed all things to him: for the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper.
Genesis Chapter 40
Joseph interpreteth the dreams of two of Pharao's servants in prison: the event declareth the interpretations to be true, but Joseph is forgotten.
40:1. After this, it came to pass, that two eunuchs, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, offended their lord.
40:2. And Pharao being angry with them, (now the one was chief butler, the other chief baker,)
40:3. He sent them to the prison of the commander of the soldiers, in which Joseph also was prisoner.
40:4. But the keeper of the prison delivered them to Joseph, and he served them. Some little time passed, and they were kept in custody.
40:5. And they both dreamed a dream the same night, according to the interpretation agreeing to themselves:
40:6. And when Joseph was come into them in the morning, and saw them sad,
40:7. He asked them, saying: Why is your countenance sadder today than usual?
40:8. They answered: We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody to interpret it to us. And Joseph said to them: Doth not interpretation belong to God? Tell me what you have dreamed:
Doth not interpretation belong to God?... When dreams are from God, as these were, the interpretation of them is a gift of God. But the generality of dreams are not of this sort; but either proceed from the natural complexions and dispositions of persons, or the roving of their imaginations in the day on such objects as they are much affected with, or from their mind being disturbed with cares and troubles, and oppressed with bodily infirmities: or they are suggested by evil spirits, to flatter, or to terrify weak minds, in order to gain belief, and so draw them into error or superstition; or at least to trouble them in their sleep, whom they cannot move when they are awake: so that the general rule, with regard to dreams, is not to observe them, nor to give any credit to them.
40:9. The chief butler first told his dream: I saw before me a vine,
40:10. On which were three branches, which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes:
40:11. And the cup of Pharao was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao.
40:12. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three branches, are yet three days:
40:13. After which Pharao will remember thy service, and will restore thee to thy former place: and thou shalt present him the cup according to thy office, as before thou was wont to do.
40:14. Only remember me when it shall be well with thee, and do me this kindness: to put Pharao in mind to take me out of this prison:
40:15. For I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here without any fault was cast into the dungeon.
40:16. The chief baker seeing that he had wisely interpreted the dream, said: I also dreamed a dream, That I had three baskets of meal upon my head:
40:17. And that in one basket which was uppermost, I carried all meats that are made by the art of baking, and that the birds ate out of it.
40:18. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of the dream: The three baskets, are yet three days:
40:19. After which Pharao will take thy head from thee, and hang thee on a cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh.
40:20. The third day after this was the birthday of Pharao: and he made a great feast for his servants, and at the banquet remembered the chief butler, and the chief baker.
40:21. And he restored the one to his place, to present him the cup:
40:22. The other he hanged on a gibbet, that the truth of the interpreter might be shewn.
40:23. But the chief butler, when things prospered with him, forgot his interpreter.
Genesis Chapter 41
Joseph interpreteth the two dreams of Pharao: he is made ruler over all Egypt.
41:1. After two years Pharao had a dream. He thought he stood by the river,
41:2. Out of which came up seven kine, very beautiful and fat: and they fed in marshy places.
41:3. Other seven also came up out of the river, ill favoured, and lean fleshed: and they fed on the very bank of the river, in green places:
41:4. And they devoured them, whose bodies were very beautiful and well conditioned. So Pharao awoke.
41:5. He slept again, and dreamed another dream: Seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk full and fair:
41:6. Then seven other ears sprung up thin and blasted,
41:7. And devoured all the beauty of the former. Pharao awaked after his rest:
41:8. And when morning was come, being struck with fear, he sent to all the interpreters of Egypt, and to all the wise men: and they being called for, he told them his dream, and there was not any one that could interpret it.
41:9. Then at length the chief butler remembering, said: I confess my sin:
41:10. The king being angry with his servants, commanded me and the chief baker to be cast into the prison of the captain of the soldiers.
41:11. Where in one night both of us dreamed a dream forboding things to come.
41:12. There was there a young man a Hebrew, servant to the same captain of the soldiers: to whom we told our dreams,
41:13. And we heard what afterwards the event of the thing proved to be so. For I was restored to my office: and he was hanged upon a gibbet.
41:14. Forthwith at the king's command Joseph was brought out of the prison, and they shaved him: and changing his apparel brought him in to him.
41:15. And he said to him: I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can expound them: Now I have heard that thou art very wise at interpreting them:
41:16. Joseph answered: Without me, God shall give Pharao a prosperous answer.
41:17. So Pharao told what he had dreamed: Methought I stood upon the bank of the river,
41:18. And seven kine came up out of the river, exceeding beautiful and full of flesh: and they grazed on green places in a marshy pasture.
41:19. And behold, there followed these, other seven kine, so very ill favoured and lean, that I never saw the like in the land of Egypt:
41:20. And they devoured and consumed the former,
41:21. And yet gave no mark of their being full: but were as lean and ill favoured as before. I awoke, and then fell asleep again,
41:22. And dreamed a dream: Seven ears of corn grew up upon one stalk, full and very fair.
41:23. Other seven also thin and blasted, sprung of the stalk:
41:24. And they devoured the beauty of the former: I told this dream to the conjecturers, and there is no man that can expound it.
41:25. Joseph answered: The king's dream is one: God hath shewn to Pharao what he is about to do.
41:26. The seven beautiful kine, and the seven full ears, are seven years of plenty: and both contain the same meaning of the dream.
41:27. And the seven lean and thin kine that came up after them, and the seven thin ears that were blasted with the burning wind, are seven years of famine to come:
41:28. Which shall be fulfilled in this order.
41:29. Behold, there shall come seven years of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt:
41:30. After which shall follow other seven years of so great scarcity, that all the abundance before shall be forgotten: for the famine shall consume all the land,
41:31. And the greatness of the scarcity shall destroy the greatness of the plenty.
41:32. And for that thou didst see the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing: it is a token of the certainty, and that the word of God cometh to pass, and is fulfilled speedily.
41:33. Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt:
41:34. That he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years,
41:35. That shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up, under Pharao's hands, and be reserved in the cities.
41:36. And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.
41:37. The counsel pleased Pharao, and all his servants.
41:38. And he said to them: Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of God?
41:39. He said therefore to Joseph: Seeing God hath shewn thee all that thou hast said, can I find one wiser and one like unto thee?
41:40. Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee.
41:41. And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
41:42. And he took his ring from his own hand, and gave it into his hand: and he put upon him a robe of silk, and put a chain of gold about his neck.
41:43. And he made him go up into his second chariot, the crier proclaiming that all should bow their knee before him, and that they should know he was made governor over the whole land of Egypt.
41:44. And the king said to Joseph: I am Pharao: without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
41:45. And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue the saviour of the world. And he gave him to wife Aseneth, the daughter of Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis. Then Joseph went out to the land of Egypt.
The saviour of the world... Zaphnah paaneah.
41:46. (Now he was thirty years old when he stood before king Pharao), and he went round all the countries of Egypt.
41:47. And the fruitfulness of the seven years came: and the corn being bound up into sheaves, was gathered together into the barns of Egypt.
41:48. And all the abundance of grain was laid up in every city.
41:49. And there was so great abundance of wheat, that it was equal to the sand of the sea, and the plenty exceeded measure.
41:50. And before the famine came, Joseph had two sons born: whom Aseneth, the daughter of Putiphare, priest of Heliopolis, bore unto him.
41:51. And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labours, and my father's house.
Manasses... That is, oblivion, or forgetting.
41:52. And he named the second Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.
Ephraim... That is, fruitful, or growing.
41:53. Now when the seven years of plenty that had been in Egypt were passed:
41:54. The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.
41:55. And when there also they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharao, for food. And he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that he shall say to you.
41:56. And the famine increased daily in all the land: and Joseph opened all the barns, and sold to the Egyptians: for the famine had oppressed them also.
41:57. And all provinces came into Egypt, to buy food, and to seek some relief of their want.
Genesis Chapter 42
Jacob sendeth his ten sons to buy corn in Egypt. Their treatment by Joseph.
42:1. And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are ye careless?
42:2. I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: Go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.
42:3. So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:
42:4. Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey.
42:5. And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan.
42:6. And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to him,
42:7. And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers, somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.
42:8. And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them.
42:9. And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the land.
You are spies... This he said by way of examining them, to see what they would answer.
42:10. But they said: It is not so, my lord; but thy servants are come to buy food.
42:11. We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil.
42:12. And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land.
42:13. But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living.
42:14. He saith, This is it that I said: You are spies.
42:15. I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao, you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come.
42:16. Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of Pharao you are spies.
Or else by the health of Pharao you are spies... That is, if these things you say be proved false, you are to be held for spies for your lying, and shall be treated as such. Joseph dealt in this manner with his brethren, to bring them by the means of affliction to a sense of their former sin, and a sincere repentance for it.
42:17. So he put them in prison three days.
42:18. And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God.
42:19. If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways, and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses.
42:20. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said.
42:21. And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.
42:22. And Ruben, one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy; and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.
42:23. And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.
42:24. And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning, he spoke to them.
42:25. And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man's money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.
42:26. But they having loaded their asses with the corn went their way.
42:27. And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack's mouth,
42:28. And said to his brethren: My money is given me again; behold it is in the sack. And they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: What is this that God hath done unto us?
42:29. And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying:
42:30. The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.
42:31. And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.
42:32. We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan.
42:33. And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways,
42:34. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will.
42:35. When they had told this, they poured out their corn, and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together,