The family of Jacob now in Egypt numbered seventy persons, including Ephraim (fruitfulness), and Manasseh (one who causes to forget), the two sons of Joseph by his wife Asenath. All these, with the exception of Joseph and his sons, were settled "in the best of the land, in the land of Goshen," or, Rameses, probably in a fertile and agreeable district on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile,-where they were well provided with all things necessary for their sustenance and comfort; some members of the family being honourably entrusted with the charge of Pharaoh's cattle. It was expedient that the Israelites should thus dwell apart from the Egyptians; so that they might not give offence by the observance of their more pure religion; and also in the order of Divine Providence, that they might be ready, in due time, to quit Egypt in a body, when they should be finally called to take possession of Canaan. And here it may be worthy of remark, that, in what may be called the natural course of events, if the Israelites had not been thus transported into Egypt, they would either have made matrimonial alliances among the Canaanites, and would have become involved in their idolatry, or, if they had resisted all overtures of amalgamation, and had made a struggle for the preservation of their religion, they would have been overcome and exterminated. At the same time, the civilisation of Egypt made it fit to be the cradle of the rising nation; while the antipathy of the Egyptians to strangers prevented them from absorbing the new people into their own body. And accordingly we must regard the descent of Jacob into Egypt as a new era in the progress of Redemption.

Jacob, after having lived seventeen years in Egypt, found himself drawing near to the end of his mortal pilgrimage. At this solemn season, he adopted the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, and gave them the patriarchal benediction, setting Ephraim (the younger) before Manasseh. He then uttered a prophetic announcement of the future history and relations of his descendants; charging his sons in general, as he had already charged Joseph in particular, not to bury him in Egypt, but to convey his remains to the family burying-place, the cave of Machpelah, which already contained those of Abraham and Sarah ; -a charge which we can rightly regard only as an expression of the patriarch's faith in the promise that his posterity should possess the land of Canaan.

Having attained the age of 147 years Jacob died (B. c. 1689). His corpse was embalmed by the family physicians* in Egypt; * See Herodotus, ii. 84., iii. 1, 129.

and, his memory having been honoured by a mourning which lasted seventy days, his remains were conducted, in a solemn funeral procession*, to the cave of Machpelah. After this Joseph continued to protect his brethren and their families in Egypt; having calmed their rising fears by that memorable saying, "As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good;' -a saying, as it has been well observed, which involves a large portion of the true philosophy of this world's history. At length, after having lived to see his own grandchildren, this patriarch died (B. c. 1635) at the age of 110 years; having first taken "an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." "And they embalmed him; and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." Thus ends the history of the book of Genesis. The histories of both Jacob and Joseph are distinguished by numerous instances of God's watchful and tender care of His people, alike in prosperity and in adversity. And they are especially remarkable as a portion of the Divine dealings with regard to the preservation of Abraham's family, and the accomplishment of God's gracious designs in favour of the Church. Jacob also, shortly before his death, delivered a prophecy which declared that the promised Deliverer, hitherto restricted only to the line of Isaac, should spring from the tribe of Judah. (Shiloh; Gen. xlix. 8-10.)

The death of Jacob marks the close of a period in the history of God's ancient people, which has been compared, in its bearings, to the heroic age of Greece. Abraham had now furnished a signal example of faith, especially as resulting in devout obedience to the Divine commands, in self-devotion and sacrifice, with trust in the Divine promises; Isaac, of faith leading to meek submission, and the ordinary duties of a tranquil life; Jacob, of the same faith, specially distinguished by prayer and patience; and Joseph, of faith, preserving man's godliness and virtue under trying circumstances, and rewarded with the special care and bounty of Divine Providence.† And all these things were vividly impressed on the memory of the early generations of their descendants, with a powerful tendency to form the character of the members of a growing tribe. But more than this. The age of Joseph was a period of transition in the history of his people. Joseph himself was largely

*The narrative of this funeral in Genesis has been well described as really far more pathetic and sublime than Virgil's elaborate description of the obsequies of Marcellus in the Æneid.

For a Concise View of the Religion of the Patriarchal Times, see Horne's Introduction to the Holy Scriptures, vol. i. ch. v. sect. 1. § 1.

mixed up with social affairs, and identified with the common interests of humanity; and it was his mission, as a statesman, to promote the designs of the Most High, in assisting the early development of his tribe into a nation, a nation which should acknowledge God for its king, the policy of which should be religion, while its spirit or characteristic should be faith in the national covenant promise.

We may also regard the life of Joseph as presenting an historico-prophetical symbol (i. e. an historic type) of Christ,the Holy One of God, rejected and persecuted by His brethren after the flesh, but afterwards exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high,- the merciful receiver of humble penitents, the dispenser of the Bread of Life, who, although not without the exercise of salutary discipline, becomes the deliverer and benefactor of His people. This significance of the patriarch's history was probably not discernible by his contemporaries; but it may be profitably recognised from the point of view which we now occupy.

ELEMENTARY AND GENERAL QUESTIONS.

147. Who was Joseph ?

148. How did he become an object of jealousy to his brethren?

149. Relate the circumstances connected with the sale of Joseph into Egypt.

150. What was the beginning of his prosperity in that country? 151. How did he resist temptation?

152. State the result of his unjust imprisonment.

153. How did Joseph provide against the approaching years of famine ?

154. Relate the events connected with the first visit of Joseph's brethren to Egypt.

155. Describe their second visit, and its attendant circumstances. 156. Narrate the removal of Jacob and his family to Egypt.

157. Where were they settled? and what was their social position? 158. Who were Ephraim and Manasseh?

159. How old was Jacob at his death? Where was he buried?

160. How old was Joseph at his death? What promise did he exact respecting his remains?

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.

161. Narrate the dreams recorded in the history of Joseph.

162. Describe those Egyptian manners and customs which appear in connection with this history.

163. What great end was promoted by the removal of Jacob and his family to Egypt, and how?

164. State some leading characteristics of the histories of Jacob and Joseph.- How does Joseph appear as a type of Christ?

165. Describe that period in the history of the Israelites which may be dated at the age of Joseph.

166. State the meanings of- Zaphnath-Paaneah, — Ephraim, — Manasseh.

167. Date the following events: -sale of Joseph into Egypt; his exaltation; arrival of Jacob in Egypt; death of Jacob; death of Joseph.

CHAPTER XI.

(FOUNDATION OF THE THEOCRACY).-BIRTH AND MISSION OF MOSES. THE PLAGUES OF Egypt.

(Exod. i.-xii. 36.)

AFTER the death of Joseph, the Israelites increased rapidly in numbers, and peopled the land of Goshen, where, under God's blessing, they lived in great prosperity. At length, however, in the order of the Divine dispensations, they were called to suffer a great reverse in their condition. "There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph;" that is to say, a new dynasty was established, the representatives of which set no value upon the past services of this ancient member of the Hebrew race. Some modern writers suppose that this new dynasty consisted of the Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, the heads of a Phoenician (or Arabian) pastoral race, who made a successful invasion of Egypt, and held supreme power in that country for a considerable time. Others, however, assign to this dynasty an earlier date, regarding it as contemporary with Abraham, and as having been finally expelled before the time of Joseph (a date, however, which appears to be too early); while, again, others suppose that it was under the protection of these Shepherd Kings that Joseph lived, and the people were multiplied in Goshen. In accordance with these latter views, it has been thought that the new dynasty, under which the oppression of the Israelites began, was one which commenced with the accession of a king from Upper Egypt. But, be this as it may, certain it is that the new sovereign regarded the existing generation of Israelites with jealousy, dreading a revolt, or even expecting to find them engaged in formidable alliance with some of the enemies of Egypt. He resolved, therefore, to crush their power; and with this view he reduced them to a state of slavery, charging them with forced field-labour, the manufacture of sun-dried bricks, and hard service in the erection of public buildings.* The exact duration of this state of

* "The Egyptians were notorious for their inhospitality and aversion to strangers. See Diod. Sic. i. 56.; Plin. H. N. xxx. 15. Even Homer describes the cruelty of the Egyptians against strangers, whom they either killed, or preserved alive in order to use them for slavish works.

See

things is unknown; but it has been thought probable that the oppression lasted, with greater or less severity, about a century. Under these circumstances the Israelites "built for Pharaoh treasure cities (store cities), Pithom and Raamses *, situate somewhere in Lower Egypt, on the east of the Nile. Still, however, the Hebrew population continued to increase; and the king then had recourse to the cruel expedient of endeavouring to procure by stealth the destruction of all their male children at the time of birth; in pursuance of which plan he issued an edict requiring that these infants should be drowned in the Nile.

In these times of affliction and danger, Jochebed (God-glorified), the wife of Amram (a high people), of the tribe of Levi (Exod. vi. 20.),- who was already the mother of two elder children, Aaron (of uncertain meaning) and Miriam (bitterness), -gave birth to a son (B. c. 1571) whom God designed to employ as the leading instrument of His power in the future deliverance of Israel. For the space of three months Jochebed succeeded in concealing the child; but at length, finding concealment no longer possible, having prepared an ark, or strong basket, of bulrushes (more properly, perhaps, marsh rushes †), and daubed it with bitumen (within), and pitch (without), she placed the child in this frail vessel, and laid it in the flags (more properly, in a bed of rushes or reeds §) on the margin of the river, thus

Od. xiv. 272., xvii. 441.". Commentary on Exodus i. 10., by Dr. Kalisch, a learned Jew.

* Pithom was probably the city which Herodotus (ii. 158.) calls Patumos, the Arabian city. Raamses lay perhaps somewhere to the northeast of Heliopolis. From the Septuagint version of Gen. xlvi. 28, 29. some conclude that Raamses was Heroopolis; but there is no proof of this. See more in Kalisch on Exodus, i. 11., from which note I'extract the following remark: "The tyrant of Egypt hoped to annihilate, by unremitting exertions and breathless labour, the energies and self-respect of the Israelites, so completely, that they would neither have the courage, nor the desire, nor the leisure, for planning schemes of deliverance.. From a similar principle Tarquinius Superbus constantly occupied the plebeians with the construction of trenches and sewers.' (Liv. i. 56.) See also Aristotle, Polit. v. 11.

+ Especially, papyrus Nilotica, which the Egyptians used as a material for shoes, baskets, and various other utensils, especially boats; Plin. H. N. xiii. 21-26.; comp. Isa. xviii. 2. The inner rind was used as a material for writing on; hence our word "paper."

Concerning bitumen, see Herodotus, i. 179.; Joseph. Antiq. i. 4.; Plin. H. N. xxxv. 51.; Vitruv. viii. 3.

§ Alga Nilotica, called by the Egyptians Sari, described by Plin. H.N. xiii. 23.; a rush, reed, sea-grass, sea-weed, from which the Red Sea takes its name in Hebrew, Sea of Rushes or Weeds. See more in Kalisch on Exodus ii. 3.