Commentaires bibliques

21. the sons of Benjamin] The mention of Benjamin’s sons in a list purporting to be a record of those who came with Jacob into Egypt is of course irreconcilable with the narrative. But it illustrates the separate origin of these lists of names (connected with P) from the general narrative preserved by J and E. The difficulty experienced by the ordinary reader was possibly felt in very early times. The LXX gives Benjamin three sons, Bela, Chobor, and Ashbel; six grandsons, sons of Bela, viz. Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim; and one great-grandson, Ard, the son of Gera. If this list was the original form of the genealogy, it may have been modified, in order to get rid of the strange statement, that Benjamin’s grandsons and great-grandsons went down with Jacob into Egypt. Another version is given in Numbers 26:38-40.

Becher] In LXX Χόβωρ. Cf. 2 Samuel 20:1, Sheba, the Bichrite.

Gera] Omitted in Numbers 26. In Jdg 3:15 the “judge” Ehud, the Benjamite, is the son of Gera; and in 2 Samuel 16:5 Shimei, of the family of Saul, the Benjamite, is the son of Gera.

Ehi] In Numbers 26:38, Ahiram, omitting Rosh.

Muppim] In Numbers 26:39, Shephupham; in 1 Chronicles 7:12, Shuppim. Ehi, Rosh, Muppim are probably textual variations of Ahiram and Shephupham.

Ard] = 1 Chronicles 8:3, Addar. In Numbers 26:40 Naaman and Ard are “sons of Bela.”

23. sons] Only one name is given. No list of Danites appears in 1 Chronicles 2-8.

Hushim] In Numbers 26:42, Shuham. Hushim in 1 Chronicles 8:8 belongs to Benjamin.

26. souls that came with Jacob] The rendering of the margin, souls belonging to Jacob that came, is preferable. “With Jacob” (as LXX and Lat.) follows Genesis 46:7, but does not translate the Heb.

threescore and six] These and the words in the following verse before “threescore and ten” have the appearance of a gloss. In the preceding list the sons and daughters of Leah were thirty-three (Genesis 46:15), the sons of Zilpah sixteen (Genesis 46:18), the sons of Rachel fourteen (Genesis 46:22), and the sons of Bilhah seven (Genesis 46:25); the total of these is seventy. The number, therefore, of sixty-six must be regarded as the result of deducting four persons, presumably Er and Onan, and the “two souls born to Joseph in Egypt” (Genesis 46:20).

Note that “sixty-six” is just double that of Leah’s children, thirty-three. Another computation, excluding Er and Onan, and including Dinah, would make Leah’s children “thirty-two,” just double Zilpah’s.

27. threescore and ten] LXX gives “threescore and fifteen,” which is followed in Acts 7:14. The additional five persons were the three grandsons and two great-grandsons born to Joseph in Egypt. Cf. Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:28 ff.

The number “seventy” being a sacred number is secured, though at the cost of some adjustment.

28. Judah] Jacob selects Judah as the brother who would be most certain to have secured the affection of Joseph.

to shew the way … Goshen] The meaning is obscure. According to the English version, Judah was to act as an outrider, or advanced guard, to shew Jacob the route into Goshen. Another interpretation is “that he, Joseph, might give instructions to him, Judah,” before Jacob’s arrival. The versions represent a slightly different reading: Judah is sent ahead to arrange “that he (Joseph) should appear before (Sam., Syr. Pesh.), or ‘come to meet’ (LXX συναντῆσαι) him” (Jacob).

Goshen] See note on Genesis 45:10. The LXX here expands “Goshen” into “at Heroopolis into the land of Rameses” (καθʼ Ἡρώων πόλιν εἰς γῆν Ῥαμεσσῆ), probably a duplicate rendering; cf. Genesis 47:11.

Heroopolis (modern Tel el-Maskhuta) is the same as “Pithom,” a town at the eastern extremity of the Wady-el-Tumilat, built by the Israelites (Exodus 1:11) for the Pharaoh of the oppression, Rameses II.

28–34. Jacob’s Meeting with Joseph (J, E)

This passage follows upon Genesis 46:1-5.

29. wept] The description of the meeting between Joseph and Jacob is in accord with the general representation of Joseph’s warm and emotional nature. Cf. Genesis 45:1; Genesis 45:14. “A good while,” i.e. at first neither of them can speak.

31. go up] Joseph speaks of the residence of Pharaoh as a place to which he must “go up.” The metaphor is probably taken from the idea of ascent to the residence of royalty; cf. “high station,” “people of eminence.” The words contain no geographical significance in the sense of “up the Nile.”

32. the men are shepherds] These words are followed by what may be a gloss, “for they have been keepers of cattle” (probably drawn from Genesis 46:34). If not a gloss, “shepherds” must include herdsmen, and “cattle” be used here quite generally of flocks and herds. In Genesis 47:3 “thy servants are shepherds”: but in Genesis 47:6 Pharaoh makes them “rulers over my cattle.”