“And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.”
That the king might be assured they were come, and see what manner of people they were.
“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.”
Joseph’s great modesty appeareth in that he would enterprise nothing without the king’s commandment.
“And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? How: Heb. How many are the days of the years of thy life?”
Hebrew, how many days are the years of thy life?
“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.”
Cross references: : Heb. 11:9 , 13
“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.”
Which was a city in the country of Goshen, Exod. 1:11 .
“And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. according: or, as a little child is nourished: Heb. according to the little ones”
Some read, that he fed them as little babes, because they could not provide for themselves against that famine.
“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 reason of the famine.”
Hebrew, brought to an extremity , or at their wit’s end .
“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.”
Wherein he both declareth his fidelity toward the King, and his mind free from covetousness.
“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.”
For except the ground be tilled and sown, it perisheth, and is as it were dead.
“And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.”
Hebrew, end of the border . By this changing they signified that they had nothing of their own, but received all of the king’s liberality.
“And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. priests: or, princes”
Pharaoh in providing for Idolatrous priests, shall be a condemnation to all them which neglect the true ministers of God’s word.
“But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.”
Hereby he protested that he died in the faith of his fathers, teaching his children to hope for the promised land.
“And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.”
He rejoiced that Joseph had promised him, and setting himself up upon his pillow, praised God. Read 1 Chron. 29:10 .