47
It is a very remarkable circumstance that the Hebrew word for divining is the same as that for serpent. In
heathen rites also the worship of the serpent was connected with magic; and in all this we recognize how all
false religion and sorcery is truly to be traced up to the "old serpent," which is Satan.
48
Thus we understand Genesis 30:41, 42. The spring-produce is supposed to be stronger than that of
autumn.
49
See the description in Canon Tristram's Land of Israel, pp. 470-563.
50
So the words are rendered by one of the ablest German critics.
51
So the words should be translated.
52
As Jacob was seventy-seven years old when he went into Mesopotamia, he must have been one hundred
and eight on his return to Hebron; while Isaac was at the time only one hundred and sixty-eight years old,
since Jacob was born in the sixtieth year of his father's age, as appears from Genesis 25:26. It is, however,
fair to add that Dr. Herald Browne proposes another chronology of Jacob's life (after Kennicott and
Horsley), which would make him twenty years younger, or fifty-seven years of age, at the time of his flight
to Padan-Aram. (See Bible Commentary, vol. 1. pp. 177, 178.)
53
Mr. R. S. Poole (in the article on Joseph, in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible) writes: "The richer classes
among the ancient Egyptians wore long dresses of white linen. The people of Palestine and Syria,
represented on the Egyptian monuments as enemies or tributaries, wore similar dresses, partly colored,
generally with a stripe round the skirts and the borders of the sleeves."
54
This is the literal translation.
55
Our quotation here is from the present writer's book on Elisha the Prophet, a Type of Christ (ch. 19 "an
Unseen Host," p. 225).
56
R. S. Poole, as above. We have here stated the ordinarily received view. But Canon Cook has urged strong
and, as it seems to us, convincing reasons for supposing that the sale of Joseph took place at the close of
the twelfth dynasty, or under the original Pharaohs, before the foreign domination of the Shepherd -kings
had commenced. The question will be fully discussed in the next vol. Meantime, the curious reader must be
referred to the essay on Egyptian History at the close of vol. 1 of The Speaker's Commentary.
57
R. S. Poole, as above.
58
Quite a similar Egyptian story exists, entitled "The Two Brothers," which has lately been translated. It
resembles so closely the Biblical account that we are disposed to regard it as at least founded upon the trial
of Joseph. Differing in this from Mr. Poole, we hold that the weig ht of evidence is in favor of the
supposition.
59
This is the literal translation.
60
This would not have been true of other countries. Thus, in Italy and Spain, women carry their loads on
their heads.
61
So the literal rendering.
62
"Meadow" in our Authorized Version, Genesis 41:2