Chuàngshìjì 50

1 Yūesè fú zaì tā fùqin de miàn shàng āikū , yǔ tā qīnzuǐ.

2 Yūesè fēnfu cìhou tāde yīshēng yòng xiāngliào xūn tā fùqin , yīshēng jiù yòng xiāngliào xūn le Yǐsèliè .

3 Xūn shī de chánglì shì sì shí tiān . nà sì shí tiān mǎn le , Āijí rén wèi tā āikū le qī shí tiān .

4 Wèi tā āikū de rìzi guò le , Yūesè duì fǎlǎo jiā zhōng de rén shuō , wǒ ruò zaì nǐmen yǎnqián mĕng ēn , qǐng nǐmen bàogào fǎlǎo shuō ,

5 Wǒ fùqin yào sǐ de shíhou jiào wǒ qǐshì shuō , nǐ yào jiāng wǒ zàng zaì Jiānán dì , zaì wǒ wèi zìjǐ suǒ jué de fùnmù lǐ . xiànzaì qiú nǐ ràng wǒ shàng qù zàng wǒ fùqin , yǐhòu wǒ bì huí lái .

6 Fǎlǎo shuō , nǐ kĕyǐ shàng qù , zhào zhe nǐ fùqin jiào nǐ qǐ de shì , jiāng tā zàng mái .

7 Yúshì Yūesè shàng qù zàng tā fùqin . yǔ tā yītóng shàng qù de , yǒu fǎlǎo de chénpú hé fǎlǎo jiā zhōng de zhǎnglǎo , bìng Āijí guó de zhǎnglǎo ,

8 Hái yǒu Yūesè de quán jiā hé tāde dìxiōng men , bìng tā fùqin de juànshǔ . zhǐyǒu tāmende fùrén háizi , hé yáng qún niú qún , dōu liú zaì Gēshān dì .

9 Yòu yǒu chēliàng mǎ bīng , hé tā yītóng shàng qù . nà yìbāng rén shèn duō .

10 Tāmen dào le Yuēdànhé waì , Yàdá de hécháng , jiù zaì nàli dàdà dì haótaó tòngkū . Yūesè wèi tā fùqin āikū le qī tiān .

11 Jiānán de jūmín jiàn Yàdá hécháng shàng de āikū , jiù shuō , zhè shì Āijí rén yī cháng dà de āikū . yīncǐ nà dìfang míng jiào YàbóMaìxī , shì zaì Yuēdànhé dōng .

12 Yǎgè de érzi men jiù zūn zhe tā fùqin suǒ fēnfu de bàn le ,

13 Bǎ tā bān dào Jiānán dì , zàng zaì Mànlì qián , Maìbǐlā tiánjiān de dòng lǐ . nà dòng hé tián shì Yàbólāhǎn xiàng Hèrén Yǐfúlún mǎi lái wéi yè , zuò fùndì de .

14 Yūesè zàng le tā fùqin yǐhòu , jiù hé zhòng dìxiōng , bìng yīqiè tóng tā shàng qù zàng tā fùqin de rén , dōu huí Āijí qù le .

15 Yūesè de gēge men jiàn fùqin sǐ le , jiù shuō , huòzhĕ Yūesè huáihèn wǒmen , zhào zhe wǒmen cóng qián daì tā yīqiè de è zú zú dì bàofù wǒmen .

16 Tāmen jiù dǎfa rén qù jiàn Yūesè , shuō , nǐ fùqin wèi sǐ yǐ xiān fēnfu shuō ,

17 Nǐmen yào duì Yūesè zhèyàng shuō , cóng qián nǐ gēge men è daì nǐ , qiú nǐ raóshù tāmende guò fàn hé zuìè . rújīn qiú nǐ raóshù nǐ fùqin shén zhī púrén de guò fàn . tāmen duì Yūesè shuō zhè huà , Yūesè jiù kū le .

18 Tāde gēge men yòu lái fǔfú zaì tā miànqián , shuō , wǒmen shì nǐde púrén .

19 Yūesè duì tāmen shuō , búyào haìpà , wǒ qǐnéng daìtì shén ne .

20 Cóng qián nǐmen de yìsi shì yào haì wǒ , dàn shén de yìsi yuán shì hǎo de , yào bǎoquán xǔduō rén de xìngméng , chéngjiù jīnrì de guāngjǐng .

21 Xiànzaì nǐmen búyào haìpà , wǒ bì yǎnghuo nǐmen hé nǐmen de fùrén háizi . yúshì Yūesè yòng qīnaì de huà ānwèi tāmen .

22 Yūesè hé tā fùqin de juànshǔ dōu zhù zaì Āijí . Yūesè huó le yī bǎi yī shí suì .

23 Yūesè de jiàn Yǐfǎlián dì sān daì de zǐsūn . Mǎnáxī de sūnzi , Machir de érzi yĕ yǎng zaì Yūesè de xī shàng .

24 Yūesè duì tā dìxiōng men shuō , wǒ yào sǐ le , dàn shén bìdéng kàn gù nǐmen , lǐng nǐmen cóng zhè dì shàng qù , dào tā qǐshì suǒ yīngxǔ gĕi Yàbólāhǎn , Yǐsā , Yǎgè zhī dì .

25 Yūesè jiào Yǐsèliè de zǐsūn qǐshì shuō , shén bìdéng kàn gù nǐmen . nǐmen yào bǎ wǒde háigǔ cóng zhèlǐ bān shàng qù .

26 Yūesè sǐ le , zhèng yī bǎi yī shí suì . rén yòng xiāngliào jiāng tā xūn le , bǎ tā shōuliàn zaì guāncai lǐ , tíng zaì Āijí .

Chuàngshìjì 50 Commentary

Chapter 50

The mourning for Jacob. (1-6) His funeral. (7-14) Joseph's brethren crave his pardon, He comforts them. (15-21) Joseph's direction concerning his bones, His death. (22-26)

Verses 1-6 Though pious relatives and friends have lived to a good old age, and we are confident they are gone to glory, yet we may regret our own loss, and pay respect to their memory by lamenting them. Grace does not destroy, but it purifies, moderates, and regulates natural affection. The departed soul is out of the reach of any tokens of our affection; but it is proper to show respect to the body, of which we look for a glorious and joyful resurrection, whatever may become of its remains in this world. Thus Joseph showed his faith in God, and love to his father. He ordered the body to be embalmed, or wrapped up with spices, to preserve it. See how vile our bodies are, when the soul has forsaken them; they will in a very little time become noisome, and offensive.

Verses 7-14 Jacob's body was attended, not only by his own family, but by the great men of Egypt. Now that they were better acquainted with the Hebrews, they began to respect them. Professors of religion should endeavour by wisdom and love to remove the prejudices many have against them. Standers-by took notice of it as a grievous mourning. The death of good men is a loss to any place, and ought to be greatly lamented.

Verses 15-21 Various motives might cause the sons of Jacob to continue in Egypt, notwithstanding the prophetic vision Abraham had of their bondage there. Judging of Joseph from the general temper of human nature, they thought he would now avenge himself on those who hated and injured him without cause. Not being able to resist, or to flee away, they attempted to soften him by humbling themselves. They pleaded with him as the servants of Jacob's God. Joseph was much affected at seeing this complete fulfilment of his dreams. He directs them not to fear him, but to fear God; to humble themselves before the Lord, and to seek the Divine forgiveness. He assures them of his own kindness to them. See what an excellent spirit Joseph was of, and learn of him to render good for evil. He comforted them, and, to banish all their fears, he spake kindly to them. Broken spirits must be bound up and encouraged. Those we love and forgive, we must not only do well for, but speak kindly to.

Verses 22-26 Joseph having honoured his father, his days were long in the land, which, for the present, God had given him. When he saw his death approaching, he comforted his brethren with the assurance of their return to Canaan in due time. We must comfort others with the same comforts with which we have been comforted of God, and encourage them to rest on the promises which are our support. For a confession of his own faith, and a confirmation of theirs, he charges them to keep his remains unburied till that glorious day, when they should be settled in the land of promise. Thus Joseph, by faith in the doctrine of the resurrection, and the promise of Canaan, gave commandment concerning his bones. This would keep up their expectation of a speedy departure from Egypt, and keep Canaan continually in their minds. This would also attach Joseph's posterity to their brethren. The death, as well as the life of this eminent saint, was truly excellent; both furnish us with strong encouragement to persevere in the service of God. How happy to set our early in the heavenly race, to continue stedfastly, and to finish the course with joy! This Joseph did, this we also may do. Even when the pains of death are upon us, if we have trusted in Him upon whom the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles depended, we need not fear to say, "My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 50

This chapter contains a short account of what happened from the death of Jacob to the death of Joseph, and is chiefly concerned with the funeral of Jacob; it first gives an account how Joseph was affected with his father's death, of his orders to the physicians to embalm him, and of the time of their embalming him, and of the Egyptians mourning for him, Ge 50:1-3, next of his request to Pharaoh to give him leave to go and bury his father in Canaan, and his grant of it, Ge 50:4-6 and then of the grand funeral procession thither, the mourning made for Jacob, and his interment according to his orders, Ge 50:7-13 upon the return of Joseph and his brethren to Egypt, they fearing his resentment of their former usage of him, entreat him to forgive them; which they said they did at the direction of their father, to which Joseph readily agreed, and comforted them, and spoke kindly to them, and bid them not fear any hurt from him, for whatever were their intention, God meant it, and had overruled it for good, Ge 50:14-21 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Joseph's age and death, and of his posterity he saw before his death, and of the charge he gave to his brethren to carry his bones with them, when they should depart from Egypt, Ge 50:22-26.