Joseph informing his father of his brethren's faults. 5. and telling his dreams, 13. by them more hated. 13. being sent to visit them, 18. they first think to kill him, 26. but Judas' counsel led him to sell to the Ismaelites. 29. Wherefore Ruben 31. his father lamenteth supposing him to be slain by some wild beast. 36. He is sold again to Putiphar in Egypt.Ioseph informing his father of his brethrens faults. 5. and telling his dreames, 13. by them more hated. 13. being sent to visite them, 18. they first thinke to kil him, 26. but Iudas counsel led him to sel to the Ismaelites. 29. VVherefore Ruben 31. his father lamenteth supposing him to be slaine by some wild beast. 36. He is sold againe to Putiphar in Ægypt.
The seventh part of this book. How Joseph was sold into Egypt, and there advanced.
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherein his father sojourned.AND Iacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherin his father soiourned.Habitavit autem Jacob in terra Chanaan, in qua pater suus peregrinatus est.
2And these are his generations: Joseph when he was sixteen years old, fed the flock with his brethren being yet a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and Zelpha his father's wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.And these are his generations: Ioseph when he was sixten yeares old, fed the flock with his brethren being yet a boy: and he was with the sonnes of Bala and Zelpha his fathers wiues: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.Et hæ sunt generationes ejus : Joseph cum sedecim esset annorum, pascebat gregem cum fratribus suis adhuc puer : et erat cum filiis Balæ et Zelphæ uxorum patris sui : accusavitque fratres suos apud patrem crimine pessimo.
3And Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had begotten him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.And Israel loued Ioseph aboue al his sonnes, because he had begotten him in his old age: and he made him a coate of diuers colours.Israël autem diligebat Joseph super omnes filios suos, eo quod in senectute genuisset eum : fecitque ei tunicam polymitam.
4And his brethren seeing that he was loved of his father, more than all his sons, they hated him, neither could they speak any thing to him peaceably.And his brethren seing that he was loued of his father, more then al his sonnes, they hated him, neither could they speake any thing to him peaceably.Videntes autem fratres ejus quod a patre plus cunctis filiis amaretur, oderant eum, nec poterant ei quidquam pacifice loqui.
5It chanced also that he reported to his brethren a dream, that he had seen: which occasion was the seed of greater hatred.It chanced also that he reported to his brethren a dreame, that he had seene: which occasion was the seed of greater hatred.Accidit quoque ut visum somnium referret fratribus suis : quæ causa majoris odii seminarium fuit.
6And he said to them: Hear my dream which I have seen:And he said to them: Heare my dreame which I haue seene:Dixitque ad eos : Audite somnium meum quod vidi :
7I thought we bound sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about did bow down before, do homage to · Vulgate: adorare my sheaf.I thought we bounde sheaues in the field: and my sheafe arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaues standing about did adore my sheafe.putabam nos ligare manipulos in agro : et quasi consurgere manipulum meum, et stare, vestrosque manipulos circumstantes adorare manipulum meum.
8His brethren answered: What shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? This occasion of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to the envy and hatred.His brethren answered: What shalt thou be our king? or shal we be subiect to thy dominion? This occasion of his dreames and wordes ministred nourishment to the enuie and hatred.Responderunt fratres ejus : Numquid rex noster eris ? aut subjiciemur ditioni tuæ ? Hæc ergo causa somniorum atque sermonum, invidiæ et odii fomitem ministravit.
9He saw also another dream, which telling his brethren, he said: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars adore me.He sawe also an other dreame, which telling his brethren, he said: I sawe in a dreame, as it were the sunne, and the moone, and eleuen starres adore me.Aliud quoque vidit somnium, quod narrans fratribus, ait : Vidi per somnium, quasi solem, et lunam, et stellas undecim adorare me.
10Which when he had reported to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast seen? why shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren adore thee upon the earth?Which when he had reported to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dreame that thou hast seene? why shal I and thy mother, and thy brethren adore thee vpon the earth?Quod cum patri suo, et fratribus retulisset, increpavit eum pater suus, et dixit : Quid sibi vult hoc somnium quod vidisti ? num ego et mater tua, et fratres tui adorabimus te super terram ?
11His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.His brethren therfore enuyed him: but his father considered the thing with himselfe.Invidebant ei igitur fratres sui : pater vero rem tacitus considerabat.
12And when his brethren abode in Sichem, feeding their father's flocks,And when his brethren abode in Sichem, feeding their fathers flockes,Cumque fratres illius in pascendis gregibus patris morarentur in Sichem,
13Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. Who answering,Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed sheepe in Sichem: come, I wil send thee to them. Who answering,dixit ad eum Israël : Fratres tui pascunt oves in Sichimis : veni, mittam te ad eos. Quo respondente,
14I am ready; he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the sheep: and bring me word again what they do. Being sent therefore from the Vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:I am readie; he said to him: Goe, and see if al things be wel with thy brethren, and the sheepe: and bring me word againe what they doe. Being sent therfore from the Vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:Præsto sum, ait ei : Vade, et vide si cuncta prospera sint erga fratres tuos, et pecora : et renuntia mihi quid agatur. Missus de valle Hebron, venit in Sichem :
15and a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.and a man found him there wandring in the field, and asked what he sought.invenitque eum vir errantem in agro, et interrogavit quid quæreret.
16But he answered: I seek my brethren, shew me where they feed the flocks.But he answered: I seeke my brethren, shew me where they fede the flockes.At ille respondit : Fratres meos quæro : indica mihi ubi pascant greges.
17And the man said to him: They are departed from this place : for I heard them say : Let us go into Dothain. Joseph therefore went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.And the man said to him: They are departed from this place : for I heard them say : Let vs goe into Dothain. Ioseph therfore went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.Dixitque ei vir : Recesserunt de loco isto : audivi autem eos dicentes : Eamus in Dothain. Perrexit ergo Joseph post fratres suos, et invenit eos in Dothain.
18Who when they had seen him a far off, before he came nigh them, they devised to kill him:Who when they had seene him a farre of, before he came nighe them, they deuised to kil him:Qui cum vidissent eum procul, antequam accederet ad eos, cogitaverunt illum occidere :
19and spake among themselves: Behold the dreamer cometh,and spake among them selues: Behold the dreamer cometh,et mutuo loquebantur : Ecce somniator venit :
20come, let us kill him, and cast him into an old cistern: and we will say A wicked, evil · Vulgate: pessima wild beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams do profit him.come, let vs kil him, and cast him into an old cesterne: and we wil say A naughtie wild beast hath deuoured him: and then it shal appeare what his dreames doe profite him.venite, occidamus eum, et mittamus in cisternam veterem : dicemusque : Fera pessima devoravit eum : et tunc apparebit quid illi prosint somnia sua.
21And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:And Ruben hearing this, endeuored to deliuer him out of their hands, and said:Audiens autem hoc Ruben, nitebatur liberare eum de manibus eorum, et dicebat :
22Do not take away his life, neither shed ye blood: but cast him into this cistern, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: and he said this, desirous to deliver him out of their hands, and to restore him to his father.Do not take away his life, neyther shed ye blood: but cast him into this cesterne, that is in the wildernesse, and keepe your handes harmeles: and he said this, desirous to deliuer him out of their handes, and to restore him to his father.Non interficiatis animam ejus, nec effundatis sanguinem : sed projicite eum in cisternam hanc, quæ est in solitudine, manusque vestras servate innoxias : hoc autem dicebat, volens eripere eum de manibus eorum, et reddere patri suo.
23As soon therefore as he came unto his brethren, forthwith they stripped him out of his side long coat reaching to the feet · Vulgate: tunica talari, and of divers colours.As soone therfore as he came vnto his brethren, forthwith they stripped him out of his side coate, and of diuers colours.Confestim igitur ut pervenit ad fratres suos, nudaverunt eum tunica talari et polymita :
24And cast him into the old cistern, that had not water.And cast him into the old cesterne, that had not water.miseruntque eum in cisternam veterem, quæ non habebat aquam.
25And sitting to eat bread, they saw Ismaelites wayfaring men coming from Galaad, and their camels carrying spices, and rosin, resin · Vulgate: resina, and myrrh into Egypt.And sitting to eate bread, they saw Ismaelites wayfaring men coming from Galaad, and their camels carying spices, and rosen, and mirrh into Ægypt.Et sedentes ut comederent panem, viderunt Ismaëlitas viatores venire de Galaad, et camelos eorum portantes aromata, et resinam, et stacten in Ægyptum.
26Judas therefore said to his brethren: What availeth it us if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood?Iudas therfore said to his brethren: What auaileth it vs if we kil our brother, and conceale his bloode?Dixit ergo Judas fratribus suis : Quid nobis prodest si occiderimus fratrem nostrum, et celaverimus sanguinem ipsius ?
27It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not polluted: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren assented to his words.It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our handes be not polluted: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren assented to his wordes.melius est ut venundetur Ismaëlitis, et manus nostræ non polluantur : frater enim et caro nostra est. Acquieverunt fratres sermonibus illius.
28And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drawing him out of the cistern, sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, who brought him into Egypt.And when the Madianite marchants passed by, they drawing him out of the cesterne, sold him to the Ismaelites, for twentie peeces of siluer, who brought him into Ægypt.Et prætereuntibus Madianitis negotiatoribus, extrahentes eum de cisterna, vendiderunt eum Ismaëlitis, viginti argenteis : qui duxerunt eum in Ægyptum.
29And Ruben returning to the cistern, findeth not the boy:And Ruben returning to the cesterne, findeth not the boy:Reversusque Ruben ad cisternam, non invenit puerum :
30and tearing, rending, not leasing · Vulgate: scissis his garments went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?and renting his garments went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appeare, and whither shal I goe?et scissis vestibus pergens ad fratres suos, ait : Puer non comparet, et ego quo ibo ?
31And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:And they tooke his coate, and dipped it in the blood of a kidde, which they had killed:Tulerunt autem tunicam ejus, et in sanguine hædi, quem occiderant, tinxerunt :
32sending some that should carry it to their father, and should say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or no.sending some that should carie it to their father, and should say: This we haue founde: see whether it be thy sonnes coate, or no.mittentes qui ferrent ad patrem, et dicerent : Hanc invenimus : vide utrum tunica filii tui sit, an non.
33Which when the father acknowledged, he said: It is my son's coat, a naughty wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.Which when the father acknowledged, he said: It is my sonnes coate, a naughtie wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath deuoured Ioseph.Quam cum agnovisset pater, ait : Tunica filii mei est : fera pessima comedit eum, bestia devoravit Joseph.
34And tearing his garments, did put on · Vulgate: indutus est sackcloth, mourning his son a great time.And tearing his garments, did on sackcloth, mourning his sonne a great time.Scissisque vestibus, indutus est cilicio, lugens filium suum multo tempore.
35And all his children being gathered together to assuage their father's sorrow, he would not take comfort, but said: I will descend unto my son into Vulgate: infernum: the limbus patrum / abode of the just dead, not the hell of the damned, mourning. And whilst he persevered in weeping,And al his children being gethered together to aswage their fathers sorowe, he would not take comforte, but said: I wil descend vnto my sonne into hel, mourning. And whilest he perseuered in weeping,Congregatis autem cunctis liberis ejus ut lenirent dolorem patris, noluit consolationem accipere, sed ait : Descendam ad filium meum lugens in infernum. Et illo perseverante in fletu,
36the Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar an a court officer, chamberlain · Vulgate: eunuchus of Pharao's, master of the Vulgate: magister militum: captain of the guard.the Madianites sold Ioseph in Ægypt to Putiphar an Eunuch of Pharoes maister of the souldiars.Madianitæ vendiderunt Joseph in Ægypto Putiphari eunucho Pharaonis, magistro militum.
Annotations
37:3In his old age. This being one cause why Jacob loved Joseph above all his other sons, for that he was the youngest of the eleven (for Benjamin the twelfth was yet an infant) it is alleged in holy Scripture (saith St. Chrysostom Epist. ad Olympiam) as least offensive to his brethren. For a more special cause was for his mother Rachel's sake, but the most principal cause of all was for his great virtues, and mature judgement; for which God also preferred him above them all, and now foreshowed the same by visions in sleep. Which they, envying and meaning to prevent, did indeed unwitting co-operate thereto, God's providence turning their evil work to infinite good. As the same holy Joseph truly interpreteth it to them after their father's death, when they justly feared revenge for so great and inhuman injuries done unto him (chap. 50. v. 20.).
37:35Into hell, mourning. Protestants, denying more places for souls after this life than Heaven for the just and Hell for the wicked, translate the Hebrew word sheol, grave for hell: because if they should grant that Jacob, or other holy fathers of the old Testament descended into hell, they must confess some other hell than where the damned are tormented, whither no Christian will say that those fathers went. If they contended only about the sense and meaning of the text, it were more tolerable, for therein they speak according to their erroneous opinion, as they think. But knowing, as some of them do, that Hell is the true word of the text, there is no sincerity nor moral honesty in putting grave in place thereof. And that they know it, the second table of the Bible printed at London 1602 witnesseth, noting for a common place, that in this chapter of Genesis (v. 35.) Hell is taken for grave: thereby confessing that the true English word of the holy Scripture in that place is Hell, but that they would have it to signify grave. Whereupon any reasonable man would think to find the word Hell in the text, with some gloss to show that grave were to be understood. But in all their Editions, also in that which was printed the year next following, 1603, whereto the same table is adjoined, they read grave, and not hell in that place; though in some other places they much disagree in translating the same word. As for the sense, it cannot be that Jacob meant the grave: for when he said he would go to his son, he supposed him to be devoured by a wild beast, and not buried in a grave; and therefore must necessarily mean that he would go where he thought the soul of his son to be. Which was neither in heaven, for then he would rather have ascended thither joyful, than descended to any place mourning; neither did he mean the hell of the damned, for that had been desperation; but a low place where the just souls then remained in rest, which was called Limbus Patrum, or Abraham's bosom. That is, saith St. Augustine in his answer to Bishop Evodius (Epist. 99.), secreta cuiusdam quietis habitatio, the habitation of a certain secret rest.