the sacred Historian proceeds in the story he had begun in the 2d.

Verse 10. —“ shall I and thy mother." Joseph was certainly too young for such dreams as these, before his own mother's death, Leah therefore must be meant; the sole surviving wife; the mater familias therefore, though not Joseph's natural mother, and properly represented by the moon. Verse 23. -"feed the flock in Shechem." I imagine therefore, that Jacob removed not from Shalem to Bethel, till after Joseph was sold into Egypt.

CHAP. XXXViii. 24. -"he thought her to be an harlot, because she had covered her face." That she had covered her face could be no reason for thinking her a harlot. It would have been a much stronger ground for this suspicion had her face been uncovered. For it was the antient practice for all women to wear veils; and the loose part of the sex were the first who disused them. 66 Πρωτον μεν ἔξω σε πόλεως, και προσωπεία περικειμεναι, άι ἑταιραι ἐξεμισθουν “ ἑαυτας τοις βουλομενοις ἐιθ ̓ ὑστερον καταφρονήσασαι ἀπεσε Λεντοτα προσωπεία, και ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων μη επιτρεπομεναι

σε εἰσιεναι εἰς τας πόλεις, έξω ήσαν αὐτων πλειονος δε τῆς δια

66

στροφης γενομένης, ὁσημεραι ἐτόλμησαν και εἰς τας πόλεις σε εἰσελθειν. ταυτα δε Χρύσιππος φησιν ἐν τῇ περὶ Αγαθων

66

nas Kaxwv sioαywyn." Origen contra Cels. Lib. 4, p. 206. Observe that Tamar's covering seems to have been a veil, such as modest women used, not a mask; for Rebecca's veil is mentioned by the same word, Gen. xxiv. 65. Perhaps the place where she sat might be the ground of Judah's suspicion.

The LXX. have “ έδοξεν αὐτην πορνην εἶναι· κατεκαλύψατο γας το πρόσωπον αὐτης, και οὐκ ἐπεγνω αυτην.” Perhaps something answering to the words, "xai ovn ἐπεγνω αύτην,” has been accidentally lost out of the Hebrew text.

Verse 29.

"How hast thou broken forth! this breach be upon thee." Rather, "with thee be breaking forth. (See Parkhurst, y.)

CHAP. XXXIX. 11. "And it came to pass about this time, that". EyeVETO DE TOIαυτη τις ἡμερα, εἰσῆλθεν. The LXX. therefore understood, that by this phrase, a particular kind of day was denoted, on which the men-servants of the family were necessarily absent from the house. Hence, probably, Josephus took the hint to make the last at

tempt of Potiphar's wife upon Joseph's chastity to have been on a day of public religious festivity.

CHAP. xl. 4. "the captain of the guard." This captain of the guard should be Potiphar himself For Potiphar is styled Captain of the Guard, xxxvii. 36. And the Hebrew words, as well as the English, are the same in that place which are used here. The LXX., however, have άgxuaɣeigos in the former place, and άgxideoporns here. If the Hebrew text may be relied on, Potiphrar either still thought that Joseph might be trusted with every thing but his wife, or had detected the lady's treachery.

Verse 10.

"and it was as though it bud

ded." Rather, " and it was upon the point of putting forth its blossoms." The sense seems to be, that the butler in his dream saw the whole progress of the fruit. The vine at first appeared in the state of putting forth the buds of the blossom, the blossoms then appeared in full blow, the fruit set and ripened.

CHAP. xli. 15.

"that thou canst understand

a dream to interpret it ;" literally, "thou hearest a

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dream to interpret it," i. e. you no sooner hear a dream than you can interpret it."

Verse 16. -" it is not in me; God shall give."

Read, with Houbigant,

God can any one give, &c."

"Not without

Verse 27. —“shall be seven years of famine."

they are -שבע שנים הנה read יהיו שבע שני רעב For

seven years." (See Houbigant.)

Verse 34.

"and take up the fifth part.' vn, as a verb, signifies to set in order, and is properly applied to military array. Hence it may easily signify to lay a country out into districts, according to some fixed rule. This I take to be the meaning of it here. And this agrees well with "And let him lay out the land of Egypt in districts, during the seven years of the plenty."

what follows.

Verse 35. Between the words

and, I

would insert. (See v. 48.)

"And lay up corn

under the controul of Pharaoh, and lay up food in

the cities, and save it."

Verse 40.

"and, according unto thy word, shall all my people be ruled " Rather," and according to thy word shall all my people put themselves in motion." Ad os tuum discurret populus meus. (Houbigant.)

CHAP. xliii. 32, « Οὔτ ̓ ἀνης Αἰγυπτιος ούτε γυνη άνδρα

σε Έλληνα φιλήσειε ἀν τῷ στόματι, οὐδε μάχαιρα ἀνδρος Ελσε λήνος χρήσεται, οὐδ ̓ ὀβελοισι, οὐδε λεβητι, οὐδε κρέως

66

66

καθαρου βοος διατετμημένου Ελληνικη μαχαιρα γευσε

وو

ται. Herodot. Lib II. 41.

CHAP. xliv. 5. At the beginning of this verse, supply from the LXX., "wherefore have ye stolen my cup, the silver cup

ܙܕ

-" and whereby indeed he divineth?" Rather, “and he is making strict inquiry after it." (See Parkhurst, wn, and compare Houbigant ad locum.)

'

-"wot ye not that such a man as

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Verse 15. I can certainly divine?" Rather, were ye not aware that such a man as I would make strict inquiry?"

CHAP. xlv. 7. __" to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." The grammatical construction is not easily made out, unless the word n be taken in a very unusual sense, namely, not for the remnant preserved, but for the means of preserving it." To establish in the land the means of your preservation [to lay a sure foundation for it], and to save [me] alive for you, for a great deliverance." Ut vobis essem sospitatori magno.