Part 25 (1/2)

37:24. And cast him into an old pit where there was not water.

37:25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

37:26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

37:27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

37:28. And when the Madianite merchants pa.s.sed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

37:29. And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy:

37:30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?

37:31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:

37:32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.

37:33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.

37:34. And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.

37:35. And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into h.e.l.l, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,

Into h.e.l.l... That is, into limbo, the place where the souls of the just were received before the death of our Redeemer. For allowing that the word h.e.l.l sometimes is taken for the grave, it cannot be so taken in this place; since Jacob did not believe his son to be in the grave, (whom he supposed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and therefore could not mean to go down to him thither: but certainly meant the place of rest where he believed his soul to be.

37:36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.

An eunuch... This word sometimes signifies a chamberlain, courtier, or officer of the king: and so it is taken in this place.

Genesis Chapter 38

The sons of Juda: the death of Her and Onan: the birth of Phares and Zara.

38:1. At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.

38:2. And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.

38:3. And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.

38:4. And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.

38:5. She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.

38:6. And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was Thamar.

38:7. And Her, the first born of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.

38:8. Juda, therefore, said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother's wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.

38:9. He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother's name.