Genesis 48:1
_Sick. Worse than when he was with him before. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sick. Worse than when he was with him before. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strengthened: with the thought of seeing this beloved son, and also with the prophetic spirit (Menochius) of God, which filled him with joy, &c, Galatians v. 22. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Possession. He makes mention of this first vision of God to him, to shew that he had a right to Chanaan, and to adopt the two children of Joseph, who were each to have as much as his own children. (Haydock) --- Jacob's posterity enjoyed that land till the Messias came, with some few interruptions.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mine, by adoption; and shall be heads of their respective tribes. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thine. They shall not claim the same prerogative: they shall live among their brethren, Ephraim and Manasses. We read not that Joseph had any other children besides these two. (Calmet) --- The double portion, or the birth-right, was thus transferred from Ruben to Joseph. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For when, &c. Hebrew, "as for me." Do not wonder that I should so earnestly desire to be laid in the tomb of Mambre, whereas your mother was buried at Ephrata. I was in a manner forced to bury her there, by the heat of the weather, (Menochius) and the confusion to which my family was then exposed,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Deprived. Hebrew, "I did not expect; or, I durst not pray " to God for a thing which I thought impossible; I mean, the happiness of seeing thee; and lo, God, &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lap, ( gremio, breast,) after Jacob had embraced them; or from between his knees, where they knelt to receive his blessing. --- Bowed down, out of reverence to his father, and to beg of God that he would put words of comfort into the mouth of his father, on this solemn and important occasion. Then,... [ Continue Reading ]
Changing. Hebrew, "making his hands intelligent;" or giving to understand, by forming a cross with his extended hands, that he had some particular reason for so doing. (Haydock) --- By the preference given to Ephraim, he forshewed his royal dignity, in giving kings to the ten tribes, (Eusebius) and... [ Continue Reading ]
_The angel guardian, who, by God's ordinance, has ever protected me, continue his kind attention towards these my grand-children. It is not probably that he, who was called God before, should now be styled an angel, as some Protestants would have us believe. (Haydock) --- St. Basil (contra Eunom. ii... [ Continue Reading ]
_Displeased; ( graviter accepit,) was grieved to see the elder son neglected; and, thinking it might possibly proceed from a mistake, as his father's eyes were so dim that he did not know them, (ver. 8,) he ventured to suggest his sentiments to his father; but acquiesced in his decision. (Haydock) -... [ Continue Reading ]
_A people, ( in populos). He shall be father of many peoples. The tribe of Manasses was divided, and had a large territory on either side of the Jordan, immediately north of that which fell to the lots of Ephraim and of Gad. (Haydock) --- Grow. Hebrew, "shall be the fulness of nations;" or shall pos... [ Continue Reading ]
_In thee, Joseph. Septuagint, "in you," Ephraim and Manasses. The Israelites shall wish the same happiness to their greatest friends, as that which you have enjoyed. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thee. In thy posterity; and particularly in Ephraim, to whose lot it shall fall, a portion. Hebrew shecem; which the Septuagint explain of the city, or field near it, which Jacob had formerly purchased; and which, being wrested from him after he had left that country, by the Amorrhites, he recovere... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XLVIII.... [ Continue Reading ]