this great and strange emergency and Zeresh his wife unto him If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews e Which they were told and was generally supposed but they were not infallibly sure of it before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him but shalt surely fall before him f This they concluded either 1. By rules of policy because Hamans reputation and interest was hereby sinking and Mordecai whom they understood to be a man of great wisdom and courage and government of himself was now got into the Kings favour and thereby was likely to gain an opportunity of making his addresses to the King who being of a mild disposition might easily be moved to a dislike if not revocation of his own bloody decree and consequently to a detestation of that person who had procured it Or 2. By former experience and the observation of Gods extraordinary actions on the behalf of the Jews and against their enemies in this very Court and Kingdom Or 3. By instinct and inspiration to their minds either from God who might suggest this to them as he did other things to other wicked men Balaam Caâ—…aphas c. for his own greater glory and the good of his people or from the Devil who by Gods permission might know this and reveal it to them who sought to him in their superstitious and idolatrous methods 14 And while they were yet talking with him came the kings chamberlains and hasted to bring Haman g Who was now slack to go thither by reason of the great dejection of his own mind and the fear of a worse entertainment from the King and Queen than he had formerly received unto the banquet that Esther had prepared CHAP. VII 1 SO the king and Haman came †Heb. to drink to banquet with Esther the queen 2 And the king said again to Esther on the second day * Ch. 5. 6. at the banquet of wine a So it is called to note that it was not designed for a seast to fill their bellies but rather for a banquet to delight and please their palates with wine and other delicacies see on ch 5. 8. What is thy petition queen Esther and it shall be granted thee and what is thy request and it shall be performed even to the half of the kingdom 3 Then Esther the queen answered and said If I have found favour in thy sight O king and if it please the king let my life be given me at my petition b It is my humble and only request that thou wouldst not give me up to the malice of that man that â—…esigns to take away my life and will certainly do it if thou dost not prevent it and my people c And the lives which is easily supplied out of the foregoing branch of my people the Jews of whom I am descended at my request 4 For we are * Ch. 3. 9. sold d By the craft and cruelty of that man who offered a great sum of mony to purchase our destruction I and my people e For we are all given up to his malice and rage without any exception of my own person †Heb. that they should destroy and kill and cause to perish to be destroyed to be slain and to perish f She useth variety of expressions to make the deeper impression upon the Kings mind but if we had been sold for bond-men and bond-women I had held my tongue g Because that calamity had neither been irrecoverable nor intolerable nor yet unprofitable to the King for whose honour and service I should willingly have submitted my self and people to any kind of bondage although the enemy could not countervail the kings damage h His ten thousand talents if paid into the Kings treasury would not repair the Kings loss in the customs and tributes which the King receives from the Jews within his dominions 5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen Who is he and where is he i The expressions are short and doubled as proceeding from a discomposed and enraged mind †Heb. wâ—…se heart 〈◊〉 â—…led him that durst presume in his heart to do so k i. e. To circumvent me and by subtilty to procure an irrevocable decree whereby not only my estate should be so much impaired and so many of my innocent Subjects be destroyed without mercy but my Queen also should be involved in the same danger and destruction 6 And Esther said †Heb. 〈◊〉 adversary The adversary and enemy is l Of the King and of my Person and People this wicked Haman Then Haman was afraid ‖ Or at the presence of before the king and the queen 7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace-garden m Partly as disdaining the company and sight of so ungrateful and audacious a person partly to cool and allay his troubled and inflamed spirits and partly to consider within himself the hainousness of Hamans crime and the mischief which himself had done by his own rashness and what punishment was fit to be inflicted upon so great a delinquent and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen for he saw n By the violent commotion of the Kings mind and passions that there was evil determined against him by the king 8 Then the king returned out of the palace-garden into the place of the banquet of wine and Haman was fallen upon the bed o Or by or beside the bed on which the Queen sat at meat after the manner where he was fallen upon his knees and upon the ground at her feet as humble suppliants used to do and as the Queen did at the Kings feet ch 8. 3. whereon Esther was Then said the king Will he force the queen also p Will he now attempt my Queens Chastity as he hath already attempted her life His presumption and impudence I see will stick at nothing He speaks not this out of a real jealousy for which there was no cause in those circumstances but from an exasperated mind which takes all occasions to vent itself against the person who gave the provocation and makes the worst construction of all his words and action †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before me in the house q In my own presence and palace As the word went out of the kings mouth they r i. e. The Kings and Queens Chamberlains then attending upon them covered Hamans face s Partly that the King might not be offended or grieved with the sight of a Person whom he now loathed and partly because they looked upon him as a condemned person for the faces of such used to be covered 9 And * Ch. 1. 10. Harbonah one of the chamberlains t Who knew this either by his own observation or by the information of
confessed by all to be often used at large and indefinitely for about or after that time and * 〈◊〉 21. 39. anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governour b i. e. To be King after Davids death and Zadok to be priest c Of which the last Note but one 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD d i. e. On the Throne of Israel which is called the Throne of the Lord either more generally as all Thrones are the Lords by whom Kings reign Prov. 8. 15. and Magistrates are ordained Rom. 13. 1 2. or more specially and peculiarly Either 1. because the Lord himself was in a peculiar manner the King and Governour of Israel not onely in the time of the Judges but afterward Psal. 44. 4. 89. 18. 149. 2. Isa 33. 22. or 2. because it was the Throne of Christ the Lord whose Vicegerents David and Solomon and their Successors were for whom this Throne was reserved and by whom it was to be established and enjoyed for ever Luke 2. 32. 33. Or 3. The Throne of the Lord is put for The Throne of the People of the Lord by a concise and short manner of Speech which is frequent in the Hebrew Language as when the Key of David is put for the Key of the House of David and the Mountain of the Lord for the Mountain of the Lords House Or 4. Because this Throne fell to Solomon not by right of Inheritance for he had Elder Brethren but by the special Appointment and Gift of the Lord. And so this of the Lord is the genitive case of the Efficient as the Learned call it and signifies which the Lord gave him as king in stead of David his father and prospered and all Israel obeyed him 24 And all the princes and the mighty men and all the sons likewise of king David †Heb. gave the hand under Solomon Gen. 24. 2 3. 47. 29. submitted themselves unto Solomon e Heb. Put their Hands under Solomon i. e. They owned him for their King and themselves for his Subjects and sware Fealty to him which possibly they now did after the ancient manner with that Ceremony of putting their Hands under his Thigh which was used in Swearing Gen. 24. 2. 47. 29. or at least the thing is signified by a Phrase taken from that practice formerly used though now neglected it being usual in all Nations and Languages to signifie present things by Phrases taken from Ancient Customs the king 25 And the LOâ—…D magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and * 1 Kin. 3. 13. 2 Chr. 1. 12. Eccles. 2. â—… bestowed upon him such royal majesty f i. e. Such Honour and Reputation together with Power and Riches and all things which make a King Great and Glorious as had not been on any king g Either David or Saul or any of the former Governours of Israel the Word King being oft used in a large sence for any Governour before him in Israel 26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel h This Sacred Writer having mentioned the Anointing of Solomon to be King v. 22. and upon that occasion proceeded to give a further Account of Solomons Actual Settlement in his Kingdom and of his prosperous and glorious Management of it v. 23 24 25. he now returns to his main and proper Business to give an Account of the Close of Davids Reign and Life Thus i. e. in manner hitherto expressed David reigned c. 27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was * 1 Kin. 2. 11. forty years * 2 Sam. 5. 5. Ch. 3. 4. seven years reigned he in Hebron and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem 28 And he died in a good old age full of days i Fully satisfied with the days which God had given him having had the Happiness to see his Beloved Solomon settled in his Throne being now weary of this Life and desiring to be with God riches and honour and Solomon his son reigned in his stead 29 Now the acts of David the king first and last behold they are written in the ‖ Or history †Heb. words book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the seet k Either in the two Books of Samuel as they are now called which were written part by Samuel and part by Nathan and Gad. Or in the Annals or Chronicles of that Kingdom which were written by Nathan and Gad who were not onely Prophets but Historiographers or Annalists out of which either they or some other Prophets took out by the direction of Gods Spirit such Passages as were most important and useful to the Church and to the World in succeeding Ages 30 With all his reign and his might and the times that went over him l i. e. The Changes which befel him both his Persecutions and manifold Troubles and his great Successes and Atchievements The Word time or times being oft put for things done or happening in them as Psal. 31. 15. 77. 5. and over Israel and over all the kingdoms of the countries m Heb. Of these Countries to wit bordering upon the Land of Canaan or not far from it II CHRONICLES CHAP. I. 1 ANd * 〈◊〉 2. 45. Solomon the son of David was strengthned a Or established after his Seditious Brother Adonijah and his Partisans were suppressed and he was received with the universal Consent and Joy of his Princes and People in his kingdom and the LORD his God was with him and magnified him * 〈◊〉 23. 17. exceedingly 2 Then Solomon spake b To wit concerning his Intention of going to Gibeon and that they should attend him thither as the next Verse shews unto all Israel to the captains of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every governour in all Israel ‖ â—… 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief of the fathers 3 So Solomon and all the congregation with him went to the high place c Upon which the Tabernacle was placed whence it is called the great high Place 1 King 3. 4. that was at * 〈◊〉 34. 〈◊〉 16. 39. 129. Gibeon for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness 4 * 〈◊〉 6. 17. 〈◊〉 16. 1. But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem d He separated the Ark from the Tabernacle and brought it to Jerusalem because there he intended to build a far more noble and lasting Habitation for it 5 Moreover * 〈◊〉 38. 1. the brazen altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur had made ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he e Either Moses mentioned v. 3. or Bezaleel here last named by the
spoken with particular regard to Baal-Peor or the Lord of Peor a place so called who had been a Person of great eminency in those parts and therefore was Worshipped according to the custom of the Heathens after his Death by Sacrifices and Feasts appointed for his Honour and Memory 29. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions and the Plague brake in upon them 30. †Num. 25. 7. Then stood up Phineas and executed judgment and so the Plague was stayed 31. And that was counted unto him for righteousness s And although that action of his might seem harsh and rash and irregular as being done by a private Person and a Priest and as allowing the Delinquents no space for Repentance it was accepted and rewarded by God as an act of Justice and Piety agreeable to his mind and proceeding from a sincere zeal for Gods honour and for the good of Gods People and God gave him a publick Testimony of his approbation to be recorded to all Generations and the Priesthood to be continued to him and his in all succeeding Generations of all which see Numb 25. unto all generations for evermore 32. * Num. 20. â—… 12 13. They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes t Or because of them upon occasion of their unbelief and murmuring whereby he was provoked to speak unadvisedly as it here follows 33. Because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly u So this word is thought to signifie Leviticus 5. 4. Prov. 12. 18. Or he spake as the word commonly signifies Not that it was in it self a Sin to speak but because he spake when he should have been silent or he spake to the People when God commanded him only to speak to the Rock Numb 20. 8 9 10. or he spake to wit the provocation of his spirit or such words as were agreeable to it and might be expected from it He mentions not here what Moses spake because that was fully known from the History and because he would throw a veil over Moses his infirmity and rather imply than express his fault with his lips 34. †Judg. 1. 21 27. They did not destroy the nations ‖ Deut. 7. 2. concerning whom x i. e. Concerning whose destruction Or rather which thing to wit to destroy those Canaanitish Nations for in the Hebrew there is nothing but asher which signifies only either whom or which the Lord commanded them 35. * Judg. 1. 21. 2. 2. 3. 5 6. But were mingled y In their Habitations and Negotiations as also in Marriages among the heathen and learned their works 36. And they served their idols which were a snare unto them z Which Idols were an occasion of their falling both into further and greater sins as it follows v. 37 38. and into utter ruine as this phrase also notes Exod. 23. 33. Iudg. 2. 12 c. 37. Yea †2 Kings 16. 3. Isai. 57. 5. Ezek. 16. 20. 20. 26. they sacrificed their sons and their daughters a Of which Heathenish practice see the notes on Levit. 18. 21. unto devils b By which expression he informeth them that they did not worship God as they pretended and sometimes designed but Devils in their Idols and that those spirits which were supposed by the Heathen Idolaters to inhabit in their Images and which they worshipped in them were not Gods or good Spirits as they imagined but evil Spirits or Devils See Levit. 17. 7. Deut. 32. 17. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Revel 9. 20. 38. And shed innocent blood c The blood of their Children who though Sinners before God yet were innocent as to them from any crime deserving such barbarous usage from them even the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan and ‖ Numb 35. 33. the land was polluted with blood 39. Thus were they defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions d Committed spiritual Whoredom by worshipping those Idols which were but humane inventions and that in such an unnatural and bloody manner as they had devised 40. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance 41. And he gave them into the hand of the heathen and they that hated them ruled over them 42. Their enemies also oppressed them and they were brought into subjection under their hand 43. * Judg. 2. 16. Many times did he deliver them but they provoked him with their counsel e By forsaking Gods counsel and the way which he had appointed and following after their own inventions and evil inclinations as he charged them v. 39. See the like Numb 15. 39. and were †Or impoverished or weakned brought low for their iniquity 44. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when ‖ Judg. 3. 9. 4. 3. 6. 7. 10. 10. he heard their cry 45. * Deut. 30. 3. And he remembred for them his covenant f The Covenant made with their Fathers which notwithstanding their horrible violation of it he made good unto them and in consideration thereof delivered them and repented g Changed his course and dealing with them as penitent Persons usually do See the Note on Gen. 6. 6. according to the multitude of his mercies 46. †1 Kings 8. 50. Jer. 42. 12. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives h By changing their opinions of them and inclining their hearts towards them which he had alienated from them See on Psal. 105. 25. 47. Save us O LORD our God i O thou who hast so often pardoned and saved us notwithstanding our former and manifold provocations be thou pleased once more to deliver us and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise k In thy Praise-worthy work wrought for us Praise being but for actions worthy of Praise as it is here above v. 2. 1 Chron. 16. 35. Psal. 9. 14. Phil. 4. 8. and oft elsewhere 48. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the LORD PSALM CVII The most of the Psalms have a peculiar respect unto the Church or People of God or to some eminent members thereof but there are some few Psalms which have a more general respect to all Nations of which number this is one Wherein the Psalmist discourseth of the merciful Providence of God towards all mankind and of his readiness to help them in all their distresses some few particular instances whereof he mentioneth and leaveth the rest to be understood there being the same reason of all But withal he takes notice also of Gods Judgments upon wicked Persons and People And by this
both Josephs children are comprehended in Jacobs blessing 2. In the distinctness and clearness of them For that land of Canaan which was transmitted to Isaac and to Jacob onely in the general was now in some sort particularly distributed to Joseph and to the rest of his brethren as afterwards it was by Joshua 3. in the nearness of the accomplishment Now there was a more likely prospect of the multiplication of their seed then there was to Abraham or Isaac and in not very many years after this they multiplied to astonishment and drew nearer to the possession of the promised land 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors s The blessings which I thy Father have conferred upon thee are much more considerable than those which I received from my father Isaac or from my grandfather Abraham unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills t These words seem to note the duration of Josephs blessing that it should continue even to the bounds of the everlasting or lasting or antient hills i. e. as long as the most solid and stable mountains shall last i. e. for ever Perpetuity is described by the continuance of the Mountains as Isa. 54. 10. or of the Sun and Moon as Psal. 72. 5 7 17. or of the heavens and earth as Mat. 5. 18. In the foregoing words of this verse he commends these blessings from their excellency above all former blessings and here he commends them from their durableness they shall be ‖ Or let them be For this may be a prayer to God that these blessings may be constant and perpetual on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren u So he was when he was sold into Egypt and abode there in the court when his brethren were in Goshen or the crowned of or among his brethren i. e. who though he was once scorned and trampled upon by his brethren yet now is highly honoured and advanced above them Others the Nazarite of or among his brethren as he may be called either for his purity and sanctity or for his eminency and dignity But we must remember that the Nazarites were as yet unknown being instituted long after this time 27 Benjamin shall ravine as a wolf x He notes the warlike and fierce disposition and carriage of that Tribe Instances whereof we have Judg. 3. 15. and 19. and 20. 1 Sam. 12. and 14. and 15. in the morning he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil y This may be understood either of the same wolf which in the morning being more hungry and greedy devours his prey alone but in the evening being in some measure satisfied is content that his brethren should share with him Or rather of several sorts of wolves whereof some hunt and devour alone others hunt in couples or troups and these divide the prey among themselves He mentions both morning and evening because these are the two seasons when the Wolves prey and to note that this would be Benjamins carriage both in the first and last times of that Tribe as indeed it was 28 All these are the twelve tribes z i. e. The Heads and Parents of the Twelve Tribes A Metonymy of the effect The Tribes are generally accounted Twelve though they were Thirteen because the Land was divided onely into Twelve parts Levi having no distinct part of his own of Israel and this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them every one according to his blessing a i. e. According to that blessing which God in his purpose had allotted to each of them which also he manifested unto Iacob by his Spirit Object There is no blessing here given to Reuben Simeon and Levi but rather a curse how then is he said to bless every one of them Answ. He blessed them all implicitly and really though not expresly or in words because he gave each of them a part in Canaan and his taking away from Reuben onely the right of the first-born plainly supposeth that he left him his single portion and inheritance And he might well be said to bless them all because he left them all an interest in Gods Covenant one article whereof was the giving of Canaan or part of Canaan to them and this was an earnest of the other branches or articles of it Though it is probable he also added some short blessing or prayer to God for his blessing upon them all he blessed them 29 And he charged them and said unto them I am to be gathered unto my people * chap. 47. 30. bury me with my Fathers b In Canaan Whereby he designed to withdraw their minds from Egypt and fix them upon Canaan in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite 30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah which is before Mamre c He describes it so particularly both for their direction because they had been some years absent thence and to express how much his heart was set upon this matter and thereby to oblige them to the more careful performance of his command in the land of Canaan * chap. 23. 10. which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place 31 * chap. 23. 19. 25. 9. There they buryed Abraham and Sarah his wife there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife and there I buried Leah 32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons d To wit concerning the place of his burial Whilest he was employed in that most solemn and religious work of blessing his children in the name and by the Spirit of God he used as reverend a posture as his infirm Body would permit and therefore is supposed to sit upon his beds side with his feet hanging downwards And when he had finished that great work and wearied himself with so long speech delivered with a most raised and affected mind he composed himself to rest and waited for the comfortable approach of his death which speedily followed it he gathered up his feet into bed e and yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people CHAP. L. 1 AND Joseph fell upon his fathers face a And doubtless closed his eyes as God had promised Gen. 46. 4. which may be implyed in this generall phrase and wept upon him and kissed him 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the Physitians to imbalm his father b The dead Corps of his Father with Spices and Oyntments and other things necessary for the preservation of the body from putrefaction as long as might be This Ioseph did partly because he would comply as far as he could with the Egyptians whose custom this was from whom also
the Jews took it 2 Chron. 16. 14. Iohn 19. 39 40. Partly to do honour and shew his affections to his worthy Father and partly because this was necessary for the keeping of the body so long as the times of mourning and the journey to Canaan required and the Physitians imbalmed Israel 3 And forty dayes were fulfilled for him c i. e. For his embalming that so the Drugs or Spices which were applied might more effectually reach to all the parts of the dead body and keep it from corruption And the effect of their diligence and so long continuance in this work was that bodies have been preserved uncorrupt for some thousands of years for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed and the Egyptians †Heb. wept mourned for him threescore and ten dayes d i. e. Thirty days according to the custom of the Hebrews Numb 20. 29. Deut. 34. 8. to which doubtless the Egyptians in this case did accommodate themselves besides the forty days spent in embalming him which also was a time of mourning And thus I suppose the Egyptians reckoned those seventy two dayes which Diodorus Siculus saith they spent in mourning for their deceased Kings 4 And when the dayes of his mourning were past Joseph spake unto the house e The Houshold or Family namely those of them which were chief in place and favour with the King of Pharaoh saying if now I have found grace in your eyes speak I pray you in the ears of Pharaoh f Ioseph makes use of their intercession either 1. Lest he might seem to despise them or to presume too much upon his own single interest Or 2. By engaging them in this matter to stop their mouths who otherwise might have been ready enough to censure this action which they would have a fair opportunity to do in Iosephs absence Or 3. Because it was the custom here as it was elsewhere Est. 4. 2. that persons in mourning habit might not come into the Kings presence partly because they would not give them any occasion of sadness and partly because according to their superstitious conceits the sight of such a person was judged ominous saying 5 * chap. 47. 29. My father made me swear g Here is triple obligation upon Ioseph 1. His duty to fulfil the will of the dead 2. The obedience which he owed to his Fathers command 3. The tye of a solemn Oath All which had weight even with the Heathens and were so many arguments to Pharaoh and his Courtiers saying Lo I die in my grave which I have digged for me h According to the manner of those antient and succeeding times See 2 Chron. 16. 14. Isa. 22. 16. Matth. 27. 60. In that large cave which Abraham bought for a burying place for his Family Iacob had digged a particular and small cell or repository for himself as others did after him upon the like occasion And this reason is prudently added to shew that this desire proceeded not from any contempt of Pharaoh or his Land but from that common and customary desire of persons of all ages and Nations to be buried in their Fathers Sepulchres in the land of Canaan there shalt thou bury me Now therefore let me go up I pray thee and bury my father and I will come again 6 And Pharaoh said Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear h The Heathens by the light of nature discovered the sacredness of an Oath and the wickedness of perjury 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father and with him went up all i i. e. A great number of them as that word is understood Matth. 3. 5. and oft elsewhere For many of them were aged and infirm and many could not be spared from their attendance at Court or upon their employments c. the servants of Pharaoh k Courtiers of an inferiour rank the Elders of his house l The chief Officers and under him Governours of his Family and Counsels who used to reside at or near the Court. and all the Elders of the land m The great Officers Civil and Military whose places of habitation and command were dispersed in the several parts of the Land of Egypt 8 And all the house of Joseph and his brethren and his fathers house onely their little ones and their flocks and their herds n And such as were necessary to take care of them which must needs be understood they left in the land of Goshen 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen o For their defence in case of any opposition and it was a very great company 10 And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad p A man so called or of thorn or thorns as the word signifies Iudg. 9. 14. Psal. 58. 9. So it might be a place either abounding or encompassed with thorns which is beyond q Or on this side for the word signifies both and it may be taken either way here the one in respect of Egypt the other in regard of the place in which Moses wrote It is certain they fetched a great compass whether for the commodiousness of the way for their charets and for conveniencies for so great a company or to prevent all jealousies in the people as if they came thither with ill design is not material Jordan and there r Because there was the entrance into that Countrey or Territory where he was to be buried they mourned with a great and very â—…ore lamentation s The Egyptians though they were not much grieved nor concerned for Iacobs death yet they used bitter cryes and lamentations which possibly were made or aggravated by persons hired and used upon such occasions See Ier. 9. 17. and he made a mourning for his father seven dayes t According to the custom see 1 Sam. 31. 13. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land the Canaanites saw the mourning in the floor of Atad they said This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians wherefore the name of it was called ‖ That is the mourning of the Egyptians Abel-Mizraim which is beyond Jordan 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them 13 For * Act. 7. 16. his sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buryed him in the cave of the field of Machpelah which Abraham * chap. 23. 16. bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt he and his brethren and all that went with him to bury his father after he had buried his father 15 And when Josephs brethren saw that their father was dead they said Joseph will peradventure hate us and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him 16 And they †Heb. charged sent a messenger unto Joseph saying Thy father did command before he died