First part.
How Jacob commands his sons to go to Egypt again, and they demand that Jacob send Benjamin with them; and how Jacob behaves against it.
V. 1-5: And the famine oppressed the land. And when they had eaten up all the corn that they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them: Go again, and buy us a little food. Then Judah answered him, and said, The man sand us hard, and said: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If then thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for thee. But if you do not send him, we will not go down. For the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, but your brother shall be with you.
Now that Jacob has answered his sons to their request, so much Benjamin concerned, that he should send him with them to Egypt, and has refuted their rhetorical adorned causes, so they attracted, with the most important arguments: now another better opportunity offers itself to request the father, and to dissuade him as it were the son, of whom he decided completely in his heart to keep him with him. For the theurge has so far pressed the whole country so hard that all his household would have had to die of hunger if they had not again gone to Egypt and fetched grain from there. And I have no doubt that many other people in the land of Canaan and other places will have died of hunger.
Therefore, with this few arguments, they force and overcome their father, who was quite firm in his opinion. And this is their argument,
that the father himself, with the little children and all the household, would die of hunger, and Benjamin would not be able to stay alive and healthy, even if he stayed at home with his father, unless he would now give him over to the uncertain fortune and will of the prince in Egypt. For, my dear father, they will have said, "See what you are doing, so that you do not destroy all of us or yourself, because you do not want to put some of your sons in danger, which cannot be very great; or there may be no danger at all when we get to Egypt. Therefore, since the father has been overcome by this extreme adversity, he will now change his mind and let his son Benjamin, whom he loved especially, go down to Egypt with them.
(3) But why does God allow this to happen? Did not God promise Jacob that He would say to him, "I will be your protector, you shall grow and become great; you shall be stretched out toward evening, toward morning, toward midnight and toward noon" etc.? Gen. 28:14, 15. And his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac, were also promised that their seed would remain forever. But now Jacob, contrary to all these promises, is led into the greatest fear and distress, so that he and all his household have come into the most certain danger of life and limb. Where then is his faith in the promises of God? Why does he not do miraculous works and obtain from God with his prayer that his children and household may be saved in the precious time? It can truly be seen that the outcome and the deal itself did not want to rhyme with the so great: glorious promises, with which God had as it were showered him. Truly, in such great fear and extreme distress, a miraculous work should have been done; but he is in the same danger and is also oppressed with the same anger, so that the other heathens and idolatrous people are oppressed.
4 Now it has often been said that the patriarchs lived a very holy life, that they were full of faith and blameless, and that they also had many glorious things.
They did all these deeds, and with great courage and firm faith in the promise they had, they endured and overcame the most difficult dangers: But this was the greatest miracle of all, that they lived in the faith of divine promises, since it was as if they had disappeared and were completely in vain; as Jacob here and his sons with their wives and all the household came into danger of life and limb, not otherwise than as if they had been completely abandoned and rejected by God.
Therefore, in the histories of these holy patriarchs, we do not see that they fasted on specially appointed days, or abstained from household rule or secular police, or chastened their flesh in a special way; which works other people praise and marvel at in Franciscus and Bernard. Nor do we condemn or reject them, but we dispute about faith and trials, whether Bernard, Anthony, Dionysius, Dominic, when they were in great distress and danger, had such great faith in their monasteries as Jacob had in his house? For he suffers the extreme hardship and danger no differently than the other godless and idolatrous people suffered the same. And in such a case there is no difference between Jacob's family and the families or households of the Cananites, his neighbors.
But what does he do now? Answer: He does what all saints are wont to do; which examples teach us, as I have often said in other places, that one should not judge our Lord God by divine providence, and should not despise the means prescribed to preserve this life and prevent danger with it. How many quite freely and frivolously disputes de fatali necessitate, that is, of such compelling necessity that cannot or may not be prevented, and say: If God wants to preserve me, then I will remain alive in the theurge or pestilence, if I need neither food nor medicine. But if I am to die, all this will not help me at all.
(7) These are ungodly thoughts and forbidden by God, for he has not revealed to us his secret counsel in this matter, namely, how or when he will help you, nor should he be given a place, time or person. For he will not suffer himself to be thus bound by reason and human wisdom; but he will have thee to wait for thy calling, and therefore hath created heaven and earth, and all that therein is, to feed and sustain thee. Therefore know that you should use such means, and do not search too closely for his hidden way of ruling.
(8) For this life is in his providence and in your faith, since he has promised to be your God, to preserve you and to make you blessed. Therefore you must not say, "I will do what I will, but I will not be able to prevent God's will from doing what he has decreed, for these are the devil's words and are condemned forever. But rather do so and walk in simple faith, and if you are in danger or distress, use all the proper means you can, so that you do not tempt God. If, however, you find no help in the same means that God has created to banish the danger or illness, then cast your concern upon the Lord, command your life to Him, that He may govern you according to His wisdom and goodness.
(9) But those who despise the means and recklessly put themselves in danger, sin grievously against the promise and tempt God; as the 78th Psalm v. 18, 19 says of the Jews, who also prescribed a certain way for God to help them: "And tempted God in their heart to ask food for their souls, and spoke against God, saying: Yes, GOtt should well be able to prepare a table in the wilderness." But God will not suffer you to take Him captive and force Him to do it according to your wisdom, and His foreknowledge and providence are none of your business. But lest you tempt God, do rather this: listen to what he says to you, and see that you comply with it.
and rely on it with firm faith. For this is the example of the patriarch Jacob. For although he is in danger of death, since all the food his sons brought from Egypt has been eaten, he does not despise the means he used before and tells his sons to go back down to Egypt and buy grain, so that he will not kill himself and all his household with hunger.
(10) So he keeps the promise and calls on God in faith, not tempting him, thinking that he will not be abandoned and that the promises will not be in vain; and yet he does not despise the means that are offered to him, as we heard above, Cap. 12:10, that Abraham went to Egypt because he was oppressed.
(11) This is to be diligently noted against the fools, who think that it is great wisdom and strength to dare and attempt anything that seems great, splendid and unusual, outside of and without God's word, through iniquity. As it is said of two brothers who traveled with each other in a pagan country, and when they were hungry and the inhabitants of the same country offered and gave them bread, the one did not want to eat it, because they were godless people and pagans who gave them the bread, and if he would not be fed from heaven, he would rather die. Therefore he died of hunger and was buried in hell. But the other was a little wiser, who accepted and ate the food given him by the Gentiles and was thus kept alive.
(12) So it would have been great foolishness to abstain from the grain or food that was brought from Egypt, because the people there were ungodly and unbelieving. For is not the bread of the Egyptians a good creature of God, as is other food and nourishment? So we use the same market, earth, water, pleasure and sun, knowing that the ungodly also have need of it. Un-
he Lord God will not send you an angel from heaven to feed or nourish you in a special way, because otherwise there is plenty of food here on earth for you to live on.
In this way Christ also answers Satan in Matth. 4, 7: "It is written: Thou shalt not tempt thy Lord God." As if he wanted to say: I do not need the angels to lead me down from the temple above, because there is a good stairway there, where I can go down.
(14) This is how to deal with those who argue about the providence of God and the necessity of divine foreknowledge, when it is none of their business. For that is not necessary for them, which is necessary with God; but they should accept the promises and commandments of God, and use the creatures that are created to preserve this life with them. And if they are helped by this, it is good; but if not, they should know that they should nevertheless be obedient to God, who, if necessary, will also perform miraculous signs and richly reward their faith and hope.
(15) Now here again in Judah's answer the Hebrew word jesh, "it is now", comes from the word tushiah, Prov. 8:14: "Both counsel and action are mine"; that a thing may be done, I give not only counsel, but also action. And Prov. 3:28: "Say not unto thy friend, Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give thee; if thou hast it," that is, if thou hast it, that thou mayest give it. It is not the auxiliary here, "I am," but it means to be there, or, to be present. "Is it then," says Judah, "that thou sendest our brother" Benjamin "with us?" that is, if thou hast decided this with thyself, we will go down.
016 And it came to pass, that Judah had more honour in the sight of his father than the rest of his sons. For Joseph was no longer there; Simeon, Levi and Reuben had angered their father. Although Judah also committed incest with Tamar, he did so unknowingly, and then departed from her, and
contain. Therefore I consider that Judah was dearer to his father than the other sons, because his words were more valid with him than those of Reuben or the others, who also acted with their father in the same matter and therefore stopped with him.
(17) After this we see how wonderfully our Lord God guides His saints. For Jacob was deprived of his most beloved son, and all his wives were dead to him. For none of them went down to Egypt with him, but he ruled his house with his sons' wives alone. But I hold that Dinah was in the place of the matron, and that she succeeded Jacob's four wives in the government of the house. And these wives will undoubtedly also have been very disciplined and honest matrons, who ruled, increased and improved the house of Jacob and all that belonged to it with great skill, as well as with diligence and faithfulness; they were not lazy and careless; just as great diligence and care also belong to cattle breeding.
18 But Judah puts forward the strongest argument that scholars in the schools call a necessario et impossibili, which is taken from necessity and impossibility, which surpasses all the others, which are taken from utili, honesto, decoro, that is, from utility, from what is proper and fitting. Nevertheless, the father still opposes it. So everything is arranged by human counsel and action, just as it is with us.
(19) And it may be reasonably asked, why the Holy Spirit should tell such lowly, childish, servile, womanish, worldly and carnal things of such very holy men, who have such beautiful clear promises; which lowly things are also common to them with any godless man? Why does he not write other brave and higher things of them? For what great thing is it that they should toil in such filthiness of domestic care and labor? Answer: "Away with the wicked, that he see not the glory of the Lord", Is. 26, 10. God hides His saints under such outward coverings and carnal things that nothing seems so contemptible as them.
What is the difference between David and Scipio or Julius Caesar? If you look outwardly at the hand, sword and blood, there is no difference at all. For David has no desire for self-chosen and special services, religions and devotions of the monks, but also suffers common misery and hardship with other people, as they are used to be in the house and world regiment. But this is the difference. David lives in the promise and commandments of God: Julius Caesar has neither God nor devil, yes, he is the devil's serf; for he is not governed by God's commandments, nor does he believe God's promises, but arranges everything randomly and haphazardly, as it appears to him.
(21) Of this difference the monks know nothing, nor do they understand the holiness of the patriarchs; for they are offended at the outward appearance of the common domestic works, that the father of the house governs his children, daughters, his sons' wives, maids and cattle, and provides for them, that he counts money, buys, sells, and thus lives generally among the heathen. No holiness is seen there at all; but that they walk in the faith and obedience of God, the papists pay no attention to that.
(22) Now this should truly be our first and foremost concern, that we look to the promises and commandments of God, according to which our whole life should be arranged; for this is the right holiness of godly people. In addition, there is also the use of the holy sacraments. And where this will be righteous and unadulterated, there will be many Christian exercises and services, so that we can test and prove our faith and love before God and man. And there will also be no lack of the devil, who will stalk and harass us, with whom we will then have to fight day and night.
(23) But all this the papists arrogantly despise. What the Ten Commandments! What faith! they say: this has all been taught before, it is a common thing; I want to choose something that is better and higher; I want to renounce the house rule, the secular police and the church, I want to go to a desert or a monastery etc.
Therefore, such histories of the dear holy fathers should be defended and exalted with all kinds of rhetoric and dialectics as one can and may, so that we may learn to recognize that the state of God is the dearest and most pleasant, which is governed by divine promise and protection. If, however, it is the case that you do not have your way in everything you intend to do, you should not lose heart; or if you fall because of weakness, turn back and do not defend your sin, there will be no need, for the way is still open for you to return to the promise.
(25) In this way, the legends of the holy fathers far surpass the foolish lies and fables about which we were so astonished in the papacy. For what is Antony to us, who, against his conscience, went into the desert, knowing that one should not accept anything outside of God's word and command, neither in life nor in doctrine? We know that there are three kinds of authorities in this life, namely, the domestic regime, the secular police and the church regime. If one wants to pass them by and despise them, and everyone wants to follow his own chosen works and make use of them, who then wants to be a pastor or priest? Who will baptize, absolve, and comfort those who are afflicted because of their sins? Who will administer the secular government or otherwise protect the common society of men? Who will bring up the children or cultivate the fields? And yet these estates and works, which were instituted, commanded and confirmed by God, were despised and rejected in the papacy, and the devil forced the strange miracles of the monks upon the people with frightening nonsense, so that they were greatly astonished by them and had to think a lot of them.
26Therefore these things ought to be spoken of often, and they ought always to be impressed upon men, that we may learn that God is not displeased with these things, but rather delights and pleases in them; only that they may be kept in His commandments, and that they may not be displeased with them.
Do not step over it. Where you cannot govern or teach others, you will no less be able to be godly obedient, or to be taught by others, provided you serve our Lord God in these three divine states alone, and do not let yourself be found in the desert with Antony, Hilarion or Malchus.
(27) This is especially to be held up to bachelors and inexperienced people who do not yet know what sin is, what the devil is and what the flesh is; and they are to be shown the examples of the fathers, the prophets and apostles, who did not despise the household rule, the police and the church office, nor did they abhor the works that belong to agriculture, which are servile and lowly; and yet they were able to live in the faith and commandments of God. But they kept themselves in this common life in such a way that it seemed to the eyes of the flesh as if there were no difference between Abraham, Isaac and other fathers, who were God's friends, and pagan princes, who knew nothing of God and even hated Him. For the flesh does not see the promise and love of the saints, just as the papists and perverse jurists do not see it, judging their lives according to their own chosen rules of holiness and justice.
(28) In this way we have heard how the holy fathers and this Jacob speak and complain, as other peasants and poor, bad, despised citizens do; as Cap. 42, 36. and Cap. 43, 6, where Jacob says, "Why have you done so evil to me? It is all over me." Which words are almost as if he no longer believed the promise of God. Such a great and holy man, who had so many rich promises, should weep miserably over his son, who is still alive, whom he has not yet lost? Why does he not rather say: "Let Benjamin go down with you in the name of the Lord, who is well pleased, of whom I think much more than of my whole family? But all his words and thoughts are carnal and worldly.
ly. He does not act differently, as if his son's life and limb were important to him. Yet faith and love still shine forth, for he does not want to put his son in danger so easily. That is why he spoke so harshly to the other sons.
V. 6 Israel said, "Why did you do such evil to me, telling the man how you still have a brother?
The patriarch Jacob still has the suspicion as if his sons had slain Joseph and also Simeon, who had remained in Egypt, and is worried that they are now dealing with a new deception, so that Benjamin will also be taken away and destroyed. These are quite worldly and carnal actions and movements, which are here attributed to such a man, who had many rich divine promises and yet was still somewhat weak; who drags himself along with sin, which has always quarreled with him, resisted him and captured him, as it were, but in such a way that he still remains holy. For he does not fall away from God, does not blaspheme Him, but only weeps over His misery and wretchedness.
(30) Which is therefore held out to us for comfort, that though we are weak and grieve greatly because of our miseries and distresses, yet we learn to temper our sorrows so that we do not despair. For faith is thus exercised and challenged with the sharpest arrows and great battering rams; it must thus strive and struggle because of sin and other misfortunes, and also because of the weakness of the flesh, and yet it finally wins and triumphs.
The papists and monks, who are drowned and blinded in their own devotion, do not see this struggle and victory of faith. As I well remember, when I was a monk, I could not be satisfied in my heart if I did not read a mass every day. What God commanded, we left undone; but what men invented and taught, we followed as if we were senseless. As Ahaz slaughtered and killed all his sons against God's will, which is publicly reported in Jer. 7:31, where he
says: I have never thought of it in my heart; I have neither said nor commanded such things.
For this is the great weakness or rather nonsense of human nature; of which also the pagan poet has finely said in the beautiful verse: Quod licet, hoc fugio, quod non licet, acrius urit, that is: What is fitting for me to do, I flee from; but what is not fitting for me, that is always on my mind, that I want to do it.
Therefore, the papists do not understand such glorious histories. For they ask neither for the promises nor for the commandments of God; how then can they know which are good works or not? For these lie hidden in the life of the patriarchs, and are covered and as it were darkened with carnal works and words, that they might have dealt in this life in their stewardship. As we see here, Jacob thinks and speaks everything that would otherwise come to the mind of a carnal man.
(34) Therefore we should know that the histories of the holy Scriptures must be regarded and considered somewhat more diligently than the secular histories or stories of the pagans. For if these histories of the fathers were described by the Latin or Greek writers, they would be considered as not worthy of being brought to light and commemorated, especially in the church and among God's people. But now it must be noted that this book has another master, namely, the Holy Spirit, who gives the stories of the saints a great unchanging power and governs their hearts through faith and promise. And because the Holy Spirit is not afraid or unworthy to describe such small things, which seem to be of no use, we should not be displeased to read and ponder these histories with great diligence.
(35) It is indeed a small contemptible thing that a father, who had so great a promise, should weep and wail in such a pitiful and almost servile manner. Why is there not such a fine cheerful faith in his heart, which can thus say: What is in it,
If my son is in danger in Egypt, he also has God there who can protect him and help him. You hear none of these words from him; everything he says and does is completely weak and effeminate.
(36) These things should be taught in the Church among God's people, so that we may learn from them and be taught that we should believe God, who has given us His promise, and that He will always take care of us, even when we are weak and miserable and sad. For we please God not only when we are strong in faith and do great miracles, but also when we are weak and like other people. Just as Jacob is not rejected, even though he has almost lost the strong faith in which he was able to boast of God so gloriously; just as such faith is also praised in Psalm 31, v. 7, 8, where the prophet says: "But I hope in the Lord. I rejoice and am glad in your goodness"; and Ps. 32, 11: "Praise the Lord, and rejoice, ye godly"; item Ps. 34, 2: "I will praise the Lord always" etc. Yes, this is said when we are well and there is no misfortune; but in times of trouble our hearts soon become frightened and fearful, so that Jacob now seems to be abandoned by God and to have no hope and comfort.
This is held up to us as a comfort and example, so that we may learn that God is with us both when we are in trouble and distress and when we are well. And this should be diligently impressed upon the people, as often as we see that the saints are thus frightened, troubled, anxious, and so very weak. For if you were to look at the outward appearance, it is true that they are punished and afflicted in the same way, and live and die in the same way as other pagans and carnal people do, except that faith still shines in them, however weak it is, and in truth is nothing but a broken reed and a smoldering wick, as Isaiah chap. 42:3 says. 42, 3, which nevertheless has not yet been extinguished. And does such terror and danger really belong to it, that we have to be in un-
I want to be uplifted and strengthened in the face of adversity and hardship. Otherwise, I am not concerned with the unflattering and carnal history that appears to be on the outside.
(38) The pope and the red spirits write and make such saints, who are stoic, that is, stubborn and unkind, and should feel neither pain nor joy. As Muenzer knew how to boast of his great strength, that he could abstain from pain and overcome the creatures; he said that the things that were present, whatever they were, did not bother him at all, and that he would not let himself be challenged or moved by them.
But God hates and condemns this apathy, that is, such inhuman or unnatural insensitivity, and does not love the academics (who tried to kill all natural feeling), but wants to have such people who should be Christian and kindly inclined towards parents, children, etc., as God's word testifies Hos. 6:6: I will have mercy. There is commanded the love towards the neighbor, which truly cannot be fulfilled without outward feeling and hearty natural affections or inclinations.
40 For this reason, let the apathetic spirits always go to the devil. The holy patriarchs take it to heart and grieve when things go wrong for themselves and other people, and all their works and miraculous signs are nothing but suffering, sorrow and anguish; which they suffer with faith, and with the wick still smoldering. Although such things seem small and contemptible in the sight of men, in the sight of God, they are truly delicious and very good sacrifices.
(41) So does a householder, who suffers poverty and other misfortunes in his faith; if he is not strong, he is weak, because he is a Christian, and is willing to suffer much worse. But the papists do not consider such a man holy, for they are blocks and sticks, without all understanding, without care, without love, who have no compassion at all for other people, and who serve only the belly and their food.
(42) These examples teach us wonderfully and strengthen our faith, so that we believe that God is with His saints and cares for them, even if it seems as if He does not respect them and does not know anything about them, or does not know them at all; as it says in Psalm 4:4, "Know that the Lord leads His saints in a strange way. He does not lead them in such a way as reason and papist saints prescribe; but he gives us his promise, and wants us to have it, and to boast and rejoice in the Lord.
43) But there is another time of joy and another time of sadness. When it is a happy time, they are joyful and sing: "I will praise the Lord always, his praise shall be in my mouth forever" etc., Ps. 34, 2. and then also the reason and the flesh rejoice and praise the mercy of God and his goodness. But when things are evil and there is misfortune, their singing is mixed with weeping and lamenting, and goes half to weeping and half to singing. It laughs badly when one cries. Nevertheless, it must be taken for granted that God will not abandon His own, no matter what misfortune they are afflicted with.
44. ungodly and worldly men mock and despise this doctrine, for they do not see the smoldering wick of faith, nor do they know the Holy Spirit, who is powerful in the hearts of the godly, and keeps and awakens the same smoldering wick. That is why I have often said that we should look to the foremost master of these histories, namely, to the Holy Spirit, who does not have a careless tongue or speak vain things, but teaches us the most important, useful and holy things.
V. 7. They answered: The man inquired so closely of us and of our friendship, saying, Is your father yet alive? Do you also have a brother? Then we told him as he asked us. How could we know that he would say: Bring your brother down with you?
Here they tell how Joseph investigated all things so thoroughly,
so that he also spoke to them all one after the other about what kind of parents, blood friends and brothers each of them had. And he did this not only to play and joke with them out of special love and favor, but also to ask about his brother and father. Therefore they said above, Cap. 42, v. 13, they answered: We are not a bunch of loose boys or born of different parents, but we are all brothers and sons of one man. For he wanted to be sure of this, even if they were both still alive and well. Therefore they did not make this report of their own accord, but when they had been forced with so many questions, they said, "One brother has died, but the other is still alive and at home with his father.
46 From this we can understand the interpretation of the previous chapter about the game Joseph played with his brothers to put them in the greatest fear, so that he might find out from them whether their father and his brother Benjamin were still alive. And since he understood this from their answer, he still did not want to free them from all fear and danger, into which he had led them, but had Simeon imprisoned and kept in custody, so that he could not so easily believe their words. For he was still worried that either both of them or one of them might have perished.
47 But when they had confirmed with great earnestness all that they had said, and especially of their brother, whom they had left at home, and when they now pretended that they were quite faithful and sincere, they first of all ran quite fine, and hounded themselves into the rope.
(48) As they themselves confess in this place, saying, "How could we know just now that he would say: Bring your brother down with you?" Thus God tends to mock our wisdom and counsel, and to disgrace them, when we make ourselves believe that we are very wise, and can well advise ourselves that that from which we hoped to derive great benefit must be harmful to us.
Second part.
How Judah tries to persuade Jacob to send Benjamin with him; how Jacob finally agrees and orders his sons to take gifts with them; item of Jacob's prayer and lament, which he does.
Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Let the boy go with me, that we may make up our minds and travel, and live and not die, both we and you and our children. I will be guarantor for him; you shall take him from my hands. If I do not restore him to thee, and set him before thine eyes, I will bear the guilt all my life. For if we had not gone away, we would have come back twice.
(49) Judah defended his cause vigorously, refuting his father's accusation and compelling him with irrefutable proof. For Judah was held in the highest esteem by him, since he was somewhat displeased with the others because of various vices they had committed. But he thought more highly of Judah, and afterwards he will praise him and prefer him to the other brothers, because Christ should have come from his tribe. And even though he committed the incest with Tamar, he did it unknowingly. Otherwise, I believe he was a pious, honest man and an excellent example of housekeeping and good manners among the family of Jacob.
(50) And the Father loved him not only for the sake of stewardship, but also because of the excellence of his understanding and skill in all that he did. For since he was the right and true heir of the promise, he will undoubtedly have taught God's word purely and correctly, punished the vices and sins of his brothers and the household, and ordered and arranged everything wisely. For this reason Jacob thought highly of him, and Judah in turn also showed love and friendship to his father and a good disposition.
from him, which otherwise no one in the whole house should have asked or desired of him. For he does not say, Let Benjamin go down with us; but he alone comes forward and becomes guarantor for him. He would not have had the prestige and power with his father if he had not seen that he was virtuous and godly before others.
051 Therefore saith he unto his father, If thou be of opinion that thou wilt not easily trust Benjamin to any one of us, commit him unto me upon my faith, to whom thou hast committed the government of the church and of the house. "I will be surety for him, by my hands shalt thou require him." This is a very heavy and hard surety, but nevertheless necessary; for it concerns the life of both the father and also his sons. What else shall we do? he says. If we do not go back to Egypt, we will all have to die, as many other people from other neighbors have already died of hunger. And now you must not doubt my faithfulness and belief, because you have long since recognized me as sincere and faithful, and because I have been commanded to preach and govern the house in your stead.
Thus Judah tries to persuade the father with all possible reasons, just as another man usually persuades another to grant this or that. And there seems to be nothing special or sacred about them here; but father and son talk to each other as two of the common crowd of other people are wont to exchange words with each other, and one indicates this cause, the other that cause, in matters of which they have to act.
It is no different from the way it is done in other common and ordinary dealings in this civil life. And yet there is still a great difference. For these two are governed by the Holy Spirit and believe in the right true God, although with great marvelous weakness, so that it seems as if they have lost and abandoned all the promises they have heard and received from God.
54 Therefore, the dear holy fathers are to be excused in this way, that we have
Nevertheless, we cannot deny that they were also people who fought with flesh and blood. But this is a great consolation, that such errors are all swallowed up by the infinite riches of divine promise. How great is the ignorance and error that Jacob, the father, Judah and his other sons all do not know what they are doing, do not know that the prince in Egypt is their brother Joseph! They have God's promises, but do not understand and do not know themselves how their lives will be governed according to them.
(55) For this is the life of the saints and believers, and all their miseries and misfortunes, so that they are weighed down, are nothing more than a fine game that God plays with us. Just as a father deals with his little children, whom he sometimes commands to do something, knowing that it is too difficult for them and that they are not strong enough to do it. He tells his sons to bring the jug, tells them to take off his socks or boots. And when the child is able to do this, regardless of the fact that he is much too weak to do it, the father also lends a hand and praises the son for being so industrious and strong, so that the boy will be accustomed to obedience and will in turn become fond of his father.
(56) Such are the games that the divine majesty plays with godly and faithful people, who are God's children and call upon him as a father, and who do not doubt his fatherly love and his willingness, which he has promised them; and they finally experience in truth that he reaches out to them and shows them fatherly help. But whatever they do, however small and weak it is, it is still praised by God and pleases Him; just as a biological father of little children, who would gladly do something that is too difficult for them, nevertheless allows himself to be pleased with their work and diligence and therefore praises them.
57 Thus Jacob and Judah know nothing of their own history, nor do they think that Joseph should be favorable and gracious to them, and that he should exalt them, make them rich, and exalt them to great honor.
For it is not yet time to recognize the wonderful counsel of God and His great works. In the meantime, they sleep and snore, as it were, and pay no attention to the promise of God. They let themselves think that they are being seriously afflicted and punished, and that they are in earnest, and yet everything they say and do is no different than if it were happening in their sleep. But after this, when Joseph will say, Cap. 45, v. 4: "I am your brother," they will realize and see that everything they thought was serious was only dreams.
(58) So we also live this life as if we were asleep. But it is not yet visible in us that we are asleep, nor are we yet redeemed from sleep. But one day we will be resurrected and our eyes will be opened, if only we can believe in the word of God. But if we cannot have such great confidence in our hearts as the truth and strength of God's promise demands and wants us to have, let us nevertheless believe with the dear fathers in our weakness, and that we do not grumble against God, nor grow weary in calling, praying and crying out to God. Just as Jacob undoubtedly prayed diligently. For where the calling remains and one still continues with prayer, there must also still be promise and faith. And even though it is a smoldering wick, it does not rage or grumble against God, but sighs; and in the same inexpressible sighing is surely the Holy Spirit, who does not let you grumble or become impatient.
(59) Therefore, since you cannot believe so firmly and praise and pray to God as you have been doing, since you have been doing well everywhere, believe and pray as you should in time of need and as much as you always can, as it is written in Psalm 50:15, "Call upon me in time of need, and I will hear you" and "save you.
This is to be held up to the church and community of God for the strengthening of our faith, so that we do not fall away from God when we are challenged and somewhat severely tempted. For at last we will see that our life, however poor and miserable it is, cannot be otherwise.
For it has been like a sleep; and since we have let ourselves think that we are in hell, we shall soon, when we awake, feel and know that we have been raptured into heaven, and shall marvel at such sudden elevation as we could not have dreamed of before.
61 Yes, it is also said in the 90th Psalm v. 5. 6. about the life of the wicked: "You let them go like a river, and they are like a sleep" etc. The pope and all the wicked, who are almost glorious in this world because of their great wealth and power, are like those who sleep in such a life and their great glory, and only let themselves dream that they are the most blessed people; but afterwards, when the time of judgment comes and when they go out, they will see that all their wealth was only a mere dream, and will say, "What is it now? We thought we were rich, but we are in the abyss of hell.
62 The Hebrew word arav in another place means to be airy and cheerful, but here it means to pledge or become a guarantor for one. Now Judah adds to this, "So I will bear the guilt all my life." For this is how it reads according to the Hebrew text; but it is not to be understood of real sin, which, according to all theologians, passes away and does not remain through this life; but it means a debt that lasts for ever. By this he does not mean the hour in which sin occurs, or the work of sin, which is present and soon passes away, so that the sin is accomplished; but this is what he means, that he will bear the guilt all his life long, as if he had committed the sin at any moment. This is what the Hebrew word chatha means, so in the book of Job Cap. 41, v. 16. of Leviathan: He despises and devours all the fish in the sea, for they are guilty before him: he consumes them like the guilty. Item, 1 Kings 1:21, Bathsheba says, "I and my son Solomon will have to be sinners," that is, we will have to be considered as having sinned before you; we will have to be guilty.
63 But Judah promises his father both: "I will," he says, "vouch for him.
be", and for your son, our brother, "bear the guilt". So finally the father is overcome. And we do not see anything unusual here or that would not be common otherwise, but it happens according to human ways and with great weakness.
11-14 Then Israel their father said to them: If it must be so, do it, and take of the best fruits of the land into your sacks, and bring down gifts to the man, a little balsam, and honey, and spices, and myrrh, and dates, and almonds. Take also other money with you; and the money that was returned to you in your sacks above, bring also again with you. Perhaps there has been a mistake. To this end, take your brother, get going, and come back to the man. But may the Almighty God have mercy on you in the sight of the man, so that he may let you have your other brother and Benjamin. But I must be like one who is deprived of his children.
(64) Finally faith overcomes and conquers, and now he gives his son Benjamin to Judah, not despairing nor blaspheming, but concluding and saying thus: I have resisted you until now, and have tried and done everything before sending my dearest son to Egypt: I did not want to tempt God. Yes, I have sought many means to prevent the danger into which he might have fallen. But now, because we are pressed by the greatest need, I will entrust him to God's providence and goodness.
This is a good example for us to follow in everything we do and in all our lives. For when we have done all that was possible for us in our anguish and distress, as Jacob here with great diligence resisted the counsel and will of his sons, and yet we find no help in the same means, then we may say, "Well, I have done what I could, I have not tempted God; now it is for me to keep the promise that he made to me, and to command all things only to his will and good pleasure.
let it be. For then you will have a good excuse that necessity has forced you, and God will miraculously save you, or give you something better than you could have seen before. But see to it that you do not despair.
66 For so Jacob was overcome, not so much by the speech of his sons, as for fear of death, that he let his son Benjamin be torn away from him, yet still he feared. The wick is smoldering, the reed is crushed. He should not be afraid or terrified, but because Joseph and Simeon were no longer there, he is still afraid everywhere. And although he has God's promise, he does not know what will become of this son, whom he would like to keep alive and healthy before the others. But because he sees that he cannot keep him with him, he no longer resists his sons, but does as they admonish him and what they desire of him in such a case; he lets Benjamin go and first gives them orders as to what gifts they should bring Joseph; then he wishes them happiness and asks God that it may go well with them.
67. minchah, in Hebrew, actually means gift, as we give sacrifices or gifts to God; as, Gen. 4:4: "The Lord graciously looked upon Abel and his sacrifice"; not that God desires to be satisfied with our gifts, for He has no need of them, as the 50th Psalm v. 9 testifies: "I will not take bulls from your house, nor goats from your stalls." As if someone wanted to give a penny or a farthing to a prince or a great monarch. But it pleases him that one should show him a humble and grateful heart, so that one may indicate that he will gladly hold the prince in honor as his lord and show him due reverence.
(68) In this way Jacob also sends gifts to Joseph, that he may know from them that they also wish to show him due honor and respect. It was almost a small thing that Jacob gave him honey and almonds. And because it is commonly said that one can reconcile both God and man with gifts
If you want to make them your friends, they should be drawn from the humility and gratitude of the heart, so that the minds of the overlords may be reconciled.
(69) As it pleases God that I honor and serve him with all my heart, so Abel's sacrifice was dear and pleasing to him, that he offered it with fear and right faith and wanted to prove his grateful heart with the same offering. For where the heart is sacrificed, that is a very pleasing gift to God and the king. But the heart is not always so fine, sincere and pure in those who give gifts to others.
70 For this reason it was customary among the ancients that princes could be propitiated even with small bad things, and they did not consider how great or glorious the gift was, but only the reverence, humility and gratitude of the heart. For he who has given the heart to one will also give him the bag. In this way Jacob instructs his sons to bring gifts to the prince of Egypt, so that if he is angry, he will be more easily reconciled and give him his son back. And so the holy patriarchs were preserved by faith in the promise of God, and yet they did everything that could and should have been done humanly, so that they did not tempt God.
Now the words that occur in this place should also be interpreted and explained. But I will command the Hebrews to consider them a little more diligently and precisely; and some of them have also been interpreted above, in the 37th chapter. There is still trouble and work to be done with the Hebrew language and grammar. The word bothnim is interpreted in many ways. I accept the opinion of those who say that it is terebinthina, a special gum or balsam, although this is a general name for all kinds of sap that flows from spruce or fir trees. The balsam (called terebinthina resina) is highly praised, therefore it has a great use in medicine. And such gifts cultivate
The first is to be very pleasant, which nature produces in some certain places, as in Arabia the incense, item, balsam, myrrh, and in Prussia the amber etc. Although there is no doubt about it, there will have been plenty of all these in Egypt, and it is almost unimportant that he added honey and almonds to it. But, as said before, such is a sign of a heart that fears God and also honors his prince, of whom he did not know that it was his son Joseph.
So the father honored the son and bowed down before him, as the dream says, and did everything that was necessary to make atonement for him; he also commanded his sons to return and pay the money they had found in the sacks, so that it would not seem as if he had missed something, or as if he wanted to tempt God. But this is the most consoling gift, that he sends his son Benjamin with him.
(73) Thus far we have spoken of the commandment which Jacob gave to his sons. The other part is the prayer he made. Here again the life of this very holy patriarch is described in such a way that it was very small and had no reputation. All that he does is a small thing in our sight, but in the sight of God it is very precious and glorious. You will not find any strange miracles in him, he did not go through any special fasting or vigilance, you will not see any ropes or monk's caps; all of which the monks have chosen for themselves out of their own discretion and by the will of some loose unlearned people without and outside of God's word. But this is a truly blessed and holy life, which is directed according to the rule of the profession, and the commandments and promises of God, which Jacob adhered to, and which he endured such a great and difficult struggle, which the papists even despise; but he thereby performs the most pleasing service to God, which is commanded in his word. For after he has done what could and should have been done to prevent the danger, he now adds the prayer, so that he shows that he has not broken the promise.
or rejected, even though in his anguish and distress he sighs, howls and complains so piteously that he seems to have forgotten the protection and help that God promised him. For there still seems to be a smoldering wick, if not yet extinguished, and a crushed reed, if not yet broken, while he cries and prays and yet not without great heartfelt groaning.
(74) Though it was a very short prayer, yet it was a fierce and fervent prayer of faith. For it came from a crushed reed and a smoldering wick; and so he poured out words of faith and unbelief at the same time. For by faith he calls upon God; but unbelief makes him still in fear, and almost despairs of Benjamin.
(75) But why is he afraid and trembling, as if the thing were lost? Why does he not rather rejoice, leap and jump for the sake of the promise he has had? Because, when we are well, we can easily remember it; but when God hides His face, ah! we soon become fainthearted and sorrowful. However, it is enough that the wick is not extinguished, and that we still call out, as Paul says in Romans 8:15: "Abba, dear Father." Although we do not hear the cry ourselves, just as Moses himself knew nothing of his cry at the Red Sea. "But he that searcheth and proveth the heart knoweth the mind, the desire, and the longing of the spirit," Rom. 8:27. He understands well how great this cry is; we cannot know it because of our weakness; as the Lord says to Moses, Ex. 14:15, "What cryest thou unto me?" when he could not open his mouth, because he was in the greatest distress, anguish, and danger. His heart beat strangely in his body, and he had no courage in any other way; he saw nothing else before his eyes but certain death; he looked at Pharaoh, who was hurrying after them, or turned his eyes to the Red Sea. Therefore, he was terrified and silent because of such great danger, and may have thought to himself: How, if we all
would be drowned or slain by the Egyptians? Then God says to him, "Why do you cry out to me?" He does not cry out, but he who searches the heart understands and hears the cry.
(76) In this way Jacob also prays and keeps the promise, but very weakly, for he still weeps and mourns pitifully. But because there is still a spark of faith and the inexpressible groaning in his heart, he does not despair, but prays. But he will not have finished the prayer with so few words and thoughts as Moses has recently described and written; for he has called upon God, thanked, praised and prayed with the most earnest words for Simeon and Benjamin.
77. but we have had above some times this name of God, in Hebrew, el shaddai, which is called from the breast or from nourishing; as the Greeks called their Diana ποΛύ/ζαστος, which they called to
Ephesus and other places, as seen in Acts 19:27. 19, 27, that they might nourish and sustain men. They took the name from the Jews and called their idols the same way the Jews called the true God.
78 Thus Jacob says el shaddai, that is, God, who is almighty, who gives and does all things, who feeds, governs, satiates, provides and sustains all things, that they may remain in their state or being: may God grant you grace and mercy in the sight of the man who is lord in Egypt. By the word shaddai they understood such majesty, which nourishes everything; and rechem means body, comes from racham, which means to have mercy. For the whole human race, and especially the female, is created to nourish, rear and sustain others, both cattle and men; as the 110th Psalm v. 3. says: "Thy children shall be born unto thee as the dew out of the morning glow"; there is also the word merechem in Hebrew. Therefore the woman has her name from the sewing office, which the Greeks wanted to give with the word πολύμαστος, as they called Diana. And Jacob praises God here also so that he has a
He is the governor who sustains and cares for people like a mother's womb, as Isa. 46:3, 4 says: "You who are carried by me in your womb and lie with me in your mother. Yes, I will carry you until you are old and gray. I will do it, I will lift and carry, and save." God says that He will carry us in His womb as a woman carries a child, not only to old age, but forever.
Thus God presents Himself to us in the form of a woman and a mother. And the same can be seen in the good deeds He shows to mankind; as Paul says in Acts 14, 17: "God has not left Himself unwitnessed, He has shown us many good things. 14, 17: "And indeed God has not left Himself unwitnessed, has done us much good, and has given us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
This prayer has been the most pleasant balm in the sight of God and the sweetest smell. Therefore, even if we are weak in faith, we should be accustomed to pray; then we will experience what Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:8, 9: "We have tribulation in all places, but we do not fear. We are afraid, but we do not despair. We suffer persecution; but we are not forsaken. We are oppressed; but we perish not. "etc. "If any man suffer among you, let him pray; if any man be of good cheer, let him sing psalms," Jac. 5:13. Only that we may not despair of God's help and grace, who thus tempts and punishes us for our salvation and blessedness.
(81) In the common Latin translation, the words are in vinculis (in bonds), but they are not found in the Hebrew text. As we remembered above, that these brothers with careful counsel refrained from remembering the prison in the presence of their father, so that they would not further mislead and frighten him. God undoubtedly heard Jacob's prayer, and it is a fine airy error that the father does not know that his son Joseph is still alive and a lord in Egypt. For God plays a fine game with His saints, but in such a way that they understand the opposite. Jacob sends his sons
and Benjamin went down to Egypt with an instruction and a gift, praying diligently, not knowing what our Lord God's counsel or will was.
The examples of the hermits and the monks are contrary to this. For they do not have such a promise from the state and life they lead; therefore they have not had such faith and temptation. But if these are not there, the devil laughs and mocks at all their works.
83 The last part is especially moving, that Jacob says: "But I must be like one who is completely robbed of his children. He must have spoken this with tears, and these are the words of one who weeps miserably and is, as it were, despondent. And this is truly a wonderful story. Such a holy man, who has been tried and tested everywhere in the faith of divine promise, should still cry out, scream and lament so miserably: "Schacholti! Alas! I am robbed of my children. I poor man, what shall I do? Since my dearest wife and Joseph, my son, whom I also loved very much, have died, I am now to be robbed of Simeon and Benjamin as well!
84. Why does God not hear this cry, which he did with tears and anguish? For he repeats the complaint twice, how he must be deprived of his children, and says: I have no child, I poor man; what am I now in my misery? He despairs and yet does not despair. These actions and movements of the saints no one understands, unless he learns it by experience; for there has been the greatest power in the utmost weakness. "Almighty God," he says, "give you mercy before the man"; and soon he says again, "But I must be deprived of my children." He prays and despairs at the same time; he cries and laments no differently than an unbelieving man, and yet he cannot pray without faith. For this reason, these are excellent examples of the godly, which instruct us that we should believe, even though everything is lost, that one cannot believe in God.
And when the tears are flowing down the cheeks, the heart should still say: God Almighty help me! But let us not break out into words of despair and blasphemy.
How here the despair was not far; but there is still a small sighing, the same is so strong that it can fill both ears of God; yes, it fills heaven and earth. And this is what Solomon says in the Song of Songs Cap. 3, 6: "Who is she that cometh up out of the wilderness like a straight smoke, like a fragrant trocis?" It is a very thin smoke and a fragrant globule; nothing more subtle and weak can be conceived. But who forces the same thin smoke to rise? This is done by the fiery power of faith and prayer, which fills the whole heaven. Jacob has indeed made few words: "I am robbed of my children altogether," he says; but it has been a very great groaning before God; but before him, Jacob himself, and before us quite little. Such prayers are very good, and they should be diligently remembered and heeded.
This lamentation, that Jacob complains that he is robbed of his children, is almost the end of all the tribulations, miseries and misfortunes he has had. Now something more cheerful will follow, after Moses has now described all his tribulations. But this prayer he will have often repeated all the time, while his sons were out: Morning and evening he will always have repeated this lament, saying: I poor man! I poor man! both with loud voice and sighing. And such a prayer was, as Luc. 18, 1. is described, since Christ says that one should always pray and not cease. So Jacob also prayed without ceasing until his sons returned and told him that his prayer had been answered.
And so, now that his affliction has come to an end, he is brought to bear this sorrow, to cry out and sigh over it: Alas, I am bereft of my children! I am alas bereft! etc. He must also sacrifice his son. How
As Abraham slew Isaac, so Jacob slew both his sons, Joseph and Benjamin, knowing that all the hope and faith of the promise was upon them. This was indeed a very heavy cross; therefore he is also exalted.
These examples are held up to us so that we may learn to follow them. And although we should always have the suffering of Christ before our eyes, the low and weak examples of the patriarchs move us even more than the high example of the Son of God. In Christ there was greater humility; he lowered and humbled himself more deeply than all the patriarchs have done: but it does not enter our hearts, for it is contrary to our knowing that Christ is true God. The patriarchs, however, move our hearts and feelings even more, since they were only men and were like us everywhere, when they were in the greatest need and trouble. The example of Christ is more wonderful because it is both a sacrament and a gift of God, through which Christ was made for us by God for salvation and blessedness.
Third part.
How Joseph's brothers arrive in Egypt, and Joseph commands them to enter his house, and how they are encouraged; how Joseph's steward encourages them and leads Simeon out to them; item, how he washes their feet.
V.15-17. Then they took these gifts and the money with them, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went into Egypt, and stood before Joseph. Then Joseph saw them with Benjamin, and said unto his steward, Bring these men home, and slay, and prepare; for they shall eat with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph had said unto him, and brought the men into Joseph's house.
89. I hold that Joseph saw his brother Benjamin from afar, since they had not yet come near before him. He
has been in the public place where strangers used to come when they wanted to buy grain; therefore he tells his steward to lead them into his house. The sight of them does not move him now, but later he will weep.
V.18. But they were afraid that they were brought into Joseph's presence, and said: We are brought in for the money which we found in our sacks before; that he may bring it upon us, and pronounce judgment upon us, that he may take us for his own servants, with our asses.
90] The reason they are afraid is that he did not take them to the common inn where the other strangers were staying, but to his house in particular. Then it occurred to them that they had done the most evil and the most harm to their brother, when he had meant no harm at all, but had only granted them all that was good. Thus Moses depicts an evil and troubled conscience, which trembles and is frightened even before a rustling leaf. For he who will not fear God with good holy fear in God's name, may fear him with false fear in the devil's name; yes, he may fear his own eyeballs. For this is the right punishment of safety. This is a true description of an evil conscience, which fears what it should not fear, and since it should fear, it does not fear, as it says in Psalm 14:5.
91 There is a beautiful saying of Augustine in his "Confessions", which one should always remember: Jussisti Domine, et factum est ita, ut poena sui sit omnis animus inordinatus, that is: Lord, you have commanded, and it has happened, that a disorderly and restless heart shall be its own punishment. He who does not fear God may be afraid that his own house or his neighbor's wall or pillar will fall on him. But why is that? God has commanded it, so it shall be. He who is not afraid of the truth may be afraid of the lie, and may honor an image or idol for the right true God, or else a ghost and shun it.
92) Just as we were more frightened in the pope's house when we thought of Christ, our Savior, than when we thought of the devil. For we hoped that we could escape from him or be delivered from him in some way. For we had allowed ourselves to be talked into it in such a way that we thought Christ would judge and condemn us. And therefore we called upon the Virgin Mary and other saints. For a false fear shuns and is afraid even of a fly, and of God Himself, when He does us good and protects us; yes, he is afraid of food and drink, that he may be nourished. For this reason, an evil conscience finally drives man to despair, so that he must quarrel with himself and be like a scourge or stickmaster. As the poets have depicted Orestes, that he was driven by the infernal Furies, and the like.
So Joseph commanded that his brothers should be brought into his house, not that he would harm them, but that he would show that it was pleasant and dear to him that they had brought his brother Benjamin. And now he no longer considers them scouts, but honest, pious, sincere, constant and true. But they, contrary to all this, are terrified, and think of the money that was hidden in the sacks: the same has so tormented them that they cannot think in their hearts otherwise than that they will have to die at the same time as Benjamin. The terror of this rustling leaf is so great that they were not taken to the common inn, but to Joseph's house.
(94) Why, they will have said, did they not let us go into the inn with other strangers? We are truly spoiled now. He will undoubtedly have found in his register of receipts that our money was missing; therefore he will want to find out from us and will take the same money from us by force. There you can see no promise that they kept, but only vain terror and torment of conscience; although Joseph thinks of nothing less than that he would have them punished, tortured or punished, as they would have been punished.
dreams. They do not see in Joseph a brotherly heart and good will, but a few things are always in their hearts; the same thing moves them very much, they think about it back and forth, namely, that he will demand the money back from them and accuse them of theft. In addition, there is also the sighing and complaining that they took the son Benjamin from the father and led them both into danger of life. Now truly, they said, as our father's heart foretold, we will bring his gray hairs into the pit. We are brought here for the sake of money, and there is no doubt about it, he will punish us.
Now this is the right cross and torture of a troubled conscience. For why did they not fear God with right fear before? Now they have only the thought that nothing good will happen to them, and are thus miserably afflicted, when there is no one to persecute or offend them; but, as Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked fleeeth, and no man chaseth him." For this is the manner and nature of a guilty conscience, that is, to flee and be afraid, even when all is well and there is happiness, and to turn such happiness itself into danger and death.
96 It is such a great sorrow for an evil conscience that knows itself guilty. And this is also the true fruit of sin, which destroys man with all his counsel, sense, understanding and all the powers of body and soul.
97. but they magnify the causes of their fierce terror, saying, "He will bring it down to lins, and pass judgment on us." etc. It is just as much spoken as: He will suddenly overtake us, as the tyrants are wont to do; as Gen. 6, 4. says of the Niphlim, that is, of the tyrants, that they were mighty and famous men on earth, the great Hansen, who oppress the people. They are not called great and strong because they are great in body, as the Jews interpret it; but because of their works and office, because they rob and oppress the poor; as such violence is described in the 10th Psalm.
Therefore, they say, "He will bring it upon us" to oppress us. What will he do with us? If it comes to pass, we will have to be his serfs. But at that time there was nothing less to worry about in the whole world than such a thought, which was completely strange, vain, futile and foolish; and yet it plagued them so fiercely.
But why do they not take hold of the word, which could have uplifted, comforted and strengthened them, so that they should not have been afraid of death and other dangers? They were so terrified that they could not think of their father's promise and sermons, and they had missed them for a long time and did not pay much attention to them. But because they now despise the word, they may have the lie and be afraid of themselves: they may make up and dream of great tyranny and all kinds of punishments that may befall them.
(100) For these are the Erinyes, the infernal devils, and the great torment and torture of a troubled evil conscience because of the sin it has committed, so that it complains and torments itself in vain and without any cause. As a saying of a Cardinal is in everyone's mouth, since he said: Conscientia est mala bestia, quae facit hominem stare contra se ipsum, that is: Conscience is an evil wild beast, which causes man to be at odds with himself. And the Italians have a common saying that they say: Oportet conscientiam occidere, et dicere, quod sit nihil, that is: One must kill the conscience and say that it is nothing.
(101) But how long do you think this calamity can be satisfied? No longer than until the law comes: when it begins to accuse and terrify me, I am killed and persecute myself; I fight against myself and torture myself with vain and futile thoughts. So it goes: over that we hardly sin against God, we also afflict ourselves, stand and fight against ourselves, until a brother comes to us, who comforts us and sets us straight with God's word, and says: "Why are you so foolish? Why then do you allow yourself
dream? You err and fall far short: God is not angry with you; he has taken away your sin etc. For such help and comfort from a brother is needed by a frightened heart, which thus devours and tortures itself.
V.19-22. Therefore they came to Joseph's steward, and spake unto him at the door of the house, saying: My lord, we went down a little while ago to buy food. And when we were come into the inn, and had opened our sacks, behold, every man's money was in the top of his sack, full weight; therefore we brought it down again with us. We also brought down other money with us to buy food, but we do not know who put our money in our sacks.
They did not go into Joseph's house, but stopped at the door, perhaps with the intention and hope that they might run away. And from this we can see how frightened and distressed they were. But the innocent Benjamin was also frightened with them, and the money, which was a sign of the greatest love and brotherly friendship, caused them great pain and sadness. For an evil conscience turns even the very best into the worst, and what is sweet and lovely because of its nature turns into vile wormwood and bitter gall.
(103) Yes, the whole creature, which is created for the use and pleasure of men, seems to be quite repugnant to them and to threaten pestilence and death; as in the book of Judges Cap. 5, 20. it is written: "From heaven they fought against them, the stars in their louses fought against Sissera" etc. So the men of war were terrified that they were afraid of their own horses and weapons, yes, even of the stars, the sky and the sun.
(104) In the same way, an evil conscience is also against God. For although he looks upon us and is favorable and gracious, it is afraid of his wrath and thinks that he is displeased with him and angry with him. Therefore, this was a good word of a brother in our monastery, who used to say to those who were distressed and frightened: God is not angry with you, do not be angry with him.
for you are much more angry with him than he is with you. And the hearts that are terrified by fear, in truth feel no other way than this. For an impure heart cannot see God; as Christ says Matt. 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Therefore, these are the most wretched people who do not have a pure heart, for they do not see God, but think that they see or hear the devil, even if they think of God, speak of Him or hear Him.
(105) And in the time of temptation, nothing so good or so pleasant can come or be offered to an evil conscience that it will not turn back and make itself vain fear, anguish, and terror, and can do nothing but testify against ourselves and contend with us; and when at last it lies down and is even despondent, the whole world is not able to raise it up again. For it is the death of the soul; and to raise and awaken consciences is nothing else than to raise the dead. Therefore the church, through the ministry of preaching or the oral word, which it has and needs, makes many more people alive than Christ himself did in his ministry; as he says John 14:12: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and shall do greater works than these." For this reason, many greater miracles take place every day, which we do not see and the world does not pay any attention to.
The conscience is a much greater thing than heaven and earth, which is killed by sin and made alive again by the word of Christ. For this reason we should all take special care that we may be saved from this very evil and hellish wild beast. For if this beast were not there, hell would have no fire, or no torment at all. But this wild beast kindles and strengthens death and hell, and sets the whole creature against us. For all things are angry, and sad, and troublesome, and dreadful, and are against us; not because of the creature, which is good, and neither threatens nor harms us; but it is our own fault, that we are thus terrified, and flee from the creatures.
107 But again a happy and sure conscience breaks through, conquers and despises.
Both death and the devil; as this is beautifully described in the 112th Psalm v. 7. 6: "When a plague is about to come, the pious man does not fear; his heart hopes undaunted in the Lord. His heart is confident and does not fear" etc. If the devil and the world are angry or laughing, it asks nothing of them: if he does not want to laugh, he is angry. But a heart that knows itself guilty is also afraid of a good rumor. For it is said: Conscientia mille testes: Conscience is like a thousand witnesses, yes, like a thousand camps, which are against us. But how to overcome such terror of conscience is taught elsewhere in the teaching of the gospel.
V. 23. But he said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and your father's God has given you treasure in your sacks. Your money has become mine. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
(108) This steward knew well what Joseph's plan and purpose was with his brothers. For Joseph would not have been able to do this, that he had placed himself thus and had given in another way, because it was too courageous for him, if he had not had a faithful servant; whom he would have used above all to sell the grain. And perhaps he also put the money in the sacks; otherwise he could not have given them this answer. Therefore he says: "Your money has been given to me", although he has not received it; but he says it because he wants to strengthen and please them with it. And it seems as if his Lord had instructed him in the doctrine of godliness; for he says, "Your God and your father's God has given you a treasure," that is, the God whom you and your father honor. You must not worry about your money: I have received it, "it has been given to me". And he says right about it. But he is silent about the fact that he gave it back to them and put it in their sacks. So this faithful servant finely follows the customs and godliness of his master, even though he was an Egyptian. He did not say, "I have it," or, "I have it.
not put in the sacks; but says, It came to me, I got it etc.
109) But the fear does not cease; indeed, the suspicion still grows, and a new distress comes over them, namely, how this steward could have gotten their money, or who put it into the sacks.
The Hebrew word mathmon, treasure, takes its name from hiding; therefore it is buried and hidden in the earth. Therefore it is not a new way of burying money, which at present the peasants do in their folly and in the strangest ways, but was also common among the ancients. And I think that a lot of money that is buried in this way is lost. And it is the same with money as with men; for it is also buried in the earth, sunk in the sea, when shipwreck occurs, just as the human race is wont to perish. Job also remembers the same use, since he says in the 3rd Cap. V. 21: "Those who wait for death do not come and dig it out of hiding"; item Jer. 41, 8: "Dear one, do not kill us; we have treasures in the field of wheat, barley, oil and honey" etc.
After this, the steward brings Simeon out of the prison, that he may the more lift up and strengthen their hearts. I have no doubt that it was a reasonable prison, and not the kind of place where evildoers and those who deserved death were put and bound. But it is a great sign of special mercy and kindness that their brother will soon be brought out of prison before their eyes; and yet they cannot yet lay aside and let go of their sorrow, distress, and all fear.
This is a very beautiful example of an evil conscience, namely, how it is disposed against God; and again, how great is the favor and grace of God, which He bears against a frightened conscience. For when he tempts us, he sets up various obstacles so that we cannot see him straight in the face and come to the mercy seat; just as if one were to go to the
We do not understand this game of divine grace and his good pleasure from the beginning, and we interpret the good deeds and grace themselves to our horror. But we do not understand this play of divine grace and his good pleasure from the beginning, and we interpret the good deeds and grace themselves, which we encounter and see before our eyes, to our horror and destruction.
The same thing happened to me when I was a little boy, and to my companions, with whom I collected the songs that we would like to hear in our studies. For at the time when the feast of the Nativity is celebrated in church, we used to go around the villages from one house to another, singing in four voices the usual psalms about the infant Jesus born in Bethlehem, and it happened that we came to a farmer's farm, which was situated in a place by itself and at the end of the village, and when the farmer heard us singing, he came out and asked with rude rustic words where we were, and said: "Where are you boys? and at the same time he brought some sausages with him, which he wanted to give us. We were so frightened by these words that we all ran away from each other, although we knew of no real reason why we should have been frightened, and the farmer presented the sausages to us with a good will and was willing to give them to us, except that perhaps our hearts had been frightened by the daily threats and tyranny that schoolmasters were accustomed to practicing with poor pupils at that time, and had thus become much more easily frightened by such a sudden fright. Finally, however, when we were on the run, the farmer called us again, and we put aside our fear and ran to him, and received from him the parcels he handed us.
In the same way, when our conscience is guilty and frightened, we tremble and flee: we are also afraid of a sausage, and of those who are our friends and grant us all the best.
Therefore, we should diligently guard against sins that wound the conscience, and we should learn to trust God and accept with a gentle, quiet, peaceful, believing heart whatever God sends us, whether good or evil; as the 112th Psalm v. 7 says: "When a plague comes, the pious do not fear; his heart hopes undauntedly for the Lord. Psalm v. 7. says: "When a plague is about to come, the pious man does not fear; his heart hopes undaunted in the Lord"'; item Prov. 28, 1.: "The righteous is confident, like a young lion."
For an evil conscience cannot in any way be satisfied or turn to God unless it has died; otherwise it always flees from God, from whom it should neither flee nor be frightened. Since God is such a good, to whom alone all despondents, and those who are otherwise abandoned by all creatures, desolate and without help, should have their refuge. But a poor heart that knows itself guilty would rather change into a thousand forms, and much sooner run through stones, fire and ore mountains, yes, finally to the devil himself, before it would turn to God and run straight to him.
Is it not a great and miserable pity that we fear and shrink from him of whom the Scriptures so often say that he is our refuge for ever and ever? even if our father and mother should forsake us and cast us off, yet he would receive the rejected; as the 27th Psalm v. 10 says, "My father and my mother forsake me, but the Lord receiveth me. Therefore, even if all creatures say nothing else than that you are lost, damned and condemned, you should still say with the 73rd Psalm v. 25, 26: "If I have only you, I ask nothing of heaven and earth. Even if my body and soul languish, you, God, are always my heart's comfort and my portion." What do I ask for that, if I only have a gracious God!
(118) Dear one, behold what the pagans do, who do not know the right true God, and yet run in all their needs to that which they consider to be God. They call upon Mars, Diana and Jupiter, etc., by which invocation and idolatry they indicate that God must be such a God, to whom one can go.
in danger, fear and distress; although they falsely ascribe the name and glory of God to idols and creatures; as Paul says Rom. 1, 21. ff.
Therefore this knowledge is planted in the hearts of all men, that the afflicted who are in distress should have recourse to God. This is the upper sentence in the syllogism, as the dialecticians are wont to speak in the schools, and cannot be doubted except by the Sadducees and Epicureans. But the subordinate clause is wrong, if one wants to say: This idol is God. There our nature can be seen that it is corrupt. Therefore, we lack the right God and cannot find Him properly because of such a corrupt nature. Thus, all people know that God is our refuge and call upon Him for help and comfort. But no one wants to approach God, who has revealed Himself in His words, with true confidence. The conscience is frightened and flees back, for it is impure and does not know God well; therefore it does not see God. But "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God", Matth. 5, 8. They do not jump back, but stand firm in faith and right invocation. As the same strength and firm trust is praised in the 112th Psalm v. 8: "The heart of the pious is confident and does not fear," etc., and in truth God is with such pious people and helps them when they are in need.
V. 24, 25 And he brought them into Joseph's hansom, and gave them water to wash their feet, and fed their asses. And they prepared the present until Joseph came to the south: for they had heard that there they should eat the bread.
120 It was an old custom to wash the feet of guests, and is also praised in the Gospel history, and was also kept this way by Christ Himself, John 13:5 ff, when He washed the feet of the disciples. And Paul says 1 Tim. 5, 10. of the widow, "if she has raised children, if she has been hospitable, if she has not been a stranger.
washed the feet of the saints. It was a very beautiful custom among the Jewish people; in our times, however, it has completely disappeared, and only the ceremony has remained in use in the Pope's church, which kings, bishops, and elders are accustomed to hold on Green Thursday, that they put on an apron and wash the feet of twelve poor people, and then serve them at table. For in this way they wanted to follow the example of Christ, so that they might boast and strut about this work. In the meantime, however, they kill the true Christians, defend their false doctrine, persecute the Word, shed innocent blood, and in the meantime adorn themselves with this ceremony and cover their cruel tyranny with it.
In former times, the monks in the monasteries washed the feet of the foreign brothers, gave them new knives and shoes, and likewise led them to a special hostel, where they did them good and waited for them. This was quite in keeping with the old, laudable practice, which could not now be restored without great difficulty, effort and work. Some princes and the papists do not wash the feet of the poor all year round; but if they wash them at a special time, they take people who have been washed before. But this is pure hypocrisy, which does not rhyme at all with the example and will of Christ. Pious, godly pastors and poor disciples, and other strangers, who bring good testimonies and recommendations from honest people, are not respected; except that there are still a few common people who understand such works and know that they are pleasing to God; they do good and do good deeds to whom they should and where they can.
(122) Nevertheless, it is not so easy to receive and shelter everyone unless he has good testimonies from others. As those at Corinth did not receive Apollo without letters, that they might know whom they were receiving and to whom they were doing good. For the wickedness of the vagrants and other swindlers will one day force pious, godly people to be more charitable and benevolent towards the
The poor must be moderate, because there are so many hypocrites running around who have become accustomed to begging and who, under the name and appearance that they are quite miserable, take away the benefits and alms from the mouths of the real poor. For those who are in great need of washing and other people's charity are often deterred by their own shame and modesty, so that they shy away from asking the church and other godly people for help and taxes; they keep quiet and eat their poverty inside themselves, so that they are burdened; they do not run around in the country, but suffer their poverty, lamentation and misery with patience, even though they often do not have enough bread to eat.
(123) But some deceiver can easily get in and take away what should be given to the right poor, and gamble it away and squander it, and then mock us that we have so easily believed him and given him what he desired. And in such matters the authorities do not do what is their duty, for they should drive such murderers and thieves out of their country and cities. And such unknown beggars should not be given anything, who come running without the testimony of pious men of God; although there are many of them every day, who bring letters and testimonies from other honest people. And whatever harm they have suffered, they come and ask for our alms; although we ourselves and our fellow citizens or neighbors do not have so much money and property left that we could compensate all the poor who come to us for their poverty and lack, and overburden them with it. And there are indeed quite a few poor citizens in our country, who should be fed and maintained first and foremost.
(124) But it is lost and in vain if we have long given such admonition, because now all discipline is abolished, and the people are so wanton and insolent. I do not believe that all in Egypt practiced such gentleness and kindness in general as the Jews and Joseph did; nor can it be known whether there was such a thing in Egypt.
It was a common practice throughout Egypt to wash the feet of foreign guests; or, there is no doubt, they would have made a distinction. For Joseph paid careful attention to the people, asking them all in particular who they were and from whence they came.
If it was a common practice in the country, then one could easily perform the same service, but only to those who were first inquired who they were; as we heard above, Genesis 24:32, that Rebecca led Abraham's servant into her father's house, and gave him water to wash his feet, and straw and fodder for his camels; for she knew that he was sent there from the lineage of Abraham etc. And in those days there were not so many vagabonds and loose boys as there are now in the whole world.
But it behooves the princes and states to keep a diligent watch in the country and cities on such fraud and robbery of the many beggars, and should seriously punish such lazy rogues, who do not want to work and yet always want to eat. For they rob us and take away from the poor who live with us the bread that godly people would give them. For godly people know well that God wants us in the church of God to be mild and charitable toward poor people; therefore they also give the poor shelter, food and drink, clothes and shoes. The washing of feet, however, which is common among the papists, is a loud hypocrisy, so that they seek neither God's honor nor the neighbor's benefit, but only praise the same self-chosen work.
Fourth Part.
In which way Joseph receives his brothers, especially Benjamin.
(vv. 26-28) And when Joseph was come into the house, they brought him home the present in their hands, and fell down to the ground before him. And he greeted them kindly, and said, Be it well with your father the aged, from
whom ye told me? is he yet alive? They answered: Thy servant our father is well, and yet liveth. And bowing down, they fell down before him.
The word "worship" means to bend the knees or to fall at the feet of another. Moses says they bowed down to the earth, that is, they fell down before Joseph and touched the earth with their knees. With this the dream is fulfilled, which he told his brothers above, Gen. 37, 6. 7. But Joseph greeted them kindly; interrogat ipsis pacem, wish them peace, as it reads according to the Hebrew. So in the 122nd Psalm v. 6. it says: Rogate, quae ad pacem sunt, Jerusalem, that is: "Wish Jerusalem happiness" and salvation. Just as we use our greeting to wish others happiness, when we say: God grant you grace! God grant you a good morning! good evening! God be gracious to you! bless you! give you happiness and salvation! For all this is called by the Hebrews the word pax, peace.
So Joseph still persists in demonstrating his good will and special love for his brothers, so that they may consider it certain that he is favorable, gracious and well-disposed toward them; and yet he conducts himself as befits a ruler who must always maintain good order and discipline. And it behooves the authorities in particular to be merciful and gracious.
129 Then Joseph asked, "Is your old father still well? For thus his words are, "Is your father, the old man, still well? is he still alive?" To which they answer, "He is well. "etc. And from this it can be deduced what the proper meaning of this word pax, peace, is. As in the 37th chap. v. 14, when Jacob sends his son Joseph to his brothers, he says to him, "Go, and see whether it is well with your brothers and with the cattle," that is, whether it is well with them, as we say in our German. Joseph had heard before that his father was still alive and well, but in order that he might be more certain of this, he asked again. And now they bend down for the second time.
or bend down before him, as we are accustomed in our times to doff our hats or bend our knees. To show honor and due respect to others.
V.29. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said: Is this your youngest brother, since you told me about him? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
(130) We heard above how Joseph saw his brother Benjamin from afar. Here he looks at him a little closer in his house, and Benjamin is called his mother's son, because he alone was Joseph's bodily brother; as the other brothers were born with him of one father. Here the right emotions and natural movements arise, and there the tears are also found, because he sees his brother and also thinks of his father. "God," he says, "be favorable to you" and "have mercy, my son" etc.
These words must have gone very much to his heart. For he was moved not only by seeing his brother, but also by hearing his mother, his father and all that had happened at home. It occurred to him that his kind and loving mother had died in childbirth for the sake of her son, the year before he had been sold to Egypt. At the same time, he will have considered how much and how great misery his parents and he himself had had to endure all their lives, especially during the two years in which his mother died, and that he had been sold to the Ishmaelites at the end of the same year in which Benjamin was born.
(132) And there is no doubt that all these things occurred to him and came before his eyes when he saw his brother; and his heart was inflamed with tender love and affection for Benjamin and his parents. Therefore he says, "God be gracious to you, my son." As if to say, Alas, how did your dear mother give you birth with such great pain! How many great troubles, worries and fears my father and I had to bear until I was born!
1606 L. x. sss-sas. Interpretation of I Genesis 43:29, 30. w. n, ssss-sssi. 1607
that I may see you again and have fellowship with you! O God, how sour it has become to your mother, and to me and to your father, before I see you again! Now his heart will become like water.
V. 30 And Joseph made haste, for his heart burned against his brother, and sought where he wept, and went into his chamber, and wept there.
(133) Dear one, behold how strong nature is, which, the better and more righteous it is, the more excellent and fervent are its inclinations. And grace and the Holy Spirit do not abolish these, nor do they corrupt them, as the monks have dreamed; but where nature is corrupt, the Holy Spirit heals it and straightens it out, bringing it back into its proper state. For the same can be seen here in this example of Joseph, whom the natural inclinations so completely overcome that both his heart and eyes become water and can do nothing but weep. He is not at all with himself, and he also falls silent, as it were, from great heartfelt compassion, which he had with his brother and parents.
Therefore Moses does not say that he hastened in vain: he cannot wait for the honor that they do to him. After he has spoken the words in which he blessed Benjamin and wished him happiness, he immediately hurries to his chamber. They do not know what his haste means and that he turns his face away from them so suddenly; indeed, they secretly interpret it as a sign of disfavor and enmity. From the words they judge that he must be a kind, gracious gentleman; but what it may mean that he stops talking so suddenly, they cannot understand. But he has not gone into his chamber for any other reason than that he had to cry.
And these are truly excellent histories of the holy fathers, which testify that nature is not changed, but preserved by God. As the foolish people of the monks taught that one should leave parents, wife and world and go to a monastery. But what then will the community be, so that people with each other can be
Or what does the whole life of man want to be then? This has truly been no true holiness or godliness, as they have said, but a devilish nonsense. But if you are forced by necessity and God's commandment to leave your parents or wife, etc. as when Jacob had to leave his sons, Joseph and Benjamin; or when Abraham is commanded to slaughter his son Isaac; since our Lord God forbids in the first tablet that one should prefer neither father nor mother to him, but fear and love him above all things: then you should be obedient to the word of God, which is written in Deut. 33, 9: "He that saith to his father and to his mother, I see him not; and to his brother, I know him not; and to his son, I know not: they keep thy word, and keep thy covenant. But in the other table, the better, more excellent, and more holy nature is, the more it honors parents, and loves wife, children, and brethren.
But the monks despise all this as a vain carnal thing and condemned by God, and trample it underfoot, as it were. In the first table they are idolaters and blasphemers, honoring the devil and serving him under the name of God. And in the other table, they leave the works that God has commanded and follow their own desires and the statutes of men. As Ahaz also despised the service of the first table and left it, and served God with the sacrifice of his children. For with this he intended to do a delicious work, that he sacrificed his sons after the example of the supreme patriarch Abraham. But who told him or commanded him to do this?
For this reason, in the second tablet God wants children to love their parents dearly, and parents to love their children. And this is not a worldly or carnal life, but the most spiritual, for the sake of the fourth commandment: "You shall honor your father and your mother," which is the next commandment after the first tablet. Likewise, it also commands the subjects to be obedient to the authorities, and that the authorities, in turn, should respect their unrighteousness.
Therefore, one should not flee from the duties and works of the fourth commandment, but rather carry them out and administer them with the utmost diligence. But the world does as it is wont to do, and perverts all this as if it were nonsensical.
Therefore, one should diligently note such passages in Scripture, in which the natural inclinations and affections in the saints are praised, by which they have been so moved that they also seem to have been more tender than other worldly men and pagans are. For they are so sorrowful and grieved, and love their children so dearly, that they show themselves weaker than any pagan could have done. Yes, you can also see from them that they are very fierce and hot-tempered on both sides, that is, in happiness and in misfortune. Therefore, we should follow the teaching of Paul in Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with the joyful, and weep with the weepers.
139 Thus it will be possible to refute the apathy, that is, the unnatural or inhuman insensibility of the monks and hermits, for the sake of which their solitary life, which they led, was praised by the common man in former times; and they led many people with them into error and ruin. And in our times, Münzer took upon himself to reintroduce this inhuman insensitivity into the church and to bring it into pregnancy.
In the book which they call "Lives of the Fathers," many strange and terrible examples of the monks are told, both of which sufficiently indicate their nonsense and great ignorance of the past. For example, the example of the two brothers, to whom their mother came, that she wanted to see her sons, because she had not seen them for a long time; but they closed the door and hid themselves. And when the mother begged them that she might come to them, they bade her go away, saying, She ought to bear with patience, that she should be deprived of her sons until she should see them in eternal life. If I had been a lord or regent in that place, I would have wanted the same monastery cells.
burned with fire. Why did the wicked people not think that they sucked their mother's breasts and that they were people born of this mother into this world? But the monks can marvel at such works and praise them highly, and say that such fantasists were strong and steady men who could have despised their mothers, regardless of God's commandment, which does not command to reject or despise the mother, but that one should honor and serve the parents.
Therefore another hermit received his just punishment for his foolishness, to whom the devil had said that a ghost would come to him in the form of his father, when he heard that the father wanted to visit his son. When the father came, the monk came out, thinking it was a ghost, and took an axe and hit the father on the head with it, thus strangling him. Afterwards, however, he saw that it was not a ghost, but his own father. With such devilish deceit, however, those must have been driven around and seduced who chose their own ways and little fiefdoms and followed the same. Why do you not rather stay with your parents, wife and children, as God has commanded you, until Diocletian comes and takes away both father and children by force? etc. Then you will be led to the highest service of the first table, that you confess Christ, and prefer the confession of his word and pure sound doctrine to all that which is most dear to you, even in this life.
By the way, the natural inclinations are not extinguished by the Holy Spirit, by the Word and faith, but are increased. As can be seen in these fathers, who were completely inflamed by such fierce affections. As is said here of Joseph, in Hebrew, nichmeru, that is, "His heart burned against his brother."
143. but from the same word the Jews call our monks kemarim, and the nuns kemaroth, in their language, as that which is
wear black clothes. But they do it according to their own opinion and will; for they have no grammar, much less the right understanding of the words in the Scriptures. And we must take the right meaning of the words from the text and examples of the Scriptures. As for how to understand this way of speaking, this can be taken and learned from 1 Kings 3:26 of the mother whose child was still alive; there the text says: Incaluerant viscera ejus ob filium suum, that is: "Her motherly heart was inflamed over her son" etc.
Therefore this derivation of the same word is better and truer, why the monks are called kemarim, namely, because of their special religion or worship, and their strict life, so they led. For they pretend to be much more fervent and have greater zeal for worship than other common people. For this reason, they escape and go to monasteries, thus withdrawing from the community of other people, not wanting to be married, not wanting to be rulers or ecclesiastics, and thus separating themselves from the three holy positions that God Himself has established.
145 The same word is found in 2 Kings 23:5, where King Josiah drove out the Camarim, which seems to have been a special sect of priests or clergy, who wanted to be better than the others, and were more ardent and devout in their pursuit of godliness; as the woman 1 Kings 3:26 trembled and burned in her heart over her child etc. The same Camarim drove Josiah out of the kingdom, since he had established the right divine doctrine again, and had also destroyed and abolished many other idols and idolatries. Therefore, I do not think that the monks should be called kemarim because of their clothing, but because of the special devotion they showed.
(146) Such were the idolaters whom they called in Hebrew miplets, and the Baal apes, who also arrogated to themselves special religion and holiness before others, and boasted that they were close to God and so related to Him.
that they called him their bridegroom or husband. For so much is the word baal. And by the same name they exalted themselves above all other worship, as though the rest of the common people did not serve our Lord God with sufficient fervor or devotion. But they called themselves our Lord God's bridegrooms and brides. For this reason, they chose very strict and harsh rules and statutes, which they kept in addition to the sacrifice commanded by Moses, just as the monks did in our time, especially the Carthusians, who could rightly be called Baalites.
For they have despised the word, baptism, and sacraments, because they do not shine so gloriously, nor are they so exalted in the sight of men. What love, hope and faith! they said, which the apostles taught; we wear plates and have girded ourselves with stalks, eat no flesh, abstain from pleasure in marriage, item, worldly police and otherwise, that we have no fellowship with other men. We are true saints and Baalites: the common people are of no concern to us, who otherwise have no special understanding, except what may concern the works of this common life.
Thus monasticism is nothing else but a contempt of the divine and heavenly estate, and of the works which Christ Himself instituted and confirmed, such as the holy sacraments, the Ten Commandments, the Psalter, the Catechism, and all the holy Scriptures. But they have miserably deceived the poor people with all lies, dreams, and false appearances of holiness; and have thus made both the baptism and the blood of the Son of God to be utterly despised before their outward vestures. As if it were a small glory that one is baptized and cleansed with the blood of Christ, that one is a Christian and a member of Christ, yes, a fellow member of the prophets, apostles and angels, and also of all the saints. This is truly a great honor, which the monks have obscured and suppressed with their monkish, camaristic, and religious teachings.
tic and Baalite self-chosen worship services.
Therefore let us contend against them with the greatest diligence, and let us exalt and glory in the honor and glory of holy baptism, of the Lord Christ, of the Ten Commandments, and of the gospel. These things are to be learned and practiced in this life, whether you live without marriage or in wedlock, whether you are a ruler or a commoner, that you only see to it that you learn the gospel, baptism and the articles of faith, and hold them in great honor and always remember them in your heart. But again, you shall trample under foot the abominable works of the monks, such as caps and ropes. For with these the people have been miserably deceived and corrupted by the man of sin and the child of perdition.
V. 31 And when he had washed his face, he went forth, and held himself fast, and said, Lay up bread.
The Hebrew word aphak means to abstain. But it is not such abstinence as keeping oneself moderate and modest in food, drink and clothing, but it is inwardly in the heart, in mercy and love, and is really nothing else than that one presents oneself outwardly as if one were altogether steady and strong, yet inwardly the whole heart is flowing with vain compassion toward those who are afflicted; as has been said of Joseph. And yet he holds fast that his brothers did not realize that he had wept. It actually means to hold on, and to force oneself to be different than one would want to be. As those who have a fearful and frightened conscience, and yet want to be thought strong and undaunted. As the monks pose as if they were fleeing from the world. But such abstention is a true Stoic hypocrisy, and is not a Stoic who in truth does as he pretends with outward gestures.
151 Thus all hypocrites can hold themselves in fine esteem, and outwardly imagine great strength, and pretend to be very hard; but it is all hypocrisy with them. Joseph, however, since he was completely inflamed with inward affections
He had already shed tears, but he still holds on tight and has a meal prepared, and in the meantime he also poses as if he were strong. By which strength he has somewhat tempered and covered his natural inclination toward his brother; but his heart meanwhile overflows with tears and fiery love.
152) "To lay bread" is a Hebrew way of speaking, it means as much as to prepare a meal. For the word "bread" is understood synecdochically for food and drink.
Fifth part.
From the meal that Joseph gave to his brothers.
V.32. And they charged him specially, and them also specially, and the Egyptians also specially that did eat with him. For the Egyptians must not eat bread with the Ebrams, for it is an abomination in their sight.
153] In this passage is described the patriotic custom of the Egyptians, who had such an abhorrence of the Jews to have fellowship with them that no one would eat with a Jew. "For it is," as Moses says, "an abomination in their sight." For they have despised all other peoples, let alone the Jews, not only out of pride and pride, but also out of superstition. And the same is testified not only by the holy Scriptures, but also by the writings of the Gentiles; as in Herodotus and other writers their pride and superstitious religion is also clearly mentioned and described. And in the 87th Psalm v. 4. and Is. 30, 7. is called rahab, that is, proud and hopeful: "I will preach Rahab, and Babel" etc. And after this Gen. 46, 33. 34. Joseph instructs his father and brother that they should say to the king that they are such people as handle cattle, that they may dwell in the land of Goshen. "For what cattle herders are," he says, "that is an abomination to the Egyptians."
For this reason, they have been a proud and hopeful people above all other nations in the whole world, for the sake of the great and mighty King.
The people of Egypt, for the sake of the kingdom, in which it was so prosperous everywhere and which was very rich, also had a fertile land, over which the Nile flowed every year and thus made it fertile. Therefore, food and grain must have been very cheap in Egypt. Arabia was also close by, as well as the Red Sea, on which all kinds of goods were brought to Egypt. As France is now the most hopeful kingdom, so it is said to be such a fertile land. Therefore, such kingdoms also pride themselves before God, because they have such immense blessings; as the glory and honor of Egypt is also praised by the prophets, that it was like the paradise of God.
The other and most important reason that the Egyptians were so hopeful was their religion. For they believed that they surpassed all others in this, and for this reason they wanted to be considered purer and holier than other peoples. For it has been said above how great their superstition was, which is why the king kept many soothsayers, wise men, magicians and astrologers.
But I think that the Jews were so hated by the Egyptians because of circumcision. For every religion has its peculiar emblems and ceremonies, which are not like the religion of other nations, and of which the others have an abhorrence. Just as the Turks despise us Christians because of our baptism, so they do not consider Christians worthy to sit at table with them, hardly considering them worthy to be their servants. Thus said above, Cap. 39, 17, Potiphar's wife also said with great contempt: "The Hebrew servant whom you have brought in to us" etc. As if she wanted to say: The unholy Jew wanted to do violence to me; it would not have been so unreasonable and shameful if an Egyptian nobleman had been subjected to it and not the circumcised man from the most shameful family and people of the Jews.
157 Not only did they abhor the Jews, but they also despised the herdsmen who were their own countrymen and fellow citizens. And
As it is said that in Constantinople, poor and unknown people are driven from the Turkish emperor's palace with shackles, so that they do not go before his eyes, so the Egyptians also despised their cattle herders as poor, rejected people, who were of low status and wealth, both in their police, order and religion, as if those who sit high above others should also be holier than others because of their high status.
Thus the Jews thought that the rich man, Luc. 16, 19, who dressed himself in purple and fine linen, was much more blessed and pleasing to God than Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's door full of swarms. And in the 144th Psalm, v. 15, such a delusion or opinion of the wicked is also told, where they say: "Blessed are the people who are so fortunate. So the Turks also consider us condemned people because of the tribulations, misfortunes and miseries we must suffer; but they promise themselves eternal bliss because they are in such prosperity in this life because of their many goods and great power. This is the philosophy of the Egyptians and the religion of the Turks, which finely refutes the Christian doctrine, as is taught elsewhere.
159 Thus Moses describes the custom of the Egyptians when they held and ate meals, namely, that the officials and councilors, whose work and counsel Joseph used in the administration of the commonwealth, ate especially in their own place. Lyra and the others indicate as a cause why the Egyptians were so hostile to the Jews, that the Jews used to slaughter some cattle, which the Egyptians worshipped. And the same cause is probable. For afterwards, Exodus 8:26, Moses says, "It is not fit that we should do so; for we would offer the abominations of the Egyptians unto our God the Lord: behold, if we should offer the abominations of the Egyptians before their eyes, would they not stone us?" For the Egyptians honored the idol Apis, which means "ox" in their language, and one was not allowed to slaughter an ox with them, which pulled in the plow. But I think that here still another
The reason for this must be that Joseph's brothers ate from his table and did not slaughter any sheep or oxen there because they were guests and strangers.
Another question arises here, which is somewhat appropriate to this story, namely: Why did Joseph, the pious holy man and prophet, consent to the use of these very godless and hopeful people and follow it? because it was said above from the 105th Psalm v. 22, that he taught them wisdom and instructed the rulers according to his ways. Why then did he not condemn this ungodly use? Yes, even though he was a ruler over the whole kingdom, he allowed them to set him apart and exclude him from themselves, and to eat them alone and specially. Now this is truly a wonderful thing. They knew that he was a Hebrew, before which people the Egyptians have an abomination, as he said of himself in prison Gen 40:15: "I am stolen out of the land of the Eberians secretly" etc. And the king also says to the king Gen 41:12: "There was with us a young man who was an Ebrew" etc. And yet he was made ruler and lord over all Egypt, so that everyone knew that he had come and been born of the same despised and abominable people. And with such fellowship, so Joseph and the Egyptians had with each other, still such habits and customs of both peoples with his knowledge and will thus remained unchanged.
To this question I answer thus: The histories in the holy Scriptures testify that never a people was so pure and without all lack. Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in great numbers; and Balaam says of them, Deut. 23:23, "There is no diviner or idol in Israel"; and yet in the prophet Amos, Cap. 5:26, it is written, "Ye bear the tabernacles of your Moloch, and the idols of your images, and the star of your gods, which ye have made unto yourselves." And Stephen also confirms this, when he says in Acts 7:42: "God turned and gave them to serve the host of heaven, as He had cried out.
It is written in the book of the prophet. Therefore Moses did not have such a pure people, as it seemed, but some remained in their unbelief and godlessness. As he himself complains about it in Deut. 29:19: "And though he hear the words of this curse, yet he blesses himself in his heart, saying, It is well with me, because I will walk after the manner of my heart, that the drunken woman may pass away with the thirsty" etc. There he indicates that some of the Jews were godless and idolatrous. But that 4 Mos. 23, 23. says: "There is no soothsayer in Israel", that is spoken synecdochically.
Thus, in the 105th Psalm, v. 6 ff., their godliness and their faith are praised with all the benefits that God had shown them out of grace. Again, soon after, in the 106th Psalm v. 21 ff., their unbelief is punished, since the prophet says: "They forgot God, their Savior, who had done so great things in Egypt" etc. Therefore, we must not think that all the people of Israel were pious, even though they all passed through the Red Sea; but for the sake of the part that was pious and godly, the other part also enjoys the benefits of God, which it tends to give to its church.
The same is done at all times, and in our time the world exists and the regiments are preserved for no other reason than that God gathers a church in the midst of the wicked and naughty people. For the fact that there are still regiments and police forces in countries and cities must not be attributed or thanked to the princes and kings, who are generally godless and the most wicked of men; but everything is preserved for the sake of the Word and baptism, and because of the holy seed that is still left in the church. For if the blessed were not, and they that are yet to be blessed, the world would not endure; and if now the last saints shall live, the latter day shall soon come. For God does not ask for the worldly police or house regiment, but only for the sake of the Church.
164 There are, by the way, among the holy and believing people always also ungodly and hypocrites mixed in; as is the case in the
1618 ü. L, 277-279. interpretation of Genesis 43, 32. w. n. W7S-W7S. 1619
The history of David, who was a very holy king, can be seen. For behold his wretched lamentations, in which he accuses not only the tyrants in the political regime, but rather the godless false teachers. Therefore, since neither Moses, nor David, nor other kings and prophets, Elijah and Elisha, etc., could not have done away with everything that was impure, and could not have set up and restored everything that was corrupt and wicked in their time, what wonder is it that we still have to live among godless and wicked idolatrous people at this time?
In this way Joseph will also have corrected what he was able to correct, and those whom he was able to help to be saved, he instructed and preserved; but a large part remained in error and with the superstition of their forefathers. Therefore, all that is written in Psalm 105, v. 22, "He instructs the princes and the elders according to his ways," must be understood synecdochically, namely, that they are not all meant by this, but only some. That is enough.
Now Pharaoh gives him all the same perfect power in the political regime and uses him as a faithful servant, although he was born in a very bad, low and despised people; allows him to use his law and ceremonies, that he abstains from the things which also his fathers abstained from; and the king does not change the whole regime in the kingdom, but lets the word and the teaching of Joseph have their course, allows him that he may spread his religion as much as possible. As far as the secular police is concerned, however, he has ordered him to administer the entire regiment. Such a great kingdom could not have been so completely reformed that there would not have remained some wicked people in it; just as there were undoubtedly many bad boys in the police.
So we may thank God that we also bring many to us through the Word; but we still have to live with other idolatrous people, whether under the Turk or under Emperor Charles. It will
This is what the prophet Amos imposes on the people of Israel when he says in Cap. 5, v. 26: "You have served your idol Remphan" etc.
168) What Joseph could not change or improve, he ordered to the judgment of God, and kept to the common saying: Let it go as it goes etc. As he could not abolish this usage, that the Egyptians should not have abominations against the Jews. Neither did it behoove him to stir up the people for it, and to cause sedition. Therefore we must still suffer the wickedness and foolishness of the wicked, as Elijah and the other prophets had to tolerate the Baalites, Miplezet and the Camarim in the greatest number. For the seven thousand that remained at the time of Elijah were nothing when counted against the whole people. It behooves us to preach and teach: But God giveth prosperity; one time more, another less. We admonish, rebuke, convince and punish others as an example, but when we see that we can do nothing with it, we should say: Lord God, I will leave it all up to you and command you, you will do everything well.
(169) Therefore, when it pleased the Egyptians to eat especially alone, Joseph left them the same use of their fatherland and the statutes of their forefathers; but the others, who heard the word and had no abhorrence of him, he received kindly. And the same thing is wont to be done at all times and among all nations.
170 But there was such a use with this meal, which Joseph had prepared, as it was in the Pabstthum with the monks. They sat at long tables so that they could look at each other; as will follow in the text: "They were seated against him. The officials, however, sat Joseph on the right and on the left. And it seems that when they served the food, they kept this order, that the food was first brought before the prince, that it was distributed among the others according to his will and pleasure, and that the food was served at the right hand of the prince.
The officials or councillors themselves would also be distributed.
This has been a praiseworthy and useful practice among the peoples of the Orient, that each one has been given his own modest share of food and drink. This was a great moderation, so that one saved a lot, and which would not rhyme with the German way. Everyone has had his modest share of meat and bread. They did not serve four hundred or five hundred bowls, which today our princes are wont to do with great abundance, so that much is wasted and done uselessly.
It seems that Joseph first invented and established this order, and it is also mentioned in the Book of Esther, Cap. 1, v. 8. Yes, the Romans and Greeks also gave each one his modest portion according to his health and strength, or according to how large or small his body was. This was truly a very praiseworthy order in the household regime, so that each one would not consume, devour and devour everything at once, as our people are wont to do. And especially the princes in our times are quite senseless with feasting, are skilled in spending and squandering everything without measure and cessation. There is no hope of improvement, but one must tolerate and let go the wild disorderly being in this last age of the mad world. If we were a little more moderate, and could only spare the costs that are annually spent on the intemperate drink, beer and wine, we would have much more money and property, both in general and in particular.
By the way, Joseph and the Egyptians ate each according to the way of his religion; only that the Egyptians assumed much greater holiness and purity. Joseph may have eaten veal or other meat at times, which was not proper for the Egyptians because of their idolatry of Apis. Therefore, they let Joseph keep his way, as long as they were not forced to keep it.
He will undoubtedly have taught faithfully and with the utmost diligence, as much as it may have been; but they have done what has pleased them.
V.33. And they set them against him, the firstborn according to his firstborn, and the youngest according to his youth. They were amazed among themselves.
This is a strange thing, that he set them over against each other, every man according to his age. The Hebrews say, and it is very likely, that Joseph posed as if he were a prophet, and his brothers saw that he was held in great honor and had a fine reputation, and that he ruled Egypt with special wisdom and counsel, because he said above, Cap. 42, 18, "I fear God." Therefore they considered him a godly man, and easily believed that he had the gift of proclaiming things to come; especially since they saw that he used special arts and ceremonies, which the prophets also used, as Jeremiah wore a wooden chain, Isaiah walked barefoot. So Joseph also: because he was in truth a prophet, he also used special ceremonies, so that his brothers took him for a prophet or Egyptian prophet.
The Hebrews say that when he had called them to sit one after another, as they should sit, he struck the cup, and with the same sound gave a sign that the firstborn should sit on top, and so on, one after the other. And it seems that this is the reason for what is said in the following chapter, v. 5: "The cup which you have stolen is the very cup out of which my lord drinks, and that he may know. Therefore it is very probable that he must have used special gestures, so that he could pretend to them, as if he had received a report from God, how they should sit at the table one after the other.
176. but they could have understood that he only put himself before them in this way, because he knew so exactly everyone's age, as if he were also in their lineage and
1622 L. X. 281-28S. Interpretation of Genesis 43:33, 34, W. II, WW-WW. 1623
would have been at the time of everyone's birth. But Joseph concealed this by hitting the cup and being especially brave and earnest, pretending to know things to come, so that they would not know that he had made this pretense and deception before them.
177 But what kind of prophecy was in the cup, Moses does not indicate. So they let themselves be deceived all the more easily with this unusual way, because they had doubted their brother's life long ago; and they could not think that this should be Joseph, but it must otherwise be a great lord and holy prophet, who would be very well experienced in the Egyptian religion. In this way, Joseph plays quite friendly with his brothers, proving that he had a kind and friendly heart towards them, but still obscures and covers such friendliness and good will that they could not really understand it.
V.34. And they brought them food from his table, and Benjamin had five times as much as the others. And they drank, and were drunken with him.
The bowls were first placed on Joseph's table, and from them he gave each man his portion of food. Benjamin, however, received five times as much. And from this they might have assumed that Joseph had only acted in this way outwardly, namely, because Benjamin was given such an honor before the others. But they might have thought that this was the custom of kings and lords, that they should exalt whom they pleased, and again cast out whom they pleased.
179 This is a very funny spectacle and example, which is full of spiritual teaching, if it is drawn to the divine government, so that he may lead his saints whimsically; so that we do not soon despair when we are challenged and punished, and even in happiness and when it is well with us, do not presume
or become proud. For God tries us on both sides, with fortune and misfortune, so that we may be trained and praise the Lord at all times; whether He deals kindly with us or lets us be afflicted, we should be satisfied in our hearts and thank Him, for He plays with us just as Joseph did with his brothers.
180) Moses says that when they had eaten, they became drunk. This is not to be understood of the excessive drinking of the Germans or Greeks, but is spoken after the manner, which is also common in other places in the holy scriptures; as, in the 65th Psalm v. 10: "You search the land, and water it", "inebrias eam" make it as it were drunk etc. When it rains, God makes the land drunk, waters it and makes it fruitful. And Prov. 11:25: "He that maketh drunken shall be drunken also," that is, he that middly feedeth the poor, that they may be filled, shall be filled again abundantly. Item in the 23rd Psalm v. 5: Calix meus inebrians, id est, exuberans; in German: "Du schenken mir voll ein" etc.
181 So then, according to the Scriptures, "to become drunk" means nothing else than to eat and drink one's fill, to become full and happy. It does not mean such drunkenness as is the drunkenness of the Greeks and Germans, who, in their pleasure and daily feasting, not only fill their bellies, but when they are full, they soon throw up and spit out what they have eaten and drunk. These brothers of Joseph, however, were cheerful, exhorted one another to eat and drink, and thus rejoiced over the grace and benefit that the same Lord had shown them. But this happiness will not last long with them, but will soon be changed again into a sudden and very heavy sadness. As such a change of the divine works always tends to be in the life of men, since soon sadness occurs, soon joy again; so that we may always be exercised and tempted in faith, hope and love.