Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 47:12
And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families.
12. according to their families ] The margin, according to the number of their little ones, gives the literal rendering. Delitzsch comments, “little children being mentioned because they would require much food, and also because people would be less willing to see them in want.” Cf. Gen 45:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 47:12
And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his fathers household, with bread
Types of the Holy Eucharist
I.
WHO WAS THIS THAT FED HIS BRETHREN IN THE TIME OF DEARTH? Act 7:11). Joseph, separate from his brethren (Gen 49:26), sold to be a bond servant (Psa 105:17), tried, afflicted, and imprisoned, so that the iron entered into his soul (Psa 105:18), was a true type of Jesus our Lord, Who became a stranger unto His brethren, an alien unto His mothers children (Psa 69:8; Psa 88:7; Psa 88:18), Who took upon Him the form of a servant (Php 2:7), was afflicted and smitten (Isa 53:4-5, and cf. Psa 88:8). Then, too, as Joseph brought out of prison (Psa 105:19-20). set over all the land of Egypt (Gen 41:41; Gen 41:43; Psa 105:21), saluted as Zaphnath-pasneah (Gen 41:45), the Saviour of the world (Neals), sustained the life of all nations by miraculous supplies of bread (Gen 41:57): even so Jesus our Lord, the true Joseph, taken from prison and from judgment (Isa 53:8), entrusted with all power (Mt Eph 1:20-23), exalted to the right hand of God to be a Prince and a Saviour (Act 5:31), now feeds countless thousands throughout all the world, with Himself, the Living Bread, in the Holy Eucharist.
II. WHOM DID JOSEPH FEED?
1. All countries–for all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn: because that the famine was so sore in all lands (Gen 41:57). So in one sense our True Joseph giveth food to all flesh (Psa 136:25), and openeth His hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness (Psa 145:16; Psa 104:27; Psa 28:1-9).
2. Joseph fed his people, the Egyptians, for when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith unto you, do . . . And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians Gen 41:55-56). And when money failed . . . all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread . . . And Joseph gave them bread Gen 47:15; Gen 47:17). So now Jesus our Lord, the True Joseph, prepares a table in the wilderness of this world, at which He feeds His people, not with common food, but with spiritual good things, help, benedictions, knowledge, grace, to deliver their soul from death and to feed them in the time of dearth (Psa 33:18), so that they may eat and crave for that still greater food, the Holy Eucharist, of which He spake (Psa 81:11), open thy mouth, &c.
3. But Joseph specially cared for his brethren–his kinsfolk according to the flesh–for he brought them into his house and feasted them Gen 43:17; Gen 43:34), he gave them provision for the way (Gen 42:25). So now our own Joseph, Jesus our Lord, hath special care for His elect (Wis 3:9), the saints of the Most High whom He is not ashamed to call His brethren (Heb 2:11), He brings them into His house, He makes them to sit down to meat, at His table in His kingdom, He comes forth and serves them, saying, Come, eat of My bread and drink of the wine that I have mingled (Pro 9:5), for My flesh is meat indeed and My blood is drink indeed (Joh 6:55). Thus do the poor eat andare satisfied. They are full, yet hungry still.
III. WHEN DID JOSEPH FEED THEM?
1. When the dearth was in all lands, and the famine was over all the face of the earth, and was sore in all lands (Gen 41:54; Gen 41:56-57), and there was no bread in all the land: for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine Gen 47:13), then Joseph nourished his father and his brethren and all his fathers household, with bread. So now, in the time of dearth, when there is a sore and grievous famine in the weary land of this world and multitudes are perishing with hunger, because they cannot satisfy the cravings of their immortal spirit with the husks that the swine do eat Luk 15:16), our True Joseph feedeth the hungry, satisfieth the fainting soul with Himself, the bread of God, and saith to every soul that is hungering and thirsting after righteousness (Mat 5:6), Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it (Psa 81:11.)
2. After he had made himself strange unto them (Gen 42:7-8), he nourishes them with bread. So now Jesus our Lord appears in another form, and makes Himself strange as it were unto us by veiling His beauty and His brightness under the veils of bread and wine, as it is written, Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour Isa 45:15).
3. When his brethren had repented of their wickedness and fault, and were sorry for their sin–for they said, We are verily guilty concerning our brother. So now it is when we have confessed our wickedness, and are sorry for our sins (Psa 38:18; Psa 51:3), when we have examined ourselves (1Co 11:28; 1Co 11:31-32), when we do truly and earnestly repent us of our sins . . . and have made our humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon our knees; then is it that our dear Lord vouchsafes to feed and nourish us with that True Wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and that True Bread that strengtheneth mans heart, in the Holy Communion.
IV. WHERE DID JOSEPH NOURISH HIS BRETHREN WITH BREAD?
1. He fed and feasted them in his house, at his princely table, albeit sitting apart from them (Gen 43:16-17; Gen 43:32); whereas the Greater One than Joseph, even Jesus our King, receiveth sinners and eateth with them Luk 15:2) at His own royal table of Sacred Communion (Luk 22:30), in His house the Church (1Ti 3:15; Heb 3:6).
2. Also Joseph gave his brethren provision for the way (Gen 42:25; Gen 45:21): so our Blessed Lord invites us to draw nigh unto the altar of God, and strengthen ourselves with the Bread of Life now, whilst we are in the way, saying, Arise and eat of My Flesh and drink of My Blood, because the journey is too great for thee (1Ki 19:7).
3. He fed and nourished them in Goshen (Gen 46:28; Gen 47:1; Gen 47:4; Gen 47:27; Gen 50:8; Gen 50:22); so it is in the true Goshen that Jesus our King Eternal feeds His brethren at the marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:1-21.), and reveals Himself to them face to face.
V. How DID JOSEPH NOURISH HIS BRETHREN?
1. He fed his brethren at no expense to themselves–for Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every mans money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto Gen 42:25, and cf Gen 43:12; Gen 43:21-24; Gen 45:20-24; Gen 47:11-12; Gen 47:27; Gen 50:21 not once nor twice. So Jesus our Saviour feeds us with His own most Blessed Body and Blood, and satisfies our mouth with good things, without money and without price (Isa 55:1-2), again and yetagain throughout our earthly pilgrimage.
2. He nourished them with corn (Gen 42:19; Gen 50:25), and wine Gen 43:34), and bread (Gen 47:12), and so saved their lives by a great deliverance; and yet the food which Joseph provided was perishable in its nature, and they who partook of it died at their appointed time. Whereas our True Joseph–Who is the Corn of Wheat (Joh 12:24), the Wine that cheereth God and man (Jdg 9:13), and theBread of God which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the Joh 6:33)–gives us Food which is incorruptible, and is the seed of immortality, seeing that This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof, and not die, if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever. (W. F. Shaw, B. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Or, according to the mouth of the family; mouth being put for their will or desire, as it is Gen 24:57; Isa 30:2, as much as every one desired, without any restraint; or, according to the manner of a little child, he put their meat into their very months; it was brought to them without any more care or pains of theirs than an infant takes for its food.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And. Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and his father’s household, with bread,…. For though there might be in Rameses pasture sufficient for their cattle, yet not corn for their families, the famine still continuing; during which time Joseph, as a dutiful and affectionate son, and as a kind brother, supplied them with all necessary provision, signified by bread:
according to [their] families; according to the number of them, some of his brethren having more and others less in their families; and in proportion to their number he distributed food unto them, so that there was no want: or “according to the mouth of an infant” a; he nourished them like infants, he put as it were the bread into their mouths, and fed them with as much care and tenderness as infants are fed; and they had no more care to provide food for themselves than children have, such a full and constant supply was handed forth to them: in this Joseph was an eminent type of Christ, who supplies the wants of his people.
a “ad os parvuli”, Montanus, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. And Joseph nourished his father, etc., according to their families (185) Some explain the expression, “the mouth of the little one,” as if Joseph nourished his father and his whole family, in the manner in which food is conveyed to the mouths of children. These interpreters regard the form of speech as emphatical, because, during the famine, Jacob and his family had no more anxiety about the providing of food than children, who cannot even stretch out their hand to receive it. Others translate it “youth,” but I know not with what meaning. (186) Others take it, simply, according to the proportion and number of the little children. To me the genuine sense seems to be that he fed all, from the greatest to the least. Therefore, there was sufficient bread for the whole family of Jacob, because, by the care of Joseph, provision was made to supply nourishment even to the little ones. In this manner Moses commemorates both the clemency of God, and the piety of Joseph; for it was an instance of uncommon attention, that these hungry husband men, who had not a grain of corn, were entirely fed at his expense.
(185) Usque ad os parvuli Even to the mount of the little one. לפי חטÃ, ( Lephi chataph.)
(186) Alii vertunt pubem; sed nescio quo sensu.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) According to their families.Heb., according to the taf This, as we have seen above, means according to the clan or body of dependants possessed by each one. Dan, with his one child, would have been starved to death if the allowance for himself and his household had depended upon the number of his little ones, which is the usual translation of this word in the Authorised Version. (See margin.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. According to their families Hebrews, for the mouth of the little ones; that is, bread for the mouths of these . Thus Joseph became a nourishing father to his aged father’s household, as well as to Pharaoh and all Egypt .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ti 5:8 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 47:12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families.
Ver. 12. And Joseph nourished his father. ] For which end he was “sent before” Psa 105:17 by God: and for whose sake so many thousands were preserved, that else would have perished. What fools, then, are they that hunt out the saints, their only safeguard! and hate them to whom they owe all the good they have! This is, with the foolish deer, to eat up the leaves that hide them from the huuter.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
nourished: Rth 4:15
his father: Exo 20:12, Mat 15:4-6, Mar 7:10-13, 1Ti 4:8, 1Ti 5:4, 1Ti 5:8
according to their families: or, as a little child is nourished, Heb. according to the little ones, Gen 47:1, Gen 47:21, Gen 47:24, 1Th 2:7
Reciprocal: Gen 37:9 – the sun Gen 42:36 – all these things are against me Gen 45:11 – General Gen 49:24 – the shepherd Gen 50:21 – I will nourish Deu 23:7 – because thou Joh 19:27 – Behold
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 47:12. With bread according to their families , literally, with bread to the mouth of the little one That is, as much as every one desired, without any restraint, mouth being put for desire, as chap. Gen 24:57; Isa 30:2; or, as a little child is nourished: he, as it were, put their meat into their very mouths: it was brought to them without any more care or pains of their own, than an infant takes for its food.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
47:12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, {d} according to [their] families.
(d) Some read that he fed them as little babies, because they could not provide for themselves against that famine.