The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-02
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FO7 OCTOBER s.

Subject: Joseph Sold Into Egypt, Gen.
xxxyil., 12-3G-Golden Text, Acts vii.
o. Memory Verses, :6-2S - Commen'
tary on the Days Lesson.
L. In Shechem." Shechem was about
Fifty miles north of Hebron. Jacob owned
pastures there (33: l9) and had dug well.
doubt had some anxiety about his sons,
because he had removed from Shechem
on account of the sins they had committed
there; he therefore decides to send Joseph
to learn of their welfare. He could tr:lst
Joseph, and he had no thought that his
brothers would wish to injure him.
IA. Go, pray thee" Joseph's mission
to this remote and dangerous country is
proof. that Jacob did not treat him with
too much indulgence, and that he did not
keep him home from any feelings of ten.
derness. Lions, bears. ,panthers and
days.
II. "Dothan" This was about fifteen
! or twenty miles north of Shechem.
lS. when they saw him." Their en-.
vious feelings rose up. Their occupation
gave them abundant time for gloomy, med
itation and for conversation. They doubt
less brooded over their relations to Joseph,
cherished revenge, and encouraged one an
other in their enmity. "Conspired;'" Cum
ningly plotted. "ro slay him." This
would have been premeditated murder
had they fully carried out their purposes.
10. "Ths dreamer cometh." master
Of dreams" R. V. margin. This was a
20. "And we will slay." From envy and
malice they proceeded to conspire against
the life Of their brother, and then con-
rrived lie to impose upon their own
rather.
81. "And Reuben-said" Reuben Of
all the brothers had the greatest reason to
he jealous of Joseph, for, as the first born
he was entitled to many of the fayors
which were being conferred upon Joseph;
yet Reuben proves to be his best friend.
q. "Shed no blood" He did not dare
dare manfully to save him. Reuben's real
design was to find some way to restore
Joseph to his father. =,
%. "Out of his coat" This probably
was done that, if ever found, ne might not
be discerned as person Of distinction,
and hence no inquiry would be made con.
cerning him. They also took the coat off
to show to their father.
"a. Unto pit" One Of the many res
ervoirs excavated out Of the solid rock or
built of stones and plastered, for the pur-
bottle. shaped, so that it was almost i'm
possible to escape. There are thousands
of such cisterns in upper Galilee; they
prove how dependent the population was
upon rain water. "Was empty" He was
safe from drowning. but was left to die
from starvation. What terribly wicked
men they must have been
25. "Sat down to eat" They sat down
to joyous feast, eating and drinking the
very dainties he had brought them, while
they left him to die. 1t was at this time
Gen. AZ: ~ that they Saw the anguish
of his SOUL" when he besought them and
they would not hear Reuben was not a
partaker of that meal, but was off proba::
bly, devising measures for the rescue OF
his brother. It is impossible that mere
envy at his dreams, his gaudy dress. or
the partiality of their father could HI We
confirmed them in such awful wickedness.
Their hatred of Joseph must have been
produced by dislike to his piety, on &C.
count of which they saw they could never
be at ease until they had rid themselves
of his hated presence. This is the true So
luton Of the mystery; just as it was in the II,
ties" Called also Midianites Tvs. %, 36) !:
probably because the caravan consis ted of
both of these. The general meaning IS
Arabian merchants. From Gilead." 4
country east of the Jordan. "Spicery."
Gilead was famous in early times for its
spices and aromatic gums. Jer. s: p; 46:
II. "Balm" This was very precious
gum obtained from the balsam tree, al.
most peculiar to Palestine. "To Egypt
Egypt would be great market. fol-. spices
on account of their being used for incense
in the temples, and for embalmlng the
dead"
25. Judah" The fourth son Of Jacob:
His name means "praise of the Lord: !.
"What profit" What profit is there in
sin at the best?
81. "Let us sell nm" The sight Of
these travelling merchants gave sudden
turn to the views of the conspirators; Tor
having no wish to commit greater de
gree Of crime than was necessary for the
accomplishment of their end, they readily
approved Of Judah's suggestion to dispose
Of their obnoxious brother as slave.
9. "Sold Joseph" Acting impusive.ly
on Judah's advice they had their poor VIC
tim ready by the time the merchants
The money was probably in rings. or
pieces, and silver is always mentioned in
the records of that early age, before gold,
on account of the rarity of the latter. In
those DAYS money was weighed and not
coined. Twenty pieces (shekels) OF silver
was the price of a slave under twenty
wears Of age LEV. 81: 81, and according
to The Oxford Bible was equivalent to
Sll.2S :,
%. Reuben returned" Reuben had
planned to rescue Joseph and send hin,
home safely as soon as his brothers had
left him. But the thing was Of God. who
had designed that Joseph's deliverance
should be accomplished by other means
than his. "Rent his clothes" See on ".
"a.
20. "Whither snail I CO." Reuben was
the eldest and Jacob would hold him re-
sDonsible for Josephs safety.
81. "Killed kid" They dared not tell
the truth. therefore they make lies their
refuge. How true it is that what we SOW
we reap! Jacob had deceived his father.
and now in turn he is deceived by his
81. "sent the coat" All this was done
and said by their servant whom they had
sent.
81. "Rent-sackcloth.' The, common
signs of Oriental mourning. A rent If
made in the skirt more or less according
to the afflicted feelings of the mourner,
and a coarse, rough piece Of black sack;
cloth or camel's hair cloth is wound
around the waist. 'Many days" 1t was
TWENTY-FIVE years before he saw him again.
s. "All his daughters" Dinah is the
only daughter OF Jacob that we know
about: his daughters 'in-law are probably
included here. -, H..
3G. Captain of the guard" His busl-
ness was to take care of the rnval person
aad execute his will.