2.84
To which Joseph replied: - "This dream," said he, "O
king, although seen under two forms, signifies one and the same event of
things; for when thou sawest the fat kine, which is an animal made for
the plough and for labor, devoured by the worser kine, and the ears of
corn eaten up by the smaller ears, they foretell a famine, and want of
the fruits of the earth for the same number of years, and equal with those
when Egypt was in a happy state; and this so far, that the plenty of these
years will be spent in the same number of years of scarcity, and that scarcity
of necessary provisions will be very difficult to be corrected; as a sign
whereof, the ill-favored kine, when they had devoured the better sort,
could not be satisfied. But still God foreshows what is to come upon men,
not to grieve them, but that, when they know it beforehand, they may by
prudence make the actual experience of what is foretold the more tolerable.
If thou, therefore, carefully dispose of the plentiful crops which will
come in the former years, thou wilt procure that the future calamity will
not be felt by the Egyptians."
2.87
Hereupon the king wondered at the discretion and wisdom of Joseph;
and asked him by what means he might so dispense the foregoing plentiful
crops in the happy years, as to make the miserable crops more tolerable.
Joseph then added this his advice: To spare the good crops, and not permit
the Egyptians to spend them luxuriously, but to reserve what they would
have spent in luxury beyond their necessity against the time of want. He
also exhorted him to take the corn of the husbandmen, and give them only
so much as will be sufficient for their food. Accordingly Pharaoh being
surprised at Joseph, not only for his interpretation of the dream, but
for the counsel he had given him, intrusted him with dispensing the corn;
with power to do what he thought would be for the benefit of the people
of Egypt, and for the benefit of the king, as believing that he who first
discovered this method of acting, would prove the best overseer of it.
But Joseph having this power given him by the king, with leave to make
use of his seal, and to wear purple, drove in his chariot through all the
land of Egypt, and took the corn of the husbandmen, note
allotting as much to every one as would be sufficient for seed, and for
food, but without discovering to any one the reason why he did so.
note
2.91
JOSEPH was now grown up to thirty years of age, and enjoyed great
honors from the king, who called him Psothom Phanech, out of regard to
his prodigious degree of wisdom; for that name denotes the revealer
of secrets. He also married a wife of very high quality; for he married
the daughter of Petephres, note
one of the priests of Heliopolis; she was a virgin, and her name was Asenath.
By her he had children before the scarcity came on; Manasseh, the elder,
which signifies forgetful, because his present happiness made him
forget his former misfortunes; and Ephraim, the younger, which signifies
restored, because he was restored to the freedom of his forefathers.
Now after Egypt had happily passed over seven years, according to Joseph's
interpretation of the dreams, the famine came upon them in the eighth year;
and because this misfortune fell upon them when they had no sense of it
beforehand, note
they were all sorely afflicted by it, and came running to the king's gates;
and he called upon Joseph, who sold the corn to them, being become confessedly
a savior to the whole multitude of the Egyptians. Nor did he open this
market of corn for the people of that country only, but strangers had liberty
to buy also; Joseph being willing that all men, who are naturally akin
to one another, should have assistance from those that lived in happiness.
2.95
Now Jacob also, when he understood that foreigners might come, sent
all his sons into Egypt to buy corn, for the land of Canaan was grievously
afflicted with the famine; and this great misery touched the whole continent.
He only retained Benjamin, who was born to him by Rachel, and was of the
same mother with Joseph. These sons of Jacob then came into Egypt, and
applied themselves to Joseph, wanting to buy corn; for nothing of this
kind was done without his approbation, since even then only was the honor
that was paid the king himself advantageous to the persons that paid it,
when they took care to honor Joseph also. Now when he well knew his brethren,
they thought nothing of him; for he was but a youth when he left them,
and was now come to an age so much greater, that the lineaments of his
face were changed, and he was not known by them: besides this, the greatness
of the dignity wherein he appeared, suffered them not so much as to suspect
it was he. He now made trial what sentiments they had about affairs of
the greatest consequence; for he refused to sell them corn, and said they
were come as spies of the king's affairs; and that they came from several
countries, and joined themselves together, and pretended that they were
of kin, it not being possible that a private man should breed up
so many sons, and those of so great beauty of countenance as they were,
such an education of so many children being not easily obtained by kings
themselves. Now this he did in order to discover what concerned his father,
and what happened to him after his own departure from him, and as desiring
to know what was become of Benjamin his brother; for he was afraid that
they had ventured on the like wicked enterprise against him that they had
done to himself, and had taken him off also.
