John Gill

When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.

“And Saul died,.... About A. M. 2325: and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead: whose name, inverted, is observed by Grotius to be the same with Hannibal; it signifies a gracious lord or king.”

Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

“Duke Aholibamah, Duke Elah, Duke Pinon. The former is the name of a woman, Gen 36:2; here the name of a man, and also of the place of which he was duke; for Jerom observes (q), that Oolibama is a city of the princes of…”

Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

“Duke Kenaz, Duke Teman, Duke Mibzar. There was a Kenaz the son of Eliphaz, and so a Teman a son of his, who were both dukes; but these seem to be different from them, though the latter might be duke of the place called Teman…”

He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:

“And he said unto them, hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. Hear now, so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, immediately, directly, lest he should forget it, having perhaps dreamt it the night before; though our version expresses more modesty and…”

Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.

“And they took Joseph's coat,.... After they had told Reuben what they had done with him, who being willing to make the best of things as it was, joined with them in the following scheme: by this it appears, that when they took Joseph out…”

So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.

“And she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Er. Which signifies a "watchman": but the reason of the name given by the Targum of Jonathan is,"because he should die without children;''as if it was the same with Ariri, "childless".”

Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.

“And she conceived again, and bare a son,.... As soon as she well could: and she called his name Onan; the first son Judah gave the name to, but his wife named this, so called from grief or sorrow; the reason of it, according to…”

But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.

“And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord,.... That is, exceedingly wicked, as this phrase signifies, Gen 13:13, was guilty of some very heinous sin, but what is not mentioned; according to the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi, it was the…”

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

“When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot,.... By her posture and the place she was in: because she had covered her face; with her veil, that he did not know her; for this is not given as a reason why he…”

One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.

“And it came to pass about this time,.... About a week, or a month, or rather a year, as Aben Ezra thinks, after she first began her solicitations to him.”

When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

“And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried,.... He attempting to ravish her, as she would have it understood, but afraid, lest upon her outcry those that were in the house should come in to her assistance…”

So Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s cloak beside her until his master came home.

“And she laid up his garment by her,.... As a proof of what she laid to his charge, and as a testimony against him: until her lord came home; or until his lord came home, for the pronoun refers to Joseph, and so Jarchi interprets…”

Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.

“And Joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it,.... Of the dream: the three branches are three days; signify three days, or, as Jarchi expresses it, are a sign of three days; which Joseph could know only by divine revelation; for there is…”

Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

“And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again,.... Put him into the same office he was in before: and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand; ministered to him in his office the same day, according to his dream and the interpretation of…”

But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.

“But he hanged the chief baker,.... The is, he ordered him to be hanged; because, as the same Targum says, he consulted to kill him (Pharaoh): as Joseph had interpreted to them; the events as to both answered to the interpretation Joseph had given of…”

Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,

“Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. Not only a sufficiency but an abundance, even to luxury, as when the Nile rose to sixteen cubits, as Pliny observes (m); which, though a natural cause, was owing to God…”

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife.

“And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah,.... Which, according to the paraphrase of Onkelos, signifies one to whom hidden things are revealed; or, as Jonathan, a revealer of secrets; and so most of the Jewish writers explain it; and which seems to be given him from…”

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

“Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt,.... That is, to be sold there, or otherwise it being there, unless it could be bought, would have been of no avail to foreigners; wherefore the Septuagint version is, that there was a sale (w)…”

So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

“And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. They obeyed their father's orders, and immediately set out for Egypt; "ten" of them went down in a body together, all but Benjamin, so that it is easily reckoned who they were, and they…”

Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

“And Joseph said unto them, that is it that I spake unto you, saying, ye are spies. This proves it, at least gives strong suspicion of it; since at first they seemed to speak of themselves, as if they were the only sons of one…”

But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

“And we said unto him, we are true men,.... Honest, upright men, not given to treacherous and treasonable practices, either in the country where they lived, or any other; they came to Egypt with no ill design upon the country, only to buy corn for…”

We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

“We be twelve brethren, sons of our father,.... All brethren by the father's side, though not by the mother's, and by one father; they had been twelve, and were so now, though they knew it not, supposing that one was dead, as is next observed…”

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with…

“And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off,.... Which perhaps was Tanis, the Zoan of the Scriptures; see Eze 30:14, margin: Joseph said unto his steward, up, follow after the men; who no doubt was ready provided with men…”

But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

“And thou saidst unto thy servants,.... In answer to the representation of things made by them, and notwithstanding that: except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more; which though not before related in the discourse, which passed between…”

And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

“And thy servant my father said unto us,.... When thus pressed to let Benjamin go with them: ye know that my wife bare me two sons; Rachel, by whom he had Joseph and Benjamin, and whom he calls his wife, she being his only lawful…”