1007 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision,.... Or the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign or token, Genesis 17:11. Stephen speaks here in the language of the Jews, who are wont to speak of circumcision after this manner; hence in the Jewish liturgy, there is a collect, לברית מילה, "for the covenant of circumcision" (h); and so it is said...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the patriarchs, moved with envy,.... See Genesis 37:11 the sons of Jacob and brethren of Joseph were filled with envy, and enraged at him, because of the evil report of them he brought to his father; and because he had a greater share in his father's love than they had; and because of his dreams, which signified that he should have the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And delivered him out of all his afflictions,.... From the evil designs of his mistress, and from all the miseries of a prison: and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so Justin in the place above cited says, that Joseph was very dear to the king; but not through his knowledge of magic arts, as he suggests, but on...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt, and Canaan,.... This dearth, or famine, is said to be in all lands, Genesis 41:54 though only Egypt and Canaan are mentioned here, because the history is concerned with no other. The Jewish writers (p) speak of three lands particularly, which were affected with it, Phenicia, Arabia, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt,.... Not then growing, or gathering in there, or that was of that year's produce; for the famine was strong in the land of Egypt, as well as in Canaan; but was what had been laid up, and preserved in the seven years of plenty, by the order and care of Joseph; which by some means or another, Jacob...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren,.... That is, when the brethren of Joseph went a second time down to Egypt for corn, Joseph made himself known unto them, Genesis 45:1. And Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh; for though it was known before that he was an Hebrew, see Genesis 39:17 yet it was not known of what...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then sent Joseph,.... Gifts and presents to his father, and wagons, to fetch down him and his family into Egypt, Genesis 45:21. and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls; which seems to disagree with the account of Moses, who says, that "all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Jacob went down into Egypt,.... At the invitation of his son Joseph: and died, he, and our fathers; both Jacob and his twelve sons died in Egypt, though we have no account of the death of any of them, but Jacob and Joseph, particularly; only in general, that Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation, Genesis 49:33 Exodus 1:6...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And were carried over into Sichem,.... The Syriac version reads in the singular number, "and he was translated into Sichem, and laid", c. as if this was said of Jacob only, whereas he is not spoken of at all, only the fathers, the twelve patriarchs for Jacob, though he was carried out of Egypt, he was not buried in Sichem, but in the cave of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But when the time of the promise drew nigh,.... That is, the time of the four hundred years; when God promised to deliver the seed of Abraham out of their affliction and servitude, and bring them into the land of Canaan to inherit it: which God had sworn to Abraham; in Genesis 15:13 for though there is no express mention made of an oath, yet there...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Till another king arose,.... In, or over Egypt, as the Alexandrian copy, and others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read; in Exodus 1:8 it is a new king; the Jewish writers are divided about him, whether he was a different king from the former; or only so called, because he made new edicts (d): "Rab and Samuel, one says a new...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The same dealt subtilly with our kindred,.... See Exodus 1:10 he took crafty, and yet cruel methods, to diminish the children of Israel, and to humble them; weakening their strength by labour, that they might not be able to beget children; ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill all the males that were born; and charging all his people to drown such...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
In which time Moses was born,.... The word Moses, is differently written in the New Testament; sometimes Moses, as here, sometimes Mo-yses, as in Acts 7:35 sometimes Mo-yseus, as in Acts 15:1 and sometimes Moseus, as in Romans 5:14. He had his name from the Hebrew word, משה, which signifies "to draw", Psalms 18:16 according to the reason of it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when he was cast out,.... Into the river, or by the river, as some copies read; the Syriac version adds, by his own people; by his father and mother and sister; who might be all concerned in it, and were privy to it; and which was done after this manner; his mother perceiving she could keep him no longer, made an ark of bulrushes, daubed with...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, c,] Which was reckoned very considerable: 1 Kings 4:30 Philo the Jew says (e) that he learned arithmetic, geometry, and every branch of music, the hieroglyphics, the Assyrian language, and the Chaldean knowledge of the heavens, and the mathematics yet was not a magician, or skilled in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when he was full forty years old,.... This Stephen had from tradition, and not from Scripture, which is silent about the age of Moses at this time, and only says, "it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown", Exodus 2:11 but that he was at this time at such an age, is the general sense of the Jews. Upon the above mentioned passage they...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And seeing one of them suffer wrong,.... Beza's Cambridge copy, and one of Stephens's, and one in the Bodleian library add, "of his own kindred": and so Exodus 2:11 he is said to be "one of his brethren"; which Aben Ezra explains, ממשפחתו, "of his family", one of the tribe of Levi; and so another Jewish writer (m) is very particular, and says,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For he supposed his brethren would have understood him,.... From his being an Hebrew in such high life; from his wonderful birth, and miraculous preservation in his infancy, and education in Pharaoh's court; and from the promise of God that he would visit them and save them: how that God by his hand would deliver them: wherefore he was the more...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the next day he showed himself to them, as they strove,.... To two men of the Hebrews, who were quarrelling and contending with one another: these are said by the Jews (w) to be Dathan and Abiram; who were disputing and litigating the point, and were very warm, and at high words. The occasion of their contention is (x) said to be this, "the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But he that did his neighbour wrong,.... Who seems to be the same person whom Moses had defended the day before; and, according to the Jews, must be Dathan (a): the same thrust him away; from them, when he went to part them, and persuade them to be good friends: saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? which was very ungrateful, if he...