Genesis 45:20

Gen 45:20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt [is] yours.

Ver. 20. Also regard not your stuff.] The same saith God to his; Care not for your lumber and trumpery; suffer with joy the loss of your goods: Come, come away in your affections; I have far better things for you above: the good of all the land of the living is yours, &c. And should we not cheerfully follow the divine call? Many play loath to depart, because they have treasure in the world, as those ten men had in the field. {Jer 12:8} But all that this world affords is but trash to the truly religious. Alexander, hearing of the riches of the Indies, divided his kingdom of Macedon among his captains and soldiers. And being asked what he had left for himself; he answered, Hope. And should not the hope of heaven make us slight all earthly vanities? Spes in terrenis, incerti nomen boni: spes in divinis, nomen est certissimi. Heb 11:1.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, let not your eyes spare your vessel.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 20. Regard not your stuff] Literally, Let not your eye spare your instruments or vessels. כליכם keleychem, a general term, in which may be included household furniture, agricultural utensils, or implements of any description. They were not to delay nor encumber themselves with articles which could be readily found in Egypt, and were not worth so long a carriage.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(20) Regard not your stuff.—Heb., and let not your eye have pity (Jon_4:10) upon your vessels, that is, upon your implements and household furniture.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. regard not] Lit. “let not your eye be sparing,” i.e. have no compunction at leaving things behind

your stuff] Lit. “your vessels.” LXX σκεύη; Lat. supellex. For the word “stuff,” cf. 1Sa_10:22. It is Old English for “baggage”; cf. Shakespeare, Com. of Errors, iv. 4: “Therefore away, to get our stuff on board.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Also regard not your stuff,.... Or "your vessels" (g), utensils, household goods; he would not have them to be concerned if they could not bring all their goods with them, but were obliged to leave some behind, and which, because of the distance of the way and difficulty of the road, lying through sandy deserts, could not well be brought, since there was enough to be had in the land of Egypt; therefore, as it may be rendered, "let not your eye spare" (h), or "pity": do not be grieved at it, or say it is a pity to leave these good things behind. Some render and explain the words just the reverse, "leave nothing of your household goods" (i); bring all away with you, as if he would not have them think of returning again, but of settling and continuing in Egypt; but this does not so well agree with what follows as the former sense does:

for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours: whatever good things were in it, whether for food or use for themselves, their houses, or their flocks, all were at their service, and they were welcome to them; or the best or most fruitful part of the country was designed for them, and would be given to them, or was at their option.

(g) "vasis vestris", Fagius, Drusius, "supellectilibus vestris", Pagninus, Schmidt; "propter vestra supellectilia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (h) "oculus vester non parcat", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Drusius, Schmidt. (i) "Nee dimittatis quicquam de supellectili vestra", V. L. so Mercerus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Leave nothing. Hebrew may have another meaning, which Calmet approves, "Let not your eye spare your furniture." Be not concerned to leave what may be useless, as most of the husbandry utensils would be in Egypt, "for all," &c.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Regard not your stuff; Heb. let not your eye pity or spare any part of your stuff, as loth to leave it behind you, or afraid to lose it. Sparing or pitying is an act of the mind, but it is ascribed to the eye here, as also Eze 7:4,9; 16:5; partly, because there it discovers itself by tears, or otherwise; and partly, because the sight of the eye doth oft affect the heart, and move pity.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. Regard not your stuff — “Be not troubled about your household goods that you cannot move, for they shall be made good. People who move frequently can appreciate this anxiety. Israel came into Egypt by free invitation, and perhaps the sacred historian amplifies in detail here, so as to show that Israel was as free to depart afterwards.” — Newhall.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ועינכם אל תחוס, it is the custom of the Holy Tongue to use the verb חוס, to take pity, in connection with the eyes, although we would expect that it should be used in connection with the heart, seeing it describes an emotion of the heart.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.