Genesis 46:30

Gen 46:30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou [art] yet alive.

Ver. 30. Vow let me die.] What would this good old man have said, had he seen Christ in the flesh, which was one of Augustine’s three wishes? {a} How merrily would he have sung out his soul, as Simeon did, {Luk 2:29-30} who had long looked for the consolation of Israel; and having now laid in his heart what he lapt in his arms, cries, "Nunc dimittis Domine": I fear no sin, I dread no death (as one Englisheth it): I have lived enough, I have my life: I have longed enough, I have my love: I have seen enough, I have my light: I have served enough, I have my saint: I have sorrowed enough, I have my joy. Sweet babe! let this song serve for a lullaby to thee, and a funeral for me. Oh, sleep in my arms; and let me sleep in thy peace.

Because thou art yet alive.] If this were so great a matter to Jacob, what should it be to us, that Christ was dead, and is alive; yea, that he ever lives to make request for us; and that he stands at the right hand of his Father, when any Stephen of his is stoned, {Act 7:56} as ready prest to interpose between them and any harm that may thereby come unto them! If Seneca could say to his Polybius, Fas tibi non est, salvo Caesare de fortuna tun queri; how much less cause have we to complain, so long as Christ is alive! Can our hearts die within us, while our head is the Lord of life, yea, "our life," as St Paul calls him? {Col 3:4}

{a} Optavit se videre potuisse Romam in flore, Paulum in ore, Christum in corpore.

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.

46:30 Jacob was satisfied just to see his beloved son alive—the firstborn of his chosen wife Rachel and the designated family leader (see study note on 48:5-7; see also 1 Chr 5:1-2). More than just a family reunion, this was confirmation that God’s plan was intact.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 30. Now let me die, since I have seen thy face] Perhaps old Simeon had this place in view when, seeing the salvation of Israel, he said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, &c., Lu 2:29.

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

(30) Now let me die.—Heb., I would die this time (Gen_2:23), after I have seen thy face, &c. Calmly will Jacob wait for death now that the great longing of his soul has been satisfied.

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

That ye shall say, thy servants' trade hath been about cattle,.... Breeding, feeding, and selling them:

from our youth, even until now: this had been their constant employment, they never followed any other:

both we, and also our fathers; their father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were all of the same occupation:

that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; Joseph instructed his brethren to be very particular in the account of their occupation to Pharaoh, that it might be a direction to him how to dispose of them, and where to settle them, namely, in the land of Goshen; which was a country that abounded with good pasture, and so the fittest place for them to be fixed in: and besides this, Joseph had some other reasons for placing them there, as that they might be near to him, who might dwell at On or Heliopolis, to which place, or province, Goshen belonged; and that being also the nearest part of the land to Canaan, they might the more easily and sooner get away when there was an occasion for it; as well as he was desirous they should not be brought into the heart of the land, lest they should be corrupted with the superstition, and idolatry, and vices of the people; and being afar off, both from the court, and the body of the people, might be less subject to their contempt and insults, since it follows:

for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians; not because shepherds ate of the milk and flesh of the creatures they fed, which the Egyptians abstained from; for the Egyptians in those times did eat the flesh of slain beasts, see Gen 43:16; nor because they fed, and slew, and ate those creatures, which the Egyptians worshipped as gods, as Jarchi; for it does not appear that the Egyptians were so early worshippers of such creatures; nor is this phrase, "every shepherd", to be understood of any other than foreign shepherds; for one of the three sorts of the people of Egypt, as distinct from, and under the king, priests, and soldiers, according to Diodorus Siculus (d), were shepherds, and were not despised on that account; for, as the same writer says, all the Egyptians were reckoned equally noble and honourable (e); and such it is plain there were in Egypt, in the times of Joseph, see Gen 47:6; and goat herds were had in esteem and honour by those about Mendes, though swine herds were not (f): wherefore this must be understood of foreign shepherds, the Egyptians having been greatly distressed by such, who either came out of Ethiopia, and lived by plunder and robbery (g), or out of Phoenicia or Arabia; for, according to Manetho (h), it was said that they were Arabians or Phoenicians who entered into Egypt, burnt their cities, &c. and set up kings of their own, called their Hycsi, or pastor kings: and therefore Joseph might the rather fear his brethren and father's family would be the more contemptible in that they came from Canaan, which was near to Arabia and Phoenicia; but Dr. Lightfoot (i) is of opinion, that the Egyptians, being plagued for Abraham's and Sarah's sake, made a law, that for the future none should converse with Hebrews, nor with foreign shepherds, so familiarly as to eat or drink with them.

(d) Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 67. (e) lbid. p. 83. (f) Herodot. Euterpe, sive, l. 2. p. 46, 47. (g) Gaulmin. Not. in Dfore Hayamim, p. 267. (h) Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. sect. 14. (i) Works: vol. 1. p. 694.

Next: Genesis Chapter 47

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

Now I expect no greater happiness upon earth, and therefore am content to die. Compare Luk 2:29.

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

And Israel (realizing something of the same holy satisfaction as he trembled in his son"s embrace) said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art still alive literally, I will die this time, after I have seen thy face, that (Keil, Kalisch), or since, thou art still alive; the meaning of the patriarch being that, since with his own eyes he was now assured of Joseph"s happiness, he had nothing more to live for, the last earthly longing of his heart having been completely satisfied, and was perfectly prepared for the last scene of all ready, whenever God willed, to be gathered to his fathers.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now let me die - Not but that it was farther desirable to live with Joseph, and to see his honour and usefulness; but he had so much satisfaction in this first meeting, that he thought it too much to desire or expect any more in this world.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

אמותה הפעם NOW, I WILL FAIN DIE — It's literal meaning is as the Targum renders it. A Midrashic explanation is (being based upon the literal translation. “I will die this once”): I had thought that I would die two deaths, in this world and also in the world to come, because the Divine Presence departed from me and I therefore thought that God would hold me responsible for your death. Now, since you are alive I will die only once, in this world (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayigash 9).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

אמותה הפעם, I am not longer dissatisfied if I were to die now, having been granted my wish to see you with my own eyes once more before my death.

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.