(5) Imprisonment. The narrative states, however, that Joseph was not left without special aid, in consequence of which he gained favor with the keeper of the prison to such an extent that everything was put under his direction.
Two regal officers, the chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers, had, while in prison. with Joseph, each one a dream, which Joseph inter preted correctly. The butler, whose fate was auspicious, promised the young Hebrew to em ploy his influence to procure his restoration to the free air of day; but when again in the enjoyment of his 'butlership,' he 'forgat' Joseph (Gen. xl). Pharaoh himself, however, had two dreams, which found in Joseph a successful expounder; for the butler remembered the skill of his prison com panion, and advised his royal master to put it to the test in his own case. Pharaoh's dream, as in terpreted by Joseph, foreboded the approach of a seven years' famine; to abate the evils of which Joseph recommended that some 'discreet and wise' man should be chosen and set in full power over the land of Egypt. The monarch was alarmed, and called a council of his advisers.
(6) Dictator. The wisdom of Joseph was rec ognized as of divine origin and supereminent value; and the king and his ministers (whence it appears that the Egyptian monarchy—at Memphis —was not despotic, but constitutional) resolved that Joseph should be made (to borrow a term from Rome) Dictator in the approaching time of need.
The highest honors were conferred upon him, and he was made ruler over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah ('savior of the world;' comp. Jablonski, Opitsc. i:zo7, sq.; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On. And 'Jo seph went out over all the land of Egypt' (Gen. xli :39, sq.).
Seven years of abundance afforded Joseph op portunity to carry into effect such plans as se cured an ample provision against the seven years of need. The famine came, but it found a pre pared people. The visitation did not depend on any mere local causes, for 'the famine was over all the face of the earth,"and all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn' (verses 56, 57).
(7) Coming of the Sons of Jacob. Among these customers appeared ten brethren, sons of the Hebrew Jacob. They had of necessity to appear before Joseph, whose license for the purchase of corn was indispensable. Joseph had probably ex pected to see them, and he seems to have formed a deliberate plan of action. His conduct has brought on him the always ready charges of those who would rather impeach than study the Bible, and even friends of that sacred book have hardly in this case done Josepli full justice (Niemeyer, Charakt., :366; Heuser, Diss. non inhumaniter
sed prudentissime Josephum cum fratribus fe cisse, Hal. 1773). Joseph's main object appears to have been to make his brothers feel and recog ni7e their guilt in their conduct towards him. For this purpose suffering, then as well as now, was indispensable.
Accordingly Joseph feigned not to know his brothers, charged them with being spies, threat ened them with imprisonment, and allowed them to return home to fetch their younger brother, as a proof of their veracity, only on co.ndition that one of them should remain behind in chahts, with a prospect of death before him should not their words be verified.
Then it was, and not before, that 'they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul and would not hear; therefore is this dis tress come upon us: And Reuben said, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required' (xlii:21). On which, after weeping bitterly, he by common agreement bound his brother Simeon, and left him in cus tody.
(8) Secon.d Visit. At length Jacob consents to Benjamin's going in company with his brothers, and provided with a present consisting of balm, honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds, and with double money in their hands (double, in order that they might repay the sum which Jo seph had caused to be put into each man's sack at their departure, if, as Jacob supposed, 'it was an oversight'), they went again down to Egypt and stood before Joseph (xliii:15) ; and there, too, stood Benjamin, Joseph's beloved brother. The required pledge of truthfulness was given. If it is asked why such a pledge was demanded, since the giving of it caused pain to Jacob, the answer may be thus: Joseph knew not how to demean himself towards his family until he ascer tained its actual condition. That knowledge he could hardly be certain he had gained from the mere words of men who had spared his life for the express purpose of selling him into slavery. How had these wicked men behaved towards his venerable father? His beloved brother Benjamin, was he safe? or had he suffered from their jeal ousy and malice the worse fate with which he himself had been threatened? Nothing but the sight of Benjamin could answer these questions and resolve these doubts.