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against usage. When proskunei'n is used with ejpiv it appears to be always in a local connexion ( ejpi; th;n gh'n, ejpi; provswpon, ejpi; ta; dwvmata , Zeph. 1:5).

Not less unnatural is the notion that Joseph was the object of this ‘worship,’ being so marked out as the head of the family; though this view is very commonly held by patristic writers. So Chrysostom: ejpeidh; e[mellen ajpo; tou' jEfrai÷m ajnivstasqai basileu;" e{tero" dia; tou'tov fhsi : kai; prosekuvnhsen ejpi; to; a[kron th'" rJavbdou aujtou' : toutevsti kai; gevrwn w]n h[dh prosekuvnei tw'/ jIwshvf, th;n panto;" tou' laou' proskuvnhsin dhlw'n th;n ejsomevnhn aujtw'/ (so also Theodoret, OEcumenius, Theophylact). Primasius follows out the thought more in detail, giving at the same time an alternative interpretation: Spiritu siquidem prophetico afflatus Jacob cognovit designari per illam virgam Joseph regnum Christi, per fastigium vero, id est, summitatem virgae, potentiam et honorem Christi regni, de qua Psalmista dicit: Virga recta est virga regni tui.... Quantum vero ad litteram pertinet, fortassis...adoravit virgam
Joseph, quem videbat dominum esse totius regni terrae AEgypti; ea scilicet ratione Esther legitur adorasse virgam Assueri.

Such an application of the image of ‘the staff’ to the Messiah is found also in Rabbinic writers: Beresh. R. Gen. 38:18 with references to Is. 11:1; Ps. 110:2.

It may be added that Jerome distinctly condemns this use which was made of the Latin rendering: in hoc loco (Gen. 47:31) quidam frustra simulant adorasse Jacob summitatem sceptri Joseph, quod videlicet honorans filium potestatem ejus adoraverit, cum in Hebraeo multo aliter legatur: et adoravit , inquit, Israel ad caput lectuli; quod scilicet postquam ei juraverat filius securus de petitione quam rogaverat, adoraverit Deum contra caput lectuli sui, Quaest. Heb. in Gen. ad loc. (Vulg. adoravit Israel Deum conversus ad lectuli caput ).

The ‘staff,’ ‘rod,’ played an important part in Jewish tradition. It was one of the ten things created ‘between the Suns,’ before the first Sabbath ( Aboth ,
v. 9 with Dr Taylor's note). It was given to Adam, and transmitted through

Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham,...Joseph to Moses, and is still reserved for Messiah. Comp. Wetstein ad loc.

( g ) The world abandoned (Heb. 11:23). The death of Joseph marked a third stage in the history of the promise. He made clear in the fulness of his prosperity that those whom he had invited to Egypt were not to find there an abiding home. Neither rest nor misery was to bring forgetfulness of their destiny.

11:22. p. jI. tel. peri; th'" ejx. ... kai; peri; t. oj. ...] Gen. 50. The Faith of
Joseph was national at once and personal. He looked forward to the independence of his kindred; and he claimed for himself a share in their future. His prosperity in Egypt had not led him to forget the promise to Abraham. The personal charge was fulfilled: Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32.

The word teleutw'n ( when his end was nigh ) is taken from the LXX. Gen. 50:26. For ejmnhmovneusen ( made mention of ...Gen. 50:24) see Heb. 11:15 note.

[Exodo" occurs again Lk. 9:31 (of Christ); 2 Pet. 1:15 (of St Peter). The phrase oiJ "iJoi; jIsrahvl is not of frequent occurrence in the N. T. In addition to the places where it occurs in references to the LXX. (Matt. 27:9; Acts 7:23; Rom. 9:27) it is found in Lk. 1:16; Acts 5:21; 7:37; 9:15; 10:36; 2 Cor. 3:7, 13; Apoc. 2:14; 7:4; 21:12.


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