1
[
20]
NOW these brethren rejoiced as soon as they saw their brother coming
to them, not indeed as at the presence of a near relation, or as at the
presence of one sent by their father, but as at the presence of an enemy,
and one that by Divine Providence was delivered into their hands; and they
already resolved to kill him, and not let slip the opportunity that lay
before them. But when Reubel, the eldest of them, saw them thus disposed,
and that they had agreed together to execute their purpose, he tried to
restrain them, showing them the heinous enterprise they were going about,
and the horrid nature of it; that this action would appear wicked in the
sight of God, and impious before men, even though they should kill one
not related to them; but much more flagitious and detestable to appear
to have slain their own brother, by which act the father must be treated
unjustly in the son's slaughter, and the mother
2
also be in perplexity while she laments that her son is taken away from
her, and this not in a natural way neither. So he entreated them to have
a regard to their own consciences, and wisely to consider what mischief
would betide them upon the death of so good a child, and their youngest
brother; that they would also fear God, who was already both a spectator
and a witness of the designs they had against their brother; that he would
love them if they abstained from this act, and yielded to repentance and
amendment; but in case they proceeded to do the fact, all sorts of punishments
would overtake them from God for this murder of their brother, since they
polluted his providence, which was every where present, and which did not
overlook what was done, either in deserts or in cities; for wheresoever
a man is, there ought he to suppose that God is also. He told them further,
that their consciences would be their enemies, if they attempted to go
through so wicked an enterprise, which they can never avoid, whether it
be a good conscience; or whether it be such a one as they will have within
them when once they have killed their brother. He also added this besides
to what he had before said, that it was not a righteous thing to kill a
brother, though he had injured them; that it is a good thing to forget
the actions of such near friends, even in things wherein they might seem
to have offended; but that they were going to kill Joseph, who had been
guilty of nothing that was ill towards them, in whose case the infirmity
of his small age should rather procure him mercy, and move them to unite
together in the care of his preservation. That the cause of killing him
made the act itself much worse, while they determined to take him off out
of envy at his future prosperity, an equal share of which they would naturally
partake while he enjoyed it, since they were to him not strangers, but
the nearest relations, for they might reckon upon what God bestowed upon
Joseph as their own; and that it was fit for them to believe, that the
anger of God would for this cause be more severe upon them, if they slew
him who was judged by God to be worthy of that prosperity which was to
be hoped for; and while, by murdering him, they made it impossible for
God to bestow it upon him.
[
29]
Reubel said these and many other things, and used entreaties to them,
and thereby endeavored to divert them from the murder of their brother.
But when he saw that his discourse had not mollified them at all, and that
they made haste to do the fact, he advised them to alleviate the wickedness
they were going about, in the manner of taking Joseph off; for as he had
exhorted them first, when they were going to revenge themselves, to be
dissuaded from doing it; so, since the sentence for killing their brother
had prevailed, he said that they would not, however, be so grossly guilty,
if they would be persuaded to follow his present advice, which would include
what they were so eager about, but was not so very bad, but, in the distress
they were in, of a lighter nature. He begged of them, therefore, not to
kill their brother with their own hands, but to cast him into the pit that
was hard by, and so to let him die; by which they would gain so much, that
they would not defile their own hands with his blood. To this the young
men readily agreed; so Reubel took the lad and tied him to a cord, and
let him down gently into the pit, for it had no water at all in it; who,
when he had done this, went his way to seek for such pasturage as was fit
for feeding his flocks.
[
32]
But Judas, being one of Jacob's sons also, seeing some Arabians,
of the posterity of Ismael, carrying spices and Syrian wares out of the
land of
Gilead to the Egyptians, after Rubel was gone, advised his brethren
to draw Joseph out of the pit, and sell him to the Arabians; for if he
should die among strangers a great way off, they should be freed
from this barbarous action. This, therefore, was resolved on; so they drew
Joseph up out of the pit, and sold him to the merchants for twenty pounds
3 He was
now seventeen years old. But Reubel, coming in the night-time to the pit,
resolved to save Joseph, without the privity of his brethren; and when,
upon his calling to him, he made no answer, he was afraid that they had
destroyed him after he was gone; of which he complained to his brethren;
but when they had told him what they had done, Reubel left off his mourning.
[
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When Joseph's brethren had done thus to him, they considered what
they should do to escape the suspicions of their father. Now they had taken
away from Joseph the coat which he had on when he came to them at the time
they let him down into the pit; so they thought proper to tear that coat
to pieces, and to dip it into goats' blood, and then to carry it and show
it to their father, that he might believe he was destroyed by wild beasts.
And when they had so done, they came to the old man, but this not till
what had happened to his son had already come to his knowledge. Then they
said that they had not seen Joseph, nor knew what mishap had befallen him;
but that they had found his coat bloody and torn to pieces, whence they
had a suspicion that he had fallen among wild beasts, and so perished,
if that was the coat he had on when he came from home. Now Jacob had before
some better hopes that his son was only made a captive; but now he laid
aside that notion, and supposed that this coat was an evident argument
that he was dead, for he well remembered that this was the coat he had
on when he sent him to his brethren; so he hereafter lamented the lad as
now dead, and as if he had been the father of no more than one, without
taking any comfort in the rest; and so he was also affected with his misfortune
before he met with Joseph's brethren, when he also conjectured that Joseph
was destroyed by wild beasts. He sat down also clothed in sackcloth and
in heavy affliction, insomuch that he found no ease when his sons comforted
him, neither did his pains remit by length of time.