- he spake unto them by an interpreter:
- Heb. an interpreter was between them, The mailitz does not seem to have been an interpreter in our sense of the term; as we have many evidences in this book that the Egyptians, Hebrews, Canaanites, and Syrians, could understand each other in a general way; and it appears from several passages in this very chapter (particularly "And he turned himself aboutª° from¹¹ them, and wept;ª° and returned¹ to¹ them again,²° and communedª° with¹ them, and tookª° from¹¹ them¹ Simeon,ª and boundª° him before their eyes.ª" {Gen 42:24}), that Joseph and his brethren understood each others' language, as his brethren and Joseph's steward also did ("And they came nearª° to¹ the stewardª¹¹ of Joseph'sª house,ª and they communedª° with¹ him at the doorª of the house,ª" {Gen 43:19}, etc; compare "And Josephª was brought downª° to Egypt;ª and Potiphar,ª an officerª of Pharaoh,ª captainª of the guard,ª an Egyptian,ªª boughtª° him of the handsª¹ of the Ishmeelites,ª which¹ had brought him downª° thither.¹" {Gen 39:1} and "And Jacobª calledª° unto¹ his sons,ª and said,ª° Gather yourselves together,ª° that I may tellª° you [that]¹ which¹ shall befallª° you in the lastª days.ª" {Gen 49:1}). It seems to denote an officer who is called in Abyssinia, according to Mr. Bruce, Kal Hatze, "the voice or word of the king," who always stands at the side of a lattice window of a balcony, within which the king sits; who is never seen, but who speaks through a hole in the side of it, covered in the inside with a curtain, to this officer, by whom he speaks to the persons present. "Howbeitª whenª he,ª the¹ Spiritª of truth,ª is come,ª° he will guideª° youª intoª allª truth:ª forª he shall²° notª speakª° ofª himself;ª butª whatsoeverªª he shall hear,ª° [that] shall he speak:ª° andª he will shewª° youª things to come.ª° ... Heª shall glorifyª° me:ª forª he shall receiveª° ofª mine,ª andª shall shewª° [it] unto you.ª" {Jhn 16:13-14} + "Now thenª we are ambassadorsª° forª Christ,ª as thoughª Godª did beseechª° [you] byª us:ª we prayª° [you] in²° Christ's² stead,ª¹ be ye reconciledª° to God.ª" {2Co 5:20}
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