John Calvin Commentary Genesis 43:32

"And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians." — Genesis 43:32 (ASV)

Because the Egyptians might not eat, etc. Moses says they might not eat with the Hebrews, because they abhorred it as unlawful. For since their religion forbade it, they were so bound that they could not do what they dared not do. This passage teaches us how great the pride of that nation was; for, from where did it arise that they so utterly detested the Hebrews, unless because they thought themselves alone to be pure and holy in the world, and acceptable to God?

God, indeed, commands his worshipers to abstain from all the pollutions of the Gentiles. But it is necessary for anyone who separates himself from others to be pure and upright himself. Therefore, superstitious persons vainly attempt to claim this privilege for themselves, since they carry their impurity within and are lacking sincerity.

Superstition is also afflicted with another disease; namely, that it is full of pride, so that it despises all men under the pretext that they are vicious. However, it is asked whether the Egyptians were separated from Joseph because they regarded him as polluted: for the words of Moses seem to intimate this.

If this interpretation is accepted, then they esteemed their false religion so highly that they did not scruple to load their governor with reproaches. Rather, I conjecture that Joseph sat apart from them for the sake of honor, since it would be absurd that those who disdained to sit at the same table with him should be invited as his guests.

Therefore, it is probable that this distinct arrangement was made by Joseph himself, so that he might maintain his own dignity; and yet the sons of Jacob were not mixed with the Egyptians, because the former were an abomination to the latter. For although Joseph's origin was known, he had so assimilated among the Egyptians that he had become like one of them.

For this reason also, the king had given him a name when he adorned him with the insignia of his office as chief governor. Now, when we see that the church of God was, at that time, so proudly despised by profane men, we should not wonder that we also, in the present day, are subjected to similar reproach.

Meanwhile, we must strive to keep ourselves pure from the filth of the world, for the Lord's sake; and yet this desire must be so tempered that we may be alienated from the vices, rather than from the persons of men. For this reason God sanctifies his children, that they may beware of the vices of the unbelievers among whom they associate, and nevertheless may draw, as many as are curable, to share in their piety.

Two things are to be attended to here: first, that we may be fully persuaded of the genuineness of our faith; secondly, that our excessive and fruitless fastidiousness may not entirely alienate many from the Lord, who otherwise might have been won. For we are not expressly commanded to abhor the wicked to such an extent that we do not eat with them, but rather to avoid such association as may subject us to the same yoke.

Besides, this passage confirms what I have said before: that the Hebrews had derived their name not from their passing over the river (as some falsely imagine), but from their ancestor Heber. Nor was the fame of a single, small, and distantly situated family sufficiently renowned in Egypt to become the cause of public dissension.