as for me] The presence of Joseph put Jacob into a stronger apprehension of his most beloved mother Rachel, which affected him much, and moved him to say, as for me, making mention of her death, that lay close to his heart, and was remembred and loved as himselfe. Rachel died by me] He maketh mention of her, not onely because his mind was so much set upon her that he could not forget her, (though dead long before) but partly to intimate a reason in her name, why he bequeathed the birthright to Josephs children, which might be because Rachel in right was his first wife, and (had his father in law done him right,) Joseph had beene his first-borne; and partly to give a reason why loving her so well he did not bury her there where his ancestors were buried, and where he meant to be laid himselfe; whereof the reason was the urgent necessitie of her buriall neere Bethlehem, who dying in child-bed by the way, could not well be kept unburied untill she could be brought (especially by the slow pace of the flocks) unto the Sepulchre of the Patriarchs. in the way of Ephrath] This is remembred to make Joseph more willing to bury his father, with his fathers, in the peculiar buriall place separate from participation with Idolaters; for though it were but a little way to Ephrath, or Bethlehem, from the place where Rachel died, Jacob chose rather to bury her in the way, then to bring her body to be laid up among the Sepulchres of Idolaters. See Annot. on Chap. 23. vers. 9.