And Israel came into Egypt The prophet does not rehearse the whole history, nor was this necessary. He only presents to our view how divine providence was concerned in it, which very few consider in reading the narrative of Moses. He accordingly declares, that after Joseph had been sent before into Egypt, to be the means of supporting his father and the whole family, Jacob then came into Egypt, that is, he did so when all things were admirably arranged, that he might find abundance of bread among a people, the proudest of the whole world, when all others were perishing for want of food. From this it appears, that what is accounted to be slowness in God, tends to no other end than to accomplish his work on the best possible occasion.

Israel also came into Egypt - Another name for Jacob; see Psalm 105:10.
And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham - Not as a permanent abode, but as a temporary arrangement, until the time should come for the people to be removed to the land of promise. See Genesis 46:6. The more literal rendering would be, "Jacob was a stranger - a foreigner - in the land of Ham." On the meaning of the word "Ham," see the notes at Psalm 78:51.

Israel also came into Egypt,.... That is, Jacob, as afterwards expressed, who had the name of Israel, from his wrestling with God and prevailing. He came into Egypt, being invited by Pharaoh, and having heard of his son Joseph being alive, and of his exaltation.
And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham: the same with Egypt; Mizraim, from whence Egypt has its name, being the son of Ham, Genesis 10:6. Hence Egypt is called by Plutarch (k) Chemia; and Diodorus Siculus (l) speaks of a city in Thebais, or Upper Egypt, which was called by the inhabitants Chemmis, interpreted by them the city of Pan; and Plutarch (m) mentions a place called Chennis, inhabited by Pans and Satyrs. The same is mentioned by Herodotus (n), which he calls a large city of the Thebaic nome; a city of the same name is observed by Heliodorus (o); and both Herodotus (p) and Mela (q) speak of an island called Chemmis, which the Egyptians represent as floating. In all which there are plain traces of the name of Ham, the same with Jupiter Ammon; or Amun, as Plutarch; worshipped in Egypt; and from whom all Africa was sometimes called Ammonia (r), the country of Ammon or Ham. And Herodotus (s) speaks of a people called Ammonii, about ten days' journey from Thebes in Upper Egypt; who, according to him (t), had their name from Jupiter Ammon, or Ham. And Pliny (u) makes mention of the oracle of Hammon, as twelve days' journey from Memphis, and of the Hammoniac nome; and the Egyptian priests are called Ammmonean (w). Here Jacob was a sojourner, as all the Lord's people are in this world; they are sojourners, as all their fathers were; and their time here is a time of sojourning, 1-Chronicles 29:15. They are not natives of the place where they are; they are indeed so by their first birth, but not by their new birth; being born from above, they belong to another place, are citizens of another city; their house, estate, and inheritance, are in heaven: neither their settlement nor satisfaction are here; they do not reckon themselves at home while they are in this world; they are indeed in an enemy's country, in a cursed land; or that is nigh unto cursing, and its end to be burned. Such the land of Ham was, where Jacob sojourned.
(k) De Iside. (l) Biblioth. l. 1. p. 16. (m) Ut supra. (De Iside.) (n) Euterpe sive, l. 2. c. 91. (o) Ethiopic. l. 5. c. 9. & l. 6. c. 4. (p) Ut supra, (Euterpe sive, l. 2.) c. 156. (q) De Situ Orbis, l. 1. c. 9. (r) Stephanus de Urb. (s) Melpomene sive, l. 4. c. 181. (t) Euterpe sive, l. 2. c. 32, 42. (u) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 9. (w) Sanchoniatho apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. p. 32.

Israel . . . and Jacob--that is, Jacob himself is meant, as Psalm 105:24 speaks of "his people." Still, he came with his whole house (Genesis 46:6-7).
sojourned-- (Genesis 47:4).
land of Ham--or, Egypt (Psalm 78:51).

Ham - Ham was the father of Mizraim, or the Egyptians, Genesis 10:6.