Genesis 48
48
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
1After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3And Jacob said to Joseph, #See ch. 17:1 “God Almighty#48:3 Hebrew El Shaddai appeared to me at #ch. 28:13, 19; 35:6, 9Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you #ch. 17:8for an everlasting possession.’ 5And now your #ch. 41:50-52; 46:20 two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, #Josh. 13:7; 14:4; 17:17are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow #See ch. 35:9-19Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance#48:7 Or about two hours’ distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, #[ch. 33:5] “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that #ch. 49:25, 26; Heb. 11:21; [ch. 27:4]I may bless them.” 10Now #[ch. 27:1] the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, #ch. 27:27and he kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to Joseph, #[ch. 37:33; 45:26]“I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14#ver. 17 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, #ver. 19crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15And he blessed Joseph and said,
“The God #ch. 17:1; 24:40before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
16 # ch. 28:15; 31:11, 13, 24; Ex. 23:20 the angel who has #Isa. 44:22, 23; 49:7; 63:9; [2 Sam. 4:9; Ps. 34:22; 121:7] redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
and in them let #Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17 my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them #[Num. 26:34, 37]grow into a multitude#48:16 Or let them be like fish for multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17When Joseph saw that his father #ver. 14laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, #[See ver. 17 above] “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, #Num. 1:33, 35; 2:19, 21; Deut. 33:17his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude#48:19 Hebrew fullness of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
# [Ruth 4:11, 12] ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but #ch. 46:4; 50:24God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover, I have given to #Josh. 24:32; John 4:5you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope#48:22 Or one portion of the land; Hebrew shekem, which sounds like the town and district called Shechem that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
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Genesis 48
48
1And it cometh to pass, after these things, that [one] saith to Joseph, ‘Lo, thy father is sick;’ and he taketh his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2And [one] declareth to Jacob, and saith, ‘Lo, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee;’ and Israel doth strengthen himself, and sit upon the bed.
3And Jacob saith unto Joseph, ‘God Almighty hath appeared unto me, in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blesseth me,
4and saith unto me, Lo, I am making thee fruitful, and have multiplied thee, and given thee for an assembly of peoples, and given this land to thy seed after thee, a possession age-during.
5‘And now, thy two sons, who are born to thee in the land of Egypt, before my coming unto thee to Egypt, mine they [are]; Ephraim and Manasseh, as Reuben and Simeon they are mine;
6and thy family which thou hast begotten after them are thine; by the name of their brethren they are called in their inheritance.
7‘And I — in my coming in from Padan-[Aram] Rachel hath died by me in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet a kibrath of land to enter Ephrata, and I bury her there in the way of Ephrata, which [is] Bethlehem.’
8And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, ‘Who [are] these?’
9and Joseph saith unto his father, ‘They [are] my sons, whom God hath given to me in this [place];’ and he saith, ‘Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.’
10And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;
11and Israel saith unto Joseph, ‘To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.’
12And Joseph bringeth them out from between his knees, and boweth himself on his face to the earth;
13and Joseph taketh them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left towards Israel's right, and bringeth [them] nigh to him.
14And Israel putteth out his right hand, and placeth [it] upon the head of Ephraim, who [is] the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; he hath guided his hands wisely, for Manasseh [is] the first-born.
15And he blesseth Joseph, and saith, ‘God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being unto this day:
16the Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.’
17And Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;
18and Joseph saith unto his father, ‘Not so, my father, for this [is] the first-born; set thy right hand on his head.’
19And his father refuseth, and saith, ‘I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the nations;’
20and he blesseth them in that day, saying, ‘By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;’ and he setteth Ephraim before Manasseh.
21And Israel saith unto Joseph, ‘Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;
22and I — I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.’
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