Genesis 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

Jacob blesses his family and dies

Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons

1Joseph was told that his father Jacob had become very sick. So Joseph went to see him and took along his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.

3Jacob told Joseph:#Gn 28.13,14.

God All-Powerful appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where he gave me his blessing 4and promised, “I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family for ever.”

5Then Jacob went on to say:

Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh. 7Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syria#48.7 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10. and before we reached Bethlehem.#48.7 Bethlehem: The Hebrew text has “Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem”. And I had to bury her along the way.#Gn 35.16-19.

8-10Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, “Who are these boys?”

Joseph answered, “They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt.”

“Bring them to me,” Jacob said. “I want to give them my blessing.” Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them.

11Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, “For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children.” 12Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob's knees,#48.12 move…Jacob's knees: The two boys were placed either on or between Jacob's knees, as a sign that he had accepted them as his sons. and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.

13After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his elder son Manasseh to the right. 14But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh. 15Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said:

My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshipped the LORD God. He has been with me all my life, 16and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.

17Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father's right hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh. 18Joseph said, “Father, you have made a mistake. This is the elder boy. Put your right hand on him.”

19But his father said, “Son, I know what I am doing. It's true that Manasseh's family will some day become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations.”

20Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, “I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.” Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.#He 11.21. 21After that, Jacob said, “Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago. 22Meanwhile, I'm giving you the hillside#48.22 the hillside: Or “a larger share than your brothers, the land”. I captured from the Amorites.”

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