Genesischapter 48

A.Ephraim and Manasseh Made Minevv. 1-7

1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me 4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit. 7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

B.The Angel Who Redeemed Mevv. 8-16

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.” 10 Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.” 12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown. 13 And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

C.Crossed Hands, the Younger Firstvv. 17-22

17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. 18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh.

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Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph brings his sons; the old man gathers strength and sits up on the bed. ‘I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.’ Joseph places Manasseh at his right hand and Ephraim at his left; Jacob crosses his hands, putting the right on the younger. Joseph protests; Jacob knows what he does: ‘his younger brother shall be greater than he’. Two tribes are carved out of Joseph. Hebrews 11:21 cites this chapter as the triumph of dying faith: ‘Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff’.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Genesis overview

A. 1–7 Ephraim and Manasseh Made Mine
B. 8–16 The Angel Who Redeemed Me
C. 17–22 Crossed Hands, the Younger First

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Genesis 353 verses
- Genesis 35:9After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.
- Genesis 35:11And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.
- Genesis 35:16Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
- Read Genesis 35 →
Genesis 273 verses
- Genesis 27:1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied.
- Genesis 27:4Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”
- Genesis 27:27So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed.
- Read Genesis 27 →
Genesis 283 verses
- Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.
- Genesis 28:13And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
- Genesis 28:15Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
- Read Genesis 28 →
Genesis 462 verses
- Genesis 46:4I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”
- Genesis 46:20Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
- Read Genesis 46 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Genesis 412 verses
- Genesis 41:50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
- Genesis 41:51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
- Read Genesis 41 →
Genesis 172 verses
- Genesis 17:1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- Genesis 17:8And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
- Read Genesis 17 →
Genesis 502 verses
- Genesis 50:23He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.
- Genesis 50:24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
- Read Genesis 50 →
Genesis 482 verses
- Genesis 48:14But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
- Genesis 48:18“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
- Read Genesis 48 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.