Genesis 48:15
in Genesis 48Then 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,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day,
KJV
And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
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This verse in Genesis 48
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHe blessed Joseph - The father first, and then the sons afterwards. And this is an additional proof to what has been adduced under Gen 48:12, of Jacob’s superiority; for the less is always blessed of the greater. The God which fed me all my life long - Jacob is now standing on the verge of eternity, with his faith strong in God.
This site's exposition
the God who has been my shepherd
The blessing is spoken over Joseph and lands on his two sons. It names God by the fathers who walked before Him, which puts two boys born in Egypt into a line that starts at Ur. The second clause calls God his shepherd all his life to this day.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he blessed Joseph,....
He calls God the God before whom his fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, that is, in whom they believed, whom they observed and obeyed, and with whom they kept up communion in instituted ordinances, according to the condition of the covenant.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
JOSEPH was one by himself. In Jacob's family he was like a swan in a duck's nest—he seemed to be of a different race from the rest, even from his childhood. He was the son of old age, the son of the elders, that is, a child who was old when he was young, in thoughtfulness and devotion. He reached an early ripeness which did not end in early decay. In consequence of this, Joseph was one by himself in the peculiarity of his trials.
JOSEPH was one by himself. In Jacob's family he was like a swan in a duck's nest—he seemed to be of a different race from the rest, even from his childhood. He was the son of old age, the son of the elders, that is, a child who was old when he was young, in thoughtfulness and devotion. He reached an early ripeness which did not end in early decay. In consequence of this, Joseph was one by himself in the peculiarity of his trials. Through his brothers' hatred of him, he was made to suffer greatly and, at last, was sold into slavery and underwent trials in Egypt of the severest kind. "The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him, and hated him." But, Brothers and Sisters, see the recompense, for he had blessings which were altogether his own. "His bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob." He was as distinguished by the favor of God as by the disfavor of his brothers. When Jacob is old and about to die, Joseph receives from him a blessing all to himself, in addition to that which he received with his brothers. In the 49th chapter we read, "Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob: and hearken unto Israel, your father." And they did so and received as a family such blessings as their father's prophetic eyes foresaw. But before this, "by faith, Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph" at a private interview especially granted to them.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ | vayvarekh | and he blessed | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יוֹסֵ֖ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וַיֹּאמַ֑ר | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֡ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ | hithalekhu | they walked about | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֲבֹתַ֤י | ʾavotai | fathers my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְפָנָיו֙ | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֣ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וְיִצְחָ֔ק | veyitzchak | and Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָרֹעֶ֣ה | haroeh | who shepherded | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֹתִ֔י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵעוֹדִ֖י | meodi | from duration my | H5750 → | 490 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיְבָ֥רֶךְand he blessed
vayvarekhH1288 →330 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יוֹסֵ֖ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
וַיֹּאמַ֑רand he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֡ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁר֩whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּthey walked about
hithalekhuH1980 →1546 times
אֲבֹתַ֤יfathers my
ʾavotaiH1 →1212 times
לְפָנָיו֙<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
אַבְרָהָ֣םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וְיִצְחָ֔קand Isaac
veyitzchakH3327 →108 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הָרֹעֶ֣הwho shepherded
haroehH7462 →177 times
אֹתִ֔י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
מֵעוֹדִ֖יfrom duration my
meodiH5750 →490 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Colossians 2:6Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
it leads to
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- 1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live,…
- Ephesians 5:1–2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
- Colossians 1:10
Through
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.
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Luke 1:6
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
- Genesis 18:14
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Philippians 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Genesis
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…
- PersonPatriarchsIsaacThe son of promise and of laughter — bound on Moriah, the quiet inheritor of the covenant.
- PersonPatriarchsJosephThe rejected-then-exalted son — Genesis's great Christ-type; preserver of his family and of Egypt; the bridge into Exodus.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1972: “A Bit of History for Old and Young” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.