King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Then he added this blessing on them that day: "Isra'el will speak of you in their own blessings by saying, 'May God make you like Efrayim and M'nasheh.'"Thus he put Efrayim ahead of M'nasheh.
Berean Standard Bible:
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.
American Standard Version:
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee will Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And he blessed{H1288} them that day{H3117}, saying{H559}, In thee shall Israel{H3478} bless{H1288}, saying{H559}, God{H430} make{H7760} thee as Ephraim{H669} and as Manasseh{H4519}: and he set{H7760} Ephraim{H669} before{H6440} Manasseh{H4519}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 24:60
- And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou [art] our sister, be thou [the mother] of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
Ruth 4:11
- And all the people that [were] in the gate, and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
Ruth 4:12
- And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
Genesis 28:3
- And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
Numbers 2:18
- On the west side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim [shall be] Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Numbers 2:21
- And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
Numbers 10:22
- And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host [was] Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 48:20
Genesis 48:20 is a verse that captures a significant moment in the patriarchal blessings near the end of the life of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob (also known as Israel). The historical context is the latter period of the patriarchs, when Jacob is old and blind, and he is bestowing blessings upon his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are the sons of Joseph. These blessings are not merely personal sentiments but have profound implications for the future of the tribes of Israel.
In this verse, Jacob crosses his hands to place the younger son, Ephraim, before the older son, Manasseh, in the line of inheritance and blessing. This act subverts the traditional norm of primogeniture, where the firstborn would typically receive the greater blessing. By doing this, Jacob acknowledges the sovereignty of God in choosing whom to bless, a theme that runs throughout the Bible.
The verse reflects the theme of God's unexpected choices and the reversal of human expectations. It also establishes a precedent for the future of the Israelite tribes, as Ephraim's descendants would become a prominent tribe in the northern kingdom of Israel. The blessing Jacob gives, "God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh," becomes a formulaic blessing for the Israelites, indicating a wish for fertility and prosperity. This verse underscores the importance of blessings and lineage in the ancient Near Eastern context, where the continuity of the family and the tribe was of utmost importance. It also prefigures the complex dynamics of tribal relationships and rivalries that will play out in the history of Israel.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1288
There are 289 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָרַךְ
Transliteration: bârak
Pronunciation: baw-rak'
Description: a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason); [idiom] abundantly, [idiom] altogether, [idiom] at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, [idiom] greatly, [idiom] indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, [idiom] still, thank. - Strong's Number: H3117
There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹם
Transliteration: yôwm
Pronunciation: yome
Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H669
There are 313 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶפְרַיִם
Transliteration: ʼEphrayim
Pronunciation: ef-rah'-yim
Description: dual of masculine form of אֶפְרָת; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Ephraim, Ephraimites. - Strong's Number: H4519
There are 133 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְנַשֶּׁה
Transliteration: Mᵉnashsheh
Pronunciation: men-ash-sheh'
Description: from נָשָׁה; causing to forget; Menashsheh, a grandson of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Manasseh. - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.