Genesis48

Jacob, on his deathbed, adopts Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own, granting them full tribal inheritance. Despite Joseph's attempt to guide his hands, Jacob deliberately blesses the younger Ephraim with the greater blessing, prophesying his future prominence. He also reassures Joseph that God will return his descendants to the promised land.
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Joseph Visits Jacob; The Adoption Declared

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). ​
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.”

The Patriarchal Blessing

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.” ​
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. ​

Jacob's Final Prophecy and Gift

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.” ​

Study Notes for Genesis 48

Verse 1

Setting the scene for Jacob's final acts and the formalization of the covenant lineage before his death. Joseph brings his two sons, who will become the progenitors of two distinct tribes in Israel.

Verse 3

Jacob grounds his authority for the adoption in the covenant God made with him at Luz (Bethel, Gen 28, 35). This emphasizes that the expansion of the family is part of the divine plan.

Verse 5

This formal declaration elevates Ephraim and Manasseh to the status of Jacob’s direct sons, alongside Reuben and Simeon. This act grants Joseph the double portion of the inheritance, justifying his two tribes within Israel.

Verse 7

Jacob recalls Rachel's death, perhaps underscoring the pain associated with Canaan but reaffirming his commitment to the land where she was buried, even while preparing to die in Egypt.

Verse 9

Jacob, acting as the covenant patriarch, prepares to confer divine blessing, a key function in the generational transmission of the Abrahamic promises.

Verse 10

Jacob’s dim sight emphasizes that his subsequent action of crossing his hands (v. 14) was deliberate, guided by prophetic insight rather than accidental error.

Verse 14

Jacob deliberately crosses his hands, placing the right hand (the hand of superior blessing) upon the younger son. This echoes the consistent biblical pattern of God choosing the younger over the elder (e.g., Isaac, Jacob, David).

Verse 15

The blessing invokes God in three aspects: the covenant God of the fathers, the God of personal providence ('fed me all my life long'), and the redeeming Angel.

Verse 16

The 'Angel which redeemed me from all evil' is likely the Angel of the Lord (a manifestation of God), emphasizing the intimate and active protection God provided throughout Jacob's life struggles.

Verse 17

Joseph attempts to uphold the cultural standard of primogeniture, believing his father made a mistake, highlighting the significance tied to the right hand in bestowing inheritance.

Verse 19

Jacob asserts his divinely inspired knowledge ('I know it, my son, I know it'), confirming that the elevation of the younger son, Ephraim, is intentional and prophetic, foreshadowing Ephraim’s greater influence in Israel’s future.

Verse 20

This verse confirms the prophetic weight of Jacob’s action, establishing Ephraim and Manasseh as standard figures of blessing within Israel’s liturgical language.

Verse 21

Jacob reaffirms the core covenant promise: God will be with his descendants and bring them back to the land of Canaan, providing hope and purpose despite their current residence in Egypt.

Verse 22

The 'one portion above thy brethren' refers to the special double inheritance Joseph received through his two sons. The reference to taking land 'with my sword and with my bow' likely refers to the parcel of land near Shechem (Gen 33:19) that required defense.

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