Genesis 48:9

9 and Joseph saith unto his father, `They [are] my sons, whom God hath given to me in this [place];' and he saith, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.'

Genesis 48:9 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 48:9

And Joseph said unto his father, they [are] my sons, whom God
hath given me in this [place]
In the land of Egypt; he accounts his sons as the gifts of God, as children are, ( Psalms 127:3 ) ; and it was not only a sentiment of the Jews, that children are the gift of God; hence the names of Mattaniah, Nathaniel but of Heathens, as the Greeks and Romans, among whom are frequent the names of men which show it, as Theodorus, Deodatus, Apollodorus, Artemidorus and he said, bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them;
not in a common way, barely wishing them prosperity and happiness, but as a patriarch and prophet, under the influence and inspiration of the Spirit of God, declaring what would befall them, and what blessings they should be partakers of, in time to come.

Genesis 48:9 In-Context

7 `And I -- in my coming in from Padan-[Aram] Rachel hath died by me in the land of Canaan, in the way, while yet a kibrath of land to enter Ephrata, and I bury her there in the way of Ephrata, which [is] Bethlehem.'

8 And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, `Who [are] these?'

9 and Joseph saith unto his father, `They [are] my sons, whom God hath given to me in this [place];' and he saith, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.'

10 And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;

11 and Israel saith unto Joseph, `To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'