Génesis 48:7

7 En cuanto a mí, cuando vine de Padán, Raquel se me murió en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, cuando faltaba todavía cierta distancia para llegar a Efrata, y la sepulté allí en el camino a Efrata, esto es Belén.

Génesis 48:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 48:7

And as for me, when I came from Padan
From Syria, from Laban's house: Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan;
his beloved wife, the mother of Joseph, on whose account he mentions her, and to show a reason why he took his sons as his own, because his mother dying so soon, he could have no more children by her; and she being his only lawful wife, Joseph was of right to be reckoned as the firstborn; and that as such he might have the double portion, he took his two sons as his own, and put them upon a level with them, even with Reuben and Simeon. By this it appears, as by the preceding account, that Rachel came with him into the land of Canaan, and there died: in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath;
about a mile, or two thousand cubits, as Jarchi observes: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath;
where she died, and dying in childbed, could not be kept so long as to carry her to Machpelah, the burying place of his ancestors; and especially as he had his flocks and herds with him, which could move but slowly; and what might make it more difficult to keep her long, and carry her thither, it might be, as Ben Melech conjectures, summertime; and the Vulgate Latin adds to the text, without any warrant from the original, "and it was springtime"; however, she was buried in the land of Canaan, and which is taken notice of, that Joseph might observe it: it follows, the same [is] Bethlehem;
that is, Ephrath; and so Bethlehem is called Bethlehem Ephratah, ( Micah 5:2 ) ; whether these are the words of Jacob, or of Moses, is not certain, but said with a view to the Messiah, the famous seed of Jacob that should be born there, and was.

Génesis 48:7 In-Context

5 Ahora pues, tus dos hijos que te nacieron en la tierra de Egipto, antes de que yo viniera a ti a Egipto, míos son; Efraín y Manasés serán míos, como lo son Rubén y Simeón.

6 Pero los hijos que has engendrado después de ellos, serán tuyos; serán llamados por el nombre de sus hermanos en su heredad.

7 En cuanto a mí, cuando vine de Padán, Raquel se me murió en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, cuando faltaba todavía cierta distancia para llegar a Efrata, y la sepulté allí en el camino a Efrata, esto es Belén.

8 Cuando Israel vio a los hijos de José, dijo: ¿Quiénes son éstos?

9 Y José respondió a su padre: Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha dado aquí. Y él dijo: Acércalos a mí, te ruego, para que yo los bendiga.