Genesis 48:11-21

11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well."

12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and ¹bowed with his face to the ground.

13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him.

14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although ²Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "³The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, ⁴The God who has been my shepherd all * my life to this day,

16 ⁵The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, ⁶Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And ⁷may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

17 When Joseph saw that his father ⁸laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and ⁹his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20 ¹⁰He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!' " Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but ¹¹God will be with you, and ¹²bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Genesis 48:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 48

Joseph, hearing that his father Jacob was sick, paid him a visit, Ge 49:1,2; at which time Jacob gave him an account of the Lord's appearing to him at Luz, and of the promise he made unto him, Ge 49:3,4; then he adopted his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and blessed them, and Joseph also, Ge 49:5-16; and whereas he crossed his hands when he blessed the sons of Joseph, putting his right hand on the youngest, and his left hand on the eldest, which was displeasing to Joseph, he gave him a reason for so doing, Ge 49:17-20; and then assured him that God would bring him, and the rest of his posterity, into the land of Canaan, where he assigned him a particular portion above his brethren, Ge 49:21,22.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 42:6
• 2. Genesis 41:51, 52
• 3. Genesis 17:1
• 4. Genesis 49:24
• 5. Gen 22:11, 15-18; Genesis 28:13-15; Genesis 31:11
• 6. Hebrews 11:21
• 7. Genesis 28:14; Genesis 46:3
• 8. Genesis 48:14
• 9. Genesis 28:14; Genesis 46:3
• 10. Hebrews 11:21
• 11. Genesis 26:3
• 12. Genesis 28:15; Genesis 46:4; Genesis 50:24

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "meditated, judged"
• [b] Lit "seed"
• [c] Lit "made them come out"
• [d] Or "consciously directing"
• [e] Lit "when"
• [f] Lit "from the continuance of me"
• [g] Lit "be called"
• [h] Lit "name"
• [i] Lit "seed"
• [j] Lit "fullness"