Génesis 48:14

14 Pero Jacob cruzó sus brazos cuando los extendió para poner sus manos sobre la cabeza de los muchachos: es decir, puso su mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Efraín —aunque él era el menor— y su mano izquierda sobre la cabeza de Manasés, que era el hijo mayor.

Génesis 48:14 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 48:14

And Israel stretched out his right hand
Not directly forward, but across, or otherwise it would have been laid on Manasseh, as Joseph designed it should by the position he placed him in: and laid [it] upon Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger,
the right hand being the strongest and most in use, as it was reckoned most honourable to sit at it, so to have it imposed, as being significative of the greater blessing: and his left hand upon Manasseh's head;
who was the older: guiding his hands wittingly;
this was not done accidentally, but on purpose: or made his "hands to understand" ^F17, they acted as if they understood what he would have done, as Aben Ezra; as if they were conscious of what should be, or would be; though he could not see clearly and distinctly, yet he knew, by the position of them before him, which was the elder and which was the younger: he knew that Joseph would set the firstborn in such a position before him as naturally to put his right hand on him, and the younger in such a position as that it would be readiest for him to put his left hand on him; and therefore, being under a divine impulse and spirit of prophecy, by which he discerned that the younger was to have the greater blessing, he crossed his bands, or changed them, and put his right hand on Ephraim, and his left hand on Manasseh: for Manasseh [was] the firstborn;
or rather, though ^F18 he was the firstborn, as Aben Ezra.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wydy ta lkv) "intelligere fecit suas manus", Paguinus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright.
F18 (yk) "tametsi", Tigurine version; "quamvis", Piscator; so some in Fagius.

Génesis 48:14 In-Context

12 José retiró a los muchachos de las rodillas de su abuelo, y se inclinó con el rostro hacia el suelo.

13 Después puso a los muchachos delante de Jacob. Con su mano derecha dirigió a Efraín hacia la mano izquierda de Jacob, y con su mano izquierda puso a Manasés a la mano derecha de Jacob.

14 Pero Jacob cruzó sus brazos cuando los extendió para poner sus manos sobre la cabeza de los muchachos: es decir, puso su mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Efraín —aunque él era el menor— y su mano izquierda sobre la cabeza de Manasés, que era el hijo mayor.

15 Luego bendijo a José con las siguientes palabras:
«Que el Dios delante del cual caminaron
mi abuelo Abraham y mi padre Isaac
—el Dios que ha sido mi pastor
toda mi vida, hasta el día de hoy,

16 el Ángel que me ha salvado de todo mal—
bendiga a estos muchachos.
Que ellos preserven mi nombre
y el nombre de Abraham y de Isaac.
Y que su descendencia se multiplique en gran manera
por toda la tierra».