Génesis 48

1 Y SUCEDIO después de estas cosas el haberse dicho á José: He aquí tu padre está enfermo. Y él tomó consigo sus dos hijos Manasés y Ephraim.
2 Y se hizo saber á Jacob, diciendo: He aquí tu hijo José viene á ti. Entonces se esforzó Israel, y sentóse sobre la cama;
3 Y dijo á José: El Dios Omnipotente me apareció en Luz en la tierra de Canaán, y me bendijo,
4 Y díjome: He aquí, yo te haré crecer, y te multiplicaré, y te pondré por estirpe de pueblos: y daré esta tierra á tu simiente después de ti por heredad perpetua.
5 Y ahora tus dos hijos Ephraim y Manasés, que te nacieron en la tierra de Egipto, antes que viniese á ti á la tierra de Egipto, míos son; como Rubén y Simeón, serán míos:
6 Y los que después de ellos has engendrado, serán tuyos; por el nombre de sus hermanos serán llamados en sus heredades.
7 Porque cuando yo venía de Padan-aram, se me murió Rachêl en la tierra de Canaán, en el camino, como media legua de tierra viniendo á Ephrata; y sepultéla allí en el camino de Ephrata, que es Bethlehem.
8 Y vió Israel los hijos de José, y dijo: ¿Quiénes son éstos?
9 Y respondió José á su padre: Son mis hijos, que Dios me ha dado aquí. Y él dijo: Allégalos ahora á mí, y los bendeciré.
10 Y los ojos de Israel estaban tan agravados de la vejez, que no podía ver. Hízoles, pues, llegar á él, y él los besó y abrazó.
11 Y dijo Israel á José: No pensaba yo ver tu rostro, y he aquí Dios me ha hecho ver también tu simiente.
12 Entonces José los sacó de entre sus rodillas, é inclinóse á tierra.
13 Y tomólos José á ambos, Ephraim á su diestra, á la siniestra de Israel; y á Manasés á su izquierda, á la derecha de Israel; é hízoles llegar á él.
14 Entonces Israel extendió su diestra, y púsola sobre la cabeza de Ephraim, que era el menor, y su siniestra sobre la cabeza de Manasés, colocando así sus manos adrede, aunque Manasés era el primogénito.
15 Y bendijo á José, y dijo: El Dios en cuya presencia anduvieron mis padres Abraham é Isaac, el Dios que me mantiene desde que yo soy hasta este día,
16 El Angel que me liberta de todo mal, bendiga á estos mozos: y mi nombre sea llamado en ellos, y el nombre de mis padres Abraham é Isaac: y multipliquen en gran manera en medio de la tierra.
17 Entonces viendo José que su padre ponía la mano derecha sobre la cabeza de Eprhaim, causóle esto disgusto; y asió la mano de su padre, para mudarla de sobre la cabeza de Ephraim á la cabeza de Manasés.
18 Y dijo José á su padre: No así, padre mío, porque éste es el primogénito; pon tu diestra sobre su cabeza.
19 Mas su padre no quiso, y dijo: Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé: también él vendrá á ser un pueblo, y será también acrecentado; pero su hermano menor será más grande que él, y su simiente será plenitud de gentes.
20 Y bendíjolos aquel día, diciendo: En ti bendecirá Israel, diciendo: Póngate Dios como á Ephraim y como á Manasés. Y puso á Ephraim delante de Manasés.
21 Y dijo Israel á José: He aquí, yo muero, mas Dios será con vosotros, y os hará volver á la tierra de vuestros padres.
22 Y yo te he dado á ti una parte sobre tus hermanos, la cual tomé yo de mano del Amorrheo con mi espada y con mi arco.

Génesis 48 Commentary

Chapter 48

Joseph visits his dying father. (1-7) Jacob blesses Joseph's sons. (8-22)

Verses 1-7 The death-beds of believers, with the prayers and counsels of dying persons, are suited to make serious impressions upon the young, the gay, and the prosperous: we shall do well to take children on such occasions, when it can be done properly. If the Lord please, it is very desirable to bear our dying testimony to his truth, to his faithfulness, and the pleasantness of his ways. And one would wish so to live, as to give energy and weight to our dying exhortations. All true believers are blessed at their death, but all do not depart equally full of spiritual consolations. Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons. Let them not succeed their father, in his power and grandeur in Egypt; but let them succeed in the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham. Thus the aged dying patriarch teaches these young persons to take their lot with the people of God. He appoints each of them to be the head of a tribe. Those are worthy of double honour, who, through God's grace, break through the temptations of worldly wealth and preferment, to embrace religion in disgrace and poverty. Jacob will have Ephraim and Manasseh to know, that it is better to be low, and in the church, than high, and out of it.

Verses 8-22 The two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph says, They are my sons whom God has given me. Jacob says, God hath showed me thy seed. Comforts are doubly sweet to us when we see them coming from God's hand. He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes. Jacob mentions the care the Divine providence had taken of him all his days. A great deal of hardship he had known in his time, but God kept him from the evil of his troubles. Now he was dying, he looked upon himself as redeemed from all sin and sorrow for ever. Christ, the Angel of the covenant, redeems from all evil. Deliverances from misery and dangers, by the Divine power, coming through the ransom of the blood of Christ, in Scripture are often called redemption. In blessing Joseph's sons, Jacob crossed hands. Joseph was willing to support his first-born, and would have removed his father's hands. But Jacob acted neither by mistake, nor from a partial affection to one more than the other; but from a spirit of prophecy, and by the Divine counsel. God, in bestowing blessings upon his people, gives more to some than to others, more gifts, graces, and comforts, and more of the good things of this life. He often gives most to those that are least likely. He chooses the weak things of the world; he raises the poor out of the dust. Grace observes not the order of nature, nor does God prefer those whom we think fittest to be preferred, but as it pleases him. How poor are they who have no riches but those of this world! How miserable is a death-bed to those who have no well-grounded hope of good, but dreadful apprehensions of evil, and nothing but evil for ever!

Chapter Summary

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.

Génesis 48 Commentaries

The Reina-Valera Antigua (1602) is in the public domain.