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Read Genesis Chapter 48

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1And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

3And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

4And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

6And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

7And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.

8And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?

9And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

22Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

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Explanation

Genesis 48

In short

An old Jacob, near death in Egypt, blesses his two grandsons, Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. He deliberately gives the stronger blessing to the younger son, Ephraim, rather than to the older son, Manasseh, as Joseph objects. Jacob also promises Joseph that God will bring his family back to the land promised to Abraham.

What the text says

Joseph is told his father Jacob is dying and brings his two sons to him (verse 1). Jacob gathers his strength and recounts to Joseph how God appeared to him at Luz in Canaan and promised to make his descendants fruitful and give them the land forever (verses 3-4). Jacob then adopts Joseph's two sons as his own, placing them on the same level as his own eldest sons Reuben and Simeon (verse 5). He mentions Rachel's death on the way to Ephrath (verse 7).

Jacob cannot see clearly due to age, but Joseph brings the boys near him and Jacob kisses and embraces them (verses 8-10). Jacob blesses both boys in verse 15-16, calling on God and the angel who protected him to bless them. When Joseph sees his father place his right hand on Ephraim the younger son instead of Manasseh the firstborn, Joseph tries to correct him (verses 13-14, 17-18). Jacob refuses, explaining that though Manasseh will also be great, Ephraim will be greater (verse 19). Jacob sets Ephraim before Manasseh in his blessing (verse 20). Finally, Jacob promises Joseph that God will bring the family back to their fathers' land, and says he has given Joseph an extra portion beyond his brothers (verses 21-22).

Takeaways

  • Jacob gives his greatest blessing to the younger grandson, not the older, which goes against normal custom of favoring the firstborn.
  • The blessing connects Joseph's sons to the ancient promises made to Abraham about land and descendants.
  • Jacob promises his family will return to Canaan, though he himself will die in Egypt.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.