World English Bible
- After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
- Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
- and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
- Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.
- Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
- As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).”
- Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
- Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
- Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
- Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
- Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
- 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 to him.
- Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
- He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
- the angel who has 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. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
- When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
- Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
- 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 will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.”
- He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
- Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
- Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
As we journey together into the quiet intimacy of Genesis 48, we enter the room where Jacob (Israel), now elderly and nearing death, extends a precious spiritual heritage. Physically frail, yet spiritually strong, Jacob summons Joseph and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Although Jacob’s vision was dim, his spiritual insight could not have been clearer.
Jacob begins by reflecting on his past, remembering his encounter with God at Luz (Bethel) where the Almighty had reaffirmed the grand promises of the land, descendants, and a lasting blessing (Genesis 28:13-15, 35:9-15). This brief recounting is not merely nostalgia; it is intentional storytelling, weaving the past encounter into the present blessing. He links the promise of God explicitly to Joseph and his descendants, underscoring again that Jacob’s faith is rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness.
Consider how Jacob, near death, anchors his identity and legacy not in his accomplishments, riches, or even his relationships, but profoundly in God’s faithfulness and promises. Like Jacob, we pause today to reflect on our lives: Do we primarily organize our identity around God’s promises, or do we define ourselves by worldly measures?
Jacob’s actions regarding Ephraim and Manasseh may puzzle the modern western reader. Adopting grandchildren as one’s own children (Jacob claims them as equal to Reuben and Simeon) was not unusual in the ancient Near East when establishing inheritance lines (Genesis 48:5-6). However, what follows is unexpected. Joseph deliberately positions Manasseh, the older son, by Jacob’s right hand—the traditional place of superior blessing—but Jacob intentionally crosses his hands to favor Ephraim, the younger.
This act mirrors Jacob’s own story: he, the younger brother, received Isaac’s superior blessing over Esau (Genesis 27). It underscores God’s sovereign freedom to upset human conventions to fulfill his purposes. As theologians and commentators throughout history have noted, including John Calvin and Martin Luther, this act symbolizes the mysterious but sovereign choice of God who is bound neither by human expectations nor cultural tradition.
Do we trust God’s sovereign decisions even when they surprise—or unsettle—us? God’s purposes often emerge precisely out of what we least expect. Be open to divine reversals in your own journey.
Jacob closes this deeply sacred family ceremony stating plainly to Joseph: “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers” (Genesis 48:21, New International Version). Jacob’s words remind us that although our days are limited, God’s faithfulness remains throughout generations. Like Joseph and his sons, we inherit more than mere possessions; we inherit promises backed by God Himself.
The Hebrew phrase “God will be with you” is no mere platitude. It echoes the covenantal promises God made first to Abraham (Genesis 17:7), reaffirmed repeatedly through Genesis, and fulfilled ultimately in Christ, Emmanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23). This profound truth of divine presence forms the cornerstone of our faith.
In ancient Near East cultures, passing blessings to children was considered not just a personal wish but a binding prophetic declaration. Words carried weight, authority, and divine expectancy. Jacob’s blessing is poetry itself, containing parallelisms and symbolic imagery of a shepherd and redeemer (“the angel who has delivered me”—Genesis 48:16). The Hebrew word “go’el” translated here as “redeemer” or “deliverer” evokes later images of Christ as Redeemer, highlighting how Old Testament scenes foreshadow the redemptive work of Jesus.
Are we intentionally fostering spiritual legacies to pass on? What practical steps can we take to ensure that our children, grandchildren, or spiritual descendants receive the blessing of the faith we treasure?
Consider listening to or reflecting in quiet meditation upon the hymn “He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought” by Joseph Gilmore. It beautifully encapsulates the image of God’s shepherding presence, paralleling Jacob’s acknowledgment of God’s guidance through his life.
“He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.”
Father of generations, God of Jacob, You who cross hands and upset human expectations to fulfill Your sovereign purposes, grant us hearts humble enough to accept Your choices. Help us to build legacies of deep trust in Your promises rather than temporal achievements. Lord Jesus, our Redeemer and Shepherd, guide us daily, that we too may pass on an inheritance of faith firmly anchored in Your unfailing presence. Amen.