Genesis 48:1-22
Joseph's Sons Receive a Blessing
1Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
4and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
5And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
7Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
8When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
10Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
11“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
12Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
13And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
14But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
15Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
18“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
20So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
Berean Standard Bible
Someone tells Joseph that his father is ill. Joseph takes his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to Jacob. Jacob strengthens himself and sits up in bed. He reminds Joseph that God Almighty appeared to him at Luz and promised to make him fruitful and give his offspring the land. Jacob adopts Joseph's two sons as his own sons, giving them a place among Reuben and Simeon.
Jacob says that Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way to Ephrath, and he remembers her before blessing her grandsons. Israel sees Joseph's sons and asks who they are. Joseph tells him they are the sons God gave him in Egypt. Israel asks Joseph to bring them near so he can bless them.
Israel's eyes are dim, and he kisses and embraces the boys. He tells Joseph that he never expected to see Joseph's face again, and now God has let him see Joseph's children too. Joseph takes the boys from Israel's knees and bows with his face to the ground.
Joseph places Ephraim at Israel's left and Manasseh at his right. Israel crosses his hands and places his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn. Joseph tries to move his father's hand, but Israel refuses. He knows what he is doing and says that Manasseh will become great, but Ephraim will be greater and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.
Jacob blesses both boys and says that Israel will use their names as a blessing. He gives Joseph one portion more than his brothers, the land he took from the Amorites with his sword and bow. The blessing is personal, but it also reopens the family's old pattern of the younger being placed before the older. This time the choice is not achieved through deception; Joseph must learn that God's generosity does not follow his preferred order.
Questions
1 Whom did Joseph bring to Jacob?
AnswerJoseph brought his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 What did Jacob do for Joseph’s sons?
AnswerJacob adopted them as his own sons and blessed them.
3 Which son received Jacob’s right hand?
AnswerEphraim, the younger son, received Jacob’s right hand.
4 How did Joseph respond at first?
AnswerJoseph tried to move Jacob’s right hand to Manasseh.
What This Means for Us
Blessing should not become a contest where children must perform for a parent's approval. Make room for unexpected gifts and resist the urge to control every outcome. Remember the people whose absence shaped your family, and offer children belonging that does not depend on being first.
Prayer
God who remembers generations, help us bless children without making them compete for love. Give us humility when your gifts do not follow our preferred order, and help us honor the grief and memories that travel with every family. Make belonging stronger than rank in our household. Amen.