1 And 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.

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

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

4 and 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.’

5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who 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.

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

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

8 And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

9 And 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.”

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

11 And Israel said unto Joseph, “I had not thought to see thy face; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.”

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

13 And 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.

14 And 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.

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

16 the Angel who 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.”

17 And 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.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put thy right hand upon his head.”

19 And 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.”

20 And 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.

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

22 Moreover 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.”

And it came to passe after these things, that one told Ioseph, Behold, thy father is sicke: and he tooke with him his two sonnes, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2And one told Iacob, and said, Behold, thy sonne Ioseph commeth vnto thee: and Israel strengthened himselfe, and sate vpon the bed.

3And Iacob saide vnto Ioseph, God Almightie appeared vnto mee at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed mee,

4And said vnto me, Behold, I wil make thee fruitfull, and multiplie thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people, and will giue this land to thy seede after thee, for an euerlasting possession.

5 And now thy two sonnes, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were borne vnto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came vnto thee into Egypt, are mine: as Reuben and Simeon, they shalbe 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 vnto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem.

8And Israel behelde Iosephs sonnes, and said, Who are these?

9And Ioseph said vnto his father, They are my sonnes, whom God hath giuen me in this place: and he said, Bring them, I pray thee, vnto me, and I will blesse them.

10(Now the eyes of Israel were dimme for age, so that he could not see,) and hee brought them neere vnto him, and he kissed them, and imbraced them.

11And Israel said vnto Ioseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and loe, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12And Ioseph brought them out from betweene his knees, and hee bowed himselfe with his face to the earth.

13And Ioseph tooke them both, Ephraim in his right hand, toward Israels left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israels right hand, and brought them neere vnto him.

14And Israel stretched out his right hand, and layd it vpon Ephraims head who was the yonger; and his left hand vpon Manassehs head, guiding his hands wittingly: for Manasseh was the first borne.

15 And he blessed Ioseph and said, God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walke, the God which fedde mee all my life long vnto this day,

16The Angel which redeemed mee from all euill, blesse the laddes, 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 Ioseph saw that his father laide his right hand vpon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held vp his fathers hand, to remoue it from Ephraims head, vnto Manassehs head.

18And Ioseph saide vnto his father, Not so my father: for this is the first borne; put thy right hand vpon his head.

19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my sonne, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truely his yonger brother shall be greater then he; and his seede shall become a multitude of nations.

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

21And Israel saide vnto Ioseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you againe vnto the land of your fathers.

22Moreouer I haue giuen to thee one portion aboue thy brethren, which I tooke out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword, and with my bow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

III == Gen 28:13 , 19 ; 35:6 , 9-15

 

 

IV == Gen 17:8

 

 

 

V == Gen 41:50 ; 46:20 ; Josh 13:7 ; 14:4

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == Gen 35:9 , 16 , 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Gen 27:4 ; 33:5

 

 

X == Gen 27:1 , 27 ; Isa 6:10 ; 59:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Gen 48:19

 

 

XV == Gen 17:1 ; 24:40 ; Heb 11:21

 

XVI == Gen 28:15 ; 31:11 , 13 , 24 ; Num 26:34 , 37 ; Ps 34:22 ; 121:7 ; Amos 9:12 ; Acts 15:17

 

XVII == Gen 28:8 ; 48:14

 

XIX == Num 1:33 , 35 ; 2:19 , 21 ; Deut 33:17 ; Rev 7:6 , 8

 

XXII == Gen 15:16 ; 34:28

 

1 Some time afterward, Joseph was informed, "Your father is failing." So he took along with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," he rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

3 Jacob then said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessing me,

4 he said, 'I will make you fertile and numerous and raise you into an assembly of tribes, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as a permanent possession.'

5 Your two sons, therefore, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I joined you here, shall be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as much as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

6. Progeny born to you after them shall remain yours; but their heritage shall be recorded in the names of their two brothers.

7 I do this because, when I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel died, to my sorrow, during the journey in Canaan, while we were still a short distance from Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?"

9 "They are my sons," Joseph answered his father, "whom God has given me here." "Bring them to me," said his father, "that I may bless them."

10 (Now Israel's eyes were dim from age, and he could not see well.) When Joseph brought his sons close to him, he kissed and embraced them.

11 Then Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your descendants as well!"

12 Joseph removed them from his father's knees and bowed down before him with his face to the ground.

13 Then Joseph took the two, Ephraim with his right hand, to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to Israel's right, and led them to him.

14 But Israel, crossing his hands, put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, although he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, although he was the first-born.

15 Then he blessed them with these words: "May the God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day,

16 The Angel who has delivered me from all harm, bless these boys That in them my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, And they may become teeming multitudes upon the earth!"

17 When Joseph saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, this seemed wrong to him; so he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's,

18 saying, "That is not right, father; the other one is the first-born; lay your right hand on his head!"

19 But his father resisted. "I know it, son," he said, "I know. That one too shall become a tribe, and he too shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall surpass him, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20 So when he blessed them that day and said, "By you shall the people of Israel pronounce blessings; may they say, 'God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,'" he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph: "I am about to die. But God will be with you and will restore you to the land of your fathers.

22 As for me, I give to you, as to the one above his brothers, Shechem, which I captured from the Amorites with my sword and bow."

.v 1-4. Joseph would have known this was a very serious illness, and probably brought his sons for a fin24.al blessing. Jacob summoned up energy to sit up. He first reminds Joseph how the Lord appeared to 25. him and promised him the land of Canaan. He is continuing to build the case for return to their own land. v 26-27.

v 5,6. Jacob here adopts Ephraim and Manasseh so that in effect, Joseph will have a double portion as if he were the first born. Reuben lost his first born privilege because of sin, 49:4. Firstborn privilege of double portion went to Joseph. Priestly responsibility went to Levi, and leadership (king line) went to Judah.

v 7. This brings back a fond, sad remembrance of his favorite wife, Rachel.

v 8-14. In near blindness, Jacob could see Joseph’s two sons, but could not tell who they were. Then he rejoices that he is able to see them when he didn’t suppose he would even ever see Joseph. Joseph guides them to him so that the oldest would be at Jacob's right hand to receive the blessing of the first born, but with his head bowed, does not notice Jacob has switched hands.v 15-18. As Jacob pronounces blessing on both Joseph and the lads, Joseph was upset to notice that Ephraim is getting the first born blessing and tries to move Jacob’s hands. v 19,20. Jacob knew what he was doing and refused to change. He had schemed and deceived to get Isaac’s blessing, but now he blesses in the same arrangement of younger above older, and gives a better spiritual blessing to Ephraim. At the time of Moses, Manasseh still outnumbered Ephraim by 20,000 men, but it began to be fulfilled from the days of the judges onward, till Ephraim became the head of the ten northern tribes. Joshua was an Ephraimite, and the ark of the covenant was placed in Shiloh, in the land of Ephraim. v 21,22. Again Jacob is reminding that the Israelites are to return to their own land. This came about, but it was Joseph’s bones that were brought back to the area of Shechem to be buried. This battle is not recorded any other place, but it was apparently after it that Jacob dug the well there.