Genesis 48: Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh
The dying Jacob adopts Joseph's two sons and blesses them, deliberately setting the younger before the older.
Genesis 48 (WEB)
1 After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 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 seed after you for an everlasting possession.’
5 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.
6 Your issue, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by 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 (the same is Bethlehem).”
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 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.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.”
12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 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.
14 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.
15 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,
16 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 in the midst of the earth.”
17 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.
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 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 seed will become a multitude of nations.”
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
22 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.”
Genesis 48 (KJV)
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, 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.
6 And thy issue, which 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 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 Beth–lehem.
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 for 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 shewed 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 did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 The 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.
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.
Genesis 48 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass after these things, that one said to 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 company of peoples, and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
5 And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.
6 And thy issue, that thou begettest after them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem).
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 here. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10 Now 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.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
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 first-born.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 the angel who hath 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 first-born; 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: howbeit 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 will 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 will 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.
Summary
Hearing his father is sick, Joseph brings his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to Jacob's bedside. Jacob recalls how God Almighty appeared to him at Luz and promised to make him fruitful and give the land to his descendants. He claims Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, equal to Reuben and Simeon, and remembers Rachel's death and burial near Bethlehem. Though his eyes are dim, Jacob embraces the boys and blesses Joseph, invoking the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God who has fed him all his life, and the angel who redeemed him from all evil. Crossing his hands, he places his right hand on the younger Ephraim. Joseph objects, but Jacob insists, declaring the younger will be greater. He blesses them and gives Joseph one portion above his brothers, trusting God to bring his family back to the promised land.
Main Characters
- Jacob (Israel) — The dying patriarch who adopts and blesses Joseph's sons, crossing his hands to favor the younger.
- Joseph — The son who brings his boys for blessing and tries to redirect his father's hands to the firstborn.
- Ephraim — Joseph's younger son, set before his brother and promised to become a multitude of nations.
- Manasseh — Joseph's firstborn, blessed by Jacob's left hand and told he too will become a great people.
Key Verse
Genesis 48:15 (WEB)
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,
Lessons Learned
- God's blessing rests on his sovereign choice, not merely on human custom or birth order.
- Looking back over a lifetime, faith remembers God as the one who has provided and redeemed.
- God graciously includes new generations within the promises he made to those before them.
- What God gives often exceeds and surprises our expectations of how things should go.
- God's promises reach forward to new generations. Jacob claims Joseph's sons, 'Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine,' folding them into the covenant family (Genesis 48:5, WEB).
- Faith remembers God as lifelong provider. Jacob blesses 'the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,' recalling God's faithful care (Genesis 48:15, WEB).
- God is the redeemer who delivers from all evil. Jacob praises 'the angel who has redeemed me from all evil,' testifying to God's rescuing hand (Genesis 48:16, WEB).
- God's choice often overturns human expectation. Jacob deliberately sets his right hand on the younger, saying, 'his younger brother will be greater than he' (Genesis 48:19, WEB).
- Dying faith still looks toward God's promise. Jacob says, 'I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers' (Genesis 48:21, WEB).
- Why does Jacob claim Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons (Genesis 48:5)?
- How does Jacob describe God in his blessing of Joseph (Genesis 48:15-16)?
- Why does Jacob cross his hands and set the younger Ephraim before the older Manasseh (Genesis 48:14, 19)?
- When you look back on your life, how have you seen God feed and redeem you, as Jacob testifies?
- How do you respond when God's blessing or direction does not follow the order or pattern you expected?
- By adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as equal to his own firstborn sons, Jacob gives Joseph a double portion among the tribes and brings the grandsons directly into the covenant inheritance (Genesis 48:5).
- He describes God as the One before whom Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed him all his life, and the angel who has redeemed him from all evil (Genesis 48:15-16), a rich testimony of relationship, provision, and rescue.
- Guiding his hands knowingly, Jacob places his right hand on Ephraim because God has shown that the younger will be greater and his seed will become a multitude of nations (Genesis 48:14, 19); God's choice, not birth order, governs the blessing.
- This is a personal application question. Invite members to give thanks aloud for specific ways God has provided and delivered them over the years, echoing Jacob's testimony.
- This is a personal application question. Help the group wrestle honestly with surprise or disappointment when God's ways differ from theirs, and encourage trust in his wise, sovereign choices.