Genesis 48:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

NIV: Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.

NASB: But your children that you have fathered after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

CSB: Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance.

NLT: But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.

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

NKJV: Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

Jacob is dying. Joseph has brought his two oldest sons to his father so that three of them may receive a blessing from him (Genesis 48:1–5). Jacob's blessings and predictions for his other sons will be recorded in the following chapter.

In the previous verse, Jacob announced he was claiming Joseph's two oldest sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 41:50–52), as his own sons, rather than as his grandsons. In essence, Jacob was adopting them, and even elevating them to the rank of firstborn above even Reuben and Simeon. This would result in Joseph's line receiving the birthright and a double portion of the family inheritance.

Now Jacob mentions Joseph's other children. This is the first time Genesis has mentioned that Joseph has other offspring. Jacob makes clear to Joseph that he is not placing any claim on those children. They will take their place under their older brothers Ephraim and Manasseh in the inheritance, as Jacob's other grandchildren would do under their fathers. This emphasizes the fact that Jacob will truly consider Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, giving to each a full portion of the inheritance.

Genesis 48:1–22 describes the blessing Jacob pronounces over Joseph's oldest two sons. Significantly, Jacob claims Joseph's two oldest sons as his own, ensuring that each will receive a full portion of his inheritance. This means Joseph's family will receive a double portion. Jacob blesses the pair with a prayer for God's blessing in their lives as he himself has experienced it.

Genesis 48 describes Jacob's deathbed blessing of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In a surprising move, Jacob claims Joseph's two oldest boys as his own. This makes each a full heir. The result is that Joseph's family will receive a double portion of the inheritance. Jacob prays for them to receive many of the blessings God has given to him during his long life. In another twist, Jacob gives greater blessing to the younger of his two grandsons.

Despite a long, difficult life, Jacob survives another 17 years after moving to Egypt. The suffering of his son, Joseph, resulted in the salvation of his family line. Now truly at the end of his days, Jacob claims Joseph's oldest two sons as his own—giving them full rights to a portion of his inheritance. The following chapters will include Jacob's remaining blessings for his sons, and a description of the death and burials of both Jacob and Joseph.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.