Genesis 48:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

NIV: Some time later Joseph was told, 'Your father is ill.' So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.

NASB: Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, 'Behold, your father is sick.' So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

CSB: Some time after this, Joseph was told, "Your father is weaker." So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

NLT: One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, 'Your father is failing rapidly.' So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

In prior verses, Jacob, also known by his God-given name Israel, was preparing for his death. His family has settled in Egypt under the protection of his son, Joseph. Anticipating the end of his life, Jacob asked Joseph to swear to bury him with his fathers in Canaan, rather than being interred in Egypt. Joseph agreed (Genesis 47:29–31).

It's unknown how much time has passed since then, but Joseph now gets word that Jacob is ill. He is close to dying. Joseph responds by taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to see Jacob so that his father can bless them. If this is very near the end of Jacob's life, after 17 years in Egypt, Joseph would be in his mid-50s. Jacob would be 147 (Genesis 47:28).

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:56:25 PM