Genesis 48:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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 him.

NIV: And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him.

NASB: And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

CSB: Then Joseph took them both--with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel's left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel's right--and brought them to Israel.

NLT: Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him.

Joseph's two oldest sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are in the process of receiving a blessing—the family blessing—from Joseph's father Jacob. In fact, Jacob has officially pronounced that Joseph's sons now belong to him. He has, in essence, adopted them and put them in the position of his two oldest sons ahead of Reuben and Simeon (Genesis 48:1–12).

In the previous verses, Joseph repositioned his sons so he could bow in an expression of great respect and appreciation for his father. Now Joseph moves his two sons into position again. Joseph positions them according to birth order. Lined up three across before Jacob's lap, Joseph places Ephraim on his own right side so that Jacob's left hand will be on Ephraim's head for the blessing. He places Manasseh on his left so that Jacob's right hand will be on his head. Since Manasseh is the oldest, every custom and legal proceeding of the time would demand that he be the one to receive the greater blessing, indicated by the right hand of the one giving the blessing.

Joseph's action was an honorable one. He was helping his blind father to get the blessing right. Jacob, however, will counter Joseph's efforts (Genesis 48:14).

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.