Genesis 48:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

NIV: And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.'

NASB: And I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'

CSB: Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow."

NLT: And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob, on his deathbed, has just given to Joseph a double portion of his inheritance by making Joseph's two oldest sons full heirs along with his brothers (Genesis 48:14–16). Now he adds one more thing to Joseph's inheritance. Jacob bestows a specific ridge or mountain slope in Canaan. This is described using the Hebrew term for "shoulder," which is shakem, is very similar to the name of the region Shechem, where Jacob's sons had made a vengeful conquest (Genesis 34:25–27). Of course, Jacob left soon after, rather than conquering that territory.

The area Jacob mentions was, it seems, taken from the Amorites. Prior references in Genesis did not include that detail, but the same area is later known as Sychar and is the site of a well apparently dug by Jacob (John 4:4–5). This is where Jacob's remains will be buried, after Israel is liberated from Egyptian slavery (Joshua 24:32).

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 2:16:31 PM