Genesis 48:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

NIV: Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me

NASB: Then Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

CSB: Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

NLT: Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

KJV: And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

NKJV: Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

Joseph has arrived at his father's bedside once again (Genesis 47:29–31), this time after receiving news that Jacob is near death. Joseph has arrived with his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to receive a final blessing from Jacob (Genesis 48:1–2).

After sitting up to receive them, with much effort, Jacob recalls the moment God appeared to him at Luz. Jacob refers to the Lord as "God Almighty," literally El Shaddai. Luz was the old name for the town of Bethel. It is not uncommon for someone nearing the end of his life to re-tell meaningful moments from their life. This, however, is different. Jacob will remind Joseph about the covenant promises the Lord has made to him. Specifically, he will describe the Lord's promise to make him into a great people who will occupy the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (Genesis 28:13–14).

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 5:03:52 AM