Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

Genesis 48

1 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, a Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel 1 strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God b Almighty appeared to me at c Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 "and said to me, 'Behold, I will d make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and e give this land to your descendants after you f as an everlasting possession.' 5 "And now your g two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 "Your 2 offspring 3 whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 "But as for me, when I came from Padan, h Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?" 9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place." And he said, "Please bring them to me, and i I will bless them." 10 Now j the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he k kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, l "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!" 12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 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. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and m laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, n guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the o firstborn.

15 And p he blessed Joseph, and said:
"God, q before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 The Angel r who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let s my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them t grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father u laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 19 But his father refused and said, v "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly w his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, x "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!' " And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but y God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 "Moreover z I have given to you one 4 portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand a of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 41:51
    Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.
    Genesis 41:56
    The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt.
    Genesis 46:20
    And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of PotiPherah' priest of On, bore to him.
    Genesis 50:23
    Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees.
    Joshua 14:4
    For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 43:14
    "And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!"
    Genesis 49:25
    By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 28:13
    And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
    Genesis 28:19
    And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
    Genesis 35:6
    So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
    Genesis 35:9
    Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 46:3
    So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 35:12
    "The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land."
    Exodus 6:8
    'And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.'"
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 17:8
    "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 41:50
    And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of PotiPherah' priest of On, bore to him.
    Genesis 46:20
    And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of PotiPherah' priest of On, bore to him.
    Genesis 48:8
    Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?
    Joshua 13:7
    "Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh."
    Joshua 14:4
    For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 35:9
    Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him.
    Genesis 35:16
    Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor.
    Genesis 35:19
    So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
    Genesis 35:20
    And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 27:4
    "And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die."
    Genesis 47:15
    So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 27:1
    Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." And he answered him, "Here I am.
    1 Samuel 3:2
    And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 27:27
    And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: "Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed.
    Genesis 45:15
    Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
    Genesis 50:1
    Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him, and kissed him.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 45:26
    And they told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them.
  13. Cross References
    Matthew 19:15
    And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
    Mark 10:16
    And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 48:19
    But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 41:51
    Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.
    Genesis 41:52
    And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
    Joshua 17:1
    There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 47:7
    Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
    Genesis 47:10
    So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
    Genesis 49:24
    But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel).
    Hebrews 11:21
    By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 17:1
    When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
    Genesis 24:40
    But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.
    2 Kings 20:3
    Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
  18. Cross References
    Genesis 22:11
    But the Angel of the LORD called to him from he...
    Genesis 22:15 - 18
    Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a ...
    Genesis 28:13 - 15
    And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "...
    Genesis 31:11
    "Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, ...
    Psalms 34:22
    The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And ...
    Psalms 121:7
    The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He s...
  19. Cross References
    Amos 9:12
    That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name," Says the LORD who does this thing.
    Acts 15:17
    So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.
  20. Cross References
    Numbers 26:34
    These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
    Numbers 26:37
    These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 48:14
    Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 48:14
    Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
  23. Cross References
    Numbers 1:33
    Those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
    Numbers 1:35
    Those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
    Deuteronomy 33:17
    His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.
  24. Cross References
    Ruth 4:11
    And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, " We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
    Ruth 4:12
    "May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."
  25. Cross References
    Genesis 28:15
    "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
    Genesis 46:4
    "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
    Genesis 50:24
    And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
  26. Cross References
    Genesis 14:7
    Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
    Joshua 24:32
    The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.
    John 4:5
    So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 34:28
    They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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