Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

Was Jacob scheming when he switched the blessing to Ephraim?

Genesis 48:10-19 recounts Jacob's blessing on Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, in Egypt. Hebrew tradition required that the right hand should be placed on the head of the first-born son, Manasseh. Jacob however chose to depart from this tradition. In what some have described as the crossed-blessing phenomenon, Jacob conferred the birthright blessing on Ephraim, the second son. Joseph's attempt at correcting the old man was legitimate given his poor eyesight (v.10). This was however resisted by Jacob. 

This confirmed that Jacob had made a deliberate decision to change the blessings matrix, having convinced Joseph that the two sons would fall under Jacob's inheritance and any other sons born to Joseph would fall to Joseph (Genesis 48:5). Joseph's silence before his aged father is perhaps evidence that he submitted to his father's wisdom. Jacob's response in Genesis 48:19 affirms this fact. It reveals that Jacob had knowingly placed his hands on the two sons of Joseph! He knew that Joseph had set them before him in the traditional order but he nevertheless switched the hands. 

As to whether Jacob had deliberately schemed to withhold the birthright blessings from Manasseh, this is difficult to tell. The fact that the two sons had fallen into Jacob's personal heritage at this point is perhaps evidence that Jacob was entitled to act as he wished. Did he perhaps have any prior knowledge of the characters of the two boys at this point? This is difficult to tell. 

It is perhaps easy to relate Jacob's action to the scheming by his mother Rebecca to have him receive the birthright blessing meant for his elder brother Esau (Genesis 27). It is however difficult to tell what exactly motivated Jacob's decision in Joseph's context. Some have speculated that God had revealed to Jacob in a dream which between the two sons would be more prominent. Scripture is however silent on this question. 

The blessing recorded in Genesis 48:15-16 however reveals that Jacob proclaimed God's blessings on the two boys without distinction and preference. He prays to God saying: 

"Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (NKJV). 

Jacob's act of switching his hands on the two sons has however been understood by some as a tacit elevation for Ephraim in the pecking order rather than an open displeasure with Manasseh. 

The tribe of Ephraim has historically assumed greater prominence than the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua the son of Nun who led Israel into the Promised Land was from the tribe of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20-29). Jeroboam I who became the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was also an Ephraimite (1 Kings 11:26).

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Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Was Jacob scheming when he switched the blessing to Ephraim?

Based on the biblical account in Genesis 48, Jacob was not "scheming" in a deceptive sense when he switched his hands to bless Ephraim over Manasseh, but rather acting deliberately, prophetically, and with conscious intent. While Jacob did use deception to secure his own blessing from Isaac earlier in his life, his act of blessing his grandsons is presented as an act of faith and spiritual insight. 

Although Joseph positioned his sons with the eldest (Manasseh) on the right, Jacob deliberately crossed his arms, placing his right hand on the younger (Ephraim).

When Joseph objected, claiming the firstborn should receive the primary blessing, Jacob insisted, saying, "I know, my son, I know," indicating he was fully aware of the social custom but was overriding it.

The action was not based on personal favouritism, but on divine revelation. Jacob acted under the influence of the Spirit to foreshadow that Ephraim's tribe would become greater than Manasseh's, a prediction that was historically fulfilled.

While the act resulted in a similar reversal to the one Jacob engineered in his youth, this scene highlights his mature faith and obedience to God's purpose rather than personal manoeuvring.

By giving the preference to Ephraim, he prophetically indicated that the younger would become the greater.​—Ge 47:28, 29; 48:1-22; see also De 21:17; Jos 14:4; 1Ch 5:1.

Conclusion:

In answer to the question, "Was Jacob scheming when he switched the blessing to Ephraim?" the answer is no, he did not. Verse 19 shows that Jacob knew what he was doing.

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