Första MosebokenKapitel 48

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Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him.

When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed.

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

He said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a company of peoples, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'

Now then, your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to you here—they are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are.

But any children born to you after them will be yours; in their inheritance they will be counted under the names of their brothers.

As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan, on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem."

When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?"

Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Bring them to me, so that I may bless them."

Now Israel's eyes were dim with age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your offspring as well!"

Then Joseph took them from his father's knees and bowed with his face to the ground.

Joseph took them both, 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.

But Israel reached out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his hands, he laid his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

Then he blessed Joseph and said: "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil—may he bless these boys. May my name be carried on through them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

When Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's.

Joseph said to his father, "Not that way, my father. This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will be great. Yet his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations."

So he blessed them that day, saying: "By you Israel will pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" And so he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

And I have given you one portion more than your brothers—the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.

Uppslag

Sammanfattning2

Kapitel 48

Main Theme: Jacob adopts and blesses Joseph's sons, giving the younger Ephraim precedence over the firstborn Manasseh.

Content: When Jacob is near death, Joseph brings his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to him. Jacob adopts the two boys as his own sons, on equal footing with Reuben and Simeon, so that they become tribal ancestors in Israel. During the blessing, Jacob deliberately crosses his hands and places his right hand on the younger Ephraim. Despite Joseph's protest, Jacob insists that Ephraim's descendants will become greater than Manasseh's. Jacob also gives Joseph Shechem as an additional inheritance portion.

Key Words/Images:

Crossed Hands: Jacob intentionally crosses his hands to give the birthright to the younger—a recurring pattern in Genesis.
Adoption: By equating Ephraim and Manasseh with Reuben and Simeon, Jacob secures their status as distinct tribes.
El Shaddai: Jacob recalls God's revelation at Luz (Bethel) as the foundation for the blessing.
Shechem: An additional inheritance portion given to Joseph, taken from the Amorites with sword and bow.

Historisk kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Genesis 48

People

Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph’s two sons, born in Egypt to his Egyptian wife Asenath (Gen 41:50–52). Their names are Hebrew and carry theological significance: Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה) comes from the verb נשׁה "to forget" – Joseph said that God had made him forget all his hardship. Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם) comes from the verb פרה "to be fruitful" – Joseph said that God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction (Gen 41:51–52).

Jacob/Israel – both names are used in this chapter. The text uses "Israel" in verses 2, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 20, and 21, and "Jacob" in verses 2 and 3. In verse 2 both names appear: first "Jacob" when he receives the message, then "Israel" as he gathers his strength. The alternation of names may have literary or theological significance.

Places

Luz/Bethel (verse 3) was the place where God revealed Himself to Jacob with a ladder reaching to heaven (Gen 28:10–22). Jacob refers back to this revelation as the basis for the blessing he now gives. Luz was the original Canaanite name of the place, while Bethel ("house of God") was the name Jacob gave it.

Ephrath/Bethlehem (verse 7) is mentioned in connection with Rachel’s death and burial. When Jacob came from Paddan-aram, Rachel died on the way when only a short distance (כִּבְרַת־אֶרֶץ, a rare expression also found in Gen 35:16 and 2 Kgs 5:19) remained to Ephrath. Jacob’s sudden mention of Rachel’s death in the middle of the adoption ceremony may explain why he takes Joseph’s sons as his own – they are grandchildren of his beloved Rachel, and by adopting them he honors her memory.

Events and Customs

Adoption of Grandchildren (verses 5–6) was a known practice in the ancient Near East. Jacob formally declares that Ephraim and Manasseh shall be counted as his own sons, on equal footing with Reuben and Simeon. This gave them the right to their own tribal portion in the inheritance. Legal texts from Nuzi (second millennium BCE) document similar adoption practices, where grandchildren could be elevated to the status of sons to secure inheritance rights.

Laying on of Hands and Blessing (verses 13–20) was a central ritual act in the transfer of blessing and authority. The right hand symbolized the primary position and greater honor. Jacob’s deliberate crossing of his hands (שִׂכֵּל אֶת־יָדָיו – "he crossed his hands with intention/insight") breaks with the rights of the firstborn and establishes Ephraim as the foremost. This pattern of preferring the younger over the older is also seen in Jacob’s own story, adding extra depth to this scene.

Key Terms

El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי) in verse 3 is the divine name especially associated with the patriarchs and the promises of fruitfulness and multiplication. Jacob uses this name as he anchors the blessing in covenant history.

"The Angel who redeems me" (הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל) in verse 16 uses the participle form of the verb גאל (ga’al, "to redeem"). A גֹּאֵל (go’el) was a kinsman with the duty to protect and redeem family members from distress, slavery, or loss of property. Jacob identifies God Himself (or His angel) as his redeemer through life’s trials.

Shechem (שְׁכֶם) in verse 22 means both "shoulder/ridge" and is the name of the city of Shechem. Jacob gives Joseph "one shechem more than your brothers" – a wordplay pointing both to an extra inheritance portion and to the specific land area near Shechem which later became Joseph’s burial place (Josh 24:32).

Personer7

Rachel1 Reuben (Leah's son)1 God2 Joseph13 Isaac1 Jacob9 Abraham1

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Nyckelord9

Jacob — The grandfather of Ephraim and Manasseh, son of Isaac and father of Joseph. One of the patriarchs in the Bible.
Joseph — Jacob's eldest son with Rachel, brother to Benjamin and half-brother to his other siblings. An important figure in Genesis who becomes governor of Egypt.
Ephraim — The younger son of Joseph and Asenath, grandson of Jacob. He and his descendants become one of Israel's twelve tribes.
Manasseh — The older son of Joseph and Asenath, grandson of Jacob. He and his descendants also become one of Israel's twelve tribes.
Blessing — A positive statement or action performed by God or people, often to ask for prosperity, protection, or happiness for someone.
Israel — The name given to Jacob after his struggle with an angel. It also refers to the united people of Jacob's twelve sons and their descendants.
Adopt — To take in a child from another family and treat them as one's own child. In Genesis 48, Jacob adopts Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Right hand — Symbolizes strength, authority, and honor. In this context, Jacob places his right hand on Ephraim's head to bless him.
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