Genesis-Chapter-48

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Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions, However, the JPS-1917 is my preferred version!

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Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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“Genesis Chapter 48”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Genesis 48 shifts the focus to the intimate, deathbed scene of Jacob as he passes his spiritual legacy to the next generation. Upon hearing that Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, have arrived, the failing patriarch rallies his physical strength. In a profound legal and spiritual move, Jacob officially adopts Joseph’s two Egyptian-born sons as his own, elevating them to full tribal status alongside Reuben and Simeon. During the formal blessing, Jacob intentionally crosses his arms, placing his dominant right hand on the younger brother, Ephraim. This deliberate act bypasses human tradition, reinforcing the recurring biblical theme of divine choice over natural birthright.

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Let us read Genesis Chapter 48, verses 1 to 22: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my commentary for this study.

1 “And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: ‘Behold, thy father is sick’. And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And one told Jacob, and said: ‘Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee’. And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said unto Joseph: ‘אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said unto me: Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, that thou begettest after them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath--the same is Beth-lehem’. 8 And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said: ‘Who are these?’ 9 And Joseph said unto his father: ‘They are my sons, whom אֱלֹהִים - Elohim hath given me here’. And he said: ‘Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them’. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said unto Joseph: ‘I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim hath let me see thy seed also’. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he fell down on his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: ‘The אֱלֹהִים - Elohim before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim who hath been my shepherd all my life long unto this day, 16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth’. 17 And when Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father: ‘Not so, my father, for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head’. 19 And his father refused, and said: ‘I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations’. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying: ‘By thee shall Israel bless, saying: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh’. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph: ‘Behold, I die; but אֱלֹהִים - Elohim will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers. 22 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’”.

My Commentary on Genesis Chapter 48, verses 1 to 22:

Verses 1-3: Joseph is informed that his father is failing, so he takes his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to visit him. Jacob is told his son Joseph has arrived, prompting Israel to gather his physical strength and sit up in his bed. Jacob recounts how Almighty אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (El Shaddai) appeared to him at Luz in Canaan and blessed him.

Verses 4-6: Jacob recalls אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s promise to make him fruitful, multiply his descendants into a community of nations, and give the land to his lineage as an everlasting possession. He then declares that Joseph’s two sons born in Egypt before his arrival are now officially his own, elevating Ephraim and Manasseh to equal status with Reuben and Simeon, while any subsequent children will inherit under their brothers’ names.

Verse 7: Jacob speaks longingly of his past grief, recounting how his beloved Rachel died along the way in Canaan, near Ephrath (Bethlehem), and how he buried her right there by the roadside.

Verses 8-11: Israel notices Joseph’s sons and asks who they are, to which Joseph replies they are the sons אֱלֹהִים - Elohim gave him in Egypt. Jacob commands, “Bring them to me so I may bless them”, as his eyes are dim from old age and he can barely see. Joseph brings them close, and Jacob kisses and embraces them, expressing amazement that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim allowed him to see Joseph’s face and his children.

Verses 12-14: Joseph removes his sons from Jacob’s knees and bows low with his face to the ground. He positions them carefully: Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. However, Israel deliberately reaches out and crosses his hands, placing his dominant right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn.

Verses 15-16: Jacob blesses Joseph, praying to the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim before whom his fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim who shepherded him all his life to this day, and the Angel who redeemed him from all evil. He prays that his name and the names of Abraham and Isaac live on through the boys, and that they grow into a vast multitude on earth.

Verses 17-19: Joseph sees his father’s right hand on Ephraim’s head and is displeased; he takes his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim to Manasseh, telling him he has made a mistake because Manasseh is the firstborn. Israel firmly refuses, stating he knows exactly what he is doing, predicting that while Manasseh will also become a great people, his younger brother will be far greater, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.

Verses 20-22: Jacob blesses them that day, establishing a cultural idiom: “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘ אֱלֹהִים- Elohim make you like Ephraim and Manasseh”, officially putting Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Israel tells Joseph he is about to die, but guarantees will be with them to bring them back to the land of their fathers, granting Joseph one extra mountain ridge (Shechem) above his brothers, which he took from the Amorites with his sword and bow.

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My Closing Message:

Genesis 48 emphasizes that divine purpose frequently upends human expectations and traditions. Joseph arranged his sons according to natural order and birthright, but Jacob, guided by the Holy Spirit, crossed his hands to align with divine intent. This chapter reminds us that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s grace and calling are not bound by human systems, societal standards, or birth order. Trust that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim has a tailored purpose for your life that does not depend on conventional validation. Let your legacy be anchored in a deep history of walking faithfully with אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.

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שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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