Genesis · Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 48 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
1 After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.
6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.
6 Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).”
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
12 Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.
12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
13 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 to him.
14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
14 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.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
19 His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.”
20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
20 He blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
22 And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ephraim
Joseph's younger son, given the greater blessing by Jacob.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 41:52; 48
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Manasseh
Joseph's elder son, whose descendants formed a tribe on both sides of the Jordan.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 41:51; 48
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 46:20; Genesis 41:50–52; Genesis 50:23; Psalm 128:6; John 11:3
- 2 1 Samuel 23:16; Deuteronomy 3:28; Ephesians 6:10; Proverbs 23:15; Psalm 41:3
- 3 Genesis 35:9–12; Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 28:12–19
- 4 Genesis 17:8; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 28:13–15; Amos 9:14–15
- 5 Genesis 41:50–52; Genesis 46:20; Joshua 14:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; Joshua 13:7
- 6 Joshua 14:4
- 7 Matthew 2:18; Genesis 35:16–19; Genesis 35:9; Genesis 25:20; Ruth 1:2
- 9 Genesis 27:4; Genesis 33:5; Hebrews 11:21; 1 Samuel 1:27; Genesis 49:28
- 10 Genesis 27:1; Genesis 27:27; Isaiah 6:10; Isaiah 59:1; 1 Samuel 3:2
- 11 Ephesians 3:20; Genesis 45:26; Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:36; Genesis 37:33
- 12 Genesis 42:6; Genesis 33:3; 1 Kings 2:19; Ephesians 6:1; Exodus 34:8
- 14 Genesis 41:51; Numbers 8:10; Deuteronomy 34:9; Acts 6:6; Genesis 48:18
- 15 Genesis 17:1; Genesis 48:16; Colossians 2:6; Matthew 6:25–34; Hebrews 11:21
- 16 Psalm 34:22; 2 Timothy 4:18; Genesis 28:13–15; Genesis 49:22; Genesis 48:5
- 17 Genesis 48:14; Romans 9:7–8; 1 Kings 16:25; 1 Chronicles 21:7; 1 Samuel 16:7
- 18 Genesis 49:3; Genesis 27:15; Acts 11:8; Matthew 25:9; Genesis 19:18
- 19 Numbers 1:33–35; Deuteronomy 33:17; Genesis 25:28; Genesis 48:14; Genesis 17:20–21
- 20 Ruth 4:11–12; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 24:60; Numbers 7:48; Numbers 2:18–21
- 21 Genesis 46:4; Genesis 50:24; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 26:3; Hebrews 7:23–25
- 22 John 4:5; Joshua 24:32; 1 Chronicles 5:2; Judges 11:23; Genesis 34:28
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… heart, in the persons of his own sons, threw light upon the races of the future people, presignified in them; and laid his hands, mystically crossed, upon his grandchildren by Joseph, not as their father, looking outwardly, corrected them, but as he himself distinguished them. This is the light, the only one, and all those who see and love it …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He also shall become a people, and he also shall be exalted; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." And these two promises show the same thing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Jacob even, the father of so many children, made his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph, his own children, in these words: "These too shall be mine, and they shall receive the land with their brethren, and those which thou begettest after them shall be thine." But it will be said, perhaps, that this word "adoption" is not found in the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)