Genesis 48:20

²⁰Then he blessed them both: Israel will use your names to give blessings: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

In **Genesis 48**, Jacob, now old and frail, blesses Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. This chapter is pivotal as Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, granting them full tribal status in Israel, effectively giving Joseph a double portion of the inheritance. The narrative tension centers on Jacob's deliberate cross-blessing, where he places his right hand on the younger Ephraim and his left on the elder Manasseh, signifying God's sovereign choice and elevating the younger. This act reinforces the theme of divine election, often overturning human expectations, and sets the stage for the future prominence of Ephraim.

Midvash cross references + OpenBible.info data (CC BY 4.0).

Copiado para área de transferência

Genesis 48:20

Text Size

Reading Theme

Reading mode

Genesis 48:20

Chapter summary

Text Size

Reading Theme

Reading mode

Chapter summary