Jacob adopts Joseph’s children
1 ① Some time later, when Joseph was told that his father was ill, he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2So they told Jacob that Joseph his son had come. Then Israel, mustering his strength, sat up in bed.
3And he said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me 4saying, ‘I will make you fruitful and increase your number, and I will make of you a group of nations, and I will give this land to you and to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ 5From now on your two sons who were born in Egypt, before I came to you here, are mine! Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6Only the children born after them will be yours and the land they inherit shall be known by the names of Ephraim and Manasseh. 7When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died on the journey at some distance from Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, that is Bethlehem.”
8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph told his father, “They are the sons that God has given me here.” Jacob said, “Bring them to me that I may bless them.” 10As Israel’s eyes were dim with age, he could no longer see. When Jacob brought them near, he kissed and embraced them, 11and said to Joseph, “I didn’t expect to see you again and now God is letting me see your children as well!” 12Joseph lifted them from Israel’s knees and he himself bowed low, his face to the ground.
13Joseph then took them both, Ephraim by his right hand to Israel’s left, and Manasseh by his left hand to Israel’s right. 14Israel raised his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger, and placed his left hand on Manasseh’s head even though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God in whose presence my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day, 16the Angel who has saved me from every evil, bless these boys. And in them may my name live on and that of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. And may they increase greatly on the earth!”
17Joseph was displeased when he saw his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So he took his father’s hand from Ephraim’s head to place it on Manasseh 18and said, “Not like that father, for this one is the elder. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he too will be great and become a nation. Nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
20He blessed them that day in these words: “Through you Israel will bestow this blessing: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!”
So he placed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am going to die. God will be with you and he will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22And to you, over and above what goes to your brothers, I give a mountain slope that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
- Gen 48,1 The twelve tribes of Israel were actually thirteen, with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, together, called the tribes of Joseph. This is how they arrived at the number twelve. The present chapter explains this: Ephraim and Manasseh will be considered as two sons of Jacob to replace Joseph. Jacob's blessing, like the blessing of Isaac, his father, goes to the younger son and not to the elder. God favors whom he wishes, and is not bound to regard the right of succession, or the parents' wishes.
