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48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
48:2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
48:3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
48:6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
48:7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
48:8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? 48:9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
48:10 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.
48:11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
48:12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
48:13 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.
48:14 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 firstborn.
48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 48:16 The Angel which 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; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
48:17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid 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.
48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
48:19 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: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
48:21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
48:22 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.


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King James Bible:Genesis
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 48

Overview:
Joseph visits his dying Father. (1-7) Jacob blesses Joseph's
sons. (8-22)

1-7 The Death-beds of believers, with the prayers and counsels
of dying persons, are suited to make serious impressions upon
the young, the gay, and the prosperous: we shall do Well to take
children On such occasions, when it can be done properly. If the
Lord please, it is very desirable to Bear our dying Testimony to
his Truth, to his faithfulness, and the pleasantness of his
ways. And one would wish So to live, as to give energy and
weight to our dying exhortations. All true believers are blessed
at their Death, but all do not depart equally full of spiritual
consolations. Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons. Let them not
succeed their Father, in his power and grandeur in Egypt; but
let them succeed in the inheritance of the promise made to
Abraham. Thus the aged dying Patriarch teaches these young
persons to take their Lot with the people of God. He appoints
each of them to be the head of a Tribe. Those are worthy of
double honour, who, through God's Grace, break through the
temptations of worldly wealth and preferment, to embrace
religion in disgrace and poverty. Jacob will have Ephraim and
Manasseh to know, that it is better to be low, and in the
Church, than high, and out of it.

8-22 The two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph says,
They are my sons whom God has given me. Jacob says, God hath
showed me thy seed. Comforts are doubly sweet to us when we see
them coming from God's Hand. He not only prevents our fears, but
exceeds our hopes. Jacob mentions the care the Divine Providence
had taken of him all his days. A great Deal of hardship he had
known in his time, but God kept him from the evil of his
troubles. Now he was dying, he looked upon himself as redeemed
from all Sin and sorrow for ever. Christ, the Angel of the
Covenant, redeems from all evil. Deliverances from misery and
dangers, By the Divine power, coming through the Ransom of the
Blood of Christ, in Scripture are often called Redemption. In
blessing Joseph's sons, Jacob crossed hands. Joseph was willing
to support his First-born, and would have removed his Father's
hands. But Jacob acted neither By mistake, nor from a partial
Affection to one more than the other; but from a Spirit of
Prophecy, and By the Divine counsel. God, in bestowing blessings
upon his people, gives more to some than to others, more Gifts,
graces, and comforts, and more of the good things of this Life.
He often gives most to those that are least likely. He chooses
the weak things of the world; he raises the Poor out of the
Dust. Grace observes not the order of nature, nor does God
prefer those whom we think fittest to be preferred, but as it
pleases him. How Poor are they who have No riches but those of
this world! How miserable is a Death-Bed to those who have No
Well-grounded Hope of good, but dreadful apprehensions of evil,
and nothing but evil for ever!

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