INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 48 Joseph, hearing that his father Jacob was sick, paid him a visit, Genesis 49:1; at which time Jacob gave him an account of the Lord's appearing to him at Luz, and of the promise he made unto him, Genesis 49:3; then he adopted his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and bles... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS,.... Some little time after Jacob had sent for Joseph, and conversed with him about his burial in the land of Canaan, and took an oath to bury him there, for then the time drew nigh that he must die: THAT [ONE] TOLD JOSEPH, BEHOLD, THY FATHER [IS] SICK; he was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [ONE] TOLD JACOB,.... The same that came from Jacob to Joseph might be sent back by him to, his father, to let him know that he was coming to see him, or some other messenger sent on purpose; for it can hardly be thought that this was an accidental thing on either side: AND SAID, BEHOLD, THY SO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JACOB SAID UNTO JOSEPH,.... Being come into his bedchamber, and sitting by him, or standing before him: GOD ALMIGHTY APPEARED UNTO AT LUZ IN THE LAND OF CANAAN; the same with Bethel, where God appeared, both at his going to Padanaram, and at his return from thence, Genesis 28:11; which of those... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO ME, BEHOLD, I WILL MAKE THEE FRUITFUL,.... In a spiritual sense, in grace and good works; in a literal sense, in an increase of worldly substance, and especially of children: AND MULTIPLY THEE; make his posterity numerous as the sand of the sea: AND I WILL MAKE OF THEE A MULTITUDE OF... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW THY TWO SONS, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH,.... Ephraim was the youngest, but is mentioned first, as he afterwards was preferred in the blessing of him: WHICH WERE BORN UNTO THEE IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, BEFORE I CAME UNTO THEE INTO EGYPT; and therefore must be twenty years of age, or upwards: for Jac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THY ISSUE, WHICH THOU BEGETTEST AFTER THEM, SHALL BE THINE,.... The children of Joseph, that either were, or would be begotten after Ephraim and Manasseh; though whether ever any were is not certain; and this is only mentioned by way of supposition, as Jarchi interprets it, "if thou shouldest be... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS FOR ME, WHEN I CAME FROM PADAN,.... From Syria, from Laban's house: RACHEL DIED BY ME IN THE LAND OF CANAAN; his beloved wife, the mother of Joseph, on whose account he mentions her, and to show a reason why he took his sons as his own, because his mother dying so soon, he could have no more... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL BEHELD JOSEPH'S SONS,.... Ephraim and Manasseh, of whom he had been speaking as if they were absent, and he might not know until now that they were present, for his eyes were dim that he could not see clearly, Genesis 49:10; he saw two young men standing by Joseph, but knew not who they w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH SAID UNTO HIS FATHER, THEY [ARE] MY SONS, WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN ME IN THIS [PLACE],.... In the land of Egypt; he accounts his sons as the gifts of God, as children are, Psalms 127:3; and it was not only a sentiment of the Jews, that children are the gift of God; hence the names of Mattaniah... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE EYES OF ISRAEL WERE DIM FOR AGE,.... Or "heavy" p, that he could not lift them up easily and see clearly; his eyebrows hung over, his eyes were sunk in his head, and the humours pressed them through old age, that it was with difficulty he could perceive an object, at least not distinctly: ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL SAID UNTO JOSEPH, I HAD NOT THOUGHT TO SEE THY FACE,.... Some years ago he never expected to have seen him any more; he had given him up for lost, as a dead man, when his sons brought him his coat dipped in blood; and by reason of the long course of years which passed before ever he heard... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH BROUGHT THEM OUT FROM BETWEEN HIS KNEES,.... Either from between his own, where they were kneeling, as he was sitting, in order that they might be nearer his father, to receive his blessing by the putting on of his hands; or rather from between his father's knees, he, as Aben Ezra observe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH TOOK THEM BOTH, EPHRAIM IN HIS RIGHT HAND TOWARD ISRAEL'S LEFT HAND,.... He took Ephraim his youngest son in his right hand, and led him up to his father, by which means he would stand in a right position to have his grandfather's left hand put upon him: AND MANASSEH IN HIS LEFT HAND TOW... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL STRETCHED OUT HIS RIGHT HAND,.... Not directly forward, but across, or otherwise it would have been laid on Manasseh, as Joseph designed it should by the position he placed him in: AND LAID [IT] UPON EPHRAIM'S HEAD, WHO [WAS] THE YOUNGER, the right hand being the strongest and most in us... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BLESSED JOSEPH,.... In his sons who were reckoned for him, and became the heads of tribes in his room: AND SAID, GOD BEFORE WHOM MY FATHERS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC DID WALK; in whom they believed, whom they professed, and whom they feared, served, and worshipped, and with whom they had communion:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL WHICH REDEEMED ME FROM ALL EVIL, BLESS THE LADS,.... Ephraim and Manasseh, now about twenty years old or upwards: this is not to be understood of a created angel he wishes to be their guardian, but of an eternal one, the Son of God, the Angel of God's presence, the Angel of the covenant; t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN JOSEPH SAW THAT HIS FATHER LAID HIS RIGHT HAND UPON THE HEAD OF EPHRAIM, IT DISPLEASED HIM,.... To see the younger preferred to the elder; parents, generally speaking, having the greatest regard to the firstborn with respect to honour and estate, and to them, in those times, the patriarchal... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSEPH SAID UNTO HIS FATHER, NOT SO, MY FATHER,.... It is not right, it should not so be, that the right hand should be put on the youngest, and the left hand on the eldest; FOR THIS [IS] THE FIRSTBORN; directing him to Manasseh, and seeking to guide his hand towards him: PUT THY RIGHT HAND UP... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS FATHER REFUSED,.... To have any alteration made, and therefore, though Joseph lifted it up from. Ephraim's head and held it over it, Jacob put it on again and went on with the blessing: AND SAID, I KNOW [IT], MY SON, I KNOW [IT]; he knew what he did, and he repeats it to confirm it, as well... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BLESSED THEM THAT DAY,.... That Joseph visited him, and this be did "by faith"; believing that what he had said concerning them would be accomplished, as the apostle observes, Hebrews 11:21; SAYING, IN THEE SHALL ISRAEL BLESS; in Joseph, as the Targum of Jonathan, that is, in his seed, in hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL SAID UNTO JOSEPH, BEHOLD, I DIE,.... Expected to die very shortly; and he not only speaks of it as a certain thing, and what would quickly be, but with pleasure and comfort, having no fear and dread of it on him, but as what was agreeable to him, and he had made himself familiar with: BU... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, I HAVE GIVEN TO THEE ONE PORTION ABOVE THY BRETHREN,.... The word for "portion" is "Shechem", and which some take to be, not an appellative, as we do, but the name of a city, even Shechem; so the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret it; and though that is not directly meant, yet there i... [ Continue Reading ]