Chapter Overview
Joseph brings his sons to visit his dying dad, and Jacob blesses everyone.
Additional Thoughts
For some reason, ancient writers (in Europe specifically where this takes place) seem to believe that left is evil and right is good. This has shown up in later persecution of left-handed people as being “of the devil” and forced to do everything with their right hand. Schools up till the 1960’s actually forced kids to write with their right hands even if they were left handed, and a level of both intentional and unintentional bias against left handed people STILL persists to this day. Try using some scissors left handed if you’ve never tried… they are both uncomfortable and won’t cut right.
All that is lead up to say that despite the bible trying to push the idea that left is bad and right is “right”, there’s no reason to believe so. This is an iron age belief that has persisted for long enough, and thankfully seems to be dying down since the 1970’s.
Chapter 48: Jacob Blesses
- 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.
- And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
- And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
- 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.
- 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.
- And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
- 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.
- And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
- 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.
- 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.
- And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
- And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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,
- 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.
- 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.
- And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
- 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.
- 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.
- And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
- 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.
- Joseph tells pharaoh that his dad is sick. Presumably he’s taking a paid vacation.
- Is Jacob going blind?
- Sounds crazy, but go on.
- Yeah, he keeps promising that to everyone he meets.
- He’s claiming Joseph’s kids as his own? I don’t think it quite works that way…
- They really make a big deal about this intangible inheritance, don’t they.
- Alright.
- Memory loss too? He already knows they’re Joseph’s sons.
- Jacob… er Israel… wants to bless them.
- That seems a bit personal.
- I thought I’d never see you again, and yet here I am also seeing your kids.
- Why would he bow down though?
- He’s trying to get his firstborn on the right side because that’s the “good” side. Iron age reasoning at it’s finest.
- Jacob would have to cross his arms to do this… wouldn’t Joseph have noticed?
- He’s blessing Joseph first
- Let there be kids.
- Joseph is a bit confused as to why Jacob has his arms crossed.
- And asks him to straighten them so he’s got it right.
- Jacob is stubborn and decides to screw the firstborn out of his inheritance. I’m starting to wonder if the firstborn has ever received anything throughout the entire bible.
- AKA: You are Israelites now.
- AKA: I’m dying! Don’t worry, god will be with you.
- Joseph is getting extra inheritance.