Genesis 48
DortJacob being sick Joseph comes and visits him verse 1 &c. to whom he represents Gods promises and adopteth his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim as his own and as the father of the two distant tribes in Israel 5 in the laying on of the hands Jacob purposely prefers the young viz. Ephraim before the elder Manasseh 13 notwithstanding Josephs interpellation17 blessing then thus together with their father Joseph and prophesying of their return into the land of Canaan 21 he giveth Joseph a piece of the land apart 22.
1. Now it happened after these things, that they told Joseph: Behold thy father is sick. Then he took his two sons with him, [viz. in going to his father, to see and visit him.] Manasseh and Ephraim.
2. And they told Jacob and said behold thy son Joseph comes to thee so Israel strengthen himself and sate up in the bed.
3. Then said Jacob to Joseph: God the almighty [see above chapter 17 on verse 1] appeared to me at Luz[otherwise called bethel see above chapter 28.19 and 36.6] in the land of Canaan and he blessed me [that is there renued and confirmed unto me the blessing promised to my father and grand father which is to go on still and t be delivered from hand to hand to our posterities.]
4. And he said to me behold I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee and set and settle thee on a heap of nations and I will give that land [viz. the land of Canaan] to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession [Heb. A possession of eternity that is during during all the time of the law as to the earthly Canaan but for times without end in regardof the heavenly see above chapter 13.15 and 17.7,13 with the annotate.]
5. Now then thy two sons which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came into Egypt to thee, are mine [that is my will and meaning is that in the sharing of my goods and the land of Canaan each of them shall be accounted an immediate co-heir, a peculiar tribe, as if they were begotten by myself and not by thee, Joshua 14:4 and 16.1 and 17.17. Thus Joseph who was to have otherwise but a single share of the inheritance as the rest of his brethren obtained a double portion here which appertained to Reuben as the first born, see above chapter 29.32, but it was taken from him and transferred to Joseph, 1 Chronicles 5 verse 1, for the reason mentioned below chapter 49 verses 3,4] Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine [Ephraim is already preferred here, see the reason below verse 19] as Reuben and Simeon.
6. But thy generation which thou shalt beget after them [that is the children whom thou may get hereafter besides Manasseh and Ephraim] shall be thine [that is they shall counted thy off-spring, or proper issue, and my grandchildren by thee] they shall be called after the name of thy brethren in their inheritance [that is they shall be comprehended in the division of the land with either of these two brethren in their inheritance and not to make peculiar tribes by themselves as these two shall. :o be called after, or by, or over a name, is to be dominated by the same, and accounted or comprehended under or together with the same. See Deuteronomy 28 verse 10. Amos 9:12 and compare below, verse 16.]
7. Now when I came form Paddan [others Paddan Aram see above chapter 25.20 and 35.9] Rachel died by me [others over me as if should say in bosom within my arms others before me that in my presence before my eyes] in he land of Canaan upon the way when there was yet a little tract of land [see above chapter 35 on verse 16] to come to Ephrat [see above chapter 35 on verse 16& 19] and I buried her there by the way of Ephrat which is Bethlehem.
8. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said whose are these? [Jacobs sight was grown dim verse 10 so that casting his eyes upon his sons of Joseph he could not exactly discern and know who they were.]
9. And Joseph said to his father they are my sons whom god hath given me and he said bring them to me and I pray [Heb. Take them that is take them and bring them the word to take frequently used thus see above chapter 12 verse 15] that I may bless them [that is I may declare unto them the promises of God how he will bless them and confirm it to them [that is I may declare unto them the promises of God how he will bless them and confirm it to them with the laying of the hands upon them according to the manner of the patriarchs blessing see above chapter 27 on verse 4.]
10. Howbeit Israel’s eyes were heavy [that is dull and dim not able to discern distinctly] of age he could not see[that is not well as verse 8] and he made them approach to him then he kissed them[see above chapter 27 on verse 26and embraced them [see above chapter 29 verse 13 and chapter 33.4.]
11. And Israel said to Joseph I have not thought to have seen your face but behold God hath made me be likewise see thy seed.
12. Then Joseph made them go forth from his knees [viz. from Jacobs knees between which he held the youths embracing them but Joseph meant to place them orderly before him one by one that so that they may receive his blessing in the accustomed manner] and he bowed his face before him down to the ground [shewing civil respect to his father an dreturning him thanks and honor for the affection testified to him and his.]
13. And Joseph took them both Ephraim in his right hand over against Israel’s left hand and Manasseh in his left hand over against Israel’s right hand and he made them approach to him.
14. But Israel stretched forth his right hand and laid [Heb. Set Put] it on Ephraim head though he was the least [that is the younger] and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head he guided his hands understandingly [Heb. He made his hands wise that is he did it not by haphazard or by mistake but of good forgoing knowledge as a prophet performing the will of God without regard to the primogeniture the laying on of the hands here first mentioned in the scripture was usual at this time and afterwards first in blessing as here and Matthew 19:15 secondly in sacrifices Leviticus 1:4 see the annotate there thirdly the judging condemning and punishing Leviticus 24:14 fourthly in consecrating and ordaining for offices Numbers 8:20 Deuteronomy 34:9 Acts 6:6 1Timothy 4.14 fifthly in doing of miracles Mark 6:5 Luke 4:40 Acts 28:8 &c.] for Manasseh was the first born[others howbeit Manasseh &c.]
15. He blessed Joseph [viz. in his children as appears verse 16] and said the God before whose face my fathers Abraham and Isaac have walked that God which had fed me since I was to this day.
16. That angel which delivered me from all evil [Jacob requesting of this angel the same thing he sues to God for verse 15 therefore this cannot be understood of the created angel but must be meant of the son of God see above chapter 22.11] he bless these youths and let my name be called in them and my fathers Abraham and Isaacs name ]that is let them be accounted of my progeny and called Abrahams , Isaacs and my own children this happened so for they were ever after held and esteemed among the twelve tribes of Israel as Jacobs own immediate issue compare above the annotate on verse 6] and let them multiply as fishes in the multitude of the midst of the land.
17. When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon Ephraim’s head it was evil in his eyes [that is it displeased him see above chapter 21 on verse 11] and he took hold of his fathers hand to bring the same off from Ephraim’s head upon the hand of Manasseh.
18. And Joseph said to his father not so my father for this is the first born lay the right hand on his head.
19. But his father refused it and said I know it my son I know it he shall likewise be a people and he shall likewise wax great but yet his least brother shall be greater than he [when the Israelites were first numbered in the wilderness Ephraim was first brought in and had eight thousand three hundred men more than Manasseh as is to be seen Numbers 1:32,33,35 and 2.19,21] and his seed shall be a full multitude of nations [Heb. Fullness.]
20. Thus he blessed them on that day saying in thee [others after thee that is by example as he said the Israelites blessing or wishing posterity one to another they shall take thee for an example or pattern as manner of blessing Ruth 4:11 and of cursing Jeremiah 29:22] shall Israel [that is y posterity the Israelites] bless saying God set thee like Ephraim and like Manasseh and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.
21. then said Israel to Joseph behold I die [that is I am near and ready to die the present tense or time being used for the future or that near at hand compare above chapter 19.13 and 20.3 and John 14:2] but God shall be with you and he shall bring you again into the land of your fathers [that is into the land of Canaan.]
22. And I have given thee one piece of land [the Hebrew word doth properly signify a shoulder or back as above chapter 9.23and afterwards by likeness a piece part or portionof land somewhat high or elevated as here but Jacob as a prophet aims likewise at the name of the city of Sichem which lay in the land by the hill side see above chapter 12.6 and fell afterwards to the tribe of Ephraim Joshua 0.7 wherein Josephs bones were likewise buried Joshua 24.32as in the land which his father had prophetically assigned and bestowed upon him John 4:5 understanding not only the piece of land which he had brought for an hundred pieces of money above chapter 33.19 but likewise all the land of the territory of the city of Sichem which Simeon and Levi took by force of arms and plundered above chapter 34.25,26] above thy brethren [viz. in regard of the primogeniture Deuteronomy 21:17 which Reuben had forfeited and was developed upon Joseph 1 Chronicles 5:1 as to the double portion of inheritance he being the first born by the worthier wife] which I took with my sword and with my bow [viz. when after the massacre of he Sichemites I was fain to stand upon my guards for fear of the neighboring Canaanites not to be surprised by them now God having blessed my care and worth fullness by sending a terror upon all inhabitants round about I kept that piece of land which now through Gods blessing I hold and account of as my own as hereafter also it shall appertain to thy posterity in this use and possession or otherwise which I shall take by the sword and bow of my posterity] out of the land of the Amorites [Heb. The Amorites he put down the name of one of the nations of the land of Canaan which was very powerful and very considerable one as appears Amos 2:9 so likewise above chapter 15 verse 16 and Joshua 10:5.]