Genesis 48

Genesis 48:1

J~FTER these things. Some time after, though not long (for Jacob was nigh his end, when he sent for Joseph to make him swear he would bury him with his fathers), he grew so weak, that he concluded he could not live long. One told Joseph.’] A messenger was sent from his father’s house, to acquaint Joseph with his weak condition. So the next verse teaches us to understand it. He took with him, &c] Immediately he went to receive his blessing, and took with him his two sons, that he might bless them also.

Genesis 48:2

One told Jacob, &c. Joseph sent a messenger before him, to let his father know he was coming to visit him. Israel strengthened himself] This message revived him; and made him stir up all his spirits to receive him cheerfully. And set upon his bed.] Leaning, it js likely, upon his staff, for the support of his feeble body. (See xlvii. ult.) Vcr. 3. Appeared to me at Luz.] He appeared twice to him in this place. First, when he went to Padan-Aram, (xxviii. 13.) upon which he gave this place the name of Bethel, (ver. 19.) and when he returned from thence, (xxxv. 6. 9. &c.) and, both times, made him the promise which hero follows; and therefore it is likely he hath respect to both. And blessed me.] Promised to me the blessing which follows.

Genesis 48:4

For an everlasting possession. Wo do not read this in either of the appearances, in so many words: but he said it in effect, when he told him, in the last appearance there, (xxxv. 12.) " The land which I gave to Abraham, and Isaac, to thee will I give it," &c. Now he gave it to Abraham and his seed for ever, (xiii. 15.).

Genesis 48:5

And now thy two sons, &c. Having assured him God would be as good as his word, in giving the land of Canaan to his posterity, he tells hira what share his chilr dren should have in it, Are mine.] Thy two sons shall be reckoned as if I had begotten them: and accordingly have each of them. an inheritance, equal with the rest of my sons; and be distinct tribes. As Reuben, and Simeon, shall they be mine*] He instances in them, because they were his eldest sons: who, he says, should have no more than Ephraim and Manasseh. And, perhaps, the meaning may be, these two shall be accounted as the first-born of my family. For he gives Joseph (5) CHAP. XLVIII.] UPON GENESIS. the primogeniture (who was indeed the first-bora of his first intended wife), and bestows a double portion upon him; by making his two sons equal to the rest of his children.

Genesis 48:6

And thy issue which thou begettest after them shall be thine. I will make no distinct provision for them, as I have done for these two: but they “shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance/’ i. e. be reckoned among these two, Ephraim and Manasseh; and not make distinct tribes as they shall, but be comprehended in them.

Genesis 48:7

And as for me, when I came from Padan-Aram, Rachel died by me, &c. He mentions her death (which doth not seem to belong to the foregoing discourse), because it happened presently after that last promise in Bethel, (xxxv. 18.) and he thought it would be grateful to his son, to hear him remember his dear mother. For it is as if he had said, And now, my son, this puts me in mind of thy mother, who died immediately after that promise of multiplying my seed: and yet I see it fidfilled in those children which God hath given thee. Or, we may look upon these words, as giving the reason why he took Ephraim and Manasseh to be his own children; and the sense to be as if he had said, Thy mother indeed, and my beloved wife, died soon after she began to bear children; when she might have brought me many more: and therefore I adopt these her grandchildren, and look upon them as if they had been born of Rachel. And I do it in memory and honour of her, supplying by adoption, what was wanting in generation. And I buried her there.] He could not carry her to the cave of Machpelah, where he desired to be laid himself; because she died in childbed, which constrained him to bury her sooner than otherwise ho might have done. And it is to be supposed he had not in his travels all things necessary to preserve her body long, by embalming her, as Joseph did him.

Genesis 48:8

And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, &c. He saw. two others stand by Joseph; but could not discern distinctly who they were, by reason of the dimness of his sight, (ver. 10.)

Genesis 48:9

And I will bless them. As he had just before promised, (ver. 5.)

Genesis 48:10

And he brought them near unto him. And made them kneel down before him; as the twelfth verse seems to intimate. And he kissed them,kc] Expressed the greatest affection to them.

Genesis 48:12

Brought them out from between his knees. It appears by ver. 2. that Jacob sat upon his bed; and his legs hanging down, they kneeled between his knees: from whence Joseph took them. And then seems to have placed himself in the same posture, " bowing himself with his face to the earth” (as the following words tell us), to give his father thanks for his kindness to his children. Or, rather, we may conceive, that while Jacob embraced them in his arms, and kissed them with more than ordinary affection, Joseph was afraid that they might lie too long, or press too hard, upon his father’s breast, and create some trouble to a feeble old man: and therefore he withdrew them from thence, and disposed them to receive his blessing.

Genesis 48:13

And Joseph took them both, &c. Made them kneel down by himself, before Jacob; placing Ephraim towards Jacob’s left hand, &c. vol. I.

Genesis 48:14

Stretched out his right hand, and laid it oil Ephraim 9 s head. Laying hands on the head of any person, was always used in this nation in giving blessings, and designing men to any office; and in the consecration of public and solemn sacrifices. This is the first time we meet with the mention of it; but in aftertimes we often read of it; particularly when Moses constituted Joshua to be liis successor, God orders him to do it by laying his hands on him, (Numb, xxvii. 18. 23. Deut. xxxiv. 9.) Thus children were brought to our blessed Saviour, that he might lay his hands on them and bless them; and so he did, (Matt. xix. 13. 15.) And the right hand being the stronger, and that wherewith we commonly perform every thing,, the laying that on Ephraim’s head was giving him the pre-eminence. Who was the younger.] It is observed by Theodoret upon 1 Sam. xvi. that God was wont from the beginning to prefer the younger before the elder: as Abel before Cain; Shem before Japheth; Isaac before Ishmael; Jacob before Esau; Judah and Joseph before Reuben; and here Ephraim before Manasseh, as afterwards Moses before Aaron; and David, the youngest of all, before his elder brethren. Which was to shew that the Divine benefits were not tied to the order of nature; but dispensed freely according to God’s most wise goodness. Guiding his hands wittingly.] He did not mistake, by reason of his blindness; but foreseeing, by the spirit of his prophecy, how much Ephraim would excel the other, he designedly and on purpose thus laid his hands across: so that the right hand lay upon the head of Ephraim, who was next to his left, &c.

Genesis 48:15

He blessed Joseph. In the blessing he bestowed on his children. All my life long.] The Hebrew word mehodi signifies ct die quo ego sum, (as Bochart interprets it, Hierozoic. pan i. lib. ii. cap. 14.) ever since I had a being.

Genesis 48:16

The angel which redeemed me. Who, by God’s order, and as his minister, preserved me in all the dangers wherein I have been. Many of the ancient fathers (as Athanasius, lib. iv. contra Arianos, Cyril upon this place, Procopius Gazaeus, &c.) understand hereby an uncreated angel, viz. the Second Person of the blessed Trinity. *■• But the discourse is not concerning the sending of the Son of God in our flesh to redeem mankind, but only concerning the preservation and prosperity of one man; and therefore I do not know whether it be safe to call him an angel, i. e. a minister or messenger, lest we detract from his Divinity. For in conferring blessings, he is not a messenger or minister, but a principal cause together with the Father/’ They are the words of that famous divine, Georg. Calixtus; who follows St. Chrysostom; who takes this angel to be one-properly so called: and thence proves the heavenly ministers take care of pious people. And so doth St. Basil in no less than three places of his works: which shew it was his settled opinion. But it did not enter into their thoughts that Jacob here prayed to an angel; but only wished these children might have the angelic protection, by the special favour of God to them. For it is just such an expression as that of David, to a contrary purpose, (Psalm xxxv. G.) "" Let the angel of the Lord persecute them," where nobody will say he prays to an angel j though his words are exactly like these of Jacob’s. And let my name be named on them.] Here he plainly