Year of the Bible
Genesis 48
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 48:
As Jacob, also known as Israel, nears the end of his life, he creates a special bond with Joseph’s first two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob claims them as full sons rather than grandsons, thus giving them rights to an equal inheritance with their uncles. Part of this inheritance is a blessing by Jacob. In a theme common to Genesis (e.g. Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau), cultural norms are broken as the younger son is favored. Throughout the chapter, Jacob references the work God has done in his life.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 48:
Jacob Blesses Joseph and His Sons
1 After this Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill”; so he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you”; then Israel summoned his strength, and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the offspring born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 For when I came from Paddan, Rachel to my sorrow died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, I pray you, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your children also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 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 him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the first-born. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my
fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has led me all my life long to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;
and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head.” 19 But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’ ”;
and thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
The greater blessing is given to the younger son of Joseph by Jacob. Lord, how does my life relate to one of these characters? Ephraim, the younger son who receives the unexpected blessing? Jacob, the one who offers the undeserved gift to the younger son? Joseph, who is concerned about justice being done? Or Manasseh, the older son, who may feel forsaken for not receiving the blessing he anticipated?
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Después de estos sucesos le dijeron
a José:
–Tu padre está enfermo.
Él llevó consigo a sus dos hijos, Manasés
y Efraím. 2 Cuando le anunciaron
a Jacob: «Tu hijo José ha venido a verte»,
Israel se reanimó y se sentó en la cama.
3 Le dijo Jacob a José:
–El–Saday se me manifestó en Luz,
en tierra de Canaán y me bendijo 4 diciéndome:
«Te haré crecer, te multiplicaré
y te convertiré en multitud de pueblos;
daré esta tierra a tu descendencia
después de ti en posesión perpetua». 5 Y
en cuanto a tus dos hijos que te han nacido
en el país de Egipto, antes de que yo
viniera a Egipto a estar contigo, ellos serán
míos; Efraím y Manasés serán para
mí como Rubén y Simeón. 6 En cambio,
la descendencia que hayas tenido después
de ellos será tuya, y serán mencionados
en la herencia junto al nombre de
sus hermanos. 7 Cuando yo venía de Padán,
Raquel se me murió en tierra de
Canaán, en el camino, un trecho antes
de llegar a Efrata, y allí le di sepultura, en
el camino de Efrata, es decir, de Belén.
Israel vio a los hijos de José, y preguntó:
–¿Quienes son éstos?
9 José respondió a su padre:
–Son mis hijos, los que Dios me ha
dado aquí.
Le dijo Jacob:
–Acércamelos para que los bendiga.
10 Los ojos de Israel se habían debilitado
por la vejez, y apenas podía ver.
José se los acercó y él los abrazó y los
besó.
11 Israel dijo a José:
–No esperaba ver tu rostro, y ahora
Dios me concede verte a ti y también a
tu descendencia.
12 José los sacó de entre las rodillas
de su padre y se postró rostro en tierra.
13 Después tomó José a los dos, a Efraím
con la derecha, a la izquierda de Israel,
y a Manasés con la izquierda, a la derecha
de Israel, y se los acercó. 14 Israel extendió
su derecha y la puso sobre la cabeza
de Efraím, que era el menor; y su
izquierda sobre la cabeza de Manasés;
adrede cruzó los brazos, ya que Manasés
era el primogénito.
15 Entonces bendijo a José diciendo:
–El Dios en cuya presencia anduvieron
mis padres Abrahán e Isaac;
el Dios que ha sido mi pastor desde
el día en que nací
hasta el día de hoy;
16 el ángel que me libró de todo mal,
bendiga a estos muchachos:
perdure en ellos mi nombre
y el de mis padres Abrahán e Isaac,
y en multitud se conviertan sobre la
tierra.
17 Al ver José que su padre había
puesto la mano derecha sobre la cabeza
de Efraím, le pareció mal; y agarró la
mano de su padre para cambiarla de la
cabeza de Efraím a la cabeza de Manasés,
18 diciendo a su padre:
–Así no, padre mío, que el primogénito
es éste; pon tu derecha sobre su cabeza.
19 Pero su padre rehusó diciendo:
–Lo sé, hijo mío, lo sé; también éste
se convertirá en un pueblo, y él también
será grande; pero, con todo, su hermano
menor será más grande que él, y su
descendencia se convertirá en multitud
de naciones.
20 Aquel día Jacob los bendijo diciendo:
–En ti se bendecirá Israel diciendo:
«Dios te haga como a Efraím y Manasés».
Y puso a Efraím delante de Manasés.
21 Israel dijo a José:
–Yo voy a morir; pero Dios estará
con vosotros, y os hará volver a la tierra
de vuestros padres. 22 A ti te entrego
Siquem, una parte más que a tus hermanos,
la que arrebaté del poder de los
amorreos con mi espada y mi arco.
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