E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 48:15
walk = walk habitually (Hebrew. Hithpael) . read more
walk = walk habitually (Hebrew. Hithpael) . read more
"And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel who hath 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."At this point Jacob began blessing, but in these two verses he had not yet come to the part of it that made any distinction between the sons of... read more
Genesis 48:15. And he blessed Joseph— Probably he might bless Joseph as well as his sons: but the context would rather lead one to believe that the blessing here appropriated to Joseph was that given immediately to his sons: Jacob blessed him in blessing his children; for to bless the children is to bless the parents themselves. In his blessing he reminds Joseph and his children both of the piety of their ancestors, and of the goodness which God had shewn in consequence of that piety; "God,... read more
Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh 48:12-20Ephraim and Manasseh had been standing close to Jacob, between his knees, so he could see and touch them (Genesis 48:12). Ancient Near Eastern adoption ritual included placing the adopted child on the knees of the adopting parent to symbolize giving him birth in place of the birth mother. [Note: See I. Mendelsohn, "A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh," Israel Exploration Journal (1959):180-83.] Now Joseph took them back to... read more
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim, the Sons of JosephHe adopts them as his own sons with privileges equal to the others, thus making them heads of distinct tribes. By so doing he gives to Joseph, the eldest son of Rachel, whom he probably regarded as his true wife, the position of firstborn with a double portion of his inheritance. From the time of Moses we find Ephraim and Manasseh giving their names to tribes (Numbers 1), which received territory on the conquest of Canaan.3. Luz] or Bethel:... read more
(15, 16) He blessed Joseph, and said.—In Jacob’s blessing there is a threefold appellation of the Deity, and a threefold blessing given to Joseph’s sons. God is, first, the Elohim before whom his fathers had walked. Next, He is the Elohim who, as a shepherd, had watched over Jacob all his life long. But, thirdly, He is that Divine Presence which had been, and still was, Jacob’s “goël,” redeeming and rescuing him from all evil. The blessing is first general, the verb “bless” being singular,... read more
THE BLESSINGS OF THE TRIBESGenesis 48:1-22; Genesis 49:1-33JACOB’S blessing of his sons marks the close of the patriarchal dispensation. Henceforth the channel of God’s blessing to man does not consist of one person only, but of a people or nation. It is still one seed, as Paul reminds us, a unit that God will bless, but this unit is now no longer a single person-as Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob-but one people, composed of several parts, and yet one whole: equally representative of Christ, as the... read more
CHAPTER 48 Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh 1. The sons of Joseph brought to Jacob (Gen. 48-12) 2. The words of Jacob (Genesis 48:3-7 ) 3. Ephraim and Manasseh presented (Genesis 48:8-14 ) 4. Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 48:13-16 ) 5. Joseph’s interference (Genesis 48:17-20 ) 6. Jacob’s last words to Joseph (Genesis 48:21-22 ) The adoption of Joseph’s sons is interesting and instructive. As the offspring of the Gentile wife Asenath they were in danger of becoming gentilized and thus... read more
ISRAEL'S BLESSING FOR JOSEPH AND HIS SONS A little later Joseph was told that his father was sick, so he brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim to visit him. Jacob strengthened himself to sit on the bed. Then Jacob speaks to Joseph of God's first recorded appearance to him (Genesis 28:11-15) at Luz (or Bethel) in Canaan, giving him His special blessing, promising to multiply him into a multitude of people and to give that land to his descendants for an everlasting possession (vs.3-4).... read more
Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 48:1-22
Words for Joseph and his sons (47:27-48:22)By insisting that Joseph bury him at Machpelah, Jacob showed his faith in God’s promises. He knew that Canaan would become the land of his people (27-31; cf. 23:17-20; 35:12; 46:4).Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were by now about twenty years old (see 41:50; 45:6; 47:28), and Joseph wanted his father to bless them before he died. This blessing was more than an expression of good wishes; it was an announcement believed to carry with it the... read more