Genesis 48:12-14

"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 to 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."

"From between his knees ..." The reference is to Jacob's knees, but the expression "between his knees" is a mistranslation, making it seem that small boys were meant. Whitelaw tells us that the literal words here are "near his knees."[6] The usual ceremony of adoption about to begin required the child or children adopted to be indeed between the knees of the one adopting them, but in the instance of these grown men, it was evidently varied to the extent that they were "near his knees," most probably in a kneeling position, especially in view of Joseph himself prostrating himself before his father a moment later. The young men had most surely taken such a kneeling posture, for it would have been difficult for Jacob from his bed to embrace them and kiss them had they not done so.

"Joseph bowed himself with his face to the earth ..." In this, Joseph took his place as a subordinate to Jacob in the economy of God. Jacob, in a sense, had indeed bowed himself before Joseph in the matter of receiving provisions for his family at Joseph's hand, but, as regarded the Redemptive Purpose of God in his guidance of the Chosen People, it was the other way around. Joseph bowed himself before Jacob. We cannot agree with Morris who conjectured from this event that "the dream of Joseph which saw his parents along with his brothers bowing before him" might not really have been inspired.[7]

On the matter of Jacob's crossing his hands in order to put his right hand on the head of the grandson on Jacob's left, and in the opposite manner for the other, the old patriarch knew what he was doing; and thus he consciously went contrary to what were the obvious desires of Joseph.

This is the first example in the Bible of the laying on of hands in the act of blessing or the conveyance of a gift.[8] Afterward, it was extensively employed: (1) in the dedication of priests (Deuteronomy 29:9); (2) in the ordination of Christian servants (Acts 6:6); (3) by the Saviour and his apostles in the performance of miracles (Matthew 19:13); (4) in the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 17 and Acts 18), etc.

REGARDING THE BLESSING

Willis gives the following characteristics of the type of blessing Jacob was here bestowing upon the sons of Joseph:[9]

It was a very formal, solemn, and serious affair.

If the one conveying it was empowered by God to do so, it carried with it the power to achieve what was promised.

When the blessing was uttered, it was irrevocable.

The patriarch always asked the identity of the one who would receive the blessing.

Those to be blessed were invited to come forward.

The recipient(s) was(were) embraced and kissed.

The right hand of the patriarch rested on the head of the one to receive the greater blessing.

This sheds further light on the reason for Jacob's asking the identity of Joseph's sons; it was a part of the formal procedure and did not mean that Jacob had never seen them before.