Genesis 48:3 Kommentar

The time drawing nigh that Israel must die, having, in the former chapter, given order about his burial, in this he takes leave of his grand-children by Joseph, and in the next of all his children. Thus Jacob's dying words are recorded, because he then spoke by a spirit of prophecy; Abraham's and Isaac's are not. God's gifts and graces shine forth much more in some saints than in others upon their death-beds. The Spirit, like the wind, blows where it listeth. In this chapter, I. Joseph, hearing of his father's sickness, goes to visit him, and takes his two sons with him (Gen 48:1, Gen 48:2). II. Jacob solemnly adopts his two sons, and takes them for his own (Gen 48:3-7). III. He blesses them (Gen 48:8-16). IV. He explains and justifies the crossing of his hands in blessing them (Gen 48:17-20). V. He leaves a particular legacy to Joseph (Gen 48:21, Gen 48:22).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 48 Joseph, hearing that his father Jacob was sick, paid him a visit, Gen 49:1; at which time Jacob gave him an account of the Lord's appearing to him at Luz, and of the promise he made unto him, Gen 49:3; then he adopted his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and blessed them, and Joseph also, Gen 49:5; and whereas he crossed his hands when he blessed the sons of Joseph, putting his right hand on the youngest, and his left hand on the eldest, which was displeasing to Joseph, he gave him a reason for so doing, Gen 49:17; and then assured him that God would bring him, and the rest of his posterity, into the land of Canaan, where he assigned him a particular portion above his brethren, Gen 49:21.

And Jacob said unto Joseph,.... Being come into his bedchamber, and sitting by him, or standing before him: God Almighty appeared unto at Luz in the land of Canaan; the same with Bethel, where God appeared, both at his going to Padanaram, and at his return from thence, Gen 28:11; which of those times is here referred to is not certain; very likely he refers to them both, since the same promises were made to him at both times, as after mentioned: and blessed me; promised he would bless him, both with temporal and spiritual blessings, as he did as follows.

Joseph, hearing that his father was near death, took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and went to Goshen, to visit him, Gen 48:1. Jacob strengthens himself to receive them, Gen 48:2. Gives Joseph an account of God's appearing to him at Luz, and repeating the promise, Gen 48:3, Gen 48:4. Adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, Gen 48:5, Gen 48:6. Mentions the death of Rachel at Ephrath, Gen 48:7. He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, preferring the former, who was the younger, to his elder brother, Gen 48:8-17. Joseph, supposing his father had mistaken in giving the right of primogeniture to the youngest, endeavors to correct him, Gen 48:18. Jacob shows that he did it designedly, prophecies much good concerning both; but sets Ephraim the youngest before Manasseh, Gen 48:19, Gen 48:20. Jacob speaks of his death, and predicts the return of his posterity from Egypt, Gen 48:21. And gives Joseph a portion above his brethren, which he had taken from the Amorites, Gen 48:22.

God Almighty - אל שדי El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God, the Outpourer and Dispenser of mercies, (see Gen 17:1), appeared to me at Luz, afterwards called Beth-El; see Gen 28:13; Gen 35:6, Gen 35:9.

JOSEPH'S VISIT TO HIS SICK FATHER. (Gen. 48:1-22) one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick--Joseph was hastily sent for, and on this occasion he took with him his two sons.

God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz--The object of Jacob, in thus reverting to the memorable vision at Beth-el [Gen 28:10-15] --one of the great landmarks in his history--was to point out the splendid promises in reserve for his posterity--to engage Joseph's interest and preserve his continued connection with the people of God, rather than with the Egyptians.

Adoption of Joseph's Sons. - Gen 48:1, Gen 48:2. After these events, i.e., not long after Jacob's arrangements for his burial, it was told to Joseph (ויּאמר "one said," cf. Gen 48:2) that his father was taken ill; whereupon Joseph went to him with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were then 18 or 20 years old. On his arrival being announced to Jacob, Israel made himself strong (collected his strength), and sat up on his bed. The change of names is as significant here as in Gen 45:27-28. Jacob, enfeebled with age, gathered up his strength for a work, which he was about to perform as Israel, the bearer of the grace of the promise.

Referring to the promise which the Almighty God had given him at Bethel (Gen 35:10. cf. Gen 38:13.), Israel said to Joseph (Gen 48:5): "And now thy two sons, which were born to thee in the land of Egypt, until (before) I came to thee into Egypt...let them be mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon (my first and second born), let them be mine." The promise which Jacob had received empowered the patriarch to adopt the sons of Joseph in the place of children. Since the Almighty God had promised him the increase of his seed into a multitude of peoples, and Canaan as an eternal possession to that seed, he could so incorporate into the number of his descendants the two sons of Joseph who were born in Egypt before his arrival, and therefore outside the range of his house, that they should receive an equal share in the promised inheritance with his own eldest sons. But this privilege was to be restricted to the two first-born sons of Joseph. "Thy descendants," he proceeds in Gen 48:6, "which thou hast begotten since them, shall be thine; by the name of their brethren shall they be called in their inheritance;" i.e., they shall not form tribes of their own with a separate inheritance, but shall be reckoned as belonging to Ephraim and Manasseh, and receive their possessions among these tribes, and in their inheritance. These other sons of Joseph are not mentioned anywhere; but their descendants are at any rate included in the families of Ephraim and Manasseh mentioned in Num 26:28-37; 1 Chron 7:14-29. By this adoption of his two eldest sons, Joseph was placed in the position of the first-born, so far as the inheritance was concerned (Ch1 5:2). Joseph's mother, who had died so early, was also honoured thereby. And this explains the allusion made by Jacob in Gen 48:7 to his beloved Rachel, the wife of his affections, and to her death-how she died by his side (עלי), on his return from Padan (for Padan-Aram, the only place in which it is so called, cf. Gen 25:20), without living to see her first-born exalted to the position of a saviour to the whole house of Israel.