Focused Passage

Genesis 48:1-7

Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, Adopts Joseph’s Sons, and Reaffirms God’s Reversing Purpose in the Covenant Line

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me

4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

6 Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.

7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

- וַיְהִ֗י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Some time later אַחֲרֵי֙ H310 Preposition . . . הַדְּבָרִ֣ים H1697 Article | Noun - masculine plural . . . הָאֵ֔לֶּה H428 Article | Pronoun - common plural Joseph לְיוֹסֵ֔ף H3130 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . הִנֵּ֥ה H2009 Interjection was told וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Your father אָבִ֖יךָ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular is ill חֹלֶ֑ה H2470 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular So he set out וַיִּקַּ֞ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker with עִמּ֔וֹ H5973 Preposition | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his two שְׁנֵ֤י H8147 Number - masculine dual construct sons בָנָיו֙ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Manasseh מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה H4519 Noun - proper - masculine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and Ephraim אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 2

Original words

When Jacob לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב H3290 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . וַיֹּ֕אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . הִנֵּ֛ה H2009 Interjection was told וַיַּגֵּ֣ד H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Your son בִּנְךָ֥ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Joseph יוֹסֵ֖ף H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular has come בָּ֣א H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to you אֵלֶ֑יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular rallied his strength וַיִּתְחַזֵּק֙ H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and sat up וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular in עַל־ H5921 Preposition bed הַמִּטָּֽה׃ H4296 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Jacob יַעֲקֹב֙ H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֤אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Joseph יוֹסֵ֔ף H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular God אֵ֥ל H410 Noun - masculine singular Almighty שַׁדַּ֛י H7706 Noun - proper - masculine singular appeared נִרְאָֽה־ H7200 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֥י H413 Preposition | first person common singular at Luz בְּל֖וּז H3870 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular in the land בְּאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Canaan כְּנָ֑עַן H3667 Noun - proper - masculine singular and there He blessed וַיְבָ֖רֶךְ H1288 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular me אֹתִֽי׃ H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew El-Shaddai
Verse 4

Original words

and told וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular me אֵלַ֗י H413 Preposition | first person common singular Behold הִנְנִ֤י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will make you fruitful מַפְרְךָ֙ H6509 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and multiply you וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ H7235 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular I will make you וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular a multitude לִקְהַ֣ל H6951 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of peoples עַמִּ֑ים H5971 Noun - masculine plural and will give וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker this הַזֹּ֛את H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular land הָאָ֧רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular to your descendants לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ H2233 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular after you אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ H310 Preposition | second person masculine singular as an everlasting עוֹלָֽם׃ H5769 Noun - masculine singular possession אֲחֻזַּ֥ת H272 Noun - feminine singular construct
Verse 5

Original words

And now וְעַתָּ֡ה H6258 Conjunctive waw | Adverb your two שְׁנֵֽי־ H8147 Number - masculine dual construct sons בָנֶיךָ֩ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular born הַנּוֹלָדִ֨ים H3205 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural to you לְךָ֜ Preposition | second person masculine singular vvv בְּאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct in Egypt מִצְרַ֗יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular before עַד־ H5704 Preposition I came בֹּאִ֥י H935 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular to you אֵלֶ֛יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular [here] מִצְרַ֖יְמָה H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular [shall be reckoned as] הֵ֑ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural mine לִי־ Preposition | first person common singular Ephraim אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Manasseh וּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה H4519 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular shall be יִֽהְיוּ־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural mine לִֽי׃ Preposition | first person common singular just as Reuben כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן H7205 Preposition-k | Noun - proper - masculine singular and Simeon [are mine] וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן H8095 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Any children וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֛ H4138 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative born הוֹלַ֥דְתָּ H3205 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular to you לְךָ֣ Preposition | second person masculine singular after them אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם H310 Preposition | third person masculine plural shall be yours יִהְי֑וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and they shall be called יִקָּרְא֖וּ H7121 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural by עַ֣ל H5921 Preposition the names שֵׁ֧ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct of their brothers אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם H251 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural in the territory they inherit בְּנַחֲלָתָֽם׃ H5159 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

Now as for me וַאֲנִ֣י׀ H589 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular when I was returning בְּבֹאִ֣י H935 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular from Paddan מִפַּדָּ֗ן H6307 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular to my sorrow עָלַ֨י H5921 Preposition | first person common singular Rachel רָחֵ֜ל H7354 Noun - proper - feminine singular died מֵ֩תָה֩ H4191 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular along the way בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular in the land בְּאֶ֤רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Canaan כְּנַ֙עַן֙ H3667 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . בְּע֥וֹד H5750 Preposition-b | Adverb some distance כִּבְרַת־ H3530 Noun - feminine singular construct . . . אֶ֖רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular . . . לָבֹ֣א H935 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct from Ephrath אֶפְרָ֑תָה H672 Noun - proper - feminine singular So I buried her וָאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ H6912 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular there שָּׁם֙ H8033 Adverb beside the road בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct to Ephrath אֶפְרָ֔ת H672 Noun - proper - feminine singular (that הִ֖וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular [is] בֵּ֥ית H1035 Preposition Bethlehem לָֽחֶם׃ H1035 Noun - proper - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, northwest Mesopotamia

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.