EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Genesis 48:20
20So Jacob blessed both of Joseph's sons that day. He said, ‘In your name Israel's people will give this blessing: “May God be good to you, just like he was to Ephraim and Manasseh.” ’ In this way, Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh when he blessed them.
Genesis 48:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
- New International Version (NIV)He blessed them that day and said, “In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Context of Genesis 48:20
18Joseph said to Jacob, ‘No, my father. This boy is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his head.’ 19But Jacob refused to change. He said, ‘I know, my son. I know what I am doing. Manasseh will also have many descendants who become a great nation. But his younger brother, Ephraim, will become even greater. Ephraim's descendants will become many great nations.’ So Jacob blessed both of Joseph's sons that day. He said, ‘In your name Israel's people will give this blessing: “May God be good to you, just like he was to Ephraim and Manasseh.” ’ In this way, Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh when he blessed them. 21Then Jacob said to Joseph, ‘I will die soon. But God will be with you. He will take you back to the land where your ancestors lived. 22I give to you more than I give to your brothers. I give to you the good part of the land that I took from the Amorites. I fought against them with my weapons to take that land.’
Read all of Genesis 48Genesis 48:20 word by word
וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ לֵאמוֹר֒ בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- them that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- In thee shall Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- thee as Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- and as Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
- and he setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
Cross-references for Genesis 48:20
- Genesis 24:60As Rebekah was leaving, her brother and her mother blessed her. They said, ‘Our sister, may you become the mother of millions of descendants. May your descendants win against their enemies, and may they go into their enemies' cities.’
- Genesis 28:3I pray that God Almighty will bless you. I pray that he will give you many children, so that your descendants become a large nation of people.
- Ruth 4:11Then all the leaders and the other people at the gate said, ‘We have seen that this is true. We pray that the Lord will bless the woman who is coming into your home as your wife. We pray that he will bless her as he blessed Rachel and Leah. They gave birth to many children for the family of Israel. We pray that you will become a rich man in Ephrathah's clan. And we pray that you will become famous in Bethlehem town.
- Numbers 2:18The tribe of Ephraim must be on the west side of the Tent. They must have their flag with them and they must live in groups. The leader of the tribe of Ephraim is Elishama, the son of Ammihud.
- Numbers 7:48On day 7, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim brought his gift.
- Numbers 10:22Next the flag of the camp of the tribe of Ephraim started to travel, with all their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over all their armies.
- Numbers 13:8From Ephraim's tribe: Hoshea, the son of Nun.
Commentaries on Genesis 48:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20In thee shall Israel bless - That is, in future generations the Israelites shall take their form of wishing prosperity to any nation or family from the circumstance of the good which it shall be known that God has done to Ephraim and Manasseh: May God make thee as fruitful as Ephraim, and multiply thee as Manasseh! So, to their daughters when married, the Jewish women are accustomed to say, God make thee as Sarah and Rebekah! The forms are still in use.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-22Verses 1-22 - Joseph Visits His Sick Father The right of primogeniture has been forfeited by Reuben. The double portion in the inheritance is now transferred to Joseph. He is the first-born of her who was intended by Jacob to be his first and only wife. He has also been the means of saving all his father‘s house, even after he had been sold into slavery by his brethren. He has therefore, undeniable claims to this part of the first-born‘s rights. Genesis…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-22Verses 8-22 The two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph says, They are my sons whom God has given me. Jacob says, God hath showed me thy seed. Comforts are doubly sweet to us when we see them coming from God's hand. He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes. Jacob mentions the care the Divine providence had taken of him all his days. A great deal of hardship he had known in his time, but God kept him from the evil of his troubles. Now…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-22When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, he showed faith in God's promise to continue. He understood that God's ways differ from human ways. From Jacob's long life, the writer of Hebrews chose the blessing of Joseph's sons as his greatest act of faith (Hebrews 11:21). Jacob followed God's will by giving the main blessing to the younger son instead of the older one, without any trickery or negative outcomes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-221. one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick--Joseph was hastily sent for, and on this occasion he took with him his two sons.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 48:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 48
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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