Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 48

When 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.

Jacob remembered how God Almighty appeared to him and promised him Abraham's blessing: countless descendants living in the land … as an everlasting possession (compare 28:10–22).

Jacob remembered Rachel (see 35:16–20) and blessed Joseph by making his two sons equal heirs with his other sons. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would share equally with Jacob's other tribes (see Joshua 16–17). Jacob also gave Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, the birthright (see 1 Chronicles 5:1–2). Because of this blessing, Ephraim and Manasseh became large and powerful tribes (see Joshua 17:14–18).

Like his father Isaac, Jacob now gave the blessing when his eyesight was failing (compare 27:1).

The right hand was for the head of the firstborn, and Jacob was deliberately giving that position to the younger son. That pattern was followed for four consecutive generations:

• Isaac over Ishmael,

• Jacob over Esau,

• Joseph over Reuben, and

• Ephraim over Manasseh.

Many years later, Ephraim became the leading tribe in the northern kingdom, superior to the tribe of Manasseh. The entire northern kingdom of Israel was occasionally called Ephraim (see study notes on 2 Chronicles 28:12; Isaiah 11:13; Ezekiel 37:15–28; Hosea 6:4; Zechariah 9:10).

When Jacob blessed Joseph, he used three titles to describe the God he trusted:

1. the God who was in covenant with his fathers Abraham and Isaac (28:13; 31:5, 42; 32:9; 46:3);

2. the God who had been his shepherd (one who guides and cares for his people; see 49:24; Exodus 6:6; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 59:20); and

3. the angel (a messenger from God) who had rescued him from all harm.

Jacob prayed the same blessings for Joseph’s sons.

Not so, my father!: Joseph was upset because he expected God to act in a predictable way. But faith understands that God's ways and thoughts are different from human ones. Jacob spent his life learning this lesson, but he eventually understood and acted on it.

Joseph was later buried at Shechem as a sign that this extra portion of land belonged to him (Joshua 24:32). It seems that Jacob had conquered this area, though the event is not mentioned elsewhere.