Gen 48 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 48:1-22: 48:1-22 In blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob reached out by faith for the promise to be continued, having learned that God’s ways are not always the ways of men. Out of Jacob’s long life, the writer to the Hebrews selected the blessing of Joseph’s sons as his great act of faith (Heb 11:21 ). As Jacob acted in light of God’s will, the primary blessing was again given to the younger instead of the older son, but without scheming and its bitter results.

Summary for Gen 48:1-22: 48:1-22 ^a In blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob reached out by faith for the promise to be continued, having learned that God’s ways are not always the ways of men. Out of Jacob’s long life, the writer to the Hebrews selected the blessing of Joseph’s sons as his great act of faith (Heb 11:21 ^b). As Jacob acted in light of God’s will, the primary blessing was again given to the younger instead of the older son, but without scheming and its bitter results.
Summary for Gen 48:3-4: 48:3-4 ^c Jacob rehearsed how God Almighty had appeared to him and had promised him Abraham’s blessing—innumerable descendants dwelling in the land ... as an everlasting possession (cp. 28:10-22 ^d).
Summary for Gen 48:5-7: 48:5-7 ^e Jacob, prompted by his memory of Rachel (see 35:16-20 ^f), blessed Joseph by elevating his two sons as coheirs with his other sons—the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would have shares along with the other tribes that came from Jacob (see Josh 16–17 ^g). Jacob also gave Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, the birthright (see 1 Chr 5:1-2 ^h). As a result of this blessing, Ephraim and Manasseh became large and powerful tribes (see Josh 17:14-18 ⁱ).
48:10 ^j As Isaac his father had done, Jacob now gave the blessing when his eyesight was failing (cp. 27:1 ^k).
48:14 ^l 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 Chr 28:12 ^m; Isa 11:13; Ezek 37:15-28; Hos 6:4; Zech 9:10).
Summary for Gen 48:15-16: 48:15-16 ⁿ In his blessing on Joseph, Jacob used a threefold invocation to describe the God in whom he trusted: (1) the God who was in covenant with his fathers Abraham and Isaac (28:13 ^o; 31:5 ^p, 42 ^q; 32:9 ^r; 46:3 ^s); (2) the God who had been his shepherd (cp. 49:24 ^t; Exod 6:6 ^u; Ps 23:1 ^v; Isa 59:20 ^w); and (3) the Angel who rescued him from all harm. He prayed the same blessings for Joseph’s sons.
Summary for Gen 48:17-19: 48:17-19 ^x Joseph was upset: He expected God to act according to convention, but faith recognizes that God’s ways are not man’s ways, and God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts. It took Jacob a lifetime to learn this lesson, but he did learn it, and here he acted on it.
48:22 ^y Joseph was later buried at Shechem (Josh 24:32 ^z) as a sign that he possessed this bequeathed extra portion (Hebrew shekem) of land. Jacob had apparently conquered this area though the occasion is not mentioned elsewhere.