Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 48
CHAP. XLVIII.
1, Ioseph with his sonnes, visiteth his sicke father. 2, Iakob strengtheneth himselfe to blesse them. 3, Hee repeateth the promise. 5, Hee adopteth Ephraim and Manasseh Iosephs sonnes, as his owne. 7, Hee telleth him of his mothers grave. 9, He blesseth Ephraim and Manasseh, 17, He preferreth the yonger before the elder, though it displeased Ioseph. 21, He prophesieth the Israelites returne to Canaan, and giveth Ioseph his portion therein.
ANd it was, after these things; that one said unto Ioseph; Behold thy father is sicke: and he took his two sonnes, with him; Manasses and Ephraim. And one told Iakob; and said, behold thy sonne Ioseph, commeth unto thee: and Israel strengthned himselfe; and sate upon the bed. And Iakob said unto Ioseph; God almighty, appeared unto me in Luz, in the land of Canaan: and blessed mee. And said unto me; behold I will make thee fruitfull, and multiply thee; and give thee to be an assembly of peoples; and will give this land, to thy seed after thee, for an eternall possession. And now, thy two sonnes, which were borne unto thee in the land of Egypt; before I came unto thee, into Egypt, they are mine: Ephraim and Manasses, as Ruben and Simeon, shall bee mine. And thy begotten issue, which thou shalt beget after them, shall be thine: by the name of their brethren, shall they be called, in their inheritance. And I, when I came from Padan; Rachel dyed by me, in the land of Canaan, in the way; when yet there was a little-peece of ground, to come to Ephrath: and I buried her there, in the way of Ephrath; that is Bethlehem. And Israel saw, the sons of Ioseph: and said, who are these? And Ioseph said unto his father; they are my sonnes; whom God hath given to me, in this place: and he said, take them I pray thee unto mee, and I will blesse them. And the eyes of Israel were heavy for old-age; he could not see: and hee brought them neere unto him; and he kissed them, and imbraced them. And Israel said unto Ioseph; I had not thought to see thy face; and loe, God hath made me to see thy seed also. And Ioseph brought them out, from betweene his knees: and hee bowed himselfe on his face, to the earth. And Ioseph tooke them both; Ephraim in his right-hand, toward Israels left-hand; and Manasses in his left-hand, toward Israels right-hand: & brought them neere, unto him. And Israel stretched out his right-hand, and put it upon Ephraims head, and he was the yonger; and his left-hand, upon Manasses head: hee prudentlyguided his hands; for Manasses, was the first borne. And he blessed Ioseph, and said: the God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaak, did walke; the God which fed me, since I was, unto this day. The Angell which redeemed mee, from all evill; blesse the lads: and let my name, bee called on them; and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaak: and let them increase like fish into a multitude, in the midst of the land. And Ioseph saw, that his father put his right-hand, upon Ephraims head, and it was evill in his eyes: and hee held-up his fathers hand, to remove it from on Ephraims head, unto Manasses head. And Ioseph said, unto his father, not so my father: for this is the first borne; put thy right-hand, upon his head. And his father refused; and said, I know it my sonne, I know it; hee also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly, his yonger brother shall bee greater then hee; and his seed, shall be a plentie of nations. And he blessed them in that day, saying; In thee, shall Israel blesse, saying; God put thee, as Ephraim, and as Manasses: and he put Ephraim, before Manasses. And Israel said, unto Ioseph; Behold I dye: and God will bee with you; and will returne you, unto the land of your fathers. And I, doe give unto thee one portion, above thy brethren; which I have taken, out of the hand of the Amorite; with my sword, and with my bow.
Annotations.
THings▪ Hebr. words. one said] or it was said: so vers. 2.
Vers. 3. … Luz] called also Bethel: see Gen. 28. 13. 19. and 35. 6.
Vers. 4. give thee to] that is, make of thee an assembly, that is, a multitude: see Gen. 35. 11. The Greek expounds it a synagogue (or assemblie) of nations; the Chaldee, of tribes.
Vers. 5. And now] or, as the Greeke translateth, Now therefore. From the former promises, hee groundeth his blessings to Iosephs children, as authorized of God hereunto; and putteth them in minde of returning to the promised land. before,] or, untill I came: which the Greeke translateth before: so in Exod. 22. 26. mine] as my next children, and not, my childs children: so these two, are made heyres by adoption with Iakobs sonnes, and Ioseph hath a double portion, the first birthright being taken from Ruben, and given unto him, Gen. 49. 3. 4. 1 Chron. 5. 1. 2. and of Ioseph are reckoned two-tribes, both in the Prophets & Evangelist, Num. 1. 32. 34. Rev. 7. 6. 8.
Vers. 6. name of their brethren] of Ephraim and Manasses; counted of their stocke and tribe, as if they were their sonnes, not their brethren. For children are usually called by their fathers name, not by their brethrens. See after, vers. 16. So Ephraim and Manasses are adopted into Iosephs place, as fathers of tribes: that if Ioseph had ever begotten …oe children, they should have beene reckoned as born to Ephraim & Manasses, his sons.
Vers. 7. Padan] or, as the Greeke hath it, Mesopotamia of Syria: see Gen. 25. 20. This mention of Rachels death, is to shew how by right the first birthright came to Ioseph her first borne, shee being indeed Iakobs first and most lawfull wife, Gen. 29. 18. &c. a little piece of ground] a little way: see Gen. 35. 16.
Vers. 9. take] and bring them, as the Greeke translateth, See Gen. 15. 9. and I will] or, (as the Greeke) that I may blesse: viz. in the name and authority of God: see Gen. 27. 4.
Vers. 10. heavy] that is, dimme; in Greeke, heauy sighted; the same word is used for eares, that are heavy or …eaf, Esa. 6. 10. & 59. 1. Compare Gen. 27. 1.
Vers. 11. thought] or judged. The Greeke expounds it, Loe I am not deprived of thy face; and loe, God hath shewed me thy seed also.
Vers. 12. betweene] Hebr. from with his knees; the Greeke translateth, from his knees: the Chaldee, fr… before him, he bowed] in reverence and thankefulnesse, for the former adoption, and further blessing to be received. The Greeke faith, they bowed, implying his children also.
Vers. 14. prudently guided] so also the Chaldee saith, he wisely guided: the Greeke translateth, changing hands. This signe of imposing hands on the head, is after used in blessings and designations to holy functions, Num. 8. 10. and 27. 18. 20. Deut. 34. 9. Act. 6. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 14. And as the right hand is naturally more strong and honourable then the left, (to which the scripture hath reference in speech also of God, Exod. 15. 6. Psal. 118. 16. and 110. 1.) so Iakob, (whose blessing was stronger then his parents, Gen. 49. 26) giveth the strongest and most honourable blessing to Ephraim, by this signe of the right hand put upon him.
Vers. 15. Ioseph] to weet, in his children, as the words following manifest: therefore the Greeke translateth, he blessed them. So on the contrary, Cham, was cursed in his yongest sonne Canaan: Gen. 9. 25. And in 1 Chron. 4. 31. whiles David raigned: that is, Davids sonnes. did walke] did please by faith, in their conversation and administration: so the Greeke translateth, pleased: the Chaldee, served. See the notes on Gen. 5. 22. and 17. 1. fed me] or, hath beene my pastor: so David celebrateth God by this grace, Psal. 23. 1. and 80. 2. since I was] that is, as the Greeke explaineth it, from my youth.
Vers. 16. Angell] Christ, the Angel of the covenant, Mal. 3. 1. the Angel in whom Gods name is, Exod. 23. 20. 21. called here Iakobs Redeemer, or Deliverer, which is the title of God, Psal. 19. 15. Esa. 43. 14. and 47. 4. The Rabbines acknowledge this Angel to be God, saying; hee mentioneth also Gods-majestie (Shechinah) when hee saith. the Angell that redeemed me. R. Menachem on Gen. 48. See also Gen. 31. 11. called] that is, named on them, let them bee called by my name; as my adopted children, vers. 5. So Gods name is said to be called on us, Deut. 28. 10. 2. Chron. 7. 14. Ier. 14. 9. that is, we are called the sonnes of God, 1 Iohn 3. 1. and the husbands name is called upon the wife, Esa. 4. 1. and the Lords name, upon the citie Ierusalem, Dan. 9. 19. and upon the Temple. 1 King. 8. 43. Ier. 7. 10. 11. on them] or in them. But the Hebrew in, is often used for upon; as Neh. 2. 12. Num. 13. 23. and bammeh, in 2 Chron. 7. 21. is the same that gnal meh, in 1 King. 9, 8. increase like fish] which multiply abundantly: therefore the Greeke translateth it, multiply: but the Chaldee addeth expresly, like the fishes of the sea; implied in one Hebrew word. According to this blessing, there were of Ioseph by these his two sonnes, 85. thousand and 200. men of warre in Moses time; a greater number then was of any other sonne of Iakob, Numb. 26. 28. 34. 37. And the like blessing was confirmed upon them by Moses, Deut. 33. 17. and Iosua acknowledged them to be a great people. Ios. 17. 17.
Vers. 17. evill in his eyes] that is, it displeased him, (as Gen. 28. 8.) that the yonger should be preferred above the firstborne: which notwithstanding was often done by the counsell of God; as Se… had the honour above Iaphet, Gen. 5. 32. and 9. 26. Abraham above Haran, Gen. 11. 27. Isaak above Ismael, Gen. 17. 18.—21. and Iakob himselfe above Esau his elder, Gen. 25. 23. Also in Iakobs house, Iudah and Ioseph, had preeminence above Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Gen. 49. 1 Chron. 5. 1. 2. And even from the beginning, Kain the firstborne of Adam, was reprobate, Gen. 4. to teach that mans dignitie is not by workes, or nature; but by Gods grace and election, Rom. 9. 7. 8. 11. 15. And this action of blessing Iosephs sonnes, Iakob performed by faith, Heb. 11. 21.
Vers. 19. shall become] Hebr. shall be to a people: meaning, a father to a multitude. shall be great] in Greeke, shall be exalted. greater] Therefore when the Israelites were first numbred in the wildernesse, Ephraim was reckoned before, and had 8300. men, more then Manasses, Numb. 1. 32. 33. 35. Also in camping about the Tabernacle of the Lord, Ephraim had the standerd, and was set before Manasses, Numb. 2. 18. 20. Howbeit in the second mustering, (38. yeeres after) it was otherwise for the number; Num. 26. 28. &c. Yet after that againe, Ephraim had his preeminence, Deut. 33. 17. Of him came Iosua the conquerour of Canaan, Num. 13. 9. 17. and Ieroboam King of Israel: whereupon Ephraim is used for the name of that kingdome, Esa. 7. 2. 9. 17. and 11. 13. and 28. 1. Ier. 7. 15. Ezek. 37. 16 Hos. 5. 12. 13. and 9. 3. 11. a plentie] or fulnesse: that is, as the Greeke translateth, a multitude: so called for filling up a number or place. So, a plenty of sheepherds, Esa. 31. 4. that is, a multitude: and this phrase Paul useth in Rom. 11. 25. the plenty of the Gentiles, that is, the full multitude, and number of them. The Chaldee here translateth, his sonnes shall bee rulers among the peoples. Though Ephraim had thus the preeminence, and a chiefe blessing above the sons of Israel: yet it pleased God to afflict him, before all his brethren; in that evill befell his house, and some of his sons were slaine by the men of Gath (the Philistines) for whom Ephraim mourned many daies, 1 Chron. 7. 20.—23.
Vers. 20. In thee] or, By thee, that is, taking thee for an example; as the words following shew. So Rachel and Leah are propounded for examples in blessing, Ruth 4. 11. Zedekias and Ahab, in cursing, Ier. 29. 22. Israel] that is, my posterity the Israelites: see Gen. 19. 37. and 34. 7.
V. 21. God willbe] the Chaldee expounds it, the Word of the Lord will be your help the land] of Canaan, where Abraham, Isaak, & Iakob dwelt, the figure of their heavenly inheritance, Gen. 12. 5. and 26. 3. and 37. 1. whereof Iakob putteth them in minde, and prophesieth their returne thither.
Vers. 22. doe give] bequeathing as by will and testament, that portion of the land to thee, that is, to thy posterity: above thy brethren: for the first born was to have a double portion, Deut. 21. 17. & now the first birth-right became Iosephs, 1 Chron. 5. 2. & in the figurative description of Christs Church, Ioseph hath two portions, Ezek. 47. 13. portion] the Hebrew Sechem signifieth properly a shoulder, Gen. 9. 23. it was also the name of a citie (and the prince thereof,) where Iakob bought a piece of ground, Gen. 33. 18. 19. Here it is used (but with reference to the name of the place,) for a portion of ground, and so the Chaldee plainly expounds it, one chiefe portion. And that place of Sechem, was the inheritance of Iosephs sons the Ephraimites, Ios. 16. 1. &c. and 20. 7. Ioh. 4. 5. and thither were Iosephs bones caried out of Egypt, and buried, Ios. 24. 1. 25. 32. have taken] that is, shall take; but spoken prophetically, and in faith; (as unto us a childe is borne, Esa. 9. 6. which was a prophesie of Christ.) Thus Iakob disposeth of things to come, as already possessed: wherupon his faith in this action is commended, Heb. 11. 21. the Amorite] that is, as the Greeke translateth, Amorites; which one name is used generally for all the heathens that possessed the land, Ios. 24. 8. Amos 2. 9. my sword] that is, the sword of my children; the Ephraimites; which helped to conquer the land, and were a mighty people in Iosuahs time: see Ios. 17. 14.—18. So my armeholes, Ezek. 13. 18. that is, the armeholes of my people: also my wombe, Iob 3. 10. that is, my mothers wombe. The Chaldee understood this sword and bow figuratively; translating, by my prayer, and by my supplication.