Why does Jacob keep his right hand on younger Ephraim when Joseph tries to move it to Manasses?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Jacob says he knows which son is older. Manasses will become a people and multiply, but Ephraim will be greater and his descendants will grow into nations. Jacob therefore keeps the changed hand positions and places Ephraim before Manasses in the blessing.

Chapter breakdown

Joseph is told that his father is sick and sets out to visit him with his two sons, Manasses and Ephraim. The old man is told that Joseph is coming. Strengthened, he sits on his bed.

When Joseph comes in, Jacob recalls that God almighty appeared to him at Luza in Chanaan and blessed him. God promised to increase and multiply him, make him a multitude of people, and give the land to him and his descendants as an everlasting possession. Jacob says Joseph’s two sons born in Egypt before his arrival will be his: Ephraim and Manasses will be counted as Ruben and Simeon. Any further children Joseph has will be Joseph’s own and will be called by their brothers’ names in their possessions.

Jacob recalls coming out of Mesopotamia. Rachel died during the journey in Chanaan, in spring, while he was going to Ephrata. He buried her near the way to Ephrata, also called Bethlehem.

Seeing Joseph’s sons, Jacob asks who they are. Joseph answers that they are the sons God has given him in that place. Jacob asks him to bring them so he may bless them. Israel’s eyes are dim because of his great age, and he cannot see clearly. When they are brought, he kisses and embraces them. He tells Joseph that he has not been deprived of seeing him and that God has also shown him his descendants. Joseph takes the boys from his father’s lap and bows with his face to the ground.

Joseph places Ephraim on his own right, toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasses on his own left, toward Israel’s right, and brings them near. Jacob changes his hands, putting his right on younger Ephraim’s head and his left on older Manasses’s head. He blesses Joseph’s sons, calling upon the God before whom his fathers Abraham and Isaac walked and who has fed him from his youth until that day. He asks the angel who delivers him from all evils to bless the boys. He asks that his own name and the names of Abraham and Isaac be called upon them and that they grow into a multitude on the earth.

Joseph is much displeased at his father’s right hand on Ephraim. Taking the hand, he tries to lift it from Ephraim’s head and move it to Manasses’s. He says this should not be so because Manasses is the firstborn, and asks Jacob to place his right hand on him. Jacob refuses and says he knows. Manasses too will become a people and multiply, but his younger brother will be greater and his descendants will grow into nations. Jacob blesses them with the words, “In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses.” He places Ephraim before Manasses.

Jacob tells Joseph he is dying, but God will be with them and bring them back to the land of their fathers. He gives Joseph a portion above his brothers, which he says he took from the Amorrhite with his sword and bow.

The story inside

The changed hand positions bring Joseph’s arrangement and Jacob’s stated preference into view. Joseph puts firstborn Manasses toward his father’s right hand and Ephraim toward the left. Jacob places his right hand on Ephraim instead. Joseph’s objection names the firstborn as his reason, but Jacob refuses and explains that he knows: both sons will grow, with the younger becoming greater. The blessing formula then names Ephraim first. This is the chapter’s recorded disagreement and answer, following Jacob’s decision to count these two Egypt-born sons as Ruben and Simeon (Genesis 48:5–6, 13–20).

Lessons worth keeping

1
Jacob’s reckoning has a stated limit. Ephraim and Manasses, born before Jacob arrived in Egypt, will be counted as Ruben and Simeon; further children will remain Joseph’s and be named under their brothers in their possessions. Both parts belong to the arrangement (48:5–6).
2
The right-hand placement is maintained after Joseph objects. Jacob says he knows, gives a future for both sons and states the younger’s greater growth. The refusal and explanation keep the scene from being presented as an unnoticed mistake (48:13–20).
3
The blessing names what Jacob has received and asks for the boys’ future. He recalls God’s feeding him from youth and the angel’s deliverance, asks that the ancestral names be called upon the boys, and asks for their growth. His final words to Joseph add God’s presence and return to their fathers’ land (48:15–16, 21).

Test your recall

How does Joseph arrange the boys, what change does Jacob make, and what explanation does Jacob give when Joseph tries to restore the firstborn to his right hand?

Show answer

Joseph places Manasses, the firstborn, toward Jacob’s right hand and Ephraim toward his left. Jacob crosses his hands, putting his right hand on the younger Ephraim. Joseph tries to move it back to Manasses, but Jacob says he knows what he is doing. Both will become peoples, yet the younger brother will be greater and his descendants will grow into nations.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 5598–5609
Genesis Chapter 48 Joseph visiteth his father in his sickness, who adopteth his two sons Manasses and Ephraim, and blesseth them, preferring the younger before the elder. 48:1. After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick; and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim. 48:2. And it was told the old man: Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee. And being strengthened, he sat on his bed.
Lines 5610–5624
48:3. And when Joseph was come in to him, he said: God almighty appeared to me at Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, and he blessed me, 48:4. And said: I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 48:5. So thy two sons, who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon. 48:6. But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.
Lines 5625–5629
48:7. For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.
Lines 5630–5644
48:8. Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these? 48:9. He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said: Bring them to me, that I may bless them. 48:10. For Israel’s eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them, 48:11. And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee; moreover God hath shewn me thy seed. 48:12. And when Joseph had taken them from his father’s lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground.
Lines 5645–5660
48:13. And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 48:14. But he, stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim, the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses, who was the elder, changing his hands. 48:15. And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day: 48:16. The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.
Lines 5661–5676
48:17. And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father’s hand, he tried to lift it from Ephraim’s head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses. 48:18. And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father; for this is the firstborn, put thy right hand upon his head. 48:19. But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become a people, and shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be greater than he; and his seed shall grow into nations. 48:20. And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.
Lines 5677–5683
48:21. And he said to Joseph, his son: Behold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers. 48:22. I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite with my sword and bow.