Hello and welcome to today’s bible study on Genesis 48 and 49 where we will read about Jacob blessing Joseph’s sons and his twelve sons. According to Bible scholars, the events of Genesis 48 and Genesis 49 took place in 1859 B.C. approximately.
I encourage you to turn to Genesis 48 and 49 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Genesis 48 and Genesis 49. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is only through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. It is the most important step. No one else can teach you better than the Holy Spirit Himself. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 47, we read about Joseph handling the famine and Joseph’s vow to Jacob. In this Bible study on Genesis 48 and 49 we will read about Jacob blessing Joseph’s two sons namely Ephraim and Manasseh and Jacob blessing his twelve sons.
Backstory on Genesis 47
Joseph’s father, Jacob, and his brothers settle in Goshen, Egypt. During the famine, Joseph uses God’s wisdom to manage the crisis and the Egyptians were compelled to sell their land in exchange for food and Joseph dispersed them throughout Egypt. Jacob knowing about his fast-approaching death calls for Joseph and makes him promise to bury him with his ancestors in Canaan. Joseph agrees to this request.
Without any further delay, let us study together Genesis 48 and Genesis 49, shall we?
Genesis 48 Summary
Jacob was gravely ill and nearing death when Joseph arrived with his sons to see him. He recounted how the Lord had blessed him at Luz and had promised to multiply his descendants. He declared that Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were now his own even as Reuben and Simeon (his firstborn sons). Jacob further said that any descendants Joseph would have after them (Ephraim and Manasseh) would be counted as his (Joseph’s).
Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons and bestowed the blessing of the firstborn on the younger son. When Joseph intervened, Jacob said that while the elder (Manasseh) would also become a great nation, the younger (Ephraim) would be greater than the eldest. Jacob also told Joseph that he was dying and that had given a double portion to him (Joseph) than that of his brothers as inheritance. It was a portion that he took from the hands of the Amorites by his own sword and bow.
Genesis 49 Summary
Jacob prophesied to his twelve sons about their futures. He told Reuben, the firstborn, that he would not excel because he defiled his father’s bed. Jacob cursed Simeon and Levi’s anger and council and prophesied that they would be scattered in Israel.
Judah was blessed, receiving the promise of leadership. Zebulun would become a shipping haven, while Issachar would be subservient. Dan would judge Israel, Gad would face persecution but prevail, and Naphtali would speak beautifully.
Joseph was described as fruitful, protected by God despite adversaries. Lastly, Benjamin was compared to a ravenous wolf, devouring and sharing spoils.
Jacob charged his sons with the instruction to bury him in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased from the Hittites to bury Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah were also buried in the same cave, and Jacob revealed that he had buried Leah there as well. He wanted to be laid to rest in that same cave. After giving his final commands to his sons, he drew up his feet onto the bed, breathed his last, and died.
Genesis 48 and Genesis 49 Commentary
1. Genesis 48:5
Jacob adopted his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own sons, granting them the same inheritance privileges as his biological sons. No other grandchildren of Jacob received this honor. In Hebrew, Ephraim means “fruitful, fertile, and productive,” while Manasseh means “to forget.” Joseph named his son Manasseh because God helped him forget his suffering in Egypt. All other sons that Joseph had after Ephraim and Manasseh were to be named after them and would inherit from either Ephraim or Manasseh. In short, Ephraim and Manasseh each became their own tribes, and there were no additional tribes formed after them from the line of Joseph.
Note:
Each of Jacob’s twelve sons had their own tribes except for Joseph who had two tribes – Ephraim and Manasseh. In short, Joseph did not have a tribe of Joseph but the Tribe of Ephraim and the Tribe of Manasseh. Also, Dinah the daughter of Jacob and Leah did not have a tribe.
2. Genesis 48:16-19
The redeeming Angel of the Lord that Jacob refers to in Genesis 48:16 is Jesus Christ Himself. He is the visible God in the Old Testament. When Jacob gave the firstborn blessing to Ephraim instead of Manasseh, Joseph thought it was a mistake. However, Jacob knew what he was doing, despite his dim eyesight. The blessing he gave was a prophetic act; he understood through Godly wisdom that God had blessed Ephraim more than Manasseh and hence he blessed them accordingly. This prophecy begins to take shape from the last part of the book of Judges onward where the tribe of Ephraim begins to outnumber the tribe of Manasseh.
3. Genesis 48:22
Jacob blessed Joseph and told him that he had given him one portion (which is a Shechem), more than his brothers which he took from the hand of the Amorite by his sword and bow. It is unclear if the Shechem that Jacob speaks about refers to the land of Shechem or simply a portion. By giving Joseph a double portion, Jacob officially declares Joseph to be his firstborn because the firstborn inherits a double portion of all his father’s wealth. Jacob seals this by also adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons thereby giving Joseph twice the inheritance of his other brothers through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim.
Jacob transferred Reuben’s firstborn birthright to Joseph because of Reuben’s actions. Also, Rachel was Jacob’s beloved wife which would ideally make Joseph his firstborn (in his eyes) and not Reuben. Reuben came from Leah whom Jacob was deceived into marrying by his uncle Laban.
4. Genesis 49:3-4
Reuben did not please Jacob. He prophesied that Reuben shall not excel because he slept with Jacob’s concubine Bilhah (Genesis 35:22) and thereby defiled his father’s bed. Bilhah was Leah’s handmaid who bore Naphtali and Dan to Jacob. Reuben lost his firstborn birthright even before Jacob died because Jacob gave it to Joseph.
5. Genesis 49:5-7
Simeon and Levi killed Hamor, Shechem, and the inhabitants of the land using deception to take revenge for their sister Dinah’s defilement by Shechem when she went to explore the city on her own. Jacob did not agree with their actions then, so when he prophesied about what would happen to them in the last days, he cursed their anger and prophesied that they would be scattered in Israel. He did not want his name to be associated with these two sons and their actions. Simeon and Levi sinned in their anger and failed to hold their peace or consult God or their father, Jacob, before taking action against the Hivites (read Genesis 34).
6. Genesis 49:8-12
Jacob blessed Judah, saying that his name would be praised among his brothers, and that his enemies would be subdued before him. Judah handled matters well and kept his promise to Jacob when he became a surety for Benjamin. Judah is compared to a lion whelp in Jacob’s prophecy.
Prophecy about Jesus Christ
In Genesis 49:10, Israel prophesies about the Lion of the Tribe of Judah—Jesus Christ. The scepter of the rule shall not depart from Judah, and this tribe will always have a lawgiver. Shiloh here in this context refers to the Messiah, the Peaceful One-Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace. This prophecy was fulfilled because Jesus Christ, from the tribe of Judah, now rules and reigns as King forever. Until the moment Jesus Christ arrived, Judah always had a King and after Jesus Christ arrived He is the eternal King and the King of all kings.
Verses 10-12 of Genesis 49 state that To Him (notice the uppercase ‘H’) shall be the obedience of the people. All the people are subject under Jesus Christ as every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. He binds the donkey to the vine—Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Jesus also entered Jerusalem on a donkey. He washed his garments in wine and his clothes in the blood of grapes – this refers to the Lord taking vengeance on His enemies after threshing the wicked on the threshing floor. The verse – His eyes are darker than wine and teeth whiter than milk is a description about Jesus again.
7.Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph was Jacob’s favorite even before he rose to power because he was the firstborn of Rachel, who was Jacob’s beloved wife. Jacob compared Joseph to a fruitful bough, which represents the most important branch of a tree, with branches that extend over the wall. The archers mentioned in verses 23-24 refer to his brothers, as well as the Egyptians under whom he was enslaved, and the persecution he faced in Egypt while he was a slave and when he was unjustly imprisoned for something he did not do.
However, Jacob recounts how Joseph was strengthened by God Almighty, who is the Shepherd of Israel. Jacob’s blessing to Joseph exceeded Abraham’s and Isaac’s blessing to Jacob. He was fruitful because he was prosperous beyond measure in a culture that was often hostile to the Jews, and he showed compassion to his brothers who had sold him into slavery in Egypt even though he had the power to take revenge on them and hurt them.
Genesis 48 and Genesis 49 Lessons
1. God does exceedingly more than what you even ask or think
Jacob didn’t even expect to see Joseph face to face because he thought he was dead. But the Lord not only revealed Joseph to him, but also showed him Joseph’s two sons. Often, we yearn for something and might think it is out of reach or it is too late. However, if we are righteous before God and have a covenant with Him, He goes above and beyond to meet our needs and expectations because He truly wishes the best for us.
2. A parent’s blessing is powerful especially when done under the power of God
Jacob, guided by God, prophesied to his twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. He foretold their futures, and every prophecy he made came to pass within their respective tribes. There are two key aspects to consider: First, Jacob, as a father and a figure of authority, had a significant impact on his sons’ lives through his blessings and curses. Second, he prophesied under the power of God, resulting in each prophecy being fulfilled.
Interestingly, God emphasizes the importance of honoring one’s parents in the Ten Commandments, linking it to a long and prosperous life on earth. We cannot dishonor our parents and expect to live successfully, because we did not choose our parents—God did.
3. First born does not automatically mean higher privelege
Being the firstborn does not guarantee perfection or greater blessings than those received by siblings. This is evident in the stories of Esau and Jacob, as well as Manasseh and Ephraim. In the case of Esau, he sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew, showing that he did not honor or value his birthright. Isaac, though not Abraham’s firstborn, was the promised son. God chose Isaac over Ishmael and Abel over Cain. In these examples, God’s chosen ones were clearly the younger siblings, not the elders. Therefore, the order of birth does not confer special privileges before God. What truly matters is one’s heart posture towards God, regardless of birth order, as that is what God honors.
4. Bad actions have terrible consequences
Reuben’s actions with Bilhah cost him his birthright and his relationship with his father. Similarly, Simeon and Levi’s anger was cursed by Jacob, leading to the scattering of their tribes throughout Israel. Their actions did not only impact themselves; they also affected their entire tribes.
Often, our actions (good and bad) influence not just ourselves, but also the people around us. This is true in any situation, whether within a family, at work, or in society. Therefore, it is wise to act thoughtfully and with Godly wisdom in every circumstance.
Conclusion
This concludes the bible study lesson on Genesis 48 and Genesis 49. I hope you enjoyed this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. Feel free to share it with others. Also, share your thoughts about it and what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about Genesis 48 and 49. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until next time!