Gen. 48 Jacob being sick, Joseph comes and visits him, Gen. 48:1–2. Jacob declares God’s appearances and promises to him, Gen. 48:3–4; adopts Joseph’s two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to be fathers of two tribes in Israel, Gen. 48:5–6; mentions Rachel’s death, and the place where he buried her, Gen.

To obtain his venerable and religious father’s blessing for them.

He got new strength, his spirits being quickened and refreshed by the tidings of Joseph’s approach, and he put forth all the strength which he had.

Thy two sons are mine, by adoption: I shall own them as if they were my immediate children, and each of them shall have equal share, both in my present estate, and future inheritance of Canaan, with the rest of my children.

Shall be reputed as thy children, and my grandchildren, and shall not have any distinct share in my present or future inheritance, but shall have a part of their brethren’s lot, in such manner and proportion as thou shalt think fit, or as their succeeding parents or governors shall determine.

Rachel died by me; or, beside me; near me, before mine eyes, I seeing, but not being able to help her in her extremity; which makes the remembrance of it more grievous to me.

For Jacob’s eyes were dim through age and infirmity, as is observed Gen. 48:10, and therefore he could not distinctly discern them.

Or, that I may bless them, not with a common, but with a paternal, and patriarchal, and prophetical blessing, in the name and by the Spirit of God, praying for and foretelling those blessings which God will confer upon them.

From between his knees; not his own knees, from which they had been taken before, but Jacob’s knees, between which they stood whilst Jacob kissed and embraced them; from which Joseph removed them, partly that they might not be burdensome to their aged and weak grandfather, and principally that he…

The right hand was more honourable both in Scripture account, and amongst the Gentiles. Laid it upon Ephraim’s head; which was a rite used often, and in divers cases, as in the conferring of offices either sacred or civil, as Num. 8:10, Deut.

He blessed Joseph, not now in his person, but in his children, which yet is called here a blessing of Joseph, because they were a part of himself. In which sense, and upon the same ground, the land of Canaan is ofttimes said to be not only promised, but given to Abraham and Isaac, & c., not as if…

The Angel; not surely a created angel, but Christ Jesus, who is called an Angel, Ex. 23:20, and the Angel of the covenant, Mal. 3:1, who was the conductor of the Israelites in the wilderness, as plainly appears by comparing of Ex. 23:20–21, with 1 Cor. 10:4, 1 Cor. 10:9.

It displeased him, because of that affection which parents generally have for their first-born. See Gen. 21:11.

Greater than he; so the tribe of Ephraim was both in number, Num. 1:32–33, Num. 1:35, Num. 2:19, Num. 2:21, Deut. 33:17, and in power and privileges; for that tribe was the seat first of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the kingdom.

In thee, i.e. in thy seed, as appears both from the relative them here, and from Gen. 48:15, where his blessing of them is called the blessing of Joseph; and from the following words, where this is interpreted of Ephraim and Manasseh. And in thee, or in thy seed, i.e.

Behold, I die, i.e. I am about to die; the present time for that which will shortly and certainly be, as Gen. 19:13, Gen. 20:3, John 14:2. The land of your fathers, i.e. Canaan; their land, 1. By habitation, as Nazareth is called Christ’s country because he dwelt in it. 2.

i.e. I do now give to thee the right, and I do prophetically give, and God will really and actually give unto thy son Ephraim, or his and posterity, who shall possess this part over above that portion which shall fall to him by lot.