Genesis 48

Genesis 48:1

VVIth him his two sonnes] To professe a dutifull respect unto their venerable grandfather, and to receive his blessing at his farewell from the world.

Genesis 48:2

strengthened himselfe] The approch of his most honoured and most beloved sonne Joseph, so affected his heart and quickened his spirits, that he could raise up himselfe from lying to sitting, as if a new degree of strength had beene put into him.

Genesis 48:3

at Luz] See Annot. on Chap. 28. 19.

Genesis 48:4

an everlasting possession] Which may be understood literally, in respect of the carnall seed of Jsrael, and the earthly Canaan, but then it must be taken with condition of keeping Covenant with God; and spiritually in respect of the true Israelites (who are the faithfull onely) and the heavenly Canaan, which is indeed an everlasting possession in the most literall and strongest acception of the word everlasting; for both the place it selfe, heaven, is everlasting, and shall never either perish, or be impaired, and the possession is everlasting, to those that once make entrance into it, for once admitted thither, they shall never be excluded thence.

Genesis 48:5

Ephraim and Manasseh] Joseph names them otherwise, Manasseh, and Ephraim, according to their birth, (for Manasseh was the elder, vers 14) but Jacob putteth Ephraim first, according to the preeminence of his blessing: See vers. 19.

are mine: as Reuben and Simeon] That is, as if they were not my grandchildren but immediate sonnes unto me, but two of mine eldest sons, as Reuben and Simeon are; and they shall be particular Tribes, Numbers 1:32. as none of the children of mine other sonnes shall be, and shall have their distinct portion in the Land of Canaan: and so in them two thou shalt have a double portion, and therewith the prerogative of the birthright, which Reuben by defiling his fathers bed hath forfeited, 1 Chronicles 5:1. this double portion (as many other things forementioned) being in practice among the Patriarchs before Moses his time, was afterwards put into a law, Deuteronomy 21:17.

Genesis 48:6

which thou begettest after them] Joseph at that time had no more, but these two, Manasseh, and Ephraim, and whether he had any children afterward it is uncertaine; the Scripture saith nothing of them, though Jacobs words imply, either that already he had, or in aftertimes was to have others. But we need not be inquisitive after them, since if he had any more, they were to be sorted (as his grandchildren were) to one of the two Tribes of his forementioned sonnes, and to be called after their names in their inheritance, either Ephraimites, or Manassites.

Genesis 48:7

as for me] The presence of Joseph put Jacob into a stronger apprehension of his most beloved mother Rachel, which affected him much, and moved him to say, as for me, making mention of her death, that lay close to his heart, and was remembred and loved as himselfe.

Rachel died by me] He maketh mention of her, not onely because his mind was so much set upon her that he could not forget her, (though dead long before) but partly to intimate a reason in her name, why he bequeathed the birthright to Josephs children, which might be because Rachel in right was his first wife, and (had his father in law done him right,) Joseph had beene his first-borne; and partly to give a reason why loving her so well he did not bury her there where his ancestors were buried, and where he meant to be laid himselfe; whereof the reason was the urgent necessitie of her buriall neere Bethlehem, who dying in child-bed by the way, could not well be kept unburied untill she could be brought (especially by the slow pace of the flocks) unto the Sepulchre of the Patriarchs.

in the way of Ephrath] This is remembred to make Joseph more willing to bury his father, with his fathers, in the peculiar buriall place separate from participation with Idolaters; for though it were but a little way to Ephrath, or Bethlehem, from the place where Rachel died, Jacob chose rather to bury her in the way, then to bring her body to be laid up among the Sepulchres of Idolaters. See Annot. on Chap. 23. vers. 9.

Genesis 48:8

said, Who are these] He had named them before, 5: 5. but did either not see them, or not well discerne them, by reason of the dimnesse of his sight, vers. 10. they might be at this time about twenty yeares old.

Genesis 48:9

God hath given] The faithfull acknowledge that as the gift of God, which carnall men doe most account to come of themselves.

I will blesse them] The blessing of Jacob, as of Isaac, and Abraham, was more then a meere apprecation of prosperitie; for so may the lesser blesse the greater, and so any one may blesse another; but there was more in it then so, for it was guided with an especiall energie, or operation of Gods Spirit, and so ratified by God, as ordinary blessings were not. See Genesis 27:33.

Genesis 48:11

I had not thought—and loe] God crosseth the conceits of his children to their great comfort, and is good unto them farre beyond their expectation; Jacob thought never to have seene the face of Joseph, and now he seeth both him and his sonnes.

Genesis 48:12

from betweene his knees] Joseph sitting downe, his two sonnes kneeled before him betwixt his knees, whom Joseph thence brought neerer to his father, and set them in a convenient posture to receive the benediction of their grandfather, with imposition of his hands upon the: See the first An. on 5: 14.

he bowed himselfe] This bowing of Joseph might be ceremoniall to his father, and religious towards God upon different grounds and motives; so the people bowed downe their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King, 1 Chronicles 29:20.

Genesis 48:13

toward Israels right hand] The right hand hath the preeminence of the left, because it is stronger, and more active, (although with some people, as with the Turkes, the left be the better hand) especially among souldiers, because it giveth a man some power over his weapons, commonly worne on the left side; and lest Paul should be thought to have the preeminence of Peter, as being placed in a picture or tablet on Peters right hand, some Papists will have it, that in Ecclesiasticall matters the left hand is better, though in civill the dignitie belongeth to the right; but that is refuted by this instance of Jacob and Joseph, for blessing is an Ecclesiasticall, not a Civill thing.

Genesis 48:14

Stretched out his right hand] Here we find the first mention of imposition of hands, which was afterward often used; First, in benediction, as Matth. 19. vers. 13. Secondly, in offerings, Leviticus 1:4. Thirdly, in testification or witnesse-bearing, and assenting, Leviticus 24:14. Deuteronomy 17:7. Fourthly, in extraordinary collation, or bestowing of gifts, and graces, Acts 8:17. Fifthly, in miraculous cures, Mark 6:5.

Luke 4. 40. Acts 28:8. Sixthly, in admission, and ordination of Magistrates and Church-officers, Numbers 8:10. Deuteronomy 34:9. Acts 6:6. and Acts 13:3. 1 Timothy 4:14. which is used in the ordinary Ordination of Pastours of the Church, neither as implying a power to communicate the gifts of the Spirit, nor in any mysticall, or sacramentall signification in that ceremony, but as notifying the party ordained, to the eye by the hand, as well as to the eare by the tongue.

upon Ephraims head] Because from him were to descend the Kings of the ten Tribes. Secondly, this Tribe in glory and numbr was to be superiour to the Tribe of Manasseh, as Jacob foretold, 5: 19. Thirdly, because of Ephraim was Joshua to spring, who was to conduct the people into Canaan, wherein he was a type of Christ.

Guiding his hands wittingly] Hebr. Making his hands to understand. Feeling with his hands which was the fuller, and bigger, he wittingly laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim the younger, and so transferred the birth-right from the elder to the younger, as it was in the case of Esau and Jacob, Chap. 27. and therfore when the Tribes are numbred, Ephraim is mentioned by the name of Joseph, Numbers 1:32. and Manasseh by his own name, 5: 34. & Revelation 7:6. so in the sealing of the tribes it is said, Of the tribe, not of Ephraim, but of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand, Revelation 7:8. intimating that Josephs prerogative descended upon Ephraim, not upon Manasseh. The Doway Translators in their Annotations on this place would have it beleeved, that Jacob crossed his hands in blessing his grandchildren, to prefigure the forme of the Crosse, and Christ dying upon it, whereas it is plaine that Joseph having placed his sonnes so, that Ephraim was set next his left hand, and Manasseh next his right hand, Jacob meaning to bestow the blessing otherwise then Joseph conceived, and had plotted in the posture of them both, was occasioned to lay his armes acrosse, that he might put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and his left hand upon Manasseh.

Genesis 48:16

The Angel] The word Angel here, must be understood of Christ, (who is called an Angel, Malachi 3:1. & Exod. 23. vers. 20, 21.) not of a created Angel, for a created Angel did not redeeme him from all evill, as he saith of him in this verse.

let my name be named] That is, Let them be named the sons, or seed of Jacob, or Israel. See Isaiah 14:1. Jeremiah 14:9. Some Papists from hence would inferre the Invocation of the deceased Saints; and presenting prayers and supplications to them; but others more learned (though Papists also) acknowledge an Hebraisme in the phrase, and expound it in the sense forementioned.

multitude] As fishes doe increase, as the Hebrew phraseth it, for they multiply exceedingly, and so did these sonnes of Joseph, for of them in Moses his time were numbred eightie five thousand and two hundred men meet for warre, Numb. 26. vers. 34. 37. which is above the increase of any of the Tribes, reckoning Manasseh and Ephraim as both reduced to Joseph, and descended from him, for none of his brethren in number of their issue were equall to his Tribe.

Genesis 48:17

it displeased him] Joseph failed in binding Gods grace to the order of nature: Joseph was for the eldest sonnes preeminence, but Gods blessings goe not by a carnall seniority, but by spirituall grace, and choyce; so Abel, Sem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judab, and Joseph being younger, were preferred in favour before Cain, Japhet, Haran, Ishmael, Esau, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, their elder brethren: in this difference betwixt Jacob and Joseph we may note that betwixt the holiest and worthiest persons in neerest relations, as betwixt Jacob, and Joseph, there may be difference in opinion, affection, and endevour for a time. See Galatians 2:11. Acts 15:39.

Genesis 48:19

greater then he] More in number; so in the numbring of the Tribes, Numb. 1. there were reckoned 8300. men more of Ephraim then of Manasseh, and though Numb. 26. the Tribe of Manasseh have the exceeding number, yet after that againe Ephraim is numbred by ten thousands, Manasseh but by thousands, Deuteronomy 33:17. and though both were the progenitours of eminent persons; as of Ephraim came Joshuah and Jeroboam, and others; of Manasseh, Gideon, Jephthah, &c. yet Ephraim in the placing of the children of Israel about the Tabernacle had precedence before Manasseh, Numb. 2. vers. 18. 20. and had the name of Joseph, as Manasseh had not, Numbers 1:32. Revelation 7:8. And in regard of the prevaling of Jeroboam over the ten Tribes, the name of Ephraim is taken for the whole Kingdome of Israel, as Isaiah 7:2. and in divers other places; yet was that Tribe more guilty of Idolatry, then the Tribe of Manasseh, yea more then any, and in most kinds of impietie more infamous then any of the other; in whose example is seene the uncertaintie of goodnesse by descent, and the pronenesse of corrupt nature to Apostasie from God; when Ephraim, once so gracious with God, and man, as to have his name brought into a proverbiall benediction, 5: 20. fals so far frō grace as hath beene said, what trust then to succession of persons, for truth or goodnesse, whether in families, or Churches?

Genesis 48:20

In thee] That is, in thy name; or using thy name; or with reference to thee, or for thy sake; for, for Josephs sake, and in his stead was the blessing of Jacob the father pronounced upon the heads of these two sonnes; so saith Jacob to Joseph.

shall Israel] That is, my posteritie, called by my name.

saying God make thee as Ephraim] A forme of benediction shall be taken up in their names, (as in the blessing of Ruth, God make this woman like Rachel and like Leah, Rth 4:11.) for some speciall graces, and favours of God conferred on their persons, or their Tribes; which might be known among them, though it be not noted in the Scripture: and of those two Tribes as they were personally fruitfull above the rest, so their portions in the Land of Canaan were famous for fertilitie, Adricho. Delph. Theatr. p. 23. & p. 70. & 75. So the Jewes used, and at this day (as Fagius noteth) they use to say over their males, God put thee, or make thee as Ephraim, and Manasseh; and over their female children; God put, or place, or make thee as Sarah, and Rebekah. Of the like forme in cursing, see Jeremiah 29:22.

Genesis 48:21

I die: but God] Though our neerest friends, as mortall and mutable in their condition, leave us, yet God that cannot die will not faile to be with us, and with our surviving posteritie after us, if we by wickednesse doe not give him occasion to forsake us; as Deuteronomy 23:14.

land of your fathers] Which they had by faith in the promise.

Genesis 48:22

Moreover] Of this verse see the explication in the first Annot. on the 30. vers. of the 34. Chapter.