Genesis 48:17

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Joseph	יוֹסֵ֗ף yo.Sef	H3130	Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
saw	וַיַּ֣רְא vai.Yar'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
father	אָבִ֧יו 'a.Viv	H1	father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
laid	יָשִׁ֨ית ya.Shit	H7896	to place (in a very wide application) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
right	יְמִינ֛וֹ ye.mi.No	H3225	the right hand or side (leg · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
hand	יַד yad-	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct
head	רֹ֥אשׁ rosh	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Ephraim	אֶפְרַ֖יִם 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
displeased	יָרַע yâraʻ	H3415	properly
up	וַיִּתְמֹ֣ךְ vai.yit.Mokh	H8551	to sustain · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
father’s	אָבִ֗יו 'a.Viv	H1	father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
hand	יַד yad-	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct
remove	לְהָסִ֥יר le.ha.Sir	H5493	to turn off (literal or figurative) · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
Ephraim’s	אֶפְרַ֖יִם 'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · proper noun, a man's name
head	רֹאשׁ rosh-	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Manasseh’s	מְנַשֶּֽׁה me.na.Sheh	H4519	Menashsheh · proper noun, a man's name
head	רֹ֥אשׁ rosh	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · noun, common masculine singular construct

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guidi…
Romans 9:7-8 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Genesis 28:8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
Genesis 38:10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
Numbers 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt amo…
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth…
1 Kings 16:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him.
1 Chronicles 21:7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 48:8–end

Here is, I. The blessing with which Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, which is the more remarkable because the apostle makes such particular mention of it (Heb 11:21), while he says nothing of the blessing which Jacob pronounced on the rest of his sons, though that also was done in faith. Observe here, 1. Jacob was blind for age, Gen 48:10. It is one of the common infirmities of old age. Those that look out at the windows are darkened, Ecc 12:3. It is folly to walk in the sight of our eyes, and to suffer our hearts to go after them, while we know death will shortly close them, and we do not know but some accident between us and death may darken them. Jacob, like his father before him, wh…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 48:13

Joseph took them both--The very act of pronouncing the blessing was remarkable, showing that Jacob's bosom was animated by the spirit of prophecy.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 48:16

The Angel which redeemed me from all evil - המלאך הגאל hammalac haggoel. The Messenger, the Redeemer or Kinsman; for so גאל goel signifies; for this term, in the law of Moses, is applied to that person whose right it is, from his being nearest akin, to redeem or purchase back a forfeited inheritance. But of whom does Jacob speak? We have often seen, in the preceding chapters, an angel of God appearing to the patriarchs; (see particularly Gen 16:7 (note)) and we have full proof that this was no created angel, but the Messenger of the Divine Council, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who then was the angel that redeemed Jacob, and whom he invoked to bless Ephraim and Manasseh? Is it not Jesus? He alone c…

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John Gill on Genesis 48:17

And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him,.... To see the younger preferred to the elder; parents, generally speaking, having the greatest regard to the firstborn with respect to honour and estate, and to them, in those times, the patriarchal blessing particularly was thought to belong; but it did not always go to them, but to the younger, as in Jacob's own case: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head; he took him by the right hand, and lifted it up from the head of Ephraim, and held it in order that he might put it by his direction on the head of Manasseh.

Dictionary and topics

Jacob — One who follows on another’s heels; supplanter, (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:2-4), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was…
Birthright · .That of Manasseh — .That of Manasseh
Ephraim · .Blessed before Manasseh; prophecies concerning — .Blessed before Manasseh; prophecies concerning
First Born, The · Instances of superseded: Manasseh — Instances of superseded: Manasseh
Firstborn · .Set asi — .Set asi
Intercession · EXEMPLIFIED — EXEMPLIFIED
Manasseh · .Adopted by Jacob on his — .Adopted by Jacob on his
Parents · Good - Exemplified: Joseph — Good - Exemplified: Joseph

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 48:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 48:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 48:13

Adam Clarke on Genesis 48:16

John Gill on Genesis 48:17

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 48:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 48:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 48:13

Adam Clarke on Genesis 48:16

John Gill on Genesis 48:17

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 48:17-18

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 48:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 48:17-19

Rashi on Genesis 48:1