Genesis 48:19

And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
father	אָבִ֗יו 'a.Viv	H1	father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
refused	וַיְמָאֵ֣ן vay.ma.'En	H3985	to refuse · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
know	יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי ya.Da'.ti	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
son	בְנִי֙ ve.Ni	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
know	יָדַ֔עְתִּי ya.Da'.ti	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
people	לְּעָ֖ם le.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
great	יִגְדָּ֑ל yig.Dal	H1431	to be (causatively make) large (in various senses · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
truly	וְאוּלָ֗ם ve.'u.Lam	H199	however or on the contrary · conjunction + adverb
younger	הַקָּטֹן֙ ha.ka.Ton	H6996	abbreviated · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
brother	אָחִ֤יו 'a.Chiv	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
greater	יִגְדַּ֣ל yig.Dal	H1431	to be (causatively make) large (in various senses · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
seed	וְזַרְע֖וֹ ve.zar.'O	H2233	seed · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
multitude	מְלֹֽא me.lo'-	H4393	fulness (literally or figuratively) · noun, common masculine singular construct
nations	הַגּוֹיִֽם ha.go.Yim	H1471	a foreign nation · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute

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

Numbers 1:33-35 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
Deuteronomy 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to…
Genesis 17:20-21 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve pri…
Genesis 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
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…
Numbers 2:19-21 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand and five hundred.
Deuteronomy 1:10 The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Ruth 4:11-12 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like…

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 48:18

Joseph said - Not so, my father - Joseph supposed that his father had made a mistake in laying his right hand on the head of the youngest, because the right hand was considered as the most noble, and the instrument of conveying the highest dignities, and thus it has ever been considered among all nations, though the reason of it is not particularly obvious. Even in the heavens the right hand of God is the place of the most exalted dignity. It has been observed that Joseph spoke here as he was moved by natural affection, and that Jacob acted as he was influenced by the Holy Spirit.

John Gill on Genesis 48:19

And his father refused,.... To have any alteration made, and therefore, though Joseph lifted it up from. Ephraim's head and held it over it, Jacob put it on again and went on with the blessing: and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he knew what he did, and he repeats it to confirm it, as well as to show the vehemency of his mind, and his resolution to abide by what he had done; he knew on whom he laid his right hand, and he knew that Manasseh was the firstborn: so the Targum of Jonathan: and he also shall become a people; a tribe or nation: and he also shall be great; in number, riches, and honour: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he; more numerous, as the tribe of E…

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
Israel · .Prophecies concerning — .Prophecies concerning
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 48:19

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 48:18

John Gill on Genesis 48:19

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 48:19

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 48:18

John Gill on Genesis 48:19

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 48:19-20

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 48:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 48:17-19

Rashi on Genesis 48:1