Genesis 48:14 kjv

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, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Genesis 48:14 nkjv

Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Genesis 48:14 niv

But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

Genesis 48:14 esv

And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).

Genesis 48:14 nlt

But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys' heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn.

Genesis 48 verses

Genesis 48 14 Meaning

Genesis 48:14 describes Jacob, also called Israel, deliberately crossing his hands to confer a specific blessing upon Joseph's two sons. He placed his right, primary hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger son, and his left, secondary hand on the head of Manasseh, who was the firstborn. This act signified a divine reversal of the conventional birth order regarding the preeminence of the blessing, indicating God's sovereign choice rather than human custom.

Genesis 48 14 Context

Genesis 48 details Jacob, near the end of his life in Egypt, bestowing blessings upon Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph brings his sons to Jacob, positioning Manasseh (the elder) to Jacob's right, and Ephraim (the younger) to Jacob's left, in accordance with the customary placement for receiving the more significant blessing from the elder's right hand. Verse 14 specifically highlights Jacob's intentional act of crossing his hands, contrary to Joseph's arrangement and prevailing cultural custom. This pivotal moment underscores Jacob's prophetic insight and God's sovereign will, elevating Ephraim over Manasseh, a decision later affirmed by Jacob despite Joseph's confusion.

Genesis 48 14 Word analysis

• And Israel: Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל (vayyishlach Yisrael). Significance: Jacob is referred to as "Israel" (Gen 32:28), emphasizing his transformed spiritual identity and his role as God's representative conveying a divinely guided blessing, not merely a personal one. This blessing carries covenantal weight.
• stretched out: Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁלַח (vayyishlach). Significance: Implies a deliberate, purposeful action. Jacob was not feeble or confused by age; his action was intentional, driven by divine inspiration, not senility.
• his right hand: Hebrew: יְמִינוֹ (y'mino). Significance: The right hand symbolizes power, authority, strength, and preeminence in biblical culture. It was the hand designated to confer the primary blessing or authority (e.g., Ex 15:6; Ps 118:16).
• and laid it: Hebificance: Further emphasizes the physical act of imparting a blessing.
• on the head: Significance: Placing hands on the head is a traditional gesture for imparting blessing, authority, or Spirit-filled insight in the Bible (e.g., Gen 27:27; Dt 34:9; Mk 10:16; Acts 8:17). The head represents the whole person.
• of Ephraim: Significance: Ephraim was the younger son of Joseph. By receiving the right-hand blessing, he was supernaturally elevated to the position of firstborn regarding the blessing's substance (Gen 48:19).
• who was the younger: Hebrew: הַקָּטֹן (haqaton). Significance: This explicit clarification highlights the deliberate reversal of convention and human expectation. It reinforces that God's choice is not bound by human systems like primogeniture.
• and his left hand: Hebrew: שְׂמֹאלוֹ (smoloh). Significance: The left hand held secondary importance compared to the right. While still conferring a blessing, it indicated a lesser degree of prominence.
• on Manasseh's head: Significance: Manasseh was Joseph's elder son. Though blessed, his position was lesser than Ephraim's.
• although Manasseh was the firstborn: Hebrew: הַבְּכוֹר (habekhor). Significance: This further stresses the counter-cultural and divine nature of Jacob's action. It challenges the common belief of the time that the firstborn always received the greatest blessing. This echoes previous divine choices (Cain/Abel, Ishmael/Isaac, Esau/Jacob).

• "stretched out his right hand... on Ephraim... and his left hand on Manasseh's head": This phrase describes Jacob's deliberate "crossing" of his hands. This physical action visually symbolizes the overturning of the expected order. It’s a prophetic act demonstrating God's sovereign freedom to choose.
• "Ephraim, who was the younger... Manasseh was the firstborn": This contrasting parallel emphasizes the point that Jacob was aware of the sons' birth order, making his choice an intentional reversal, not a mistake of old age or blindness. It sets the stage for God's pattern of electing according to His will, not human standards or custom, laying a polemic against reliance on primogeniture alone.

Genesis 48 14 Bonus section

The deliberate crossing of Jacob's hands, often termed the "blessing with crossed hands," became a visual metaphor for God's election being counter-intuitive to human systems. It underscores a key biblical theme where God frequently chooses the "younger" or the "weaker" to achieve His purposes, such as David over his older brothers (1 Sam 16), and ultimately, His redemptive plan through an unexpected Messiah (Jn 1:46). This verse serves as a historical and theological anchor demonstrating God's authority to establish a new order of inheritance and favor.

Genesis 48 14 Commentary

Genesis 48:14 reveals a profound moment where Jacob, empowered by his new identity as "Israel" and guided by divine inspiration, actively defies cultural expectations. By crossing his hands to give Ephraim, the younger son, the superior blessing traditionally reserved for the firstborn, Manasseh, Jacob demonstrates God's sovereign prerogative. This act is not an accidental mix-up by an old man but a prophetic declaration. It serves as a reminder that God’s methods and choices often contradict human wisdom and established norms. This prophetic reordering anticipates Ephraim's future tribal prominence (despite later spiritual failures) and exemplifies God's freedom to elevate the humble, bypass the customary, and fulfill His purposes through those He chooses, regardless of natural birthright. It mirrors earlier divine elections and sets a pattern for future instances in the history of Israel, ultimately pointing to Christ, chosen not by earthly lineage alone, but by divine appointment.