Genesis 48:17 kjv
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.
Genesis 48:17 nkjv
Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
Genesis 48:17 niv
When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
Genesis 48:17 esv
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
Genesis 48:17 nlt
But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim's head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
Genesis 48 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 25:23 | And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb... and the elder shall serve the younger. | Divine reversal of birthright (Jacob/Esau). |
| Gen 27:30-36 | As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob... Esau came in from his hunting... he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry... "He took away my blessing." | Patriarchal blessings are effective and not reversible. |
| Gen 49:22-26 | Joseph is a fruitful bough... His bow abode in strength... The blessings of thy father... | Jacob's later extensive blessing of Joseph. |
| Deut 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 the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. | Echoes Ephraim's greater future prominence. |
| Judg 8:1-2 | And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus...? And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? | Ephraim's historical importance and prominence. |
| 1 Sam 16:6-7 | When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before him." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him... the LORD sees not as man sees." | God's choice is based on His perspective, not human criteria like primogeniture. |
| 1 Chr 5:1-2 | Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel... forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph... yet was Judah pre-eminent among his brethren, and from him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph's. | Reaffirmation that Joseph (via his sons) received Reuben's birthright. |
| Psa 17:7 | Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. | "Right hand" as symbol of God's saving power. |
| Psa 44:3 | For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. | God's right hand signifying favor and strength. |
| Psa 77:10 | And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. | "Right hand" associated with God's active intervention. |
| Psa 110:1 | The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. | Prophetic image of Christ's exalted position at God's right hand. |
| Psa 118:15-16 | The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. | Emphasizes the strength and effectiveness of God's right hand. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. | God's actions often transcend human understanding or expectation. |
| Mark 14:62 | And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. | Christ's exalted place at God's right hand. |
| Heb 1:3 | Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. | Christ seated at the right hand of God. |
| Heb 11:21 | By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. | Highlights Jacob's blessing act as an act of faith, guided by divine insight. |
| Rom 9:10-13 | And not only so, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. | God's sovereign choice, irrespective of birth order or human merit, for His purpose. |
| 1 Cor 1:27-28 | But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. | God's pattern of choosing the seemingly less significant to achieve His purposes. |
Genesis 48 verses
Genesis 48 17 Meaning
Genesis 48:17 describes Joseph's strong disapproval when he witnessed his father, Jacob, deliberately placing his right hand, symbolizing the greater blessing, on the head of Ephraim, the younger son, instead of Manasseh, the elder. Joseph attempted to intervene by moving Jacob's hand, believing his father was mistaken.
Genesis 48 17 Context
Genesis 48 records Jacob (Israel) on his deathbed, preparing to bless Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, whom he formally adopts as his own (Gen 48:5). This adoption means Ephraim and Manasseh will each become heads of distinct tribes in Israel, receiving an inheritance equal to Jacob's other sons, thereby granting Joseph a double portion of the birthright. Joseph positions his sons, Manasseh (the elder) to Jacob's right and Ephraim (the younger) to Jacob's left, anticipating that Jacob would place his favored right hand on the elder, Manasseh, in accordance with the cultural norm of primogeniture and traditional blessing. However, Jacob, guided by divine insight rather than his failing eyesight, crosses his hands, placing his right hand on the younger Ephraim, and his left hand on the elder Manasseh. Verse 17 captures Joseph's immediate reaction to this unexpected and culturally significant act.
Genesis 48 17 Word analysis
- And when Joseph saw: Joseph's visual perception and understanding based on common expectation and societal custom.
- that his father laid his right hand: "Laid" (שִׂים, śîm) implies deliberate placement. "His right hand" (יְמִינוֹ, yəmînô, from יָמִין, yāmîn), is profoundly significant. In biblical culture, the right hand symbolizes primary strength, authority, power, honor, and the superior blessing or inheritance. It consistently indicates favor and preeminence.
- upon the head of Ephraim: Direct contact for the impartation of blessing. Ephraim is the younger of Joseph's two sons.
- it displeased him: "Displeased" (וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינָיו, wayyēraʿ b'êynâw), literally "it was evil in his eyes." This phrase indicates strong disapproval, grief, or offense. Joseph saw Jacob's action as an error or a grievous mistake, contrasting sharply with his own expectation and the cultural norm. His human reasoning failed to grasp the divine guidance Jacob was receiving.
- and he took hold of his father's hand: Joseph's immediate, physical intervention to correct what he perceived as a mistake. He asserted himself to try to guide the blessing.
- to remove it: His intention was clear: to undo the unexpected arrangement.
- from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head: To restore what he believed was the correct and proper order, ensuring the traditional blessing of the elder over the younger.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim: This act directly contradicts primogeniture and Joseph's human understanding. It signifies Jacob's prophetic insight over physical sight, emphasizing divine sovereign choice which often reverses human expectations.
- it displeased him: This highlights the human perspective clashing with divine purpose. Joseph, despite his great wisdom in Egypt, did not perceive the spiritual dimension of Jacob's action. It speaks to the limits of human wisdom when faced with God's unique ways.
- he took hold of his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head: This reflects Joseph's immediate and confident assumption that his father had erred due to old age or poor vision. It underlines the human inclination to impose order and correct what appears "wrong" according to established norms, even when God is working supernaturally.
Genesis 48 17 Bonus section
The deliberate crossing of Jacob's hands, placing the right on Ephraim and the left on Manasseh, is a profound visual prophecy. While not explicitly mentioned in Gen 48:17 itself, the subsequent verses (Gen 48:18-20) reveal Jacob's conscious and deliberate intent, even stating, "I know it, my son, I know it." This confirms his actions were not accidental but divinely guided, serving as a powerful demonstration that God’s blessings and purposes are not determined by natural birth order or human merit, but by His sovereign election. This divine pattern of favoring the younger or the unexpected runs through many narratives in the Bible, from Jacob and Esau, to David being chosen over his elder brothers, and ultimately to the new covenant where God’s grace elevates the humble. The significance of Jacob's crossed hands is frequently explored by scholars as symbolizing God's unconventional distribution of blessing and power, ultimately establishing the framework for the future tribes of Israel.
Genesis 48 17 Commentary
Genesis 48:17 encapsulates a pivotal moment revealing God's sovereignty and His counter-cultural methods. Joseph, with logical human reasoning and a respect for established custom (primogeniture), presumed his frail, near-blind father was mistaken. He was offended by Jacob placing the blessing of the favored right hand on Ephraim, the younger. This immediate reaction from Joseph highlights a recurring biblical theme: God's ways are higher than human ways (Isa 55:8-9), and He often chooses the seemingly lesser, the younger, or the unexpected to achieve His purposes. Jacob, despite his physical blindness, possessed prophetic spiritual sight (Heb 11:21), discerning God's will for the future prominence of Ephraim. Joseph's attempt to intervene underscores his inability, at that moment, to grasp the divine election guiding Jacob. This passage prefigures the future where Ephraim's descendants would indeed become numerically and politically dominant among the northern tribes of Israel. It serves as a reminder that God's plan is not confined by human logic, societal traditions, or even well-meaning human intervention.