Genesis 48-50    Listen

What are they doing in Egypt anyway? (Genesis 48:1-4)

1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
4 and said to me, “Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

Joseph gets word that Jacob (Israel) is sick, even near death. He heads over to see him before he dies and takes his two boys, Manasseh and Ephraim. Take special note of verses 3-4, "And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'" Jacob is referring to his conversation with God in Genesis 35:1-15 (see notes). By the way, "Bethel" was called "Luz" before it was renamed "Bethel." Here's an important question: The famine has been over in Canaan for around 12 years; why didn't Israel move back to Canaan, the land that God gave him? It will become obvious that they overstayed their welcome in Egypt. True...God did tell Jacob to move to Egypt, but one can't help but seriously entertain the idea that he should have moved back to Canaan after the famine had passed. However, there was that prophecy though - the one God gave to Abraham back in Genesis 15:13 (see notes), "Then He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.'" Well, that's what happened all right. Of course God knew they wouldn't go home when they had the chance.

Jacob adopts Joseph's two sons (Genesis 48:5-22)

5 And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 ¶ Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 ¶ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” ¶ And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 ¶ So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him.
14 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.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said:
“God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 ¶ 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.
18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 ¶ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 ¶ So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 ¶ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Joseph's boys were sons of the second most powerful man in Egypt. Arguably, they had it made. When Joseph brings his two sons to Grandpa Jacob for a blessing, the old dying man adopts them. Look at verse 5, "And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine." In verse 6 Jacob tells Joseph that his other children remain his, but not Ephraim and Manasseh. As a matter of fact, they obviously dwelled with the tribes of Israel in Goshen (at least later on), because that's where we find them in the Book of Exodus. The boys get blessed by Jacob. And in the tradition started by Grandpa Abraham, Jacob blesses the younger son (Ephraim) as though he were the older of the two. Joseph objects, but Jacob proceeds; it was just their way (Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau).

Verse 22 is somewhat of a puzzler, "Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow." We were not presented the details of the occasion to which Jacob alludes - the time when he took a piece of property by force from the Amorites, although we do find this entry in John 4:5 (see notes), "So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph." It would appear that this piece of property was still identified as such in Jesus' day. Sychar is located within sight of Shechem, the city ransacked by Simeon and Levi back in Genesis 34 (see notes). Some commentators have suggested that Jacob is talking about the actions of Simeon and Levi here. Or...perhaps there was an undocumented incident where Jacob took such actions. Whatever, the property referenced here was located within the territory later allocated to Joseph's son, Manasseh.

There is one additional stipulation which may not be apparent from just this passage of scripture. We are told in I Chronicles 5:1 (see notes), "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright." Reuben's double portion as firstborn son will go to Ephraim and Manasseh. That makes room for each of Joseph's boys to have an equal portion with the other sons of Jacob. To put it simply, Ephraim and Manasseh get Joseph's one portion and half of Reuben's double portion.

I suppose it is worth noting here that Ephraim was Joshua's tribe...the tribe of Judge Samuel also. Later, Ephraim became synonymous with the Northern Kingdom of Israel in prophetic scripture, perhaps because its founding King, Jeroboam, was from that tribe. The Northern Kingdom never served God; their demise came in 721 B.C. at the hands of the Assyrians. Therefore, Ephraim taking the lead there could have something to do with the flip-flopped blessing by Jacob in this passage - the younger Ephraim getting blessed as the firstborn son even though Manasseh was older.

Time for Jacob to bless his sons (Genesis 49:1-28)

1 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:
2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob,
And listen to Israel your father.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—
He went up to my couch.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united to their assembly;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.
8 “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.
13 “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea;
He shall become a haven for ships,
And his border shall adjoin Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good,
And that the land was pleasant;
He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden,
And became a band of slaves.
16 “Dan shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
19 “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him,
But he shall triumph at last.
20 “Bread from Asher shall be rich,
And he shall yield royal dainties.
21 “Naphtali is a deer let loose;
He uses beautiful words.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
And at night he shall divide the spoil.”
28 ¶ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

Jacob has a long memory. When he blesses Reuben, he brings up that incident where Reuben defiled his step mother in Genesis 35:22 (see notes). The whole incident then was summed up within a single verse there, and it happened many years before. Therefore, Reuben can't be happy to hear that incident brought up again on Jacob's deathbed. Notice the words Jacob utters in verse 4 concerning Reuben, "Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch." I know we referenced it earlier, but let's take notice again what we are told in I Chronicles 5:1 (see notes), "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright." That means that Reuben gets passed over with the double portion usually given to the eldest son. Ephraim and Manasseh get Joseph's one portion and half of Reuben's double portion. This firstborn double-portion law does get codified in the Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 21:15-17 (see notes); that made passing over the eldest son with a double portion contrary to Mosaic Law going forward.

Then he really surprises Simeon and Levi with his blessing over them; he brings up the time that they murdered all the men in Shechem in Genesis 34 (see notes). So what? That's ancient history, right? Not really! Look at the blessing (or curse) that Jacob says over those two boys because of that incident in verse 7, "...I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel." As a matter of fact, who are the two tribes who did not receive their own distinct regions of possession in Canaan in the Book of Joshua? Answer: Simeon (dwelled in specific cities inside Judah) and Levi (the priestly tribe was not assigned their own tribal territory). The Tribe of Levi redeemed their standing in Exodus 32:26-29 (see notes) when they stood with Moses (also a Levite) after the golden-calf incident. Subsequently, the Levites gained special status as a replacement for the firstborn of Israel in Numbers 3 (see notes). It is interesting to see how that Jacob's blessing of Levi was realized in that the Levites were scattered throughout Israel as priests after they inhabited Canaan.

So...with Reuben's negative word (verses 3-4) followed by that of Levi and Simeon (verses 5-7), that leaves Judah as the oldest son who actually gets a real blessing out of this...and what a blessing it is! Here are five verses dedicated to Judah's blessing (8-12). From the description of this blessing given here, it sounds like you might expect royalty to be born from his descendants (King David and the Messiah).

There's no certainty regarding to what "Shiloh" in verse 10 has reference. Some have speculated that it's a reference to the Messiah. It is worth noting that it was Judah who guaranteed the safe return of Benjamin to Jacob, and he took charge of that Egypt mission to buy more food and secure the release of Simeon back in Genesis 43 (see notes). Moreover, when the family journeyed from Canaan to Egypt, we see that it was Judah (not the older three, Reuben, Simeon or Levi) who led them into Egypt (Genesis 46, see notes). It certainly appears as though Jacob favored Judah with the first-son status after the transgressions of Reuben, Simeon and Levi. However, it should also be remembered that Jacob had taken the oldest-son-double-portion that would have ordinarily gone to Reuben and gave it to Joseph's two sons instead, as explained in I Chronicles 5:1 (see notes). This blessing of Joseph's sons took place in Genesis 48:5-22 (see above).

Jacob starts his blessings with the first four sons in order, then he deviates from that order; the remaining blessings on the sons of Jacob continue down through verse 28. Lasting effects of the blessings on the first four sons are evident, but it is difficult to relate with any certainty later effects of these blessings on the remaining tribes. Nevertheless, speculation abounds in various commentaries on the Old Testament regarding the future impact of these blessings on the remaining tribes. Moses blesses the tribes just prior to their entry into Canaan in Deuteronomy 33 (see notes).

Jacob wants to die with dignity (Genesis 49:29-33)

29 ¶ Then he charged them and said to them: “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.
32 The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.”
33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Here's the dying man's request: "Take me back and bury me with my relatives." He wants to be buried in the land with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah in the cave he bought from the local Canaanite (Genesis 23, see notes) down near Hebron. He knows that's where he belongs, so why had he not moved back there sooner? Do you suppose that the royal treatment and prosperity in Egypt was just too appealing to leave? Then Jacob passes away. One can't help but admire his graceful exit from this life in verse 33, "And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. "

By the way, Rachel died back in Genesis 35:19 (see notes) and was buried about 14 miles north of the rest of the clan up near Bethlehem.

A big ol' royal funeral (Genesis 50:1-14)

1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him, and kissed him.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4 ¶ Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,
5 “My father made me swear, saying, ‘Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”
6 ¶ And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 ¶ So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.
9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
10 ¶ Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father.
11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12 ¶ So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them.
13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place.
14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

First of all, they embalm Jacob, and the Egyptians mourn his passing for 70 days. Joseph then gets Pharaoh's permission for a big procession to the cemetery...way up in Canaan. We've all been in some long funeral processions, but this one was around 275 miles. It was a sight to behold - a display in Egyptian royal style with a host of Egyptian folks accompanying Jacob's boys back to Canaan. Apparently they didn't take the short route back through Gaza. It would appear from verse 10 that they went directly east and passed the Dead Sea before turning north. Apparently they followed the coast of the Dead Sea going north until they camped on the Jordan (at the threshing floor of Atad) for seven days before crossing over into Canaan. That was about 75 or so miles out of the way. Perhaps they did not want to alarm the local populace with the large entourage of Egyptians. It is worth noting that this is the route that Moses would later take to Canaan after the exile.

It's a good thing they embalmed him before the trip. Click here if you want to see a map of Joseph's journeys. Now let's see...70 days of mourning directly after Jacob's death, followed by a 275-mile trip to the cemetery and back (probably another 30 to 50 days) - they must have dedicated four months or so to the burial of Jacob. You just don't get more attention than that after your death.

Jacob's boys get a little worried (Genesis 50:15-21)

15 ¶ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying,
17 “Thus you shall say to Joseph: ‘I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 ¶ Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 ¶ Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

It's been a long time since Jacob's boys sold their seventeen-year-old brother into slavery; do you suppose he holds a grudge? With Jacob dead, that becomes the big question among the brothers. They immediately humble themselves before Joseph to see if this is going to be a problem. Joseph gives them consolation in verses 19-20, "Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Naaaaaw! He's not bitter.

And finally...Joseph dies (Genesis 50:22-26)

22 ¶ So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.
24 ¶ And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Joseph took care of his father's family until his death at 110. Egypt had been his home since he was 17 years old, 93 years ago. He had the nice executive position there for 80 years. His family had been under his care for just over 70 years. We see in verse 25 that Joseph's dying wish is to be buried back in Canaan also - wants his bones transported back there after his death. Moses fulfills that request in Exodus 13:19 (see notes), when he picks up Joseph's bones upon leaving Egypt. After their Canaan conquest, they deposit those bones in a grave in Shechem (Joshua 24:32, see notes). Many have used this precedent of the intense attention to the burial of one's bones as a case against cremation. In actuality, the means whereby one's body is disposed of at death is not directly addressed by scripture.

In my opinion, now would be an excellent time for the whole family to head back to Canaan to live, but it will be several centuries before they actually do so.