Genesis 48

Ge 48:1-22.

JOSEPH'S

VISIT TO

HIS

SICK

FATHER.

1. one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick--Joseph was

hastily sent for, and on this occasion he took with him his two

sons.

2. Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed--In the

chamber where a good man lies, edifying and spiritual discourse may be

expected.

3, 4. God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz--The object of Jacob,

in thus reverting to the memorable vision at Beth-el

[Ge 28:10-15]

--one of the great landmarks in his history--was to point out the

splendid promises in reserve for his posterity--to engage Joseph's

interest and preserve his continued connection with the people of God,

rather than with the Egyptians.

4. Behold, I will make thee fruitful--This is a repetition of the

covenant

(Ge 28:13-15; 35:12).

Whether these words are to be viewed in a limited sense, as pointing to

the many centuries during which the Jews were occupiers of the Holy

Land, or whether the words bear a wider meaning and intimate that the

scattered tribes of Israel are to be reinstated in the land of promise,

as their "everlasting possession," are points that have not yet been

satisfactorily determined.

5. thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh--It was the intention of

the aged patriarch to adopt Joseph's sons as his own, thus giving him a

double portion. The reasons for this procedure are stated

(1Ch 5:1, 2).

are mine--Though their connections might have attached them to

Egypt and opened to them brilliant prospects in the land of their

nativity, they willingly accepted the adoption

(Heb 11:25).

9. Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them--The

apostle

(Heb 11:21)

selected the blessing of Joseph's son as the chief, because the most

comprehensive, instance of the patriarch's faith which his whole

history furnishes.

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.

21. Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die--The patriarch could

speak of death with composure, but he wished to prepare Joseph and the

rest of the family for the shock.

but God shall be with you--Jacob, in all probability, was not

authorized to speak of their bondage--he dwelt only on the certainty of

their restoration to Canaan.

22. moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy

brethren--This was near Shechem

(Ge 33:18;

Joh 4:5;

also

Jos 16:1; 20:7).

And it is probable that the Amorites, having seized upon it during one

of his frequent absences, the patriarch, with the united forces of his

tribe, recovered it from them by his sword and his bow.