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.
Parallel translations
- WEB After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- KJV And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- BSB Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- NASB Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.
- NLT One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hearing his father is ill, Joseph brings his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to Jacob. He comes to receive a final blessing for them.
Overview
Joseph responds promptly to news of Jacob's sickness, bringing his Egyptian-born sons to their grandfather. This visit sets up the patriarchal blessing that will adopt the two boys as full tribes of Israel. The scene shows the continuity of covenant blessing being passed deliberately from one generation to the next.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 46:20To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.
- Gen 41:50–52To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
- Ps 128:6Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.
- Gen 50:23Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
- John 11:3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
- Job 42:16After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations.
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From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 48:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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