Genesis 48:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He states that these (your sons), whom you had prior to my coming, I embrace as my own children, and they will receive my blessing just as those who are born of me.

Since Aseneth, the daughter of the priest Petephrius, was a foreign mother, Jacob wisely endeavors to clarify to Joseph and his other sons that, in line with divine intentions, he views all descendants from Joseph as family. Jacob declares, “God appeared to me... in the land of Canaan... in the land of Canaan” (Gen. 48:3), assuring him that he would be the father of a multitude of nations and have a legacy among many peoples (Gen. 48:4). This teaches us the importance of embracing our closest kin, particularly those who may originate from a foreign lineage.

If anyone questioned the claim that seventy individuals from the children of Israel entered Egypt or that Joseph had only two sons rather than nine when Jacob arrived, this verse provides clarity. In this passage, Jacob explicitly states that Joseph had two sons, not nine. His declaration, “Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon,” signifies that just as Reuben and Simeon will form two tribes bearing their names, so too will Ephraim and Manasseh establish two tribes, each representing two nations, and inherit the promised land in the same manner as my own sons. Furthermore, Jacob indicates that the additional sons born after his passing—whom he notes have yet to be born—“shall be yours.

Joseph hurried to receive the blessing and even brought forward his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Jacob had blessed. This was to ensure that a thirteenth tribe could be consecrated from his grandsons, with their inheritance shared between them. Jacob had twelve sons, and Paul was to emerge as the thirteenth apostle, so to speak, following the chosen ones (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Consequently, Paul does not exceed the number of his father's tribes, and as a remarkable preacher of both the Old and New Testaments, he effectively affirms that the heritage of paternal blessing supported him in his mission.

In light of the many profound truths within the Holy Scriptures, we shall willingly recount the words of the blessed Jacob when he adopted both of Joseph's sons as his own. This signifies that Jacob had twelve sons, each of whom became the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. By splitting Joseph's two sons into their distinct tribes, the total rose to thirteen tribes, given that the tribe of Joseph was effectively divided. The apostle Paul, who was notably active in his ministry, emerged from these tribes as the thirteenth apostle, designated to bear witness to the Gentiles. Therefore, Paul was not merely the thirteenth among the apostles; his selection aligns with the number of the tribes, and he was commissioned to reach out to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:9).

Based on this, your two sons, born to you prior to my arrival in Egypt, will be considered as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh will hold the same status as Reuben and Simeon in my eyes.

Let them belong to me. This means that Ephraim and Manasseh will obtain the status of Jacob's sons, such that rather than receiving a single portion designated for Joseph within the inheritance of the Promised Land, each will be granted an entire share alongside Jacob's biological sons. Ephraim and Manasseh are to be considered mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. This applies both to inheritance matters and to matters of precedence. The first aspect is made apparent in the subsequent words, while the second appears to be left ambiguous with purpose. Jacob seems to intend to grant Joseph a rightful inheritance as the firstborn of his chosen wife, yet to avoid causing distress to his other sons, he presents this matter differently by adopting Joseph's sons as his own.