18
Josephיוֹסֵףsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto his father,אֶל אָבִיו“Notלֹאso,כֵןmy father,אָבִיforכִּיthis oneזֶהis the firstborn;הַבְּכֹרputשִׂיםyour right handיְמִינְךָonעַלhis head.”רֹאשׁוֹ
Genesis 48:18
Study it in the app“Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 48:18, word by word
- Josephיוֹסֵףyosef
Joseph
Joseph, a name borne by several Israelites, above all the son of Jacob and Rachel, sold into Egypt, who became ruler there and saved his family; his sons Ephraim and Manasseh became tribes. The name means "may he add".
Where else “yosef” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- to his fatherאָבִיavi
father
The man who begets a child and heads his household.
Where else “avi” appears- is the firstbornבְּכֹרbechor
firstborn
The son who came into the world before his brothers, with a special place in the family.
Where else “bechor” appears- putשִׂיםsim
put
To put something somewhere.
Where else “sim” appears- your right handיְמִינְyemin
right hand
The hand on the side of strength and honor.
Where else “yemin” appears- his headרֹאשׁrosh
head
The upper part of the body, where the face and hair are.
Where else “rosh” appears
The context
17When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it was displeasing in his eyes; and he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh.
18 · This verse (above)
19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he too will become a people, and he too will be great; but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become the fullness of the nations.”
To study Genesis 48 in a group
1. What it says
Whom did Jacob bless, and what did he do with his hands (vv. 13-20)?
2. What it means
Why was Joseph displeased when he saw Jacob’s hands, and how did his father answer (vv. 17-19)?
3. How I live it
How can you bless with your words the children or young people around you?