Genesis 48:6 Study Bible: Your issue, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.

◄ Genesis 48:6 ►

Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.

Study Bible

Any children born to you after them shall be yours
This phrase indicates a distinction between the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, and any future offspring. Jacob, also known as Israel, is adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, granting them equal status with his other sons. This adoption is significant because it elevates Joseph's sons to the status of tribal patriarchs, each becoming the head of a tribe of Israel. This act reflects the cultural practice of adoption in ancient Near Eastern societies, where adopted sons could receive inheritance rights. It also underscores the importance of lineage and inheritance in the biblical narrative, as these sons are integrated into the covenant promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

and they shall be called by the names of their brothers
Here, Jacob is specifying that any future children of Joseph will not form separate tribes but will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. This reflects the importance of tribal identity and inheritance in Israelite society. The naming of tribes after Ephraim and Manasseh rather than Joseph himself highlights the unique status of these two sons. This also foreshadows the significant roles that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will play in the history of Israel, with Ephraim often representing the northern kingdom in later biblical texts.

in the territory they inherit
The mention of territory emphasizes the tangible aspect of the inheritance, which is not just a spiritual promise but also a physical land. This ties back to the Abrahamic covenant, where God promised Abraham's descendants a specific land. The allocation of land to the tribes of Israel is a central theme in the book of Joshua, where the land is divided among the tribes. The inheritance of land is a fulfillment of God's promises and a crucial element of Israel's identity as a nation. This phrase also points to the future settlement in Canaan, where the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will receive their portions, as detailed in Joshua 16 and 17.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Jacob (Israel)
The patriarch who is blessing his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and discussing the inheritance of Joseph's future children.

2. Joseph
Jacob's son, who is in Egypt and has brought his sons to be blessed by Jacob.

3. Ephraim and Manasseh
Joseph's sons, who are being adopted by Jacob as his own, thus receiving a share in the inheritance.

4. Egypt
The land where Joseph and his family are residing during the famine.

5. Inheritance
The division of land and blessings among the tribes of Israel, which is a significant theme in the account of the Israelites.

Teaching Points

Adoption into God's Family
Just as Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh, believers are adopted into God's family through faith in Christ. This adoption grants us an inheritance in God's kingdom.

The Importance of Inheritance
The concept of inheritance in the Bible is not just about land or material wealth but also about spiritual blessings and responsibilities. Believers are called to live in a way that honors their spiritual inheritance.

Faith in God's Promises
Jacob's actions demonstrate faith in God's promises. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's promises, even when the fulfillment is not immediately visible.

Generational Blessings
The blessings and promises of God often extend beyond the immediate generation. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to pass on their faith and values to their children and grandchildren.

Identity and Belonging
Ephraim and Manasseh's inclusion in the tribes of Israel speaks to the importance of identity and belonging. In Christ, believers find their true identity and belonging in the family of God.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob reflect the concept of spiritual adoption in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can believers today live out their spiritual inheritance in practical terms?

3. How does the account of Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons encourage us to have faith in God's promises?

4. What are some ways we can ensure that our faith and values are passed on to future generations?

5. How does understanding our identity in Christ impact the way we live and interact with others in our community?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 35:11-12
God's promise to Jacob about his descendants and the land, which sets the stage for the inheritance discussions.

Joshua 14:4
The division of the land among the tribes of Israel, where the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh receive their portions.

1 Chronicles 5:1-2
The rights of the firstborn and how Joseph's sons are given prominence in the inheritance.

Hebrews 11:21
Jacob's faith in blessing the sons of Joseph, highlighting the importance of faith in God's promises.

Sermons

Jacob Adopts Joseph's Sons	J. C. Gray.	Genesis 48:1-7
Jacob's Adoption of Joseph's Two Sons	T. H. Leale.	Genesis 48:1-7
Manasseh and Ephraim	F. Whitfield, M. A.	Genesis 48:1-7
The Patriarch's Departing Life	R.A. Redford	Genesis 48

People

Amorites, Ephrath, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh, Rachel, Reuben, Simeon

Places

Bethlehem, Canaan, Ephrath, Luz, Paddan, Rameses

Topics

Begettest, Begotten, Born, Brethren, Brothers, Family, Hast, Heritage, Inherit, Inheritance, Issue, Named, Names, Offspring, Reckoned, Territory, Yours

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Genesis 48:1-20

1651 numbers, 1-2
7266 tribes of Israel

Library

Two Retrospects of one Life
'And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.'--GENESIS xlvii. 9. 'The God which fed me all my life long unto this day; the Angel which redeemed me from all evil.' --GENESIS xlviii. 15,16. These are two strangely different estimates of the same life to be taken by the same man. In the latter Jacob categorically contradicts everything that he had said in the former. 'Few and evil,' he said before Pharaoh. 'All my life long,' 'the Angel which redeemed me from …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Calm Evening, Promising a Bright Morning
'And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Blessing Children. Concerning Childlikeness.
(in Peræa.) ^A Matt. XIX. 13-15; ^B Mark X. 13-16; ^C Luke XVIII. 15-17. ^a 13 Then were there brought ^b 13 And they were bringing ^a unto him little children, { ^c also their babes,} that he should touch them: ^a that he should lay his hands on them, and pray [According to Buxtorf, children were often brought to the presidents of the synagogue in order that they might pray over them. The prayers of a good man in our behalf have always been regarded as a blessing; no wonder, then, that the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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