“By you 1 will Israel bless, 2 saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 3
48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you 4 and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.
1 tn The pronoun is singular in the Hebrew text, apparently elevating Ephraim as the more prominent of the two. Note, however, that both are named in the blessing formula that follows.
2 tn Or “pronounce a blessing.”
3 sn On the elevation of Ephraim over Manasseh see E. C. Kingsbury, “He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh,” HUCA 38 (1967): 129-36; H. Mowvley, “The Concept and Content of ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament,” BT 16 (1965): 74-80; and I. Mendelsohn, “On the Preferential Status of the Eldest Son,” BASOR 156 (1959): 38-40.
4 tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.