And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head, even though he was the younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his arms on purpose. He did this intentionally, even though Manasseh was the older brother.
Israel deliberately chose to give the greater blessing to the younger grandson, crossing his hands to place his right hand on Ephraim instead of following the tradition of blessing the firstborn first.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Jacob, also known as Israel, is on his deathbed and is blessing his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of his favored son Joseph. In ancient Israelite culture, the firstborn son was entitled to the primary blessing and inheritance, which would normally go to Manasseh. However, Jacob deliberately crosses his hands to place his right hand on Ephraim, the younger brother, demonstrating that God's choices often surpass human customs and expectations.
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