And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He will also become a great nation, and he will be important too. But his younger brother will be greater than he is, and his descendants will become many nations.'
Jacob is telling Joseph that he knows what he's doing - while the older grandson will be great, the younger one will be even greater and father many nations.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs when Jacob is blessing Joseph's two sons, Manasseh (the older) and Ephraim (the younger). Joseph had positioned his sons so Jacob would bless Manasseh with his right hand, but Jacob crossed his hands to give the greater blessing to Ephraim instead. This follows a biblical pattern where God often chooses the younger over the older, as He did with Jacob himself over his brother Esau.
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