Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
Now Israel's eyes were clouded with old age, so he couldn't see well. So Joseph brought his sons close to their grandfather, and Israel kissed them and hugged them.
This verse shows the tender moment when the aging Jacob (Israel), nearly blind from old age, lovingly embraces his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Jacob, also known as Israel, was an elderly patriarch living in Egypt with his family, having fled there during a famine years earlier. His eyesight had failed due to old age, a common experience in ancient times, as he prepared to bless his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of his favored son Joseph. This moment is part of the larger story of God's covenant promises being passed down through generations in the patriarchal era.
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