And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was upset about it. So he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head and put it on Manasseh's head instead.
Joseph was bothered when his father gave the greater blessing to his younger son instead of his older son, so he tried to correct what he thought was his father's mistake.
📚 Historical Context
This scene takes place when the elderly Jacob (Israel) is blessing Joseph's two sons before his death. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the right hand represented the greater blessing and was traditionally given to the firstborn son. Manasseh was Joseph's older son, so Joseph expected him to receive the primary blessing rather than his younger brother Ephraim.
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