And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
And Jacob blessed them that day, saying, 'Through you, Israel will give blessings, saying, May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.' And he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Jacob is creating a blessing formula for future generations of Israelites to use, asking God to make their children as blessed as Ephraim and Manasseh, while placing the younger son first.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Genesis, Jacob is an old man nearing the end of his life, gathered with his family to pass on blessings as was customary in ancient patriarchal times. He adopts Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own heirs and blesses them, but he intentionally places his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, instead of Manasseh, the older one, which went against typical cultural expectations of primogeniture. This act highlights God's pattern of sovereign choice, as seen earlier in Jacob's own life when he was chosen over his elder brother Esau.
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