Bible Strands
Genesis 46:20
Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Jacob’s family roster as the household prepares to descend to Egypt during the famine.
The words — יָֽלְדָה (Yal.dah) translates literally as "she bore," specifying Asenath as the mother of the two sons.
The thread — This birth event is previously noted in Genesis 41:50 and Genesis 41:45, and later functions as the basis for Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 48:4.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that the covenant lineage continues and expands through a foreign-born wife in a foreign land.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On bare unto him.
Cross-references
- Genesis 41:50 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
- Genesis 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.
- Genesis 48:4 and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
- Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.
- Genesis 48:20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
- Numbers 1:32 From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
- Numbers 26:28 The descendants of Joseph included the clans of Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Deuteronomy 33:13 Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,
- 1 Chronicles 5:23 Now the people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous. They settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir, also known as Mount Hermon).
- 1 Chronicles 7:14 The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel through his Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead.