Bible Strands
Genesis 48:14
But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Israel performs a physical blessing on Joseph’s two sons in Egypt, acting while Joseph stands nearby. The moment follows Joseph’s positioning of the boys and precedes Israel’s spoken blessing over Joseph.
The words — וַיִּשְׁלַח (va-yishlach) means “and he stretched out,” and יְמִינֹ (yemino) means “his right hand.” Together they record the concrete gesture of laying the right hand on Ephraim’s head.
The thread — The crossed-hand placement and right-hand-on-younger pattern reappears in Genesis 48:18 when Joseph objects, and establishes a younger-son precedence motif found in Genesis 27:29.
Why it lands — The text records a deliberate reversal of birth order that prioritizes divine choice over human inheritance rules. It asks the reader to notice how blessing is assigned by specific action rather than automatic seniority.
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 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Cross-references
- Genesis 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
- Genesis 46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
- Genesis 48:18 “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
- Exodus 15:6 Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
- Numbers 8:10 You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.
- Numbers 8:18 But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
- Psalms 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD performs with valor!”
- Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.