Genesis 48:6

Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in the territory they inherit.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jacob addresses Joseph in Egypt while formally adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons. He speaks this declaration during the blessing ceremony to establish their inheritance rights.

The words — The Hebrew phrase וּ/מוֹלַדְתְּ/ךָ֛ (u./mo.lad.te./Kha) translates literally as "and your offspring," while אֲחֵי/הֶ֛ם ('a.chei./Hem) means "their brothers." These terms anchor the legal transfer of lineage and naming rights.

The thread — This inheritance rule resurfaces in Joshua 14:4, which confirms that Joseph's descendants divided into two tribal portions while the Levites received none. The text consistently ties adopted lineage directly to territorial allotment.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that legal adoption overrides natural birth order for inheritance purposes. It requires the reader to see how covenantal naming and land distribution are structurally linked.

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

וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֛u./mo.lad.te./Khaand/ offspring/ your אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-whom הוֹלַ֥דְתָּho.Lad.tayou have fathered אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם'a.cha.rei./Hemafter/ themלְךָ֣le./Khato <the>/ youיִהְי֑וּyih.Yuthey will be[long]עַ֣ל'alon שֵׁ֧םshem[the] name of אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם'a.chei./Hembrothers/ their יִקָּרְא֖וּyi.ka.re.'Uthey will be called בְּנַחֲלָתָֽם׃be./na.cha.la.Ta/min/ inheritance/ their

King James Version

And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

Cross-references

Joshua 14:4 The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.