Genesis 48:13
New International Version
And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.

New Living Translation
Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand.

English Standard Version
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

New King James Version
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him.

New American Standard Bible
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

NASB 1995
Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

NASB 1977
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

Amplified Bible
Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel.

American Standard Version
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

Contemporary English Version
After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right.

English Revised Version
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right, facing Israel's left, and Manasseh on his left, facing Israel's right, and brought them close to him.

Good News Translation
Joseph put Ephraim at Jacob's left and Manasseh at his right.

International Standard Version
Then he brought them both close to his father, placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Joseph positioned them; he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel's left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel's right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father.

New Heart English Bible
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel?s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel?s right hand, and brought them near to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

World English Bible
Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Joseph takes them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left toward Israel’s right, and brings [them] near to him.

Young's Literal Translation
and Joseph taketh them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left towards Israel's right, and bringeth them nigh to him.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joseph will take the two, Ephraim in his right hand from Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand from Israel's right hand, and will draw near to him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he set Ephraim on his right bend, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father's right hand, and brought them near to him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he placed Ephraim on his right, that is, towards the left hand of Israel. Yet truly Manasseh was on his left, namely, towards his father’s right hand. And he placed them both up against him.

New American Bible
Then Joseph took the two, Ephraim with his right hand, to Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to Israel’s right, and brought them up to him.

New Revised Standard Version
Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Joseph took both of his sons, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yoseph took both the children, Aphreim at his right from the left of Israel and Menasheh at his left, from the right of Israel and he brought them near to him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joseph took his two sons, both Ephraim in his right hand, but on the left of Israel, and Manasse on his left hand, but on the right of Israel, and brought them near to him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
12Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown. 13And 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. 14But 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.…

Cross References
Genesis 41:51-52
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” / And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

Genesis 41:50
Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

Genesis 46:20
Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. / The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility. / Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ...

Deuteronomy 33:13-17
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, / with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons, / with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills, ...

1 Chronicles 5:1-2
These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright. / And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

1 Chronicles 7:14-29
The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel through his Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead. / Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters. / Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. ...

Numbers 1:32-35
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, / those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500. / And from the sons of Manasseh, 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 2:18-24
On the west side, the divisions of Ephraim are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud, / and his division numbers 40,500. / The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, ...

Numbers 26:28-37
The descendants of Joseph included the clans of Manasseh and Ephraim. / These were the descendants of Manasseh: The Machirite clan from Machir, the father of Gilead, and the Gileadite clan from Gilead. / These were the descendants of Gilead: the Iezerite clan from Iezer, the Helekite clan from Helek, ...

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.

Ezekiel 37:16-19
“And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ / Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand. / When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’ ...

1 Kings 3:13
Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

no references listed for this verse.

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Genesis 48
1. Joseph with his sons visits his sick father.
2. Jacob strengthens himself to bless them.
3. He repeats God's promise.
5. He takes Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons.
7. He tells Joseph of his mother's grave.
8. He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh.
17. He prefers the younger before the elder.
21. He prophesies their return to Canaan.














And Joseph took both of them
In this phrase, Joseph, the son of Jacob (Israel), is taking his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to his father for a blessing. The act of taking both sons signifies a deliberate and respectful approach to receiving a patriarchal blessing, which was a significant event in Hebrew culture. The Hebrew root for "took" (לָקַח, laqach) implies a careful and intentional action, highlighting Joseph's respect for his father and the importance of the blessing.

with Ephraim in his right hand
Joseph places Ephraim in his right hand, which is significant because the right hand traditionally symbolizes strength, power, and favor. In biblical times, the right hand was often associated with the primary blessing. This positioning suggests Joseph's intention for Manasseh, the firstborn, to receive the primary blessing from Israel's right hand, as was customary.

toward Israel’s left hand
By positioning Ephraim toward Israel's left hand, Joseph is following the cultural norm of placing the younger son in a position to receive the secondary blessing. The left hand, in contrast to the right, was typically associated with lesser favor. This setup reflects Joseph's understanding of tradition and his expectations for the blessing.

and Manasseh in his left hand
Manasseh, being the firstborn, is placed in Joseph's left hand, which is intended to direct him toward Israel's right hand. This reflects Joseph's desire for Manasseh to receive the greater blessing due to his status as the firstborn. The Hebrew culture placed significant emphasis on birthright and the privileges of the firstborn, which included leadership and a double portion of inheritance.

toward Israel’s right hand
Joseph's arrangement of his sons is strategic, aiming for Manasseh to receive the primary blessing from Israel's right hand. The right hand of Israel (Jacob) is symbolic of authority and the bestowal of the greater blessing. This reflects the cultural and familial expectations of the time, where the right hand was used to confer the primary blessing.

and brought them close to him
Joseph's action of bringing his sons close to Israel signifies the intimacy and importance of the blessing ceremony. The Hebrew root for "brought" (נָגַשׁ, nagash) conveys a sense of drawing near with purpose and reverence. This moment is not only a familial gathering but also a spiritual and covenantal act, as blessings were seen as prophetic and binding.

Verse 13. - And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. Joseph naturally expected that Jacob s right hand would fall upon the head of Manasseh, as the firstborn, although with regard to even this a doubt might have been suggested if he had remembered how Isaac had been preferred to Ishmael, and Jacob to Esau.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Joseph
יוֹסֵף֮ (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

took
וַיִּקַּ֣ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

both
שְׁנֵיהֶם֒ (šə·nê·hem)
Number - mdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

of them—
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with Ephraim
אֶפְרַ֤יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

in his right hand
בִּֽימִינוֹ֙ (bî·mî·nōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

toward Israel’s
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

left hand,
מִשְּׂמֹ֣אל (miś·śə·mōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8040: Dark, the north, the left hand

and Manasseh
מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה (mə·naš·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4519: Manasseh -- 'causing to forget', a son of Joseph, also a king of Judah, also two Israelites

in his left hand
בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ (ḇiś·mō·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8040: Dark, the north, the left hand

toward Israel’s
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

right hand—
מִימִ֣ין (mî·mîn)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

and brought them close
וַיַּגֵּ֖שׁ (way·yag·gêš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

to him.
אֵלָֽיו׃ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT Law: Genesis 48:13 Joseph took them both Ephraim in his (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 48:12
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