Bible Commentaries
Genesis 48

Verses 1-22

Genesis 47:27 to Genesis 48:22 . Jacob Extracts an Oath that Joseph will Bury him in Canaan, and Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh.

Genesis 47:22 f., Genesis 48:3-6 belong to P. To J Genesis 47:29-31 may be assigned. Genesis 48:1 f., Genesis 48:8-22 was formerly attributed to E, recent critics assign it to JE. The analysis is somewhat as follows: E, Genesis 48:1-2 a, Genesis 48:8-9 a, Genesis 48:10 b, Genesis 48:11 f., Genesis 48:15 f., Genesis 48:20 (from “ In thee” ), Genesis 48:21 f. J, Genesis 48:2 b, Genesis 48:9 b, Genesis 48:10 a, Genesis 48:3 f., Genesis 48:17-19, Genesis 48:20 a (to “ day” ). The origin of Genesis 47:7 is uncertain, it is out of place here. It may have led up to a request for burial in Rachel’ s tomb, which had to be suppressed as it was in conflict with P’ s statement that he was buried in Machpelah ( Genesis 50:13). But if so, the tomb would hardly have been called Rachel’ s sepulchre ( 1 Samuel 10:2) but Jacob’ s. From Genesis 50:5, however, it would seem that J represented Jacob as buried in a grave he had himself digged, rather than in the family grave. The blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh explains how it is that the two sons of Joseph ranked as two independent tribes; Jacob had adopted them by the ceremony of taking them between his knees ( Genesis 48:12); also why Ephraim the younger was a mightier tribe than Manasseh the firstborn.

Genesis 47:29 . Cf. Genesis 24:2 *.

Genesis 48:7 . Cf. Genesis 35:16-20 *.— by me: read mg

Genesis 47:8. Here Jacob can see, whereas in Genesis 47:10 a he is blind, like Isaac. In this story Jacob seems not to have seen them previously, so his death happened soon after his arrival in Egypt.

Genesis 47:22. cf. mg. The reference is to Shechem, where Joseph was buried ( Joshua 24:32). We have no other account of any such capture by Jacob, who is nowhere represented as a warrior. Moreover the passage implies that Jacob had distributed their territory to all the tribes.