Genesis 48:8-16 Meaning: Why Does Jacob Ask 'Who Are These?'
8Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
12Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13Joseph 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.
14Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
8And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
9And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13And 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.
14And 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.
15And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
8And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
9And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me here. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13And 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.
14And 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 first-born.
15And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day,
16the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
8And Israel seeth the sons of Joseph, and saith, `Who are these?'
9and Joseph saith unto his father, `They are my sons, whom God hath given to me in this place ;' and he saith, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I bless them.'
10And the eyes of Israel have been heavy from age, he is unable to see; and he bringeth them nigh unto him, and he kisseth them, and cleaveth to them;
11and Israel saith unto Joseph, `To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'
12And Joseph bringeth them out from between his knees, and boweth himself on his face to the earth;
13and 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.
14And Israel putteth out his right hand, and placeth it upon the head of Ephraim, who is the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh; he hath guided his hands wisely, for Manasseh is the first-born.
15And he blesseth Joseph, and saith, `God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being unto this day:
16the Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'
8And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
9And Joseph said to his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me here. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, to me, that I may bless them.
10But the eyes of Israel were heavy from age: he could not see. And he brought them nearer to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face; and behold, God has let me see also thy seed.
12And Joseph brought them out from his knees, and bowed down with his face to the earth.
13And 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.
14But Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] on Ephraim's head — now he was the younger — and his left hand on Manasseh's head; guiding his hands intelligently, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God that shepherded me all my life long to this day,
16the Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land!
Meaning in one sentence
Jacob's question seems odd, but it leads to a profound blessing. Discover the meaning behind this tender scene of faith and God's faithfulness.
Context
Jacob is old and nearing death in Egypt. Years earlier he thought Joseph was dead. Now Joseph stands before him with two grown sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Just before this moment, Jacob told Joseph that these boys would count as his own sons, adopted into the tribes of Israel. Then he asks a question that catches the reader off guard: “Who are these?” It is not confusion. His eyes are dim but he can see shapes. The question opens a formal blessing. Joseph brings his sons close. Jacob kisses them, embraces them, and then speaks words that echo the covenant promises given to Abraham and Isaac. This scene is a hinge in Genesis, the transfer of blessing from one generation to the next, and a quiet sign that God works through the unexpected.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this blessing. The first is barak (ברך), the verb for “bless.” It originally meant to kneel, as if to bestow a gift from a position of honor. Jacob does not praise the boys or wish them well; he kneels his spirit before God and asks for life to be poured into them. The second is ra'ah (רעה), the word behind “fed” or “shepherded” in verse 15. Jacob calls God “the God who has shepherded me all my life long.” This is not a distant provider but a shepherd who walks with the flock, step by step, through every valley. The third is mal'ak haggo'el (המלאך הגואל), “the angel who has redeemed me.” The word for redeemer, go'el, is the family protector who buys back what was lost. Jacob binds these two figures together: the Angel and God are one. He has been shepherded by God and bought back by the same divine hand. That is the blessing he passes on.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have found deep meaning in this passage. Many Reformed and Protestant readers point to Hebrews 11:21, where Jacob’s blessing is called an act of faith. They see the crossed hands as prophetic, God chooses the younger, overturning human expectations. Catholic and Orthodox readers often emphasize the relationship between the blessing and the covenant promises, and some see in the “angel who redeemed” a foreshadowing of Christ, the divine messenger. What unites these readings is a shared wonder: God works through a frail, blind old man to shape the future of His people. The blessing is not magic; it is trust placed in the God who keeps promises.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This passage asks you to look back at your own life and name the ways God has shepherded you. Jacob could have listed his failures and losses. Instead he pointed to the God who fed him, the Angel who redeemed him. This week, try writing down one specific time God provided for you when you did not expect it. Then, if you have the chance, speak that testimony into someone younger, a child, a neighbor, a coworker. You do not need perfect eyesight or perfect words. You only need to point to the Shepherd who has been with you all along.
Main takeaway: God faithfully shepherds us through a lifetime and passes His blessing to generations we never expected to see.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jacob was very old and couldn't see well. He asked Joseph who the boys were because he wanted to give them a special blessing. He kissed them and prayed for them.
For ages 9, 12
Jacob's question might seem like he forgot who they were, but he was setting up a moment of blessing. He crossed his hands on purpose, putting his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim. This teaches us that God sometimes surprises us by choosing the one we least expect. Jacob blessed the boys with words that showed he trusted God to keep His promises, just as He had kept them for Abraham and Isaac.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jacob cross his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh?
Jacob deliberately placed his right hand, the hand of greater blessing, on Ephraim, the younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn. He did this knowingly, guided by the Spirit. It shows that God’s choices are not bound by human customs of birth order. This act was a sign of God’s sovereign grace, and later history confirmed it: Ephraim’s tribe became the larger and more prominent in Israel.
Who is 'the angel' that redeemed Jacob from all evil?
In verse 16, Jacob calls on 'the angel who has redeemed me from all evil' to bless the boys. This angel is not a created being but the Angel of the Lord, a divine figure who appears throughout Genesis as God himself in visible form. Many Christians understand this as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, the Redeemer. Jacob equates this angel with God, showing that the same God who shepherded him also rescued him.
Was Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh a prophecy?
Yes, the blessing carried prophetic weight. Jacob declared that Ephraim, though younger, would become greater than Manasseh. This came true: the tribe of Ephraim grew powerful and often led the northern kingdom of Israel. The blessing also shows that Jacob, near death, spoke with the authority of a patriarch passing on the covenant promises. It is not merely a wish but a Spirit-led declaration of what God would do.
Why did Jacob adopt Joseph’s sons as his own?
Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh to give Joseph a double portion of inheritance, a privilege usually reserved for the firstborn. In verse 5 he says, 'Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.' This meant each son would become a tribe of Israel, so Joseph received two tribes instead of one. It was Jacob’s way of honoring Joseph for his faithfulness and for being the instrument of saving the family during famine.
What does 'let my name be named on them' mean?
Jacob asks that his own name and the names of Abraham and Isaac be 'called upon' Ephraim and Manasseh. This means these boys would be counted as part of the covenant family, sharing in the identity and promises given to the patriarchs. It is a formal adoption into the lineage of God’s people. They are no longer simply Joseph’s sons in Egypt; they are inheritors of the land and blessings God swore to Abraham.
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