Gen. 45:7 See section 6 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Genesis.

Gen. 45:8 Notice that Joseph takes a higher position than that expressed in 40:15. Father to Pharaoh commonly designates a high-ranking counselor.

Gen. 45:16-20 Pharaoh's magnanimity is unprecedented. It's undoubtedly due to GOD's providence, a providence that also prepared the severe tests that Israel had to face, as that of having to proclaim GOD's sovereignty over Egypt (15:13,14).

Gen. 45:24 Don't quarrel on the way: "Don't fight among yourselves".

Gen. 45:26 Jacob's heart was afflicted: Almost dead from the impression he received.

Gen. 46:1 Beersheba: A journey to worship at an ancient altar seemed appropriate on an occasion such as this (see the note for 21:33.

Gen 46:2-4 GOD had already spoken his covenant six times to Abraham, twice to Isaac and three times to Jacob. Joseph would close his eyes: "he would shut his eyelids when he dies".

Gen. 46:8-25 The list here serves principally to point out those who participated in that significant turn of events in Israel's history.

Gen. 46:27 Jacob entered Egypt with a family of seventy people; their descendants left Egypt, led by Moses, with an approximate number of 600,000 (Exod. 12:37). The other four (see v.26) were Ephraim, Manasses, Joseph and Jacob.

Gen. 46:28 Goshen was a grassy area on the east side of the Nile delta. According to archaeological remains, groups of Asiatics settled in Egyptian pasture lands several times. Their presence caused serious frictions with the indigenous population (Exod. 1:8-11).

Gen. 46:34 Abomination: Due to the traditional hostility between the cattle rancher and the sheep herder, Joseph instructed his brothers to identify themselves as stockmen.

Gen. 47:3 Joseph's brothers appear to violate his instructions to not mention that they were shepherds. Possible, they were using the word in its generic sense, referring to people who were dedicated to caring for any type of domesticated animals. It seems Pharaoh understood it thus (v.6).

Gen. 47:9 Pilgrimage: Literally, "camping" in places only temporarily. Few and evil: A typical expression of ancient Jewish literature.

Gen. 47:11 The land of Rameses: The Egyptian name of the area called Goshen by the Hebrews. Perhaps because it was situated so far from the Nile and its irrigation canals, Goshen was not highly valued by the Egyptians. It was a fertile section of Egypt of around 900 square miles, with two principal cities, Rameses and Pithon.

Gen. 47:18 The Egyptians finally sold their homes and land to Pharaoh, and even sold themselves as slaves to the king. Starvation was the only alternative. Voluntary slavery was sometimes the way that poor people would be able to live. Joseph's behavior wasn't despised; even the enslaved countrymen would have considered him a wise man. We must understand their customs. After all, Pharaoh was considered a god. As a result of Joseph's efforts, Egypt now had a strong central government, which probably put an end to the prevailing anarchy.

Gen. 47:21-26 Joseph removed them to cities, where they could be fed, and then distributed seed to be sown when the drought ended. He didn't touch the priests, who possessed a powerful political influence in that time. Years later, Moses became a member of the Egyptian royal family and noted that these decrees of Joseph's possessed the character of law until now over the land of Egypt.

Gen. 47:29 Under my thigh: Exactly as Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, had done (see the note for 24:2,3).

Gen. 47:30 In the sepulcher (KJV-burying place): See the note for 23:19.

Gen. 47:31 He inclined on the head of the bed: Hebrews 11:21 contains the variant that appears in the Septuagint: "leaned on the end of his staff".

Gen. 48:5,6 Jacob demanded that his name be perpetuated, not through his son Joseph, but through his two grandsons, and then declared that they would be, in his stead, the fathers of tribes that would bear their own names. Thus, according to Jacob's last will, the house of Joseph would be divided into two tribes.

Gen. 48:8 Israel seemed to be aware of (he saw) the presence of the sons of Joseph, but couldn't recognize them completely because of his poor vision (v.10).

Gen. 48:9 Will bless them: To affirm what GOD wanted for them beyond the consequences of the curse (see the note for 12:1-9).

Gen. 48:10 Kissed them and embraced them: This gesture forms an integral part of the blessing.

Gen. 48:13 Joseph places them at his side according to the traditional standard that was used in a blessing.

Gen. 48:14 His right hand was the anointed hand and was used to bless the firstborn. Jacob extended his hands to bless the second son. This again confirms GOD's sovereignty and grace. The blessing is based upon divine grace and not on their own merits (see Rom. 9:6-13).

MANASSEH: (IBD) Joseph's firstborn son who was born in Egypt to Asenath the daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On (Gen. 41:50-51). Like his younger brother Ephraim, Manasseh was half Hebrew and half Egyptian. Manasseh's birth caused Joseph to forget the bitterness of his past experiences. Manasseh and Ephraim were both adopted by Jacob and given status as sons just like Jacob's own sons Reuben and Simeon (Gen. 48:5).

The tribe of Manasseh descended through Manasseh's son, Machir; Machir's son, Gilead; and Gilead's six sons (Num. 26:28-34). During their first 430 years in Egypt, the tribe of Manasseh increased to 32,000 men of war (Num. 1:34-35). By the second census, 39 years later, it numbered 52,700 (Num. 26:34).

Because of the Canaanite fortresses and strong cities in the land (for example, Megiddo, En Dor, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Beth Shean), western Manasseh had difficulty settling its territory. When it became strong, however, it did not expel the Canaanites but subjected them to tribute (Josh. 17:11-13).

The tribe of Manasseh was known for its valor, and it claimed two famous judges: Gideon (Judg. 6:11-8:35) and Jephthah (Judg. 11:1-12:7). During Saul's reign men from Manasseh joined David at Ziklag (I Chron. 12:19-20). Later many people from both western and eastern Manasseh rallied to make David king at Hebron (I Chron. 12:31,37).

EPHRAIM: (IBD) was the second son of Joseph by Asenath and founder of one of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel.

When Ephraim was born to Joseph in Egypt, he gave him his name meaning "fruitful" because "GOD has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction" (Gen. 41:52). Even though Joseph was a foreigner (a Hebrew) in Egypt, he had been blessed by GOD as he rose to a high position in the Egyptian government and fathered two sons. Later this same theme of fruitfulness and blessing was echoed by Joseph's father, Jacob, as he accepted Ephraim as his grandson (Gen. 48:5). Eventually Ephraim's thousands of descendants settled in the land of Canaan as one of the most numerous of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 48:19; Num. 1:10).

The tribe of Ephraim settled a territory bounded on the north by the territory of Manasseh (west of the River Jordan) and on the south by the territories of Dan and Benjamin (Josh. 16:5-10).

From the early days, the tribe of Ephraim was an influential force in Israel, being highly commended by Gideon (Judg. 8:2), and including such key religious and political centers as Bethel and Shechem. At the time of the first census in their new land, the tribe contained 40,500 men eligible for military service.

Following the revolt of the ten tribes after Solomon's rule, Ephraim became a leader in the northern kingdom of Israel (I Kin. 12:25-33). Often the name Ephraim was used for Israel because of the many members of this tribe and its leadership role. The Hebrew prophets, especially Hosea, chastised the tribe for idolatry (Hos. 4:17), spiritual unfaithfulness (8:9-10), and relationships with heathen nations (12:1). Ephraim was involved in an alliance with Syria against Judah and King Ahaz (II Chron. 28:5-8; Is. 7:3-9).

In 722 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity in Assyria. This seemed to be the end of the tribe of Ephraim, but the LORD would not forget them. Through the prophet Jeremiah, He declared that these people were still His "dear son" and He would have mercy of them (Jer. 31:20). Years later, after GOD's people returned to their homeland following a long period of captivity in Babylon, "children of Ephraim" settled in Jerusalem (I Chron. 9:3).

Gen. 48:16 These youths seem to have been adolescents.

Gen. 48:17 The open break with tradition was what caused...disgust to Joseph.

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