At Bible Study Fellowship this week, we studied Genesis 46-48. Of particular interest to me was the story of Jacob (Israel) adopting his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

In Genesis 48:5, Jacob (who is 130 years old at the time) says to his son Joseph: “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.”

In other words, Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children and creates each of them as patriarchs of distinct tribes who, along with Jacob’s other sons, will inherit equal portions of the land of Canaan.

I like what Matthew Henry’s commentary says about this:

“Let them not succeed their father, in his power and grandeur in Egypt; but let them succeed in the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham.”

Joseph receives a “double portion” from his father. Because Jacob’s eldest son, Reuben, committed incest with his father’s concubine, Jacob transferred Reuben’s portion of the birthright to his favorite son, Joseph.

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but as I understand it, Joseph receives the “rights of the firstborn” (1 Chronicles 5:1-2), which I think means that he receives not only his own inheritance, but Reuben’s birthright. So even though Ephraim and Manasseh each receive one portion, Joseph inherits the double portion by virtue of Jacob adopting the boys. Ephraim and Manasseh, rather than Joseph, end up being counted among the twelve tribes of Israel.

The other thing I found touching about this passage was that Joseph took Ephraim and Manasseh on his knees (Gen. 48:12). Placing a child on one’s knees was a custom that signified or symbolized adoption. Even though scholars estimate that Ephraim and Manasseh were somewhere between 20 and 24 years old at the time Jacob adopted them, I thought it was neat that he Jacob took him on his knees, as a father would do with his small son.

For Jacob, his sons truly are a gift from God. As Psalm 127:3 says, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.”