i2 And Joſeph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand, towards Itrael's left hand : and Manaſleh in his
left hand towards I{rael's right hand,and brought hem near unto him.
14 And {ſrael ſtretched out his right hand m, and laid it upon Ephraim's head », who was . the younger, and his left hand upon Manaſſeh's head, guiding his
hands wittingly s: for Manaſſeh was the firit-born.
m Which was more honourable both in Scripture account, and amongſt the Gentiles. » Which was a rite uſed often, aud in divers caſes, as in the conferring of offices either ſacred or civil, as Num: 8: 10: Deut. 14. 9. A#56:6. and 13. 3. and among ©: 2r thing:, in givii-g beneditions, as M3trh. 19. 13. 0 This proce:d-d nor trom chance, cr che miſtake and weakneis of his eyes, bur from deſign, and the wiſdom of his hands. Heb: He d:ſpoſed his hands prudently, «x he dealt wiſely with his hands, Here was a io bis witiom the ved; 1. Humane, by which he gathered that Manaſſch was rhe eldeſt, becauſe Jojeph placed him towards his right hind. 2. Divine, and Provherical, by which he foreſaw Ephraim's advantiges above Ma- naſ-h, and wiſely ſuited the Ceremony to rhe Subſtance, giving the greater ſign of Honour to him, to whom God deſigned the thing. *
15 T * And he bleſſed Foſephp, and ſaid, God, * before whom my fathers Abraham and Iſaac did walk,the God which fed me * all my life 101:g unto this day ;
p Not now in his Perſon, but in his Children, which yer is cal- led here a bleſſing of Joſeph, becauſe they were a parc ©* himfelf. In which ſenſe, aid upon: the ſame ground the Jand 5+ Canaan is oft- times ſaid ro be not only promiſed bur given to Abraham, an Taac,&c. not as if rhey were in perſon to potl-1s ir, tut becauſe it ſhould be given to their Children. Thus Cham is {aid ro be curſed when his
Son is curled, Gen. 9: 25. * ( 5z. e. ) Prote&ed, ſuſtained, and di- rected me.
16 The angel q * which redeemed me from all evil, bleſs thelads, and let my name be named on them -,
and the name of my fathers Abraham, and lfaac s,
and let themgrow F intoa multitude in the midit of the earth, |
q Not ſurely a created Angel, but Chrift Jeſus, who is called an Angel, Exod, 23.20 ant the Angel of the covenant, Mal. 3. 1. who was the conductor of the Iſraelites in the Wildernefs, as plainly ap- ous by comparing of Ex d.. 23: 20, 21. with 1 C9: 10. 4, 9, Add
ereunto, that this Angei is called Jacob's r-decmer, which is tie Title appropriated by God to himſelf, 1/a. 43. 14. and 47: 4. 2nd that from all evil, and therefore from fin, from which no created Ange! cande- liver us, bur Chriſt only, Match: 1: 28. and thar Jacob w r{h:ppeth and prayeth to this Angel no leſs than ro God for che Bl-Mlinz, and that withour any nore of diſtin&tion, rhe word bleſs, b-:ig in rhe Singular Number, and equally relating to God, and to ths Angel; and that the Angel to whom hs here atcribes his Deliverir cs from all evi], muft in all reaſon bethe ſame ro whom he prayed for theſe very Deliverances which he here commemorates, and har was no o= ther rhan the very God of Abraham, as is evident from Gen: 28: 15, 20, 21. and 32.9, 10, Ir and 35. 3. (5. e. ) Let tiem be -cal- Ted by my name, owned for my immediate Children, and inveſted with the ſame Priviledges with my other Children, be the heads of diſtin& Tribes,and as ſuch receive diſtin& Inherirances. And hence they are called the children of Jacob or Iſrael, no leſs than the childrer: of Joſeph. For the Phrale, tee Dewur: 28: 10: 2 Chron. 7. Iq. js 4. 1. Jer. 14.9. $ E=tthembe called their Children ; jet them nor 0n-
ly have my bleiling, bur the blenflivs of Abraham and Iſaac ; ler all: Jacob truſted, and of which he had ample experience.
meet together upon their heads; and let thar gracious Covenant of
God made with Abraham, and confirmed with 7/asc and me, be ratified, and made good unto them, 0
Chap. 17 And when Fofeph ſaw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim,it diſpleaſed him 5: and he heldup his fathers hand, co remove ic from E- phraims head, unto Manaſſehs head.
: Becauſe of that affe&tion which Parents generally have for their firſt-born. See Gen. 21: It» :
18 And Joſeph ſaid unto his father, Not ſo niy fa-
ther : for this ;s the firſt-born, put thy right hand-up= on his head. ,
19 And his father refuſed, and ſaid, Tknow zt, my ſon, I know it : he aiſoſhall become a people, and he alſo ſhall be great: but truly his younger brother ſhall be greater than he «, and his { titude of nations x.
« So the Tribe of Ephraim was both in Number, Nemb. 1: 33, 35: and 2:19,21. and Oewt.33: 19: and in Power and Priviled- ges, for that Tribe was the ſeat firſt of the Tabernacle, and after= wards of the Kingdom. Whencethe name of Ephraim is ſometimes put forall the ten Tribes,as 7a. 7. 2: and ſometimes for Joſeph him= ſelf, as Numb: 1: 32: Rev: 75: 8: which Manaſhnever is. x( 7: ) Equal to many Nartions,in number and ſtrength; or, from them ſhal proceed many Nations, 8s, e. many numerous, potent, and flouriſh» ing Families, whereof each is equivalent to an ordinary Nation: For as Nations are ſometimes called Families, as Zech 14: 18: fo the Tribes and Families of I/rael are called Nations or People, as Exek, 2: 2. As 4 27. ;
20 And he bleſſed them in that day, ſaying, In thee y ſhall Iſrael bleſs, ſaying, God make thee as
Ephraim, and as Manaſlſeh : and he ſet Ephraim be+- fore Manaſleh,
y (7. e. ) In thy ſeed, as appears both from the relative, them, here, and from werſe 15. where tis biefling of rhem is called the bleſſing of Joſeph ; and from the following words, where this is in- rerprered of Epbraim and Manaſſeh. And n thee, or in thy ſeed, 1 e,
uſing their names in« the form er words of blefling, as eminent ex+ amples of bleſſ:dneſs.
21 And Iſrael faid unto Jofeph, Behold, I die & - but
God ſhall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers 4. |
z ( 7. e. ) TIamabout todie. The preſent time for that which will ſhortly and certainly be, as Gen: 19: 13: and 20: 3+ Joh; 14t 2. a (i.e, ) Canaan, their Land, 1 By habitation, as Nazareth is called Chriſt's Countrey, becauſe he dwelt in it. 2. By the do« nation of God, who had promiſed, and would in his time give the actual poſl:flion of it to them, 7: e: to their feeds
22 Moceover,] have given to thee b ene portion © 4» bore thy brethren,which I took out of the hand ef the Amorite with my ſword, and with my bow d.