Topical Bible: Adoption of Joseph's Sons

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Topical Encyclopedia

The adoption of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by Jacob is a significant event recorded in the Book of Genesis. This event not only highlights the continuation of God's covenantal promises but also underscores the importance of family lineage and inheritance in the biblical narrative.

Biblical Account

The account of the adoption is found in Genesis 48. As Jacob, also known as Israel, nears the end of his life, he calls for Joseph and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to Joseph in Egypt. Jacob, recognizing the hand of God in Joseph's life and the fulfillment of divine promises, seeks to bless Joseph's sons as his own. Genesis 48:5-6 states, "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them shall be yours, and they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance."

Significance of Adoption

1. Covenantal Blessing: By adopting Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob ensures that they receive a portion of the inheritance promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This act signifies the extension of the Abrahamic covenant to Joseph's sons, integrating them into the chosen lineage.

2. Tribal Inclusion: The adoption effectively elevates Ephraim and Manasseh to the status of Jacob's direct sons, making them progenitors of two of the tribes of Israel. This is significant as it results in Joseph receiving a double portion of the inheritance, a privilege typically reserved for the firstborn.

3. Reversal of Birth Order: In a notable moment during the blessing, Jacob crosses his hands to place his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn. Despite Joseph's attempt to correct his father, Jacob insists, saying, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations" (Genesis 48:19). This act of placing the younger before the elder is a recurring theme in Genesis, emphasizing God's sovereign choice and the unexpected ways in which His purposes unfold.

4. Prophetic Implications: Jacob's blessing carries prophetic weight, as Ephraim and Manasseh become significant tribes in Israel's history. Ephraim, in particular, becomes a leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom, often representing the whole of Israel in prophetic literature.

Theological Reflections

The adoption of Joseph's sons by Jacob is a profound demonstration of God's grace and the unfolding of His redemptive plan. It illustrates the principle that God's blessings and purposes are not bound by human conventions or expectations. The inclusion of Ephraim and Manasseh into the tribes of Israel serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises and His ability to work through unexpected means to fulfill His divine will.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 48:5,14,16,22
And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Chapter xlviii
... The adoption and the blessing of Joseph's sons is Jacob's manifest purpose.
The adoption is to be spoken of in v. Genesis 48:5. These ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlviii.htm

Chapter l
... Either these words describe some rite of adoption, a meaning ... visit." The statement
implies that during Joseph's lifetime Israel's sons derived much ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter l.htm

Whether Christ's Genealogy is Suitably Traced by the Evangelists?
... because Matthew mentions one of David's sons"-namely, Solomon ... later forefathers;
or one was Joseph's natural father: the other is father by adoption. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs genealogy is suitably.htm

Heaven's Nurse Children
... pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1:5. Adoption follows hard ... of God." "Beloved, now
are we the sons of God ... also called." This call is like Joseph's invitation to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/heavens nurse children.htm

Creation's Groans and the Saints' Sighs
... for a long time; but there was a second adoption in public ... and blood just what we
wore as the sons of Adam ... the wagons, the more we long to see Joseph's face; but ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 14 1868/creations groans and the saints.htm

For whom did Christ Die?
... wrapped him in linen and laid him in Joseph's tomb, were ... and eternal life, is towards
the sinful sons of men. ... Adoption is another gift which comes to us by the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 20 1874/for whom did christ die.htm

Of the Agreement of the Evangelists Matthew and Luke in the ...
... but of the love of adoption. For we read that the patriarch Jacob even, the father
of so many children, made his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph, his own ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon i of the agreement.htm

A vindication of the Prophecy in Isa. vii. 14 against the ...
... that the fulness of the times of the adoption had arrived ... And I will look upon him,
and upon his sons, and will ... who say that He was begotten of Joseph, and that ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxi a vindication of the.htm

The Alleged Discrepancy in the Gospels in Regard to the Genealogy ...
... His sons were Herod and the other tetrarchs. ... hos enomizeto, as Africanus claims,
it would follow that Christ was the son of Joseph by legal adoption in the ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the alleged discrepancy in.htm

The Doctrine of Jesus Christ.
... The facts were known at first only to Mary and Joseph; their very nature involved
reticence until ... He is Son by nature; they are sons by adoption and grace. ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of jesus christ.htm