The Meaning of Genesis 48:9 Explained

Genesis 48:9

KJV: And 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.

YLT: and 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.'

Darby: And 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.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And 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. 

What does Genesis 48:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 48:8-22 - Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons
By his act in blessing them, Jacob reversed the verdict of birth, and gave the younger the birthright. Probably there were qualities in Ephraim which naturally put him in the foremost place. The Bible is full of hope for younger sons. He spoke of the Angel, Jehovah, so often referred to in the Old Testament, and who can be no other than the Son of God. He also is our Shepherd, Guardian and Friend. He will feed and tend us all our life long. He will redeem us from all evil and bring us to a blessed end in peace. Be of good cheer! He cared for you in your helpless infancy and will do no less in your helpless old age. If any lads hear this portion read let them notice that old Jacob prayed God to bless the lads. Evidently then, no little lad is too small for God to notice and bless! Though the fathers die, God lives and will bring us again to "the land of the leal." [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 48

1  Joseph with his sons visits his sick father
2  Jacob strengthens himself to bless them
3  He repeats God's promise
5  He takes Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons
7  He tells Joseph of his mother's grave
8  He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
17  He prefers the younger before the elder
21  He prophesies their return to Canaan

What do the individual words in Genesis 48:9 mean?

and said Joseph to his father my sons they [are] whom has given me God in this [place] And he said bring them please to me and I will bless them
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־ אָבִ֔יו בָּנַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־ נָֽתַן־ לִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּזֶ֑ה וַיֹּאמַ֕ר קָֽחֶם־ נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַאֲבָרֲכֵֽם

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יוֹסֵף֙  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
אָבִ֔יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בָּנַ֣י  my  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הֵ֔ם  they  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָֽתַן־  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בָּזֶ֑ה  in  this  [place] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיֹּאמַ֕ר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
קָֽחֶם־  bring  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
נָ֥א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֵלַ֖י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וַאֲבָרֲכֵֽם  and  I  will  bless  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.