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Genesis 48:15–16

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48:15Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked—

the God who has been my shepherd29

all my life long to this day,

48:16the Angel30 who has protected me31

from all harm—

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them,32

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

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Footnotes

  1. 29 Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.
  2. 30 The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.
  3. 31 The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [], 67–77).
  4. 32 Or “be recalled through them.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;

and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life to this day,

the Angel who has delivered me from all harm

—may he bless these boys.

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they increase greatly

on the earth.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then he blessed Joseph and said:

The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—

may he bless these boys.

And may they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they grow to be numerous within the land.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham

and my father, Isaac, walked—

the God who has been my shepherd

all my life, to this very day,

the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—

may he bless these boys.

May they preserve my name

and the names of Abraham and Isaac.

And may their descendants multiply greatly

throughout the earth.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked,

The God who shepherded me all my life unto this day,

The angel who redeemed me from all evil,

may he bless the boys.

And through them let my name be perpetuated,

and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.

And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth.

KJV 1900King James Version

And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.