Genesis 48:22
Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jacob bequeaths to Joseph a special territory, "one Shechem" (a portion or shoulder of land), which he claims to have taken from the Amorites by his own strength. This isn't a literal military conquest by Jacob, but rather a spiritual affirmation that this land, though later secured by his descendants' might, was originally acquired through his faith and purchase, representing God's promise to him. It highlights that Jacob, even in his later years and amidst his family’s blessings, still identifies with his own patriarchal claim to the land, secured through his foundational covenant with God.
Jacob is nearing death and is calling Joseph to his side to bless him and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this final act, Jacob is bestowing a special inheritance upon Joseph's lineage, distinguishing them from his other children. This specific portion, a mountain slope near Shechem, Jacob claims to have secured through his own military efforts.
Jacob blesses Joseph's sons and mentions a specific 'portion' he claims through his own strength. What does this unusual claim reveal about his perspective?
Jacob’s declaration, 'Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow,' is rich with meaning.
A Unique Inheritance
This 'one Shechem' (a word meaning 'shoulder' or 'portion,' possibly a wordplay on the city of Shechem) is presented as a special gift to Joseph's line. The commentators suggest it likely refers to the field near Shechem that Jacob purchased earlier (Genesis 33:18-19).
Faith Asserting Authority
What’s striking is Jacob’s framing of this possession: 'I took... with my sword and with my bow.' While Scripture doesn't record a military conquest by Jacob himself for this land, this statement is a powerful act of faith.
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Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, not just as grandchildren but as his own sons. What does this theological shift signify?
Jacob's adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, equal to his own sons Reuben and Simeon, is a profound theological statement.
A New Lineage
Jacob states, 'And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.' This act.
God's Choice Over Natural Order
This adoption also underscores God’s sovereign choice. Jacob, guided by the Holy Spirit, intentionally places his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, signifying that God's favor often rests on the younger or unexpected, challenging the norms of primogeniture and natural lineage.
Understand the original words
Emori · Hebrew Noun
A Semitic people group who inhabited the land of Canaan before the Israelite conquest. Biblically, they often represent the idolatrous inhabitants whom God judged and displaced in favor of His covenant people.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A weapon of war, symbolic of the means of conquest, strength, and human agency in the protection or acquisition of territory.
qesheth · Hebrew Noun
A weapon of war used for distance fighting, signifying military capability, strength, and the exercise of power or protection.
Jacob's statement about taking the land with 'my sword and my bow' is a complex reference. It likely alludes to a past conflict where he recovered land near Shechem, which had been previously purchased but possibly seized by others. It also serves as a prophetic declaration of his descendants' future conquest of Canaan.
c. 1700-1650 BC
Jacob Purchases Land at Shechem
Jacob buys a parcel of land near the city of Shechem from Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver.
c. 1690 BC
Rape of Dinah and Massacre of Shechem
The sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, violently attack the city of Shechem to avenge the rape of their sister Dinah, resulting in the deaths of Hamor, Shechem, and the men of the city.
c. 1650 BC
Jacob Departs Shechem for Hebron
Following the incident at Shechem and a subsequent divine command, Jacob moves his family and possessions south to Hebron, leaving behind the purchased land.
Unknown date between c. 1650 BC and 1600 BC
Amorites Seize Jacob's Shechem Property
While Jacob is living in Hebron and later in Egypt, it is implied that the Amorites, who inhabited the region, may have taken possession of the land Jacob had purchased and left near Shechem.
c. 1600 BC— this verse
Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons
On his deathbed in Egypt, Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and specifically grants Joseph an additional, significant portion of land beyond his brothers, referencing his own conquest of it.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan Under Joshua
Centuries later, the descendants of Israel, led by Joshua, conquer the land of Canaan, including the region of Shechem, fulfilling Jacob's prophetic words about the land.
c. 1300 BC
The Tribe of Joseph Inherits Shechem Region
After the conquest, the land around Shechem is allotted to the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) as their inheritance, fulfilling Jacob's blessing and grant.
This passage details the inheritance given to the descendants of Joseph, specifically Manasseh and Ephraim, which directly relates to Jacob's gift of the 'mountain slope' or 'Shechem' to Joseph.
John 4:5Jesus is recorded as passing through the region of Shechem and referencing a parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph, aligning with the location implied in Genesis 48:22.
Genesis 33:18-19This earlier account describes Jacob purchasing a parcel of land near Shechem for one hundred pieces of money, which is likely the same land Jacob is referring to here, implying a history of acquisition and possible re-acquisition.
Genesis 49:5-7Jacob's prophecy concerning his sons Simeon and Levi addresses their violent actions in Shechem. This context highlights the complex history surrounding the region and Jacob's potential aversion to associating this land with his sons' violent deeds, yet claiming it by his own 'sword and bow'.
clarkeGenesis 48:22: "Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."
Moreover I have given to thee one portion - שכם אחד shechem achad, one shechem or one shoulder. We have already seen the transactions between Jacob and his family on one part, and Shechem and the sons of Hamor on the other. See Genesis 33:18 , Genesis 33:19 , and Genesis 24 . As he uses the word shechem here, I think it likely that he alludes…
bensonGenesis 48:22: "Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."
Genesis 48:22 . I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren — This seems to have been the parcel of ground near Shechem, which Jacob purchased of Hamor, the prince of the country, ( Genesis 33:19 ,) and which, it is probable, he took or recovered with his sword and bow, that is, by force of arms, from the Amorites, who had seized on it…
Jacob bequeaths to Joseph a special territory, "one Shechem" (a portion or shoulder of land), which he claims to have taken from the Amorites by his own strength. This isn't a literal military conquest by Jacob, but rather a spiritual affirmation that this land, though later secured by his descendants' might, was originally acquired through his faith and purchase, representing God's promise to him. It highlights that Jacob, even in his later years and amidst his family’s blessings, still identifies with his own patriarchal claim to the land, secured through his foundational covenant with God.
Jacob is nearing death and is calling Joseph to his side to bless him and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this final act, Jacob is bestowing a special inheritance upon Joseph's lineage, distinguishing them from his other children. This specific portion, a mountain slope near Shechem, Jacob claims to have secured through his own military efforts.
Jacob is nearing death and is calling Joseph to his side to bless him and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this final act, Jacob is bestowing a special inheritance upon Joseph's lineage, distinguishing them from his other children. This specific portion, a mountain slope near Shechem, Jacob claims to have secured through his own military efforts.
"Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”" — Jacob bequeaths to Joseph a special territory, "one Shechem" (a portion or shoulder of land), which he claims to have taken from the Amorites by his own strength. This isn't a literal military conque…
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