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)
Jacob blesses Joseph's sons by giving them a special inheritance, a mountain slope. This wasn't just any land; it was land Jacob himself had fought for and reclaimed, highlighting that blessings often come through struggle and hard-won victory, not just inheritance.
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)
Jacob, nearing his death, is bestowing his final blessings and instructions upon his beloved son Joseph and Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this pivotal moment, Jacob adopts Joseph's sons as his own, effectively giving Joseph a double portion and setting the stage for Ephraim and Manasseh to become the heads of two of Israel's tribes. This final act solidifies Joseph's place among his brothers and blesses his lineage before Jacob passes from the scene.
Jacob gives Joseph a 'mountain slope' that he 'took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.' What does this intense description reveal about the significance of this inheritance?
Jacob's words here are layered with meaning. While it's clear he's bestowing a specific territory, the language of 'sword and bow' suggests more than just a peaceful purchase.
A Hard-Won Territory
The commentaries suggest Jacob might be referring to a territory he purchased (as seen in Genesis 33:19) but later had to defend or recover by force from the Amorites. Even if the specific event isn't recorded, Jacob’s phrasing emphasizes that this land wasn't merely handed down; it represented a place secured through conflict and strength. This wasn't just a piece of real estate, but a strategic foothold.
Prophetic Foresight
Some scholars interpret Jacob’s words as prophetic. He speaks of a future conquest of Canaan by his descendants, implying that this particular plot near Shechem would be particularly significant in that larger military endeavor. This territory would become a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises through His people’s strength and courage.
This highlights that inheritance isn't always passive. Sometimes, it's about securing a place that has value, a place that requires divine enablement and human effort to hold.
Ask a follow-up
Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, but purposefully places his right hand on the younger, Ephraim. Why does this gesture carry such profound theological weight?
This deliberate act by Jacob is a powerful demonstration of God's sovereign choice, overturning the conventional order of primogeniture.
The Displaced Firstborn
Joseph, understanding the cultural importance of the firstborn's blessing, tries to correct Jacob, pointing out that Manasseh is the firstborn. Jacob’s firm refusal – 'I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he' – reveals that this decision is not arbitrary or based on favoritism.
God's Unfettered Power
Jacob is acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This event powerfully illustrates the principle that God is not bound by human systems or expectations. He chooses whom He will, and His choices often highlight that His purposes are not determined by natural birth order or human merit, but by His own divine will.
This sets a precedent for how God operates throughout Scripture – choosing the unlikely, elevating the younger, and demonstrating that His blessings flow from His grace, not our status.
As he blesses Joseph's sons, Jacob invokes 'The Angel which redeemed me from all evil.' Who is this 'Angel,' and why is this invocation so significant at the end of his life?
Jacob’s final blessing is deeply rooted in his personal experience of God’s protective power, identifying a divine agent central to his redemption.
The Redeeming Angel
The commentators highlight that Jacob is not referring to a mere angelic being, but to a divine Person. This 'Angel' is identified with God Himself, the 'Angel of the covenant' or even a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. Jacob attests that this Divine Angel has been his constant protector and rescuer throughout his life, delivering him 'from all evil.'
A Legacy of Faith
By invoking this Redeeming Angel, Jacob is not just recalling his past; he is entrusting his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to this same divine guardianship. It's a profound act of faith, passing on the legacy of reliance on God's redemptive power. He's essentially saying, 'The same God who saved me will save you.'
This teaches us that our deepest hope and assurance, especially in times of transition or blessing, should be anchored in God's personal, active intervention and redemption in our lives.
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 by 'sword and bow' is debated among scholars. Some believe he is referring to a literal military recovery of the land after the events at Shechem, while others see it as a prophetic declaration of the future conquest of Canaan by his descendants. The use of the word 'Shechem' also plays on the name of the city and the meaning 'shoulder,' perhaps alluding to a significant portion of land.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob purchases land at Shechem
Jacob buys a parcel of land near the city of Shechem from Hamor the Hivite for one hundred pieces of silver. This transaction is recorded in Genesis 33:18-19.
c. 1700 BC
Simeon and Levi's violent act at Shechem
Jacob's sons Simeon and Levi retaliate against the men of Shechem for the defilement of their sister Dinah, leading to the slaughter of the city's inhabitants and the seizure of their property. Jacob later condemns this act (Genesis 49:5-7).
c. 1700 BC
Jacob moves away from Shechem
Following the tragic events at Shechem, Jacob and his family relocate to Hebron, leaving the land around Shechem. The Amorites may have taken advantage of Jacob's absence to seize the land he had purchased.
c. 1635 BC— this verse
Jacob's final blessing and prophecy
On his deathbed in Egypt, Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, adopting them as his own. He confers on Joseph a special portion of land, 'one Shechem,' which he claims to have taken from the Amorites by force.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Centuries later, under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquer the land of Canaan, including the region of Shechem, fulfilling Jacob's prophetic words in a corporate sense.
c. 1350 BC
Division of the Land of Canaan
The territory around Shechem is allotted to the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) as part of the inheritance in the Promised Land, as recorded in the book of Joshua.
This passage details the inheritance of Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and mentions the territory around Shechem, connecting directly to the land Jacob refers to.
John 4:5Jesus passes through the region of Shechem and mentions Jacob's Well, linking the historical narrative to a significant New Testament event and location.
Genesis 33:19This verse describes Jacob purchasing a parcel of land near Shechem, providing context for the territory Jacob later claims to have taken by force.
Genesis 49:5-7Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi, who violently took Shechem, offers a contrast and possible explanation for Jacob's claim regarding 'his' sword and bow, as he distances himself from their actions.
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 blesses Joseph's sons by giving them a special inheritance, a mountain slope. This wasn't just any land; it was land Jacob himself had fought for and reclaimed, highlighting that blessings often come through struggle and hard-won victory, not just inheritance.
Jacob, nearing his death, is bestowing his final blessings and instructions upon his beloved son Joseph and Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this pivotal moment, Jacob adopts Joseph's sons as his own, effectively giving Joseph a double portion and setting the stage for Ephraim and Manasseh to become the heads of two of Israel's tribes. This final act solidifies Joseph's place among his brothers and blesses his lineage before Jacob passes from the scene.
Jacob, nearing his death, is bestowing his final blessings and instructions upon his beloved son Joseph and Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this pivotal moment, Jacob adopts Joseph's sons as his own, effectively giving Joseph a double portion and setting the stage for Ephraim and Manasseh to become the heads of two of Israel's tribes. This final act solidifies Joseph's place among his brothers and blesses his lineage before Jacob passes from the scene.
"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 blesses Joseph's sons by giving them a special inheritance, a mountain slope. This wasn't just any land; it was land Jacob himself had fought for and reclaimed, highlighting that blessings ofte…
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Last reviewed October 2026