Genesis 48:5

48:5 “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. ¹  Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are.

Genesis 48:1

Manasseh and Ephraim

48:1 After these things Joseph was told, ²  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

Genesis 5:1-2

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ³  of the family line ⁴  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ⁵  he made them ⁶  in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” ⁷ 

[48:5]  ¹ sn They will be mine. Jacob is here adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons, and so they will have equal share with the other brothers. They will be in the place of Joseph and Levi (who will become a priestly tribe) in the settlement of the land. See I. Mendelsohn, “A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh,” IEJ (1959): 180-83.

[48:1]  ² tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.

[5:1]  ³ tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.

[5:2]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew word used here is אָדָם (’adam).