Genesis 48 · Verse 11

Genesis 48:11

And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
Genesis 48:11, King James Version

Genesis 48:11 in other translations

BSB“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
WEBIsrael said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
ASVAnd Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
YLTand Israel saith unto Joseph, ‘To see thy face I had not thought, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'
DARBYAnd Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face; and behold,God has let me see also thy seed.
BBEAnd Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.
WebsterAnd Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.

What does Genesis 48:11 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 I had not thought to see thy face - There is much delicacy and much tenderness in these expressions. He feels himself now amply recompensed for his long grief and trouble on account of the supposed death of Joseph, in seeing not only himself but his two sons, whom God, by an especial act of favor, is about to add to the number of his own. Thus we find that as Reuben and Simeon were heads of two distinct tribes in Israel, so were Ephraim and Manasseh; because Jacob, in a sort of sacramental way, had adopted them with equal privileges to those of his own sons.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 48:8-22

The two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph says, They are my sons whom God has given me. Jacob says, God hath showed me thy seed. Comforts are doubly sweet to us when we see them coming from God's hand. He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes. Jacob mentions the care the Divine providence had taken of him all his days. A great deal of hardship he had known in his time, but God kept him from the…

Read the full comment on Genesis 48:8-22 →

Genesis 48:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יוֹסֵ֔ףyo.SefJosephH3130
רְאֹ֥הre.'Ohto seeH7200
פָנֶ֖יךָfa.Nei.khaface yourH6440
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
פִלָּ֑לְתִּיfi.Lal.tiI judgedH6419
וְהִנֵּ֨הve.hi.Nehand here!H2009
הֶרְאָ֥הher.'Ahhe has shownH7200
אֹתִ֛י'o.Ti<obj.> meH853
אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
גַּ֥םgamalsoH1571
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
זַרְעֶֽךָ\׃zar.'E.khaoffspring yourH2233

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 48:11

  • Ephesians 3:20

    Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

  • Genesis 45:26

    And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

  • Genesis 37:35

    And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

  • Genesis 42:36

    And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

  • Genesis 37:33

    And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I had not.
37:33,35; 42:36; 45:26
God.
Eph 3:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 48:10

    Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

  • Genesis 48:11

    And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

  • Genesis 48:12

    And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

Read all of Genesis 48

Genesis 48:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijo Israel á José: No pensaba yo ver tu rostro, y he aquí Dios me ha hecho ver también tu simiente.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Israël dit à Joseph: Je n’avais pas pensé voir ton visage; et voici, Dieu m’a fait voir aussi ta semence.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Israel sprach zu Joseph: Ich hatte nicht gedacht, dein Angesicht wiederzusehen, und siehe, Gott hat mich sogar deinen Samen sehen lassen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		dixit ad filium suum: Non sum fraudatus aspectu tuo: insuper ostendit mihi Deus semen tuum.