Genesis 48 · Verse 16

Genesis 48:16

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.
Genesis 48:16, King James Version

Genesis 48:16 in other translations

BSBthe 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 into a multitude upon the earth.”
WEBthe angel who has 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. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
ASVthe angel who hath 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.
YLTthe Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'
DARBYthe Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land!
BBEThe angel who has been my saviour from all evil, send his blessing on these children: and let my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, be given to them; and let them become a great nation in the earth.
WebsterThe angel who hath 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.

What does Genesis 48:16 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil - המלאך הגאל hammalac haggoel. The Messenger, the Redeemer or Kinsman; for so גאל goel signifies; for this term, in the law of Moses, is applied to that person whose right it is, from his being nearest akin, to redeem or purchase back a forfeited inheritance. But of whom does Jacob speak? We have often seen, in the preceding chapters, an angel of God appearing to the patriarchs; (see particularly Gen 16:7 (note)) and we have full proof that this was no created angel, but the Messenger of the Divine Council, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who then was the angel that redeemed Jacob, and whom he invoked to bless Ephraim and Manasseh? Is it not Jesus? He alone can be called Goel, the redeeming Kinsman; for he alone took part of our flesh and blood that the right of redemption might be his; and that the forfeited possession of the favor and image of God might be redeemed, brought back, and restored to all those who believe in his name. To have invoked any other angel or messenger in such a business would have been impiety. Angels bless not; to God alone this prerogative belongs. With what confidence may a truly religious father use these words in behalf of his children: "Jesus, the Christ, who hath redeemed me, bless the lads, redeem them also, and save them unto eternal life!" Let my name be named on them - "Let them be ever accounted as a part of my own family; let them be true Israelites - persons who shall prevail with God as I have done; and the name of Abraham - being partakers of his faith; and the name of Isaac - let them be as remarkable for submissive obedience as he was. Let the virtues of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be accumulated in them, and invariably displayed by them!" These are the very words of adoption; and by the imposition of hands, the invocation of the Redeemer, and the solemn blessing pronounced, the adoption was completed. From this moment Ephraim and Manasseh had the same rights and privileges as Jacob's sons, which as the sons of Joseph they could never have possessed. And let them grow into a multitude - וידגו לרב veyidgu larob; Let them increase like fishes into a multitude. Fish are the most prolific of all animals; see the instances produced on Gen 1:20 (note). This prophetic blessing was verified in a most remarkable manner; see Num 26:34, Num 26:37; Deu 33:17; Jos 17:17. At one time the tribe of Ephraim amounted to 40,500 effective men, and that of Manasseh to 52,700, amounting in the whole to 93,200.

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 48:16 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.

הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ha.mal.'oKhthe angelH4397
הַגֹּאֵ֨לha.go.'Elwho has redeemedH1350
אֹתִ֜י'o.Ti<obj.> meH853
מִכָּל\־mi.kolfrom allH3605
רָ֗עRa'harmH7451
יְבָרֵךְ֮ye.va.reKhmay he blessH1288
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנְּעָרִים֒ha.ne.'a.Rimthe ladsH5288
וְיִקָּרֵ֤אve.yi.ka.Re'and may it be calledH7121
בָהֶם֙va.Hemin them
שְׁמִ֔יshe.Miname myH8034
וְשֵׁ֥םve.Shemand [the] name ofH8034
אֲבֹתַ֖י'a.vo.Taifathers myH1
אַבְרָהָ֣ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וְיִצְחָ֑קve.yitz.Chakand IsaacH3327
וְיִדְגּ֥וּve.yid.Guand may they multiplyH1711
לָרֹ֖בla.Roto abundanceH7230
בְּקֶ֥רֶבbe.Ke.revin [the] midst ofH7130
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

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

Cross references for Genesis 48:16

  • Psalms 34:22

    The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

  • 2 Timothy 4:18

    And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

  • Genesis 28:13-15

    And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

  • Genesis 49:22

    Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

  • Genesis 48:5

    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.

  • Acts 15:17

    That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

  • Joshua 17:17

    And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:

  • Psalms 121:7

    The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

  • Numbers 26:28-37

    The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites. These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites: And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites: …

  • Isaiah 63:9

    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

  • John 17:15

    I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

  • Titus 2:14

    Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Angel.
16:7-13; 28:15; 31:11-13; Ex 3:2-6; 23:20,21; Jud 2:1-4; 6:21-24
Jud 13:21,22; Ps 34:7,22; 121:7; Isa 47:4; 63:9; Ho 12:4,5; Mal 3:1
Ac 7:30-35; 1Co 10:4,9
redeemed.
Ps 34:2; Mt 6:13; Joh 17:15; Ro 8:23; 2Ti 4:18; Tit 2:14
my name.
5; 32:28; De 28:10; 2Ch 7:14; Jer 14:9; Am 9:12; Ac 15:17
grow into. Heb. as fishes do increase.
1:21,22; Nu 1:46; 26:34,37Fish are the most prolific of all animals: a tench lays 1,000 eggs, a carp 20,000, and Leuwenhoek counted in a middling sized cod, 9,384,000.
a multitude.
49:22; Ex 1:7; Nu 26:28-37; De 33:17; Jos 17:17

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

Context

  • Genesis 48:15

    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,

  • Genesis 48:16

    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.

  • Genesis 48:17

    And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.

Read all of Genesis 48

Genesis 48:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El Angel que me liberta de todo mal, bendiga á estos mozos: y mi nombre sea llamado en ellos, y el nombre de mis padres Abraham é Isaac: y multipliquen en gran manera en medio de la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
l’Ange qui m’a délivré de tout mal, bénisse ces jeunes hommes; et qu’ils soient appelés de mon nom et du nom de mes pères, Abraham et Isaac, et qu’ils croissent pour être une multitude au milieu du pays.
German
Elberfelder 1871
der Engel, der mich erlöst hat von allem Übel, segne die Knaben; und in ihnen werde mein Name genannt und der Name meiner Väter, Abraham und Isaak, und sie sollen sich mehren zu einer Menge inmitten des Landes!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
angelus, qui eruit me de cunctis malis, benedicat pueris istis: et invocetur super eos nomen meum, nomina quoque patrum meorum Abraham et Isaac, et crescant in multitudinem super terram.