The Family of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh

Joseph was his father Jacob’s most beloved son. Out of his brothers’ jealousy, he was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt. Because he resisted his master’s wife’s seduction, he was falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned. Later, he rose from being a prisoner to becoming the prime minister of Egypt and was even given a wife, the daughter of a priest, by Pharaoh.

When Jacob learned that Joseph was in Egypt, he brought his entire family to join him. On his deathbed, Jacob said to Joseph, “The Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, saying to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you into a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for a perpetual possession.’ Now then, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (Genesis 48:3-5).

Joseph’s two sons were born in Egypt. Manasseh was the firstborn and Ephraim was the second son. They were born during the seven years of abundance, and Jacob came down to Egypt in the second year of the famine, so Manasseh and Ephraim would have been adults, around 24 or 25 years old. Jacob wanted to adopt these two sons of Joseph, making them his own sons instead of his grandsons. He deliberately placed Ephraim before Manasseh, understanding that this was all within God’s will. Jacob must have felt a deep resonance at that moment, for he himself was a second son who had taken the birthright and blessing from his older brother Esau. Joseph was not the firstborn but received the blessing of a firstborn. Now, Joseph’s second son, Ephraim, was being placed above his older brother, Manasseh.

In this way, the tribe of Joseph was divided into the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Although this would have made thirteen tribes in total, the tribe of Levi was set apart by God’s command to serve as His chosen priests. They did not receive a land inheritance and were instead scattered to live among the other tribes. Therefore, they were not included in the count, which is how the twelve tribes of Canaan were established.