Why Did Jacob Switch the Blessings to Ephraim?

WHY DID JACOB SWITCH THE BLESSING TO EPHRAIM?

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

Genesis 48:10-19 recounts Jacob's blessing on Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, in Egypt. Hebrew tradition required that the right hand should be placed on the head of the first-born son, Manasseh. Jacob however chose to depart from this tradition. 

In what some have described as the crossed-blessing phenomenon, Jacob conferred the birthright blessing on Ephraim, the second son. Joseph's attempt at correcting the old man was legitimate given his poor eyesight (v.10). Joseph's action was however resisted by Jacob. 

This confirmed that Jacob had made a deliberate decision to change the blessings matrix, having convinced Joseph that the two sons would fall under Jacob's inheritance and any other sons born to Joseph would fall to Joseph (Genesis 48:5). Joseph's silence before his aged father is perhaps evidence that he submitted to his father's wisdom. 

Jacob's response in Genesis 48:19 affirms this fact. It reveals that Jacob had knowingly placed his hands on the two sons of Joseph! He knew that Joseph had set them before him in the traditional order but he nevertheless switched the hands. 

As to whether Jacob had deliberately schemed to withhold the birthright blessings from Manasseh, this is difficult to tell. The fact that the two sons had fallen into Jacob's personal heritage at this point is perhaps evidence that Jacob was entitled to act as he wished. Did he perhaps have any prior knowledge of the characters of the two boys at this point? This is difficult to tell. 

It is perhaps easy to relate Jacob's action to the scheming by his mother Rebecca to have him receive the birthright blessing meant for his elder brother Esau (Genesis 27). It is however difficult to tell what exactly motivated Jacob's decision in Joseph's context. Some have speculated that God had revealed to Jacob in a dream which between the two sons would be more prominent. Scripture is however silent on this question. 

The blessing recorded in Genesis 48:15-16 however reveals that Jacob proclaimed God's blessings on the two boys without distinction and preference. He prays to God saying: 

"Bless the lads;

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 earth.” (NKJV). 

Jacob's act of switching his hands on the two sons has however been understood by some as a tacit elevation for Ephraim in the pecking order rather than an open displeasure with Manasseh. 

The tribe of Ephraim has historically assumed greater prominence than the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua the son of Nun who led Israel into the Promised Land was from the tribe of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20-29). Jeroboam I who became the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was also an Ephraimite (1 Kings 11:26). 

@ Ezekiel Kimosop 2026