New American Standard Bible 1995

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Genesis

48

:

5

"Now 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, as Reuben and Simeon are.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
"Now now Adverb H6258 וְעַתָּ֡ה ve·'at·tah
your two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵֽי־ she·nei-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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sons, son Noun H1121 בָנֶיךָ֩ va·nei·cha
who were born to bear, bring forth, beget Verb H3205 הַנֹּולָדִ֨ים han·no·v·la·dim
to you in the land earth, land Noun H776 בְּאֶ֣רֶץ be·'e·retz
of Egypt a son of Ham, also his desc. and their country in N.W. Africa Noun H4714 מִצְרַ֗יִם mitz·ra·yim
Analysis:

Egypt is often associated with the secular world. We become enslaved to our worldly desires, such as job, money, cars. In other words the world or (Egypt) looks good and very tempting until we get so wrapped up in it that we become a slave to it.

Read more about: Egypt
before as far as, even to, up to, until, while Prepostion H5704 עַד־ ad-
I came to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 בֹּאִ֥י bo·'i
to you in Egypt, a son of Ham, also his desc. and their country in N.W. Africa Noun H4714 מִצְרַ֖יְמָה mitz·ray·mah
Analysis:

Egypt is often associated with the secular world. We become enslaved to our worldly desires, such as job, money, cars. In other words the world or (Egypt) looks good and very tempting until we get so wrapped up in it that we become a slave to it.

Read more about: Egypt
are mine; Ephraim a son of Joseph, also his desc. and their territory Noun H669 אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ ef·ra·yim
Analysis:
Read more about: Ephraim
and Manasseh "causing to forget," a son of Joseph, also a tribe desc. from him, also a king of Judah , also two Isr. Noun H4519 וּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה u·me·na·sheh,
Analysis:
Read more about: Manasseh, Manasseh
shall be mine, as Reuben "behold a son!" oldest son of Jacob, also his desc. Noun H7205 כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן kir·'u·ven
Analysis:
Read more about: Reuben
and Simeon a son of Jacob, also his tribe, also an Isr. with a foreign wife Noun H8095 וְשִׁמְעֹ֖ון ve·shim·'o·vn
are.      

Locations

Egypt

EGYPTe'-jipt:I. THE COUNTRY1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric RacesII. THE HISTORY1. 1st and 2nd Ages: Prehistoric 2. 3d Age: Ist and IInd Dynasties 3. 4th Age: IIIrd through VIth Dynasties 4. 5th Age: VIIth through XIVth Dynasties 5.... View Details

Ephraim

EPHRAIM (2)(1) A position apparently of some importance, since the position of Baal-hazor (probably = Tell `Asur) where Abraham's sheep-farm was located, is determined by relation to it (2 Samuel 13:23). That it lay North of Jerusalem seems to be indicated in 2 Samuel 13:34. It may be identical with the Ephraim of Eusebius, Onomasticon, 20 Roman miles North... View Details

People

Reuben

|behold a son!| oldest son of Jacob, also his desc.

Manasseh

Manasseh [N] [H] [S] who makes to forget. "God hath made me forget" (Heb. nashshani),  Genesis 41:51 .  The elder of the two sons of Joseph. He and his brother Ephraim were afterwards adopted by Jacob as his own sons ( 48:1 ). There is an account of his marriage to a Syrian ( 1 Chronicles 7:14 ); and the only thing afterwards recorded of him is, that his grandchildren were "... View Details

Manasseh

Manasseh [N] [H] [S] who makes to forget. "God hath made me forget" (Heb. nashshani),  Genesis 41:51 .  The elder of the two sons of Joseph. He and his brother Ephraim were afterwards adopted by Jacob as his own sons ( 48:1 ). There is an account of his marriage to a Syrian ( 1 Chronicles 7:14 ); and the only thing afterwards recorded of him is, that his grandchildren were "... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 "Now 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, as Reuben and Simeon are.
King James Bible "Now your And now thy two sons, who Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born to you unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came to you in unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.Simeon, they shall be mine.
Hebrew Greek English "Now 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, as Reuben and Simeon are.