Genesis 48:6

Summary

Genesis 48:6 addresses Jacob's offspring born after Ephraim and Manasseh, stating that these later children will belong to Jacob but will be identified under the name of their brothers with respect to inheritance. The verse establishes a distinction between direct paternity and the naming/inheritance structure that follows.

Key words

• moladtekha ("your offspring", H4138) — feminine singular construct noun with 2ms suffix, referring to descendants generated by Jacob; sets the subject of the sentence.
• holadta ("you have fathered", H3205) — hiphil perfect, causative form indicating Jacob as the one who caused the begetting, marking completed action prior to the main clause.
• yihyu ("they will be", H1961) — qal imperfect, 3rd person plural, expressing future/ongoing state — these offspring "will belong" to Jacob.
• yiqqare'u ("they will be called", H7121H) — niphal imperfect, passive voice, indicating the offspring will receive a designation from an external naming action rather than name themselves.
• nachalatam ("their inheritance", H5159) — feminine singular construct with 3mp suffix, marking the domain (inheritance/territory) within which the naming occurs.

What the text says

The verse divides into two clauses joined by parallel imperfect verbs: yihyu ("they will be") and yiqqare'u ("they will be called"). The first clause establishes possession — the offspring described by moladtekha... asher holadta ("your offspring whom you have fathered") "after them" (acharehem, H0310A construct + 3mp suffix) will belong to Jacob (lekha, "to you"). The second clause, using the niphal (passive) verb yiqqare'u, states these offspring will be called "upon the name of their brothers" (al shem achehem), meaning their identity will be subsumed under the names of the previously mentioned brothers.

The construct chain shem achehem ("name of their brothers") and the final phrase be-nachalatam ("in their inheritance") specify the sphere of this naming — it operates within the context of inheritance division rather than personal identity in general. The niphal form of yiqqare'u means the text does not specify who performs the naming; the action is presented as passive, without an explicit human or divine agent.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the Hebrew acharehem ("after them") with the phrase "μετὰ ταῦτα" ("after these things"), a slightly more general temporal marker than the Hebrew's plural pronominal construct referring specifically to the brothers. The LXX also uses "κλήροις" ("lots/portions") for nachalatam ("their inheritance", H5159), a term emphasizing allotted portions rather than the broader inheritance concept in the Hebrew noun. The Vulgate's "possessionibus suis" ("their possessions") similarly shifts nuance toward property holdings rather than inherited lineage-territory implied by nachalah.