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The Significance of "Knees"

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The Significance of THE SIGNIFICANCE OF "KNEES" We are told in the scriptures that Rachael was jealous of her sister Leah because Rachael was barren and Leah was able to bear children. Rachael went to Jacob and said: "Behold my maid Bilhah, go in and lie with her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her." Gen. 30:3 Jacob did have a child with Bilhah, and Rachael adopted Dan as soon as he was born, and he became her son. This act by Rachael concerning her knees was an act of adoption. The ages of Manasseh and Ephraim cannot be exactly determined, but we know that they were born when Joseph was between the age of 30 and 37 (Gen. 41:46-52). We are not told whether they are twins, or, if they are not twins, how many years are between their births. To find out how old they were when Jacob came into Egypt we must take Joseph's age when Jacob arrived, which is 39 and subtract the age of Joseph when they were born (30-37). For our purposes we will take the greater age to make his sons as young as they might have been (39-37=2). Therefore, the youngest that Joseph's sons could have been was 2 years of age when Jacob arrived in Egypt. The oldest possibility would have been 9 years of age. Joseph's two sons were blessed by their grandfather, Jacob (Israel), but it appears that Jacob did not bless Manasseh and Ephraim until he was near death. Paul states: "By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff." Hebrews 11:21 (See also Genesis 48:1-3, 27) Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years before he blessed his grandsons, and they were at a minimum 19 years of age when they were blessed (2+ 17= 19). There exists the possibility that they could have been as much as 26 years of age (9+ 17=26). When Joseph presented his two sons to his father for a blessing, it is recorded that: "Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth." Gen. 48:18 These two sons of Joseph were not young boys who many have portrayed as hiding behind their fathers legs. The very symbolic act by Joseph of bringing his two sons, who were between 19 and 26 years of age, "from between his knees" demonstrates that he was giving up his sons to his father, Jacob. They were no more Joseph's, but of Jacob's "even as Reuben and Simeon." Jacob stated: "And now, of thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, ... behold, they are mine, and the God of my fathers shall bless them; even as Reuben and Simeon they shall be blessed, for they are mine; wherefore they shall be called after my name. (Therefore they were called Israel.) And thy issue which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their 1 inheritance, in the tribes; therefore they were called the tribes of Manasseh and of Ephraim." Gen. 48:5, 6. Josephus states in Antiquities of the Jews found in his Complete Works on page 55: "Now when Jacob had lived seventeen years in Egypt, he fell into a disease, and died in the presence of his sons; ... He also enlarged upon the praises of Joseph;* how he had not remembered the evil doings of his brethren to their disadvantage; nay, on the contrary, was kind to them, bestowing upon them so many benefits, as seldom are bestowed on men's own benefactors. He then commanded his own sons that they should admit Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, into their number, and divide the land of Canaan in common with them; ... " As a footnote found on that same page: * “As to this encomium upon Joseph, as preparatory to Jacob's adopting Ephraim and Mannasses into his own family, and be admitted for two tribes, which Josephus here mentions, all our copies of Genesis omit it, nor do we know whence he took it, or whether it be not his own embellishment only." (Encomium means “high or glowing praise”) This footnote aludes to that which must be found within the Plates of Brass which were written by Moses. Please notice that it is mentioned that Jacob was "adopting Ephraim and Mannasses into his own family." They were already his grandsons. Why adopt them? It is evident that Jacob was too old to place these young men upon his knees, and this is why it is stated that "Joseph brought them from between his knees." Paul speaks of the adoption: "Who are Israelites; of whom are the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, And the promises which are made unto the fathers; and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ was, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." Romans 9:4-5 Ephraim and Manasseh had to be adopted by Jacob to become Israelites. They actually took his name and were called "Israel." Joseph may have had daughters, but it was not recorded. Even if he did have daughters they were numbered with the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim as Jacob had directed in the blessing. If the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim are to be separate tribes within the house of Israel, and called by Israel's name, then to whom is the "remnant of Joseph" referring? Manasseh was the firstborn son of Joseph: "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh; For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." Genesis 41:51 It is recorded: "the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees." Genesis 50:23 2 Why is this event told to us unless it has special meaning and is important? "The ceremony of placing the children on their grandfather's knees is part of the rite of adoption which was so well known apparently as to require no description." The Interpreters One-Volume Commentary on the Bible, page 31. The marginal notes on page 71 of the Companion Bible, Kregel Publications, 1990 states: "Machir: brought up, Heb. born. i.e., were adopted by him as soon as they were born." Machir was the firstborn son of Manasseh (Joshua 17:1). Joseph's "remnant" lineage continued through the children of Machir (oldest son of Manasseh), who were "brought up upon Joseph's knees." These were his grandchildren. Symbolically this was the rite of adoption for these children to become Joseph's children. Manasseh's birthright as the firstborn son of Joseph was passed to Machir, and then to Gilead (Joshua 17:1), who was the firstborn of Machir (Num. 26:29). “So the children of (1) Joseph, (2) Manasseh and (3) Ephraim, took their inheritance.” Joshua 17:4 If Rachael was able to adopt the son of her maid, Bilhah, just by placing him upon her "knees," and Jacob was able to adopt Ephraim and Manasseh after Joseph brought them "out from between his knees," then Joseph adopted the children of Machir who were "brought up upon Joseph's knees." Joseph adopted these children as his own while giving up Ephraim and Manasseh unto his father, Jacob. Rachael adopts: “she shall bear upon my knees”. Jacob adopts: “Joseph brought them out from between his knees”. Joseph adopts: "brought up upon Joseph's knees." Through this adoption of Machir by Joseph, Machir’s descendants became the “remnant” of Joseph and have a separate inheritance from Manasseh and Ephraim. Other descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh cannot be a “remnant” of Joseph. They are known as “Israel”. Phil Eldred 3 .
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