Something seems askew here. In chapter 35 of Genesis, Jacob calls Rachel’s second-born son BN-YMYN, “Son of my Right Hand”. And we have an entire chapter of Genesis, chapter 48, which is all about on which one “son”/BN of Rachel’s firstborn son Joseph that Jacob will place Jacob’s “right hand”/YMYN. Yet to the best of my knowledge, no analysis of the name BN-YMYN that Jacob gives to Rachel’s second-born son at Genesis 35: 18 ever mentions how Jacob uses his “right hand”/YMYN in chapter 48 of Genesis to select one “son”/BN of Rachel’s firstborn son Joseph to have the finer inheritance. Why is the name BN-YMYN/“Son of my Right Hand” never connected to the placing by Jacob of his “right hand”/YMYN on one “son”/BN in chapter 48 of Genesis?
Here are the relevant verses from chapter 48 of Genesis: [13] “And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand/YMYN toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand/YMYN, and brought [them] near unto him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand/YMYN, and laid [it] upon Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn. … [17] And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand/YMYN upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this [is] the firstborn; put thy right hand/YMYN upon his head. [19] And his father refused, and said, I know [it], my son, I know [it]: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. [20] And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” Why is it that none of the analyses of Genesis ever seems to mention the foregoing story of Jacob placing his “right hand”/YMYN on one “son”/BN of Rachel’s firstborn son Joseph in chapter 48 of Genesis in analyzing the name BN-YMYN/“Son of my Right Hand” that Jacob gives to Rachel’s second-born son at Genesis 35: 18? Jim Stinehart Evanston, Illinois _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
