And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. It was the intention of the aged patriarch to adopt Joseph's oldest sons as his own, thus giving him a double portion. The reasons of this procedure are stated (1 Chronicles 5:1-2).
Are mine. Though their connections might have attached them to Egypt, and opened to them brilliant prospects in the land of their nativity, they willingly accepted the adoption (Hebrews 11:25).