And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see your face: and, see, God has showed me also your seed.
And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see your face: and, see, God has showed me also your seed.
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
And Israel said to Joseph, I had no hope of seeing your face again, but God in his mercy has let me see you and your children.
And Israel said to Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed.
Israel said to Joseph, "I didn't think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also."
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.
I had not thought to see thy face - There is much delicacy and much tenderness in these expressions. He feels himself now amply recompensed for his long grief and trouble on account of the supposed death of Joseph, in seeing not only himself but his two sons, whom God, by an especial act of favor, is about to add to the number of his own. Thus we find that as Reuben and Simeon were heads of two distinct tribes in Israel, so were Ephraim and Manasseh; because Jacob, in a sort of sacramental way, had adopted them with equal privileges to those of his own sons.
48:11 I had not thought to see thy face, (having many years given him up for lost) and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed? - See here, How these two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph saith, They are my sons whom God has given me - And to magnify the favour he adds, in this place of my banishment, slavery and imprisonment. Jacob saith here, God hath shewed me thy seed - Our comforts are then doubly sweet to us, when we see them coming from God's hand.