Genesis 48:19
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.
Cross-reference
In Genesis 48:14, Jacob crosses his hands onto Ephraim, physically enacting the blessing that the younger will be greater.
In Genesis 17:21, God chooses Isaac over Ishmael; here Jacob chooses Ephraim over Manasseh, mirroring divine election.
In Genesis 49:22, Jacob blesses Joseph as a fruitful bough—a parallel image of fruitfulness for the same lineage.
In Genesis 50:23, Joseph sees Ephraim's children to the third generation—direct evidence of Ephraim's multiplication.
In Genesis 17:20, God blesses Ishmael as a great nation though not the chosen line; similar pattern here for Manasseh and Ephraim.
In Numbers 1:33-35, the census shows Ephraim (40,500) outnumbers Manasseh (32,200), fulfilling the prophecy of greater multitude.
In Numbers 2:19-21, the camp census confirms Ephraim's larger numbers than Manasseh, echoing the blessing of greater size.
In Deuteronomy 33:17, Moses' blessing explicitly gives Ephraim ten thousands and Manasseh thousands, reinforcing Jacob's prophecy.
In Joshua 17:14, Joseph's descendants claim to be a numerous people—directly recalling the promised multitude.
Hosea 13:15 describes Ephraim's fruitfulness turning to drought — a direct reversal of Jacob's blessing of multitude.
In Numbers 1:35, Manasseh's census count is given—a data point showing Ephraim's larger size as prophesied.