Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 48:16/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ח:ט״ז

אוְטַעַם וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל שֵׁם אֶפְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵם נִקְרָאִים זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר "בָּהֶם", וְהִנֵּה לֹא נִקְרְאוּ עַל שֵׁם מְנַשֶּׁה. וְאוּלַי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּקָּרְאוּ "בֵּית יוֹסֵף". וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד זַרְעָם וּשְׁמָם, וְיִהְיֶה שֵׁם אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב נִזְכָּר בָּהֶם לְעוֹלָם:

1AND LET MY NAME BE CALLED ON THEM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that it means that all Israel be called by the name Ephraim,⁵⁷ (Jeremiah 31:19), the reference there being to all Israel. just as they are called “the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”This is not correct for Scripture uses the word bahem (on them), [thus referring to both Ephraim and Menasheh], and they were not called by the name of Menasheh. But perhaps this is because they were called the house of Joseph.⁵⁸.The correct interpretation though is that their race and their name will exist forever, and the name of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will forever be upon them.