Genesis 48:12

‘Children’ does not mean young children. They were more than 19 years of age. These are the reasons why we know that. They were born before the *famine began. (See Genesis 41:50.) Jacob came to Egypt 2 years after the *famine began. (See Genesis 45:6.) And Jacob lived for 17 more years. (See Genesis 47:9; Genesis 47:28.) So we can be sure that Joseph’s sons did not sit on Israel’s knees. They stood by his knees.