# Joseph is a fruitful bough

Here "Joseph" is a metonym that stands for his descendants. Jacob speaks about them as if they were a tree branch that produces a lot of fruit. This emphasizes that they will greatly increase in number. Alternate translation: "The descendants of Joseph are a fruitful bough" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# bough

a main branch of a tree

# whose branches climb over the wall

Branches that grow and extend over a wall are spoken of as if they were climbing. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])