The night before he caught up to him, God appeared to Laban in a dream and warned him not to say anything good or bad to Jacob. Jacob first appears in the Book of Genesis, where he is described as the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandson of Abraham, Sarah, and Bethuel. This list includes the twelve original sons of Jacob. (21:73) Jacob is further described as being resourceful and a possessor of great vision (38:45) and is further spoken of as being granted a "tongue [voice] of truthfulness to be heard." God spoke to Rebekah and told her that the older twin (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). A careful reading of Genesis 29-30 shows that the actual of order of birth of the twelve sons of Jacob is not even given. The Levites became the priesthood of the nation of Israel and are not counted among the Patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel. When Laban planned to deceive Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the Midrash recounts that both Jacob and Rachel suspected that Laban would pull such a trick; Laban was known as the "Aramean" (deceiver), and changed Jacob's wages ten times during his employ (Genesis 31:7). Rachel had a hard time, and she finally died while giving birth. and Jacob answered simply, "I am." The biblical account of the life of Jacob is found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 2550. I will list them in the order they were born (oldest to youngest), who their mother was, and what their name means. Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, agreed in Jacob's name to permit the marriage as long as all the men of Shechem first circumcised themselves, ostensibly to unite the children of Jacob in Abraham's covenant of familial harmony. He led the servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of the houses Israel and Egypt beyond the Jordan River to Atad where they observed seven days of mourning. Jacob then demanded a blessing, and the being declared in Genesis 32:28 that, from then on, Jacob would be called , Israel (Yisra'el, meaning "one that struggled with the divine angel" (Josephus), "one who has prevailed with God" (Rashi), "a man seeing God" (Whiston), "he will rule as God" (Strong), or "a prince with God" (Morris), from Hebrew: , "prevail," "have power as a prince"). Benjamin Asher (motherZilpah) (Genesis 30:12-13) 9) Issachar (motherLeah) (Genesis 30:17-18) 10) Zebulun (motherLeah) (Genesis 30:19-20) 11) Joseph (mother . Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Jacob had twelve sons through four women, his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who were, in order of their birth, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin, all of whom became the heads of their own family groups, later known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Isaac attempted to favor Esau anyway, even though he was displeased with him marrying two pagan women, but God had already chosen Jacob to be next in the line of patriarchs, and this is exactly what happened. To Judah, Jacob said that he was to receive the blessing as king and rule over his descendants spiritually and that this blessing would not depart from him until the coming of the promised Messiah, in other words, Jacob prophesied that Jesus was going to descend from his line. Later, the sons were reunited in Egypt and the remaining sons and their families moved there with their father. To Dan, Jacob said that he would "judge" Israel, and his tribe indeed was righteous for a time and "judged" in the Promised Land. Jesus is the firstborn of Creation (Hebrews 1:6, Colossians 1:15, Romans 8:29). Some of these boys were their literal children, and . Of the life of Jacob, the Quran narrates two especially important events. Her birth occurred about 22:54 AM (1750 BC). Seeing that she had left off childbearing temporarily, Leah then gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob so that Leah could raise more children through her. The Arabic form Ya'qb (Arabic: , romanized:Yaqb may be direct from the Hebrew or indirect through Syriac. (Leah)dwelling Notes on Each Passage: Genesis 29:31-30:24 and 35:16-20 - the births of the first eleven sons are mentioned in chronological order, along with the meanings of their names; the last son, Benjamin, is born significantly later. Israel. In it, He tells Jacob He is the Lord and the God of Abraham his father and the God of Isaac. The king's son repented of his sin and the men of Shechem agreed to follow the God of Jacob and to be circumcised. 8. Photo credit: GettyImages/digitalskillet. Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebecca after 20 years of marriage, when Isaac was 60 years of age. [99][100] In The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives (1974), Thompson suggested that the narratives arose in a response to some emergent situation, expressed as an imaginative picture of the past to embody hope. [18] Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau's hairy skin. The same name is recorded earlier still, in c. 1800 BC, in cuneiform inscriptions (spelled ya-ah-qu-ub-el, ya-qu-ub-el). [33] Literal Christian interpreters like Henry M. Morris say that the stranger was "God Himself and, therefore, Christ in His preincarnate state", citing Jacob's own evaluation and the name he assumed thereafter, "one who fights victoriously with God", and adding that God had appeared in the human form of the Angel of the Lord to eat a meal with Abraham in Genesis 18. (Leah) behold a son When the two met, Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? In addition to writing for the Salem Web Network, Lisa serves as a Word Weavers mentor and is part of a critique group. Thanks! A:You can find when each of the 12 sons was born in (Gen 29:31-30:24)(Gen 35:16-18). This is why they are considered as part of the twelve sons of Jacob or his God-given name Israel. Rather, what is given is the order of birth by wife. ]G>cMN+C_[+u1B6>}q"}7|3Z_}[Tgm{Th_e|89__^eH48B HH~qvi(KeM9wT$}=&12==c[s^Cx#}t~q4_
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93XgQo2$o. Why was he listed among those that were born of Leah? Jacob and His 12 Sons by Shelby Faith Jacob's family grew large. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Reuben lost his rights as firstborn, as he had defiled his father's bed (Gen. 35:22 - 49:3-4), thus, his inheritance was divided between the two sons of Joseph. He is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah. The house of Israel acquired many possessions and multiplied exceedingly during the course of 17 years, even through the worst of the seven-year famine. "I want a blessing from the Rebbe! 5. (Mother)Name Means (38:47) The Quran specifically mentions that Jacob was guided (6:84) and inspired (4:163) and was chosen to enforce the awareness of the Hereafter. endobj
Then Israel laid his right hand on the younger Ephraim's head and his left hand on the eldest Manasseh's head and blessed Joseph. With so many jockeying for position within this household of four women . When Joseph came to visit his father, he brought with him his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite see Jacob's dream as a prophecy of the incarnation of the Logos, whereby Jacob's ladder is understood as a symbol of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), who, according to Eastern Orthodox theology, united heaven and earth in her womb. Gad 5. %
[43] Of all the children in his household, he loved Rachel's firstborn son, Joseph, the most. To Zebulun, Jacob said that he would dwell by the shore of the sea and that he would become a haven for ships, but Zebulun never actually did. of All Rights
Jacob was an imperfect man just like us living today. When Isaac died at the age of 180, Jacob and Esau buried him in the Cave of the Patriarchs, which Abraham had purchased as a family burial plot. In the second year of this great famine,[51] when Israel (Jacob) was about 130 years old,[52] he told his 10 sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, to go to Egypt and buy grain. A wild beast has devoured him. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved! Because the 12 sons of Jacob became the 12 tribesGods covenantal peoplethe 12 stones on the high priests breastplate of course represent Gods promise to them (Genesis 28:12-15). Other scholars, such as Thomas L. Thompson, view the narratives as late literary compositions (6th and 5th centuries BCE) that have ideological and theological purposes but are unreliable for historical reconstruction of the pre-settlement period of the Israelites. Theblessingsofyourfather aremightybeyondtheblessingsof my parents, uptothebountiesoftheeverlastinghills. Asher - Happiness. Even though he was heavily hated and persecuted by his brothers, he never gave in, his obedience remained unaffected and he continued to trust God even during the darkest days of his life, when his brothers plotted to murder him and then sold him into slavery. In Genesis, chapter 34, a man named Shechem raped Dinah, the brothers sister. To Reuben, Jacob said that he would not receive his inheritance as firstborn, because he defiled his father's bed by laying with his father's concubine, Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). (38:46) Jacob is described as a good-doer (21:72) and the Quran further makes it clear that God inspired Jacob to contribute towards purification and hold the contact prayer. This is what it says: BEHOLD, A SON IS BORN TO US, ONE WHO HEARS US AND WHO IS ATTACHED TO US. Jacob had twelve sons. Appendix 1 - The Twelve Sons of Israel. Then, all of the brothers returned and plundered the city, taking everything of value with them. The twelve sons of Jacob are the patriarchs of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Day Three - Part 31. Is there evidence of Mr. Their lamentation was so great that it caught the attention of surrounding Canaanites who remarked "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." `9N>92_]:s7Fp)JP{2JJf lq~_x}sj+vcv*sy?/kWx9%YX~EuS*+X_=fFT8ni}NA8!hiY W;Wa9r&m^&0g##fpuKj\`f hB;@v A(v;f15O.S0mbtU't*$ k1:iqEj2Ep?O`=y>_THoqx]kPmH @k+ls'm\Hx!Q[ b
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*{B Jacob and Laban then parted from each other with a pact to preserve the peace between them near Gilead. 6Mm0c}A~~5<4*i}+t?S?|i?g;*kHN
!QGE\5/m=~dyH>g#K%C#}K|:Z_m *>K~.m$f=qE)t:YyX9@d\Ay5~'2WyQFkuM9p@@mR~~iCp>ZOR)u This is seen by some as evidence that the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph (said to have taken place a thousand years earlier) were written no earlier than the 10th century BCE. Levi was important because it was from him that the priestly line of the Levites descended. Afterwards, Leah became fertile again and gave birth to Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, Jacob's first and only daughter. These sons/tribes were, in order of birth, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. 11.Joseph - Add to my family. Asher 6. Dan Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! on and Levi, were so angry that they took swords and went into the city and caught the men by surprise. Hiseyesaredarkerthanwine, andhisteethwhiterthan milk. (Jesus is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The lineage leading to Jesus goes through Judah. Arriving in Haran, Jacob saw a well where shepherds were gathering their flocks to water them and met Laban's younger daughter, Rachel, Jacob's first cousin; she was working as a shepherdess. [11] The second son they named , Jacob (Ya'aqob or Ya'aqov, meaning "heel-catcher", "supplanter", "leg-puller", "he who follows upon the heels of one", from Hebrew: , 'aqab or 'aqav, "seize by the heel", "circumvent", "restrain", a wordplay upon Hebrew: , 'iqqebah or 'iqqbah, "heel"). Joseph even told his father about all of his half brothers' misdeeds. A boyfriend accused of murdering a baby has blamed the boy's mother for the horrific injuries that left the child with eyes so swollen he could not open them. [24] Despite this practicing of magic, later on Jacob says to his wives that it was God who made the livestock give birth to the convenient offspring, in order to turn the tide against the deceptive Laban. Nowhere in Scripture is 12 called a perfect number, although some try to associate the numbers with numerology (the belief in a divine or supernatural relationship between a number and coordinating events), yet this is seen nowhere in the Bible. Moses' prophesy about the Danites refers to future idolatry and departure from God when he mentions Bashan. [91], According to the teachings of the Nation of Islam (NOI), the original inhabitants of the world were black (referred to as the "Asiatic Blackman"), while the white race are "devils" who were created 6,000 years ago on what is today the Greek island of Patmos by the biblical and quranic Jacob, whom the group refers to as the "bigheaded scientist" Yakub. Jacob put Ephraim the younger ahead of Manasseh the . The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler . 1) Reuben (motherLeah) (Genesis 29:32) 2) Simeon (motherLeah) (Genesis 29:33) 3) Levi (motherLeah) (Genesis 29:34) . What does the Bible say about Preparing for Apocalyptic Disaster? (Bilhah)judge [90], He is recognized in Islam as a prophet who received inspiration from God. When their father came out to meet them, his sons told him that Joseph was still alive, that he was the governor over all of Egypt and that he wanted the house of Israel to move to Egypt. Another well-accepted meaning of his name is a deceiver. The Sons of Jacob. [55] When the house of Israel consumed all the grain that they brought from Egypt, Israel told his sons to go back and buy more. He couldn't understand how they were put in a position to tell the Egyptians all about their family. According to the traditional counting cited by Rashi, Isaac was 37 years old at the time of the Binding of Isaac, and news of Rebecca's birth reached Abraham immediately after that event. When he told his brothers about such dreams, it drove them to conspire against him. Jacob is found on the Bible Timeline from 1836 BC to 1689 BC. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkeys colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wineand hisvestureinthebloodofgrapes. More . Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright, to which Esau agreed. Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. When the being saw that he did not overpower Jacob, he touched Jacob on the sinew of his thigh (the gid hanasheh, ), and, as a result, Jacob developed a limp (Genesis 32:31). For New Testament believers, again this is picture of them being a royal priesthood when they speak the language of God. I do have Gad listed under Zilpah and her children are between Bilhahs and Issachar in verse 17. They relayed to their father all that had happened in Egypt. (12: 83, 8687, 96) Islamic literature fleshes out the narrative of Jacob, and mentions that his wives included Rachel. This was based on the condition Jacob would work another seven years for Rachel also. After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. They returned with the news that Esau was coming to meet Jacob with an army of 400 men. That is, the order of birth of Leah's six sons was Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon. Jacob's concubine Bilhah gave birth to Dan . The Twelve Sons of Jacob (Israel) and Fathers of the 12 Tribes of Jerusalem; Name Mother Inheritence Highlight Birth Order Reuben: Leah First Born and Protector of Joseph, Lost his Birthright because he slept with Bilhah 1 Simeon: Leah Apparent Leader of the Slaughter of the Circumcized Men (Gen 34:30), Jacob called him a violent man , along . Not only did Jacob's 12 sons have 4 different mothers, but the first 11 were born in only seven years. Israel was embalmed for 40 days and a great ceremonial journey to Canaan was prepared by Joseph. 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