Jacob, An Extensive Study of People in the Bible

Jacob’s name translates to “he deceives”.

Jacob, a Hebrew patriarch and the traditional ancestor of the people of Israel. His grandfather was Abraham, his father Isaac and his mother Rebekah. His story begins in Genesis 25:19. He was the younger twin to his brother Esau. It was prophesied that Esau the elder would serve the younger, Genesis 25:23. By means of deception and with his mother’s help they deceived his aging father Isaac and received his brother’s blessings. By doing so he obtained his brother Esau’s birthright,Genesis 27:5–13. Rebekah then urged her son to flee to avoid Esau’s wrath. Jacob found refuge amongst his ancestors in the Aramaean tribe at Haran in Mesopotamia. While he was travelling to Haran Jacob received a direct revelation from God. God promised Jacob lands and numerous children. He named the place where he spoke to God as “Bethel”  or “House of God”, Genesis 28:19.

A short time later Jacob arrived at his uncle Laban’s where he falls in love with his cousin Rachel. He worked seven years to marry Rachel but at the end of the seven years Laban demands he takes the older sister Leah. Still, Jacob loved Rachel and stayed to serve yet another seven years to obtain Rachel as his wife as well. He then stayed another six years multiplying his land and livestock abundantly, Genesis chapters 29-35. That is a total of 20 years Jacob stayed with Laban.

Laban attempts to trick him again as he tries to leave for Palestine with his wife and children. Laban agrees with Jacob that he would retain all speckled goats, sheep and cattle, granting Jacob the less favorable stock. Laban ignored the fact that Jacob had grown Laban’s assets and possessions exceedingly during his servitude and had served him far beyond the initial agreement.  Jacob then used selective breeding to ensure his livestock would reproduce abundantly solidifying his family’s survival. He made a corral type structure by the common watering hole and placed a speckled male inside. As mature females approached the watering hole they
would be forced to walk by the males. Soon enough natural acts ensued with the speckled males impregnating several females. As Laban agreed, Jacob was allotted every spotted animal. His herd increased to large numbers quickly, Genesis 30.

During his journey to his new home, he learned that his brother Esau was coming along behind him. Fearing Esau’s anger, Jacob separated himself from his family and possessions to await Esau. Later that night Jacob wrestled with a mysterious stranger, a divine being, who changed Jacob’s name to Israel, Genesis 32:22-32. Jacob then went to meet and was reconciled with his brother Esau and settled in Cannan.

Jacob had 13 children of whom were founders of tribes of Israel. Leah bore him his only daughter, Dinah, and six sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi (who did not found a tribe but was the ancestor of the Levites), Judah (from whom a tribe and the Davidic monarchy were descended), Issachar, and Zebulun. Leah’s maidservant, Zilpah, bore him Gad and Asher, and Rachel’s maidservant, Bilhah, bore him Dan and Naphtali. Rachel’s sons were Benjamin and Joseph (who did not found a tribe, but whose sons founded the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim).

Jacob appears again in the story of Joseph. A famine prompted Jacob and his sons to move to Egypt where he was reunited with his son Joseph. Joseph was thrown in a pit and sold as a slave by his envious siblings. His brothers would later claim Joseph was eaten by a wild beast so Jacob believed the boy to be dead. Jacob died in Egypt at the age of 197 and was buried in Cannan at Habron.

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Thank you for reading my summary of Jacob from the Bible.

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Source:
*https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacob-Hebrew-patriarch
*https://study.com/academy/lesson/jacob-bible-family-role.html

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