Jacob (2)

—Biblical Data:

Third patriarch; son of Isaac and Rebekah, and ancestor of the Israelites. Hewas born when his father was sixty years old and after his mother had been barren for twenty years. For the account of his birth and origin of his name see Genesis 25:19,26. The name "Jacob" is explained elsewhere as meaning "supplanter" or "deceiver" (ib. 27:36; Hosea 12:4 [A. V. 3], where there is also an allusion to the struggle before birth between the two brothers). Jacob was the favorite of his mother (Genesis 25:28). He is represented as "a plain man [

Only two important incidents marked the early period of Jacob's life. The first was his obtaining the birthright from his brother Esau. The birth-right being a very important possession, Jacob waited for the opportunity to acquire it, and the opportunity came. Esau, returning one day tired from hunting, and seeing Jacob cooking a mess of lentils, asked Jacob to give him some. Jacob offered to do so in exchange for the birthright, and Esau, feeling faint and ready to die, consented to sell it, an oath confirming the bargain (ib. 25:29-34).

Obtains Isaac's Blessing.

The second incident happened many years later, and with it Jacob's life assumed an entirely new phase. Isaac, having become blind, sent Esau to hunt for some game and to prepare for him a meal in order that he might bless him before his death. Rebekah, hearing of this, instigated Jacob to intercept the blessing by taking his brother's place. At first Jacob objected; but he soon yielded to his mother's persuasion. Having anticipated his brother in the preparation of the meal and having put goatskins upon his hands and neck lest his father should recognize him, Jacob brought the meal to his father, who, after having partaken of it, blessed him and promised him that he should be lord over his brethren and that his mother's sons should bow to him (ib. 27:1-29). This substitution was in agreement with the divine purpose (comp. ib. 25:23); and Isaac, when he learned of Jacob's trick, not only did not revoke his blessing, but even confirmed it (ib. 27:33,37).

Owing to this deceit Esau hated his brother, and resolved to kill him after their father's death. Rebekah found no better means to protect her favorite son from his brother's vengeance than to send him to Haran, to her brother Laban. She advised Jacob to stay with his uncle a short time till his brother should have forgotten his wrongs, and to marry one of his uncle's daughters. Jacob, after having received a further blessing from his father, left the paternal home (ib. 27:42-28:5).

When Jacob was on his way he saw in a prophetical dream a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending thereon. Yhwh Himself appeared to him, promising to give the land of Canaan to his descendants, who should be as numerous as the dust of the earth (ib. 28:10-15). Jacob commemorated his dream by setting up a pillar on the spot on which he had slept, calling the name of the place "Beth-el" (= "the house of God"; ib. 28:18-22).

Marriage with Laban's Daughters.

On his arrival at Haran Jacob met Rachel, his uncle's second daughter. Jacob offered to serve Laban seven years for Rachel. Laban, however, deceived him at the end of that period by giving him Leah instead of Rachel, and exacted of him a further service of seven years for Rachel, though he gave her to him immediately after the conclusion of Leah's wedding-feast (ib. 29:1-28). During the second seven years Jacob begat by his two wives and two concubines eleven sons and one daughter, Dinah. By Rachel he had one son only, Joseph (ib. 29:31-30:25). Having finished the second term of seven years, Jacob stayed with Laban six years longer, tending his sheep for pay, which consisted, according to an agreement between them, of all the spotted, speckled, and ring-straked sheep and goats born in the flocks. Jacob, by means of peeled sticks which he set up before them, caused all the strongest of the flocks to bear speckled and spotted offspring. Thus he baffled the plans of Laban, who endeavored to deprive him of his hire (ib. 31:7,8), and Jacob amassed great wealth (ib. 30:26-43).

Jacob, seeing that Laban was no longer friendly toward him, resolved upon returning to his parents. His resolution was approved by Yhwh; and, encouraged by his two wives, he departed without acquainting his uncle and father-in-law (ib. 31:1-21). Laban, however, three days later learned of Jacob's flight, and, after pursuing him for seven days,overtook him on Mount Gilead. They at first quarreled, but were finally reconciled and made a covenant, building, in commemoration of their compact, a cairn which Jacob called "Galeed" (= "a heap as witness"; ib. 31:22-54).

Wrestles with the Angel.

Immediately after this Jacob was informed that his brother Esau was coming to meet him, accompanied by 400 men. Jacob, fearing Esau, sent him very rich presents, but at the same time made plans to escape from his brother's fury in case the latter should reject them. At night Jacob sent his family and all his possessions over the brook Jabbok, he himself remaining alone on the other side, where an angel wrestled with him all night till the breaking of the day. While wrestling, the angel touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, causing him to limp; but the angel was overpowered by Jacob, who would not let him go until blessed by him. The angel then changed Jacob's name to "Israel" (

After his meeting with Esau, at which the brothers were reconciled (Genesis 33:1-16), Jacob went to Shechem, where he bought from the children of see see HAMOR, for a hundred pieces of money, a field in which he erected an altar (ib. 33:17-20). The abduction of Dinah, which occasioned the destruction of Shechem by her brothers, caused Jacob much apprehension; but God allayed his fears, and he arrived peacefully at Beth-el, where God appeared again to him, confirming the name "Israel" which had previously been given to him by the angel, and repeating the promise that his children should possess the land of Canaan. While Jacob was on his way home Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, his last son. Jacob, with his twelve sons, the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, then arrived at Hebron, where his parents lived (ib. 35:9-27).

Journey to Egypt.

At the end of ten years (comp. ib. 37:2) Jacob's favorite son, JOSEPH (2), was sold to a company of Ishmaelites by his brothers, who led their father to think that he had been devoured by a wild beast. While Jacob was still mourning for Joseph, Isaac died, and at his funeral Jacob again met his brother Esau (ib. 35:29). Later, when the famine grew severe in Canaan, Jacob sent his sons into Egypt to buy corn, but kept with him Benjamin, Rachel's second son. Jacob was, however, at last compelled to let Benjamin go with his brothers to Egypt, through Joseph's refusal otherwise to release Simeon, whom he held as hostage until Benjamin should be brought to him. When, on the second return of his sons from Egypt, Jacob heard that Joseph was alive and was ruler over Egypt, he decided to go there to see him (ib. 45:26-28). Before doing so he journeyed to Beer-sheba, where his resolution to go to Egypt was approved by God. He went to Egypt with his eleven sons and their children, numbering altogether sixty-six, Joseph meeting him in Goshen (ib. 46:1-30). Afterward Jacob was honorably received by Pharaoh, who assigned him and his sons a residence "in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses." Jacob was at that time 130 years old (ib. 47:5-11).

When about to die, Jacob made Joseph swear that he would not bury him in Egypt, but in the sepulcher of his fathers in Canaan. Jacob then adopted Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, placing them on the same footing as his own children. While blessing them he gave the first place to the younger son, Ephraim. To Joseph himself he gave one portion more than his brothers (ib. 48:22).