Jacob in the Bible

Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah, the brother of Esau, the husband of Leah and Rachel, and the father of twelve named sons. God renamed him Israel, and his family became central to the biblical story of the people of Israel.

Genesis connects Jacob’s name with the Hebrew word for heel because he was born holding Esau’s heel. Genesis 27:36 also makes a wordplay involving his actions toward Esau. “Heel-holder” or “supplanter” reflects the narrative association, but the name’s exact ancient etymology is more complex than simply “deceiver.”

After Jacob wrestled through the night, he was told that he would be called Israel because he had struggled with God and with people and had prevailed. God reaffirmed the name in Genesis 35:10. The new name marked a decisive change, although Genesis continues to use both Jacob and Israel.

Yes. Israel is the new name given to Jacob in Genesis 32:28 and reaffirmed in Genesis 35:10. Later passages may use Israel for Jacob himself, his descendants, or the nation that came from them, depending on context.

Jacob’s parents were Isaac and Rebekah. His twin brother was Esau, who was born first. Their grandfather was Abraham and their grandmother was Sarah.

Leah and Rachel are clearly presented as Jacob’s wives. Their servants Bilhah and Zilpah were also given to Jacob “as a wife” in the family arrangement, and Bilhah is later called his concubine. It is clearest to speak of two principal wives plus Bilhah and Zilpah as servant-wives or concubines.

Jacob’s principal wives were the sisters Leah and Rachel, daughters of Laban. Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah, and Leah gave him her servant Zilpah; both women also bore sons to Jacob.

Jacob had twelve named sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

Genesis names twelve sons and one daughter, Dinah. Genesis 46:7 also refers more broadly to daughters and granddaughters, so the text does not require the conclusion that Dinah was Jacob’s only daughter or that thirteen was his exact total number of children.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, is the only daughter of Jacob named in Genesis. Other female descendants are referred to collectively without a complete list of names.

Jacob died at the age of 147 after living seventeen years in Egypt. When he first appeared before Pharaoh, he said that he was 130 years old.

Genesis does not state a medical cause of death. After blessing his sons and giving burial instructions, Jacob drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Jacob was embalmed in Egypt, but his sons carried him to Canaan and buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, the family burial place purchased by Abraham.

Genesis records Jacob participating in deception when Isaac’s blessing was taken, and Esau makes a wordplay on Jacob’s name. Yet the full biography also shows Jacob working, praying, fearing, enduring loss, receiving a new name, blessing others, and acknowledging God’s care. One action is essential to his story but does not exhaust his character.

Jacob is the third patriarch after Abraham and Isaac. His new name Israel becomes the name of the covenant people, his twelve sons stand behind the tribes of Israel, and later Scripture repeatedly speaks of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.