INTRODUCTION
A grandson of Abraham and a son of Isaac, Jacob was one of the great patriarchs ("fathers") of the nation of Israel. In fact, the nation called itself by Jacob's other name: "Israel." But it is this man's original name—Jacob—that gives us a clue to his character. The name means "deceiver."
Jacob's personal history is one in which deception plays a leading role. His own deceptive nature came out when he fooled his blind father into thinking that he was his older brother, Esau, so that he could receive Esau's inheritance. To escape from his angry brother, Jacob left the area and settled with an uncle many miles to the north. He agreed to work for his Uncle Laban for seven years in exchange for the right to marry Laban's younger daughter, Rachel. But Laban tricked him into working fourteen years and marrying the other daughter, Leah, as well. Eventually returning to Canaan, Jacob made peace with his brother and settled down to raise his many sons. In old age Jacob suffered from deception once more when some of his sons falsely informed him that his favorite son, Joseph, had been killed. Jacob's final years were happy, however, as he was reunited with the long-lost Joseph and moved his large family to Egypt.
Through the example of Jacob, we learn how God can use flawed but faithful people. Jacob may have been deceitful, but because the Lord worked in his life, he occupies an honored place in the history of the Jewish people.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Outwardly, Jacob's long life might appear rather tame, as he did little more than tend livestock and raise a family. But if you look closer, you see a life full of drama—full of conflicts between Jacob and his family members and even between Jacob and God. His story is a remarkable one right from the start.
Jacob and Esau
For a long time, Isaac's wife, Rebekah, was unable to have children. So he prayed for her, and she became pregnant with twins. But then the babies within her jostled each other. She asked the Lord about this, and he told her that she was carrying boys who would in time father two nations. The Lord also said that the older would serve the younger (Genesis 25:20-23).
The first baby to be born was hairy and red. He was named "Esau," which sounds like a Hebrew term for "hair" (Genesis 25:25).
The second baby to be born was grasping the heel of his brother. So his parents called him "Jacob," which means "he takes by the heel" (Genesis 25:26). Another sense of that name, however, is "to deceive" or "to attack from the rear."
The two boys grew up to be very different from each other. Esau was an outdoorsman, the favorite of his father. Jacob stayed around the tents of home and was loved by his mother (Genesis 25:27-28).
One day when Jacob was preparing a red-colored stew, Esau came in feeling very hungry and asked Jacob for some food. Jacob offered to give Esau some stew in exchange for his birthright as firstborn. Esau agreed. The significance of this episode is demonstrated by its association with Esau's second name, "Edom," which means "red" (Genesis 25:29-34).
Isaac became old and blind. One day he asked Esau to take his weapons and get some wild game, of which Isaac was fond, so that Isaac could eat and then confer his blessing upon Esau (Genesis 27:1-4).
Having overheard this, Rebekah called Jacob and told him to go to the flock and select two good kid goats. While Esau was out hunting, she would prepare a dish that would pass for wild game (Genesis 27:5-10).
Jacob feared that Isaac would detect the deception for Esau was very hairy and Jacob was not. But Rebekah had everything planned. She placed the skins of the kids on Jacob's hands and neck to give the impression of hairiness. She also clothed him in some of Esau's garments, which had the smell of the outdoors on them (Genesis 27:11-17).
Rebekah's plan worked. Although Isaac recognized the voice of Jacob, his other senses failed him. Deceived by the feel of the skins and the smell of the garments, he proceeded to give the blessing to Jacob (Genesis 27:18-29).
No sooner had Jacob left than Esau arrived with the game he had cooked. Jacob's deception was discovered, but the deed could not be undone. (Some early documents known as the Nuzi tablets show that at that time a blessing given orally was considered to be legally binding.) Esau was heartbroken. Isaac gave him a blessing inferior to the one given to Jacob (Genesis 27:30-40).
The hatred between the brothers deepened, and Esau plotted to kill Jacob. Learning of this, Rebekah instructed Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran. She got Isaac to agree with her about Jacob's departure, saying that she could not stand it if Jacob married foreign women as Esau had done. Among his uncle's people, Jacob could find a wife from their own family (Genesis 27:41-28:4). So Jacob prepared to leave his home.
Jacob in Haran
Settling in Haran
Laban lived in Haran, located in what is now southeast Turkey. And that's where Jacob directed his steps. Though he didn't know it yet, he would live there for many years and start a family. But before he arrived in Haran, he had an adventure of a spiritual nature.
One night during his journey, he lay his head down on a stone for a pillow and slept. That night he dreamed of a ladder reaching up to heaven, with angels going up and down on it. God spoke to Jacob and gave to him the same promise he had given to Abraham and Isaac, assuring Jacob that he would give him many descendants who would possess the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:10-15).
The next morning Jacob took his stone pillow and set it up as a pillar, anointing it with oil. He named the place "Bethel" (meaning "house of God") and made a vow that if the Lord would be with him and provide for him, he would give a tithe to the Lord (Genesis 28:16-22).
In due time Jacob reached the area of Haran. While at a well, he met Laban's younger daughter, Rachel, who had arrived with her father's flock. Jacob rolled the large stone from the mouth of the well and watered her sheep for her (Genesis 29:1-10).
When Rachel learned that Jacob was from her own family, she ran to tell her father. Laban greeted Jacob warmly. After staying with them for a month, Jacob was hired to tend Laban's flocks. Jacob proposed to work seven years to earn Rachel as his wife (Genesis 29:11-20).
At the end of the seven years, Jacob was ready to claim Rachel. But on the night of the wedding feast, Laban gave his older daughter, Leah, to Jacob instead. Jacob did not discover the switch until morning. He felt cheated and protested to Laban, but Laban insisted that custom decreed the older daughter must marry first. He proposed that Jacob work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob agreed to this and put in his time (Genesis 29:21-30).
Starting a Family
Genesis 29 and 30 relate the births of most of Jacob's children. Leah bore Jacob four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (Genesis 29:31-35). She named her first son "Reuben" ("see, a son") since she felt that her husband would love her now that she had borne him a son. She chose "Simeon," derived from the root word for "hear," since she thought that God had given her a second son because he had heard that she was hated. She chose "Levi," which is related to the verb "join," since she thought that her husband would be joined to her due to this third son. Finally, she chose "Judah," meaning "praise," for she praised the Lord at the birth of her fourth son.
Rachel had not conceived any children, so she gave her maid Bilhah to Jacob. Bilhah bore him Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). Rachel named the first son "Dan" ("he judged") because God had judged—that is, vindicated—her. She chose "Naphtali," meaning "my struggle" or "my wrestling," for Bilhah's second son, since Rachel felt she had wrestled with and overcome her sister.
At this point Leah gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah brought forth Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13). "Gad" means "fortune." Leah said, "Good fortune," when Zilpah's first son was born. Asher ("happy") was so named because Leah said, "Now the women will call me happy."
But Leah still wanted to bear more sons of her own. So one day, when her oldest son found some mandrakes in a field, she came up with a plan. She traded the mandrakes (believed to encourage conception) to her sister in exchange for Jacob's services (Genesis 30:14-15).
Leah then bore sons five and six, Issachar and Zebulun, followed by a daughter, Dinah (Genesis 30:14-21). "Issachar" perhaps means "reward," for Leah said that God had rewarded her for giving her maid to her husband. "Zebulun" probably means "honor." Leah thought that now her husband would honor her.
At last Rachel herself conceived and bore her first child, Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). "Joseph" means "he will add" or "may he add," for Rachel wanted God to add another son to her. In fact, he would do so, but not until later.
Escaping from Laban
Jacob wanted to go back to Canaan, but Laban wanted him to stay, for he had learned that the Lord had blessed him because of Jacob. They discussed the matter of wages, and Jacob proposed that every speckled and spotted sheep and goat and every black lamb become his. Laban agreed to this, but he quickly removed all the animals marked in that fashion and put them under the care of his sons, some three days' journey from the rest of the flocks (Genesis 30:25-36).
Jacob also contrived to gain an advantage. He tried to influence the genetics of the animals by putting speckled and streaked wooden rods by the water troughs when the best animals were breeding. The Lord blessed Jacob and he became rich in flocks and herds (Genesis 30:37-43).
The sons of Laban grew bitter toward Jacob, and Laban's attitude toward him changed also. Jacob noticed this, and now the Lord told Jacob to return to Canaan. Jacob held a family council with his two wives and told them how God had blessed him, even though their father had cheated him and had changed his wages repeatedly. The women agreed with him that they should leave (Genesis 31:1-16).
Jacob organized his caravan while Laban was away shearing sheep. Meanwhile, Rachel stole her father's household gods, for the one who possessed them was heir to the father's estate, according to the Nuzi tablets. The party took off, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for Gilead. Laban and his relatives pursued them, but God spoke to Laban in a dream, warning him to be careful about what he said to Jacob (Genesis 31:17-24).
When Laban caught up with Jacob, he scolded him for sneaking away and inquired about his household idols. Jacob did not know what Rachel had done, so he invited Laban to search for the gods and said that the one found with them should be put to death. Rachel had hidden them in a camel saddle and was sitting on the saddle when her father searched the tent. Laban did not find the idols. After this, Jacob became angry and complained that he had served Laban for twenty years and that Laban had reduced his wages ten times (Genesis 31:25-42)
Laban suggested a covenant of peace, so the two men gathered stones to make a monument and called it "heap of witness." Early the next morning Laban said his farewells and returned home (Genesis 31:43-55). Jacob was now free to return home with his family.
Jacob in Canaan and Egypt
As Jacob and his household journeyed on, he was met by angels of God at a certain place. So he named that place "Mahanaim," or "the two camps," referring to his camp and God's camp of angels (Genesis 32:1-2).
Jacob sent messengers ahead to inform his brother, Esau, of his return. They came back with the news that Esau was approaching with four hundred men. Jacob was afraid and sought the Lord's protection. To win Esau's favor, Jacob sent ahead gifts of animals, and that night he sent his family and possessions across the ford of the Jabbok River (Genesis 32:3-12).
Jacob was left alone, and "a man" (apparently an angel representing God) wrestled with him throughout the night. Toward dawn the man touched Jacob's thigh, and his hip was dislocated. But Jacob would not give up until the man blessed him. So the Lord changed Jacob's name to Israel, "he strives with God." Jacob named the place "Penuel" ("face of God") because he had seen God face to face and lived (Genesis 32:13-32).
Esau was getting near, so Jacob arranged his family and went forward, bowing low before his brother. No doubt to Jacob's surprise, Esau was gracious and forgiving, and the meeting was a happy one. Esau was amazed at Jacob's large family and property and made every gesture of friendship. Then Esau returned to Seir and Jacob moved on to Shechem, where he bought a piece of land from Hamor, the father of a young man named Shechem. Jacob built an altar there and called it El-Elohe-Israel, or "God, the God of Israel" (Genesis 33).
Acting on the Lord's instructions, Jacob moved to Bethel and expelled the foreign gods from his household. At Luz (Bethel) the Lord again met him and reaffirmed his new name, renewing his promise of land and descendants (Genesis 35:1-15).
As they journeyed south, Rachel died while giving birth to her second son. She named him "Ben-oni" ("son of my sorrow"), but Jacob changed his name to Benjamin ("son of the right hand"). Jacob went on to Hebron and found that Isaac was still living. Isaac died at age 180 and was buried by Esau and Jacob (Genesis 35:16-29).
Although the story of Jacob continues in the book of Genesis, the central figure of chapters 37-50 is Joseph, Jacob's favorite son and the firstborn of Rachel. Jacob showed this favoritism so openly that the other sons became jealous of Joseph. They plotted to kill Joseph but instead sold him to a caravan of traders on their way to Egypt. They took Joseph's coat, dipped it into the blood of a goat, and took it to their father, telling him that they had found the robe. Jacob recognized the coat he had given his son and concluded that he was dead. Jacob was heartbroken and would not be comforted.
Years later, when a famine hit Canaan, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain, keeping Benjamin at home. When the brothers returned to Canaan, they reported to Jacob that the governor (who was really Joseph) had kept Simeon as a hostage and demanded that they bring Benjamin with them when they came again for grain. The famine continued, and Jacob once more sent his sons to Egypt for grain. Reluctantly, he permitted Benjamin to go with them, also sending a gift for the Egyptian governor.
The next news Jacob received was that Joseph was alive in Egypt and wanted his father and all his family to join him. Jacob went first to Beersheba and made offerings to the Lord. The Lord spoke to Jacob, telling him to go down to Egypt and confirming once more the promises he had previously made. At this time Jacob and his descendants numbered seventy, including the two sons of Joseph.
When Jacob reached Goshen, Joseph came to meet him, and a joyous reunion took place. Joseph reported the arrival of his father and brothers to the pharaoh and took five of the brothers and his father to meet the ruler. Israel settled in the area of Goshen and prospered there. Jacob spent seventeen years in Egypt and reached the age of 147.
When Jacob sensed his death was near, he called Joseph and made him swear that he would bury him with his father and grandfather in Canaan. Joseph took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to his father for the patriarchal blessing. He presented the boys so that Manasseh, the firstborn, would be on Jacob's right and Ephraim on his left. Jacob, however, crossed his hands and gave the younger son the greater blessing. Jacob prophesied that his people would return to Canaan, and he gave Joseph a double portion of the land. Then Jacob called for all his sons and gave to each of them a blessing. Judah received the place of prominence, and it is he who appears in the genealogies of Jesus. The blessing of Joseph shows the mark of special favor, too. Jacob charged his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah near Hebron, then he drew his feet up on the bed and died.
Joseph summoned the physicians to embalm his father according to Egyptian practice. There were forty days for embalming and seventy days for the period of mourning. Arrangements were made to go to Canaan to bury Jacob as Joseph had promised, and a large funeral procession, including many Egyptian officials as well as the family of Jacob, went up from Egypt. The company mourned for seven days at the threshing floor of Atad. Then the sons of Jacob buried him in the cave of Machpelah as he had requested. The entire group returned to Egypt, and Joseph assured his brothers that he had no intention of avenging the wrong they had done him. God had meant the whole episode for good. The great leader Jacob was dead, but his legacy would go on.
JACOB AS THE NATION ISRAEL
God promised all three of the major patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—that he would make their descendants a great nation and give them the land of Canaan to live in. But it is by Jacob's God-given name, "Israel," that the nation is known.
Furthermore, even the name "Jacob" has broad significance in the Bible. The biblical writers used "Jacob" for the nation about one hundred times (Psalm 59:13). It is often found as a parallel to "Israel" (Numbers 23:7). More specifically, "Jacob" is sometimes used of the northern kingdom of Israel (Amos 7:5). In Isaiah 41:21 the title "the King of Jacob" refers to God himself.
These uses of Jacob's name reflect the important place he occupies in the nation's history as the father of the twelve tribes.
Who?
Who was Jacob? Jacob was the second son of Isaac, who obtained the birthright by tricking his older brother, Esau. But God forgave him for this and he became the leader of a nation.
What?
What was Jacob best known for? He is best known for being the father of Joseph, the son to whom he gave a coat of many colors.
When?
When did Jacob live? Jacob was born around 2000 BC and lived 147 years.
Where?
Where did Jacob live? Jacob lived most of his life in Canaan except for one period in Haran and another in Egypt.
Why?
Why is Jacob important? Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes (or families) that became the nation of Israel.
Angel
Beersheba
Bethel
Birthright
Blessing
Canaan
Edom
Egypt
El-Elohe-Israel
Gilead
Goshen
Haran
Hebron
Jabbok
Luz
Machpelah
Mahanaim
Nuzi
Period of the Patriarchs
Penuel
Seir
Shechem
Abraham
Asher
Benjamin
Bilhah
Dan
Dinah
Ephraim
Esau
Gad
Hamor
Isaac
Issachar
Joseph
Judah
Laban
Leah
Levi
Manasseh
Naphtali
Rachel
Rebekah
Reuben
Shechem
Simeon
Zebulun
Zilpah
YES, BUT . . .
Jacob is a respected patriarch of Israel's history and our faith. Along with his father Isaac and granddad Abraham, he's in the Big Three. (For instance, in Exodus 3:6 God introduces himself to Moses as "the God of Abraham, . . . Isaac, and . . . Jacob.") He was the father of the twelve sons who became Israel's twelve tribes. In fact, God gave him the name Israel, which he passed on to the nation.
Yes, but . . . the name Jacob means "grabber," and we see him doing just that. He grabbed the birthright and blessing from his brother Esau with some shady methods. He often tricked his father-in-law Laban, who was a major trickster himself. And he showed strong favoritism to one son, which almost got Joseph killed.
The lesson for us is that God deals with imperfect people-like us. Jacob had his flaws, but still God used him to build a great nation. Perhaps we get the best picture of Jacob from his wrestling match with God. He would not let go until God blessed him. In the same way, no matter how serious our sin, we need to keep grabbing for God.