To Zebulun (Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew word honor): Zebulun shall dwell at the shore ofthesea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon (In Joshua 19:11, a brook from Zebuluns territory extends to the sea, fulfilling this blessing). To Simeon (Simeon sounds like the Hebrew word, heard) and Levi (Levi sounds like the Hebrew word, attached), Jacob said, SimeonandLeviarebrothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Yet, he contemplated his son's words about these dreams. She became pregnant, and gave birth to twins (Gen 38:27-30). The king's son repented of his sin and the men of Shechem agreed to follow the God of Jacob and to be circumcised. ***Note: Jacob and Leah also had a daughter named Dinah (Gen 30:21). Because Rachel could not have children she gave Bilhah to Jacob. After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. Asher (motherZilpah) (Genesis 30:12-13) 9) Issachar (motherLeah) (Genesis 30:17-18) 10) Zebulun (motherLeah) (Genesis 30:19-20) 11) Joseph (mother . Judah is a lions cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. Then Rachel gives Bilhah, her servant girl to Jacob, "so that she may give birth on my behalf" ( Genesis 30:3 ). So began a game of wills between the two sisters to win Jacobs love. The Hebrew word for "doe" comes from a root word, meaning "leader, mighty man, noble man", a word that express strength and prominence. Jacob was obedient to God. (LogOut/ [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. Of the life of Jacob, the Quran narrates two especially important events. As a result, his blessing went to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. A thorough study of the sons of Jacob reveals life lessons for all who take heed. When the land was divided, their tribe did not receive any land; 48 cities scattered around Israel and located within the territories of the other tribes were allotted to them. Jacob protested that his father would recognize their deception since Esau was hairy and he himself was smooth-skinned. Zebulun, Zilpah (Leah's maid), mother of: Gad, Asher, Bilhah (Rachel's maid), mother of: Dan, Naphtali. ", Because the terminology is ambiguous ("el" in Yisra'el) and inconsistent, and because this being refused to reveal his name, there are varying views as to whether he was a man, an angel, or God. She later gave birth to Isaac (Genesis 21:2) when she was ninety years old and when Abraham was one hundred years old. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your fathers bed; then you defiled ithe went up to my couch!(The account of Reuben laying with his fathers concubine, Bilhah, is in Genesis 35:2.2. For New Testament believers, this is picture of all those who were bought by the blood of the Lamb and redeemed to be firstborn, but defiled their Heavenly Father by their spiritual harlotry. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: 24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which The firstborn got a double portion of the inheritance but that double blessing was transferable. Judah (Judahs name sounds like the Hebrew word, praise)received this blessing: Judah, yourbrothersshallpraiseyou; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your fathers sons shall bow down before you. %
Judah then told his son Onan to marry Tamar so that there would be an heir. [91] In the narrative, Jacob does not trust some of his older sons (12: 11, 18, 23) because they do not respect him. 3. Joseph (Joseph means May he addand sounds like the Hebrew taken away) received the lengthiest blessing from his father (Joseph was his favorite). (12: 8, 1617) Jacob's prophetic nature is evident from his foreknowledge of Joseph's future greatness (12:6), his foreboding and response to the supposed death of Joseph (12: 13, 18) and in his response to the sons' plight in Egypt. 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. Jacob then arrived in Shechem, where he bought a parcel of land, now identified as Joseph's Tomb. Later that day, the report that Jacob ended up receiving came from Joseph's brothers who brought before him a coat laden with blood. Ashers (Asher sounds like the Hebrew raidersand raid)blessing was: Ashersfoodshallberich, andheshall yield royal delicacies. (Ashers family prospered in Egypt). Simeon and Levi lose their birth order rights in Genesis 34:30 and Reuben loses his in Genesis 35:22. According to the second opinion, Rebecca was 14 years old at the time of their marriage, and 34 years old at the birth of Jacob and Esau. Learn how your comment data is processed. But Simeon and Levi did not forgive them; they took advantage of their vulnerability and led the charge to kill them. Israel in exile: the history and literature of the sixth century B.C.E. She received the prophecy that twins were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives, even after they became two separate nations. God told Abraham to sacrifice him (Genesis 22), and Isaac submitted to God faithfully, but later a ram was chosen in his place for the sacrifice and he was spared. % 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? Jacob had still another reason for grieving the loss of Joseph. (27:33). The first is the role he plays in the story of his son Joseph. So, he told them to bring that money back and use double that amount to pay for the new grain. 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). Rachel therefore gave Leah the signs so that Jacob would not realize the switch. He stooped down; he couched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? [2] Later in the narrative, following a severe drought in his homeland of Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph (who had become a confidant of the pharaoh), moved to Egypt where Jacob died at the age of 147. Isaac then requested that Esau make "savory meat" for him out of the venison, according to the way he enjoyed it the most, so that he could eat it and bless Esau. Birth Order. Leah bore six sons and one daughter (Dinah), Rachel bore two sons, Zilpah (Leah's maid) bore two sons, and Bilhah (Rachel's maid) bore two sons, as well. Laban pursued Jacob for seven days. 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. Apparently he had some reservations about leaving the land of his forefathers, but God reassured him not to fear that he would rise again. During her pregnancy, Rebekah was told by God that she would give birth to twins; each of them would found a great nation, and Esau, the elder, would serve his younger brother. Jacob feared that his descendants would never be free of Esau's domination, but God assured him that at the End of Days, Edom too would come falling down. Day Three - Part 31. [102], Archaeologist William G. Dever wrote in 2001: "After a century of exhaustive investigation, all respectable archaeologists have given up hope of recovering any context that would make Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob 'historical figures. "[86] Thinking Joseph to be dead, Jacob had his own destiny to lament because he considered that he was doomed to that Hell.[86]. The same name is recorded earlier still, in c. 1800 BC, in cuneiform inscriptions (spelled ya-ah-qu-ub-el, ya-qu-ub-el). 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. x\m6} I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. (The account of how Simeon and Levi led the charge of the brothers to kill the men of Shechem after the rulers son defiled their sister, Dinah, may be found in Genesis 33:18-34:31). What is up with all these 12s? Suddenly, a 6-year-old child stood in front of the carriage, boldly holding onto the horse's reins and bawling his head off. To Naphtali (Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew wrestling), Jacob decreed, Naphtaliisadoeletloose thatbears beautiful fawns(Naphtalis military skill was marked by deer-like speed and dexterity). In addition, he showed remorse for wrongfully blaming his daughter in law Tamar for the death of his two sons and not allowing her to marry his younger son, as he should have according to their customs. In addition to writing for the Salem Web Network, Lisa serves as a Word Weavers mentor and is part of a critique group. Its an association that harkens back to Gods covenant with His chosen people. ", "Archaeological Data and the Dating of the Patriarchs,", Biblical History and Israel's Past: The Changing Study of the Bible and History. [94] Though rejected by the vast majority of American Muslims, several NOI breakaway sects, including the Five-Percent Nation subscribe to this narrative. Change). As per his mother Rebecca 's instructions, Jacob left the Land of Israel and took refuge in his uncle Laban 's house, where he worked as a shepherd. Jacob showed himself to be shrewd in his dealings with his impatient and passionate . As a result, his blessing went to Josephs two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.). To Simeon and Levi, Jacob said that they were alike in their fierce anger and cruelty, referring to the account of how they led the charge of all the brothers to kill the men of Shechem and to lame their oxen, after the king's son defiled their younger sister Dinah by seducing her (Genesis 33:18-34:31). 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. In the same manner, the last words of Jacob were meant to be a testament for his literal sons, who were by his side, but also for all his future spiritual descendants. He also had a daughter named Dinah. Leah was the older of the two sisters and she birthed Jacob his first four sons. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. To be a mighty man of God you have to be faithful and strong in your obedience, and this is what this blessing alludes to. Confused, Isaac exclaimed, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau! Simeon and Levi lose their birth order rights in Genesis 34:30 and Reuben loses his in Genesis 35:22. Jacob then settled in Migdal Eder, where his firstborn, Reuben, slept with Rachel's servant Bilhah; Jacob's response was not given at the time, but he did condemn Reuben for it later, in his deathbed blessing. Yakub? Benjamin 8. When the time came for Rebecca to give birth, the firstborn, Esau, came out covered with red hair, as if he were wearing a hairy garment, and his heel was grasped by the hand of Jacob, the secondborn. The hieroglyphs are ambiguous, and can be read as "Yaqub-Har", "Yaqubaal", or "Yaqub El". Hiseyesaredarkerthanwine, andhisteethwhiterthan milk. (Jesus is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The lineage leading to Jesus goes through Judah. . Israel was embalmed for 40 days and a great ceremonial journey to Canaan was prepared by Joseph. 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