Topical Bible: Jacob: Descendants of

◄ Jacob: Descendants of ►

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Jacob, also known as Israel, is a central patriarchal figure in the Bible, whose descendants form the twelve tribes of Israel. His account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, where he is depicted as the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the twin brother of Esau. Jacob's descendants play a crucial role in the unfolding narrative of the Israelites, and their lineage is foundational to the history and theology of the Old Testament.

The Twelve Sons of Jacob

Jacob had twelve sons, each of whom became the progenitor of one of the tribes of Israel. These sons were born to him by his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and their maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah. The sons of Jacob are:

1. Reuben · The firstborn of Jacob and Leah. Despite his status as the firstborn, Reuben lost his birthright due to an indiscretion with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22).

2. Simeon · The second son of Jacob and Leah. Simeon, along with his brother Levi, is noted for his violent response to the defilement of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34).

3. Levi · The third son of Jacob and Leah. Levi's descendants were set apart for religious duties, becoming the priestly tribe (Exodus 32:26-29).

4. Judah · The fourth son of Jacob and Leah. Judah's lineage is significant as it leads to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Genesis 49:10).

5. Dan · The first son of Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. The tribe of Dan is known for its later idolatry (Judges 18).

6. Naphtali · The second son of Jacob and Bilhah. Naphtali's descendants settled in the northern part of Israel.

7. Gad · The first son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. The tribe of Gad settled east of the Jordan River.

8. Asher · The second son of Jacob and Zilpah. Asher's descendants were known for their abundance and prosperity (Genesis 49:20).

9. Issachar · The fifth son of Jacob and Leah. The tribe of Issachar was known for its wisdom and understanding of the times (1 Chronicles 12:32).

10. Zebulun · The sixth son of Jacob and Leah. Zebulun's descendants were seafaring people (Genesis 49:13).

11. Joseph · The first son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph's account is one of betrayal and redemption, and he became a powerful leader in Egypt. His two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by Jacob and became tribes in their own right (Genesis 48:5).

12. Benjamin · The second son of Jacob and Rachel. The tribe of Benjamin was known for its fierce warriors and later produced Israel's first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2).

The Role of Jacob's Descendants

The descendants of Jacob, through his twelve sons, became the nation of Israel. Each tribe had its own unique characteristics and roles within the nation. The tribes were united under leaders such as Moses and Joshua, and later under the monarchy established by Saul, David, and Solomon. The division of the kingdom after Solomon's reign resulted in the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, named after the tribes that dominated each region.

The tribes of Israel were central to the covenantal relationship between God and His people. They were chosen to be a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), tasked with living according to God's laws and serving as a light to the nations. The history of Jacob's descendants is marked by periods of faithfulness and rebellion, blessing and judgment, yet God's promises to Jacob and his descendants remain a testament to His enduring faithfulness.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 29:31-35
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
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Genesis 30:1-24
And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
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Genesis 35:18,22-26
And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
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Genesis 46:8-27
And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
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Exodus 1:1-5
Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
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1 Chronicles 2:9
The sons also of Hezron, that were born to him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.
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Greek

2474. Israel -- Israel, the name of the Jewish people and their ...
... Israel. Of Hebrew origin (Yisra'el); Israel (ie Jisrael), the adopted name of Jacob,
including his descendants (literally or figuratively) -- Israel. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2474.htm - 7k

5443. phule -- a clan or tribe
... 5443 (from 5453 , "to generate") -- a tribe (race, lineage); the descendants of
a common ancestor, like the progeny springing from Jacob (Israel). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5443.htm - 7k

Library

The Story of Jacob
... The people who came from Esau lived in a land called Edom, on the south
of the land of Israel, where Jacob's descendants lived. ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of jacob.htm

In Our Last Chapter we Sought to Show that in Rev. . .
... God's time is not yet fully ripe, and He has permitted the mercenary spirit of
many of Jacob's descendants to hold it, temporarily, in check. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in our last chapter we.htm

'The Hands of the Mighty God of Jacob'
... of these words of the dying Jacob"and is, at any rate, a remarkable illustration
of them. The kingdom of Israel, of which the descendants of Joseph were the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the hands of the mighty.htm

Chapter xxxv
... together, first, to reimpress their names on the mind and to show what potentialities
for development into a numerous people lay in Jacob's descendants at this ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm

Jacob --Israel --Jeshurun
... nation. Two of them, namely Jacob and Israel, were borne by their great
ancestor, and by him transmitted to his descendants. The ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/jacobisraeljeshurun.htm

Chapter xxxiii
... is mentioned. This parcel of ground was remembered by Jacob's descendants.
There Joseph's bones were buried (Joshua 24:32). 20. ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiii.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... together, first, to reimpress their names on the mind and to show what potentialities
for development into a numerous people lay in Jacob's descendants at this ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Christ is King of Israel, and Christians are the Israelitic Race.
... For it is not possible for the seed of Jacob to leave an entrance for the descendants
of Jacob, or for [God] to have accepted the very same persons whom He had ...
/.../chapter cxxxv christ is king of.htm

(Continued). Causes of Corruption Chiefly Intentional.
... He is contrasting Jacob's descendants, the heirs of so many lofty privileges, with
this Gentile soldier: their spiritual attainments with his; and assigning ...
/.../chapter xi continued causes of 2.htm

A Bad Bargain
... His descendants prefer cattle-ranching and gold-prospecting to keeping shops or
sitting with their lungs squeezed against a desk. Jacob had neither the high ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/a bad bargain.htm