Topical Bible: Jacob: His Wealth

◄ Jacob: His Wealth ►

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Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the twin brother of Esau, is a significant patriarch in the biblical narrative. His life, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, is marked by divine encounters, familial struggles, and the accumulation of substantial wealth. Jacob's wealth is a testament to God's providence and the fulfillment of His promises.

Inheritance and Early Wealth

Jacob's journey to wealth began with the birthright and blessing he received from his father, Isaac. Although acquired through deception, these blessings were pivotal in establishing Jacob's future prosperity. Genesis 27:28-29 records Isaac's blessing: "May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth—an abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you." This blessing set the stage for Jacob's material and spiritual prosperity.

Wealth Accumulation in Haran

Jacob's wealth significantly increased during his time in Haran, where he worked for his uncle Laban. Initially arriving with nothing but his staff (Genesis 32:10), Jacob's fortunes changed through divine intervention and shrewd management. After serving Laban for fourteen years for his daughters Leah and Rachel, Jacob negotiated a new agreement to work for livestock. Through God's guidance, Jacob employed selective breeding techniques, resulting in a large and robust flock (Genesis 30:37-43).

Genesis 30:43 states, "Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys." This passage highlights the extent of Jacob's wealth, which included not only livestock but also servants and transportation means, indicating a well-established household.

Divine Favor and Protection

Jacob's wealth was not merely the result of human effort but was deeply intertwined with divine favor. In Genesis 31:9 , Jacob acknowledges God's role in his prosperity: "Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me." This divine favor is further emphasized in Jacob's dream, where God reassures him of His presence and promises to bless him (Genesis 28:13-15).

Return to Canaan

Upon returning to Canaan, Jacob's wealth was evident in the gifts he prepared for Esau, his estranged brother. In Genesis 32:13-15 , Jacob's offering included "two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys." This substantial gift underscores the magnitude of Jacob's wealth and his desire to reconcile with Esau.

Legacy of Wealth

Jacob's wealth was not only a personal blessing but also a foundation for the future nation of Israel. His twelve sons, who became the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, inherited both his material wealth and the covenantal promises of God. Jacob's life and wealth serve as a testament to God's faithfulness and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through the patriarchs.

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Genesis 36:6,7
And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
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Library

How Joseph, the Youngest of Jacob's Sons, was Envied by his ...
... he should obtain power and great wealth, and that ... suspecting nothing of ill-will
from his brethren, when ... Now Jacob was pleased with the dream: for, considering ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 how joseph the.htm

Chapter xxxiii
... though out of delicacy he does not tell it before his brother: Jacob like Abraham
(Genesis 14:23) was conscious that he owed his entire wealth and success to ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiii.htm

Joseph the Dreamer.
... Joseph was dearly loved by Jacob, because the boy had been born when his ... Perhaps
they feared that their father would leave all his wealth to his favourite son ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/joseph the dreamer.htm

Mahanaim: the Two Camps
... children, servants, and all his wealth turned into cattle, is journeying back again
to Palestine. His road leads him close by the country of Esau. Jacob was no ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/mahanaim the two camps.htm

Meeting a Brother who had Been Wronged
... which was our father's he has gotten all this wealth." He also saw that Laban did
not act toward him the same as before. So Jacob rose and put his sons and his ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/meeting a brother who had.htm

Jacob and Esau
... are in every congregation"who are, like Jacob, sober, industrious ... are true, and that
the way to wealth and prosperity is to fear God, and keep his commandments ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon vi jacob and esau.htm

The Removal of Joseph's Father with all his Family, to Him, on ...
... by him, and called him twice by his name; and ... No, sure; it is not just that thou,
Jacob, shouldst be ... wives, and returnedst with many children, and much wealth. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 the removal of.htm

Israel, Therefore, Avoiding the House of his Brother, Sent Forward ...
... Now, Esau was mighty in wealth, and had taken to himself wives of the nation of
the Canaanites. ... After the death of his father, Jacob stayed on in the ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter x israel therefore avoiding.htm

Here Beginneth the History of Joseph and his Brethren
... Notwithstanding the master butler in his wealth forgat Joseph his interpreter. ...
Then Jacob called his sons tofore him and said to them: ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the history of 2.htm

A Successful Man of Affairs.
... Ordinarily it means that the ambitions and achievements of a Jacob, rather than
those of a ... keeper, and that no man has a right to use his wealth simply for his ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study vii a successful man.htm