Jacob: Lives in Egypt for Seventeen Years
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Topical Encyclopedia
Jacob, also known as Israel, is a patriarchal figure whose life and experiences are foundational to the narrative of the Israelites. His sojourn in Egypt marks a significant period in biblical history, as it sets the stage for the eventual Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Background

Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the grandson of Abraham, is a central figure in the Book of Genesis. He is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, through his twelve sons. Jacob's life is marked by a series of divine encounters and covenantal promises, which are pivotal to the unfolding of God's plan for His chosen people.

Journey to Egypt

The journey of Jacob to Egypt is precipitated by a severe famine in Canaan, which leads his sons to seek sustenance in Egypt. Unknown to Jacob, his son Joseph, whom he believed to be dead, had risen to a position of great power in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Joseph's revelation to his brothers and his invitation for the family to settle in Egypt is a turning point in Jacob's life.

In Genesis 46:1-4 , God reassures Jacob in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes." This divine assurance underscores the continuation of God's covenantal promise to make Jacob's descendants a great nation.

Life in Egypt

Jacob's relocation to Egypt is marked by a reunion with Joseph, which is described with deep emotion in Genesis 46:29 : "Joseph prepared his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time." This reunion signifies the restoration of Jacob's family and the fulfillment of God's providential care.

Jacob and his family settle in the land of Goshen, a fertile area suitable for their livestock. Genesis 47:27 notes, "Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number." This period of prosperity and growth is indicative of God's blessing upon Jacob and his descendants.

Final Years and Blessings

Jacob's final years in Egypt are marked by his prophetic blessings upon his sons, which are recorded in Genesis 49. These blessings are not merely paternal wishes but are seen as divinely inspired pronouncements that shape the future of the tribes of Israel. Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, in Genesis 48, further extends the covenantal promise, as he adopts them as his own, ensuring their inclusion in the inheritance of Israel.

Jacob's life in Egypt concludes with his death at the age of 147. His request to be buried in the cave of Machpelah in Canaan, alongside his ancestors, reflects his enduring connection to the Promised Land and the covenantal promises of God. Genesis 49:29-30 records his instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite."

Jacob's seventeen years in Egypt are a testament to God's faithfulness and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through the lineage of Israel. His life and legacy continue to be a source of inspiration and reflection for believers, as they witness the fulfillment of God's promises through the generations.
Nave's Topical Index
Genesis 47:28
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Joseph the Dreamer.
... the Vale of Hebron, so at one time Jacob sent his ... by the dusky merchants on their
slow march to Egypt. ... sold sheep and cattle, almost every day of their lives. ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/joseph the dreamer.htm

The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
... Jacob's somewhat foolish love, and still more foolish way ... when his whiteness rebuked
the soiled lives of his ... to effect the transference of the nation to Egypt. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the trials and visions of.htm

Chapter xlvii
... They admit: "Thou hast saved our lives" (Hifil from chayah). ... 28-31.
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvii.htm

Jacob and Doubting Souls --A Parallel
... God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your
lives by a great ... One reason why Jacob wanted to go to Egypt was because he ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/jacob and doubting soulsa parallel.htm

Chapter xxxvii
... In a more distinct way than in the lives of his fathers Joseph stands out as a type
of Christ. ... (1) Joseph sold into Egypt (37:2 ... 2. This is the history of Jacob. ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvii.htm

The Story of Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors
... that Joseph was no longer with him; and Jacob feared that ... had their words explained
to him in the language of Egypt. ... are the sons of one man, who lives in the ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of joseph and.htm

Chapter xxxv
... its essence would be: purge your hearts and lives of this ... From this time onward Jacob
enters into the full ... after this, when Joseph was sold into Egypt, he was ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... its essence would be: purge your hearts and lives of this ... From this time onward Jacob
enters into the full ... after this, when Joseph was sold into Egypt, he was ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

Ancestors of the Blessed virgin
... scattered about the land of Israel, leading lives of piety ... blessing was removed by
Moses from Egypt with relics of ... Isaac, from whom it passed to Jacob and from ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/i ancestors of the blessed.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... not, I myself will, As the Lord lives; till morning ... Now Jacob's sons did feed their
flocks in Shechem, And ... lading, From Gilead came, and were to Egypt trading. ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm

Resources
Who was Jacob in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel? | GotQuestions.org

How could Jacob not notice he married Leah instead of Rachel? | GotQuestions.org

Jacob: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Iconoclasm: Destroyed by Jacob

Jacob

Jacob: 40 Days Mourning For

Jacob: Ancestor of Jesus

Jacob: Body of, Embalmed

Jacob: Burial of

Jacob: Changed to "Israel"

Jacob: Charges his Sons to Bury Him in the Field of Machpelah

Jacob: Death of

Jacob: Deborah, Rebekah's Nurse, Dies, and is Buried at Beth-El

Jacob: Descendants of

Jacob: Dissatisfied With Laban's Treatment and Returns to the Land of Canaan

Jacob: Dreads to Meet Esau; Sends Him Presents; Wrestles With an Angel

Jacob: Erects a Monument at Rachel's Grave

Jacob: Esau Seeks to Kill, Escapes to Padan-Aram

Jacob: Exacts a Promise from Joseph to Bury Him With his Forefathers

Jacob: Fradulently Obtains his Father's Blessing

Jacob: Given in Answer to Prayer

Jacob: Gives the Land of the Amorites to Joseph

Jacob: God Confirms the Covenant of Abraham To

Jacob: Hears That Joseph is Still Alive

Jacob: His Benediction Upon Joseph and his Two Sons

Jacob: His Daughter, Dinah, is Raped

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Asher

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Benjamin

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Dan

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Gad

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Issachar

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Joseph

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Judah

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Naphtali

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Simeon and Levi

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Upon Reuben

Jacob: His Final Prophetic Benedictions Upon his Sons: Zebulun

Jacob: His Grief Over the Detention of Simeon and the Demand for Benjamin to be Taken Into Egypt

Jacob: His Grief Over the Loss of Joseph

Jacob: His Love for Benjamin

Jacob: His Partiality for his Son, Joseph, and the Consequent Jealousy of his Other Sons

Jacob: His Vision of the Ladder

Jacob: His Wealth

Jacob: Joseph's Prophetic Dream Concerning

Jacob: Journeys to Ephrath

Jacob: Journeys to Shalem, where he Purchase a Parcel of Ground from Hamor and Erects an Altar

Jacob: Journeys to Succoth

Jacob: List of the Names of his Twelve Sons

Jacob: Lives in Egypt for Seventeen Years

Jacob: Lives in the Land of Canaan

Jacob: Meets Angels of God on the Journey, and Calls the Place "Mahanaim"

Jacob: Meets Joseph

Jacob: Moves to Egypt

Jacob: Obtains Esau's Birthright for Just One Bowl of Stew

Jacob: Pharaoh Receives Him, and is Blessed by Jacob

Jacob: Prophecies Concerning Himself and his Descendants

Jacob: Reconciliation of, With Esau

Jacob: Returns to Arbah, the City of his Father

Jacob: Returns to Beth-El, where he Builds an Altar, and Erects and Dedicates a Pillar

Jacob: Sends to Egypt to Buy Corn (Grain)

Jacob: Serves Fourteen Years for Leah and Rachel

Jacob: Sharp Practice of, With the Flocks and Herds of Laban

Jacob: Sojourns in Haran With his Uncle, Laban

Jacob: Son of Isaac, and the Twin Brother of Esau

Jacob: The Incest of his Son, Reuben, With his Concubine, Bilhah

Jacob: The Land of Goshen Assigned To

Jacob: The List of his Children and Grandchildren Who Went Down Into Egypt

Jacob: The Well of

Jacobs Well

Miscegenation: Jacob

Related Terms

Jacob's (34 Occurrences)

Paddan-aram (10 Occurrences)

Sychar (1 Occurrence)

Paddan (11 Occurrences)

Padanaram (10 Occurrences)

Padan-aram (10 Occurrences)

Bilhah (11 Occurrences)

Aram (130 Occurrences)

Hamor (13 Occurrences)

Birthright (10 Occurrences)

Blesseth (55 Occurrences)

Zilpah (7 Occurrences)

Patriarch (2 Occurrences)

Begat (112 Occurrences)

Shalem (1 Occurrence)

Beareth (108 Occurrences)

Kinsmen (74 Occurrences)

Birth-right (9 Occurrences)

Setteth (116 Occurrences)

Sojourned (20 Occurrences)

Souls (114 Occurrences)

Kissed (26 Occurrences)

Primogeniture

Betwixt (16 Occurrences)

Answereth (144 Occurrences)

Aramaean (13 Occurrences)

Aramean (17 Occurrences)

Syrian (12 Occurrences)

Succoth (18 Occurrences)

Bethel (67 Occurrences)

Pillar (72 Occurrences)

Benjamin (167 Occurrences)

Bare (250 Occurrences)

Shechem (61 Occurrences)

Calleth (261 Occurrences)

Saving (37 Occurrences)

Simeon (48 Occurrences)

Kiss (39 Occurrences)

Security (41 Occurrences)

Homeland (8 Occurrences)

Beersheba (33 Occurrences)

Asher (43 Occurrences)

Kissing (10 Occurrences)

Selah (76 Occurrences)

Pursued (75 Occurrences)

Pottage (7 Occurrences)

Pitched (101 Occurrences)

Peniel (4 Occurrences)

Peradventure (35 Occurrences)

Beth-el (65 Occurrences)

Beer-sheba (33 Occurrences)

Camped (100 Occurrences)

Conceiveth (27 Occurrences)

Acquired (32 Occurrences)

Seventeen (12 Occurrences)

Soup (10 Occurrences)

Sixty (70 Occurrences)

Stew (7 Occurrences)

Sepulchre (57 Occurrences)

Sweareth (34 Occurrences)

Slept (74 Occurrences)

Sister's (7 Occurrences)

Vision (106 Occurrences)

Animals (224 Occurrences)

Sware (90 Occurrences)

Se'ir (36 Occurrences)

Younger (39 Occurrences)

Buried (125 Occurrences)

Conceived (66 Occurrences)

Bore (221 Occurrences)

Almond (7 Occurrences)

Slay (189 Occurrences)

Six (198 Occurrences)

Arts (48 Occurrences)

Hebron (71 Occurrences)

Peoples (305 Occurrences)

Stayed (169 Occurrences)

Swore (109 Occurrences)

Jacob: List of the Names of his Twelve Sons
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