Jacob, later given the name Israel, is the third Hebrew patriarch in Judaism and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother Esau, Jacob's paternal grandparents are Abraham and Sarah and his maternal grandfather is Bethuel, whose wife is not mentioned. He is said to have bought Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, deceived his aging father to bless him instead of Esau. Then, following a severe drought in his homeland Canaan, Jacob and his descendants migrated to neighbouring Egypt through the efforts of his son Joseph, who had become a confidant of the pharaoh. After dying in Egypt at the age of 147, he is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron.
In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, Jacob's progeny were begotten by four women: his wives (and maternal cousins) Leah and Rachel; and his concubines Bilhah and Zilpah. His sons were, in order of their birth: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. He also had a daughter named Dinah, born to his first wife Leah.Enumerations of the twelve tribes vary. Because Jacob effectively adopted two of his grandsons by Joseph and Asenath, namely Ephraim and Manasseh, the two grandsons were often substituted for the Tribe of Joseph, yielding thirteen tribes, or twelve if Levi is set apart. The descendants of Jacob's sons were collectively known as the Israelites, with each son being the forefather of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, of whom all but the Tribe of Levi were allotted territory in the Land of Israel. The Genesis narrative also states that Jacob displayed favoritism among his wives and children, preferring Rachel and her sons Joseph and Benjamin to the rest—culminating in Joseph's older brothers selling him into slavery out of resentment.
Mainstream archaeologists unanimously agree that there is no existing or recoverable evidence or context that could establish Jacob as a "historical figure."
Etymology Hebrew
According to the folk etymology found in Genesis 25:26, the name is derived from "heel", as Jacob was born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau. (KJV: "and his hand took hold on Esau's heel"). Strong's Concordance H6119. The historical origin of the name is uncertain, although similar names have been recorded. is recorded as a place name in a list by Thutmose III (15th century BC), and later as the nomen of a Hyksos pharaoh. The hieroglyphs are ambiguous, and can be read as "Yaqub-Har", "Yaqubaal", or "Yaqub El". The same name is recorded earlier still, in , in cuneiform inscriptions (spelled ya-ah-qu-ub-el, ya-qu-ub-el).Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50 (1995), p. 179. The suggestion that the personal name may be shortened from this compound name, which would translate to "may El protect", originates with Bright (1960).Jonathan Z. Smith, Map is Not Territory: Studies in the History of Religions, University of Chicago Press (1978), p. 33. In the Amorite language, parallel forms of Jacob's name are attested as ia-aḫ-qú-ub-DINGIR and ia-aḫ-qú-bu-um.
The scientific etymology of the name Israel is unclear, but a "good guess" is "[The God] El rules""The Jewish Study Bible" of Oxford University Press (p. 68): "The scientific etymology of Israel is unclear, a good guess being '[The God] El rules.'". In Judaism, the etymology of the name, given to Jacob following the episode of his wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32:22–32), is understood to be connected to the Hebrew words (saritha, striven) and (Elohim, God). Christian commentator James Strong gives the etymology as a composition of el "god" and the root śarah "to rule, contend, have power, prevail over". śarah "to contend, have power, contend with, persist, exert oneself, persevere" (Strong's Concordance H8323); śarar "to be or act as prince, rule, contend, have power, prevail over, reign, govern" (Strong's Concordance h8280) The word "strive" is often used for the proposed etymon שרה, but as Genesis novelly uses the word without defining it, this interpretation is merely based upon the context in the story. Various traditional translations of Yisra'el include "one that struggled with the divine angel" (Josephus), "one who has prevailed with God" (Rashi), "a man seeing God" (Whiston), "he will rule as God" (Strong), or "a prince with God" (Morris).
Greek The Septuagint renders the name Iákobos (), whence Latin , English Jacob.
Genesis narrative
The biblical account of the life of Jacob is found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 25–50.
Birth Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebecca after 20 years of marriage, when Isaac was 60 years of age.Hebrew-English Bible , Rebecca was uncomfortable during her pregnancy: the twins struggled with each other in her womb, and she went to inquire of God why she was suffering. She received the prophecy that the two nations to whom she would give birth would be divided: "the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger".: KJV
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. According to Genesis 25, Isaac and Rebecca named the first son Esau ().Hebrew-English Bible The second son they named Jacob (Hebrew: יעקב, Ya'aqob or Ya'aqov, meaning "heel-catcher", "supplanter", "leg-puller", "he who follows upon the heels of one", from , aqab or aqav, "seize by the heel", "circumvent", "restrain", a wordplay upon , iqqebah or iqqbah, "heel").Strong's Concordance 3290, 6117.
The boys displayed very different natures as they matured: "... and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents".Hebrew-English Bible Moreover, the attitudes of their parents toward them also differed: "And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebecca loved Jacob."Hebrew-English Bible
Acquiring Esau's birthright
Genesis 25:29–34 tells the account of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob.Hebrew-English Bible This passage tells that Esau, returning famished from the fields, begged Jacob to give him some of the stew that Jacob had just made. Esau referred to the dish as "that same red pottage", giving rise to his nickname, , Edom, meaning "Red". Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright, to which Esau agreed.
Blessing of Isaac As Isaac aged, he became blind and was uncertain when he would die, so he decided to bestow Esau's birthright upon him. He requested that Esau go out to the fields with his weapons (quiver and bow) to kill some venison. 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.
Rebecca overheard this conversation. It is suggested that she realized prophetically that Isaac's blessings would go to Jacob, since she was told before the twins' birth that the older son would serve the younger.Scherman, Rabbi Nosson (1993). The Chumash. Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, p. 135. Rebecca blessed Jacob and she quickly ordered Jacob to bring her two kid goats from their flock so that he could take Esau's place in serving Isaac and receiving his blessing. Jacob protested that his father would recognize their deception since Esau was hairy and he himself was smooth-skinned. He feared his father would curse him as soon as he felt him, but Rebecca offered to take the curse herself, then insisted that Jacob obey her.Ginzberg, Louis (1909). Legends of the Jews Vol I : Isaac blesses Jacob (Translated by Henrietta Szold) Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. Jacob did as his mother instructed and, when he returned with the kids, Rebecca made the savory meat that Isaac loved. Before she sent Jacob to his father, she dressed him in Esau's garments and laid goatskins on his arms and neck to simulate hairy skin.
Disguised as Esau, Jacob entered Isaac's room. Surprised that Esau was back so soon, Isaac asked how it could be that the hunt went so quickly. Jacob responded, "Because the LORD your God brought it to me." Rashi says Isaac's suspicions were aroused even more, because Esau never used the personal name of God.Hebrew-English Bible Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau's hairy skin. Confused, Isaac exclaimed, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau!"Hebrew-English Bible Still trying to get at the truth, Isaac asked him directly, "Art thou my very son Esau?" and Jacob answered simply, "I am." Isaac proceeded to eat the food and to drink the wine that Jacob gave him, and then told him to come close and kiss him. As Jacob kissed his father, Isaac smelled the clothes which belonged to Esau and finally accepted that the person in front of him was Esau. Isaac then blessed Jacob with the blessing that was meant for Esau. Genesis 27:28–29 states Isaac's blessing: "Therefore God give thee of the dew of heavens, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."
Jacob had scarcely left the room when Esau returned from the hunt to prepare his game and receive the blessing. The realization that he had been deceived shocked Isaac, yet he acknowledged that Jacob had received the blessings by adding, "Indeed, he will be [or remain] blessed!" (27:33).
Esau was heartbroken by the deception and begged for his own blessing. Having made Jacob a ruler over his brothers, Isaac could only promise, "By your sword you shall live, but your brother you shall serve; yet it shall be that when you are aggrieved, you may cast off his yoke from upon your neck" (27:39–40).
Although Esau sold Jacob his own birthright, which was his blessing, for "red pottage", Esau still hated Jacob for receiving his blessing that their father Isaac unknowingly had given to him. He vowed to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac died. When Rebecca heard about his murderous intentions, she ordered Jacob to travel to her brother Laban's house in Haran, until Esau's anger subsided. She convinced Isaac to send Jacob away by telling him that she despaired of his marrying a local girl from the idol-worshipping families of Canaan (as Esau had done). After Isaac sent Jacob away to find a wife, Esau realized his own Canaanite wives were evil in his father's eyes and so he took a daughter of Isaac's half-brother, Ishmael, as another wife.
Jacob's Ladder
Near Luz en route to Haran, Jacob experienced a vision of a ladder, or staircase, reaching into heaven with angels going up and down it, subsequently referred to in popular culture as "Jacob's ladder". He heard the voice of God, who repeated many of the blessings upon him, coming from the top of the ladder.
In the morning, Jacob awakened, poured consecrating oil on the stone which he had slept on, and named the place where he had spent the night "Bethel", meaning "God's house". He then continued on his way to Haran.
Marriages and family