Jacob
“Supplanter or he grasps the heel”
Summary
The son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau, who became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel and whose name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God.
☩Birth and Early Life
Jacob was born around 2004 BC, the second-born of twins to Isaac and Rebekah at Beer-lahai-roi. Before their birth, God revealed to Rebekah that "the elder shall serve the younger," establishing Jacob as the heir of the covenant promises despite being the younger twin. At birth, Jacob emerged grasping Esau's heel, which gave him his name (from Hebrew עָקַב, 'aqab, meaning "to take by the heel" or "to supplant"). The name appears in Babylonian documents of the patriarchal period as Ya-ku-bi and Ya-ku-ub-ilu, likely meaning "God protects" or "God rewards." While Esau became a hunter and man of the field, Jacob was a quiet, domestic man who dwelt in tents and tended flocks.
☩The Birthright and Blessing
Jacob's acquisition of both the birthright and paternal blessing revealed both his high valuation of spiritual privileges and his willingness to use questionable means to obtain them. He purchased Esau's birthright for a meal of bread and lentil stew when his brother returned famished from hunting, for which Esau is condemned as a "profane person" in Hebrews 12:16. Later, at Rebekah's instigation, Jacob deceived his aged, blind father Isaac by disguising himself as Esau to receive the patriarchal blessing intended for the firstborn. The birthright included superior rank in the family, a double portion of inheritance, and the priestly office in the patriarchal household, along with the covenant promises given to Abraham.
☩Bethel and Haran
Fleeing Esau's murderous anger, Jacob traveled to Haran to find a wife among his mother's relatives. At Bethel, God appeared to him in a dream showing a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending, and promised him the land of Canaan, innumerable descendants, and blessing to all nations through his seed. Jacob vowed that if God would protect and provide for him, Jehovah would be his God, and he would give a tenth of all he received. In Haran, Jacob served his uncle Laban for fourteen years to obtain his wives Leah and Rachel, experiencing the deception he had practiced on others when Laban substituted Leah for Rachel on his wedding night.
☩Wrestling with God
After twenty years with Laban, Jacob returned to Canaan with his large family and flocks. At the Jabbok River, fearing his approaching meeting with Esau, Jacob spent a night wrestling with a mysterious "man" whom he later recognized as God. Though his hip was dislocated, Jacob refused to release his opponent without receiving a blessing. His name was changed to Israel ("he strives with God" or "God strives"), signifying his transformation from a deceiver relying on his own cunning to a man who prevailed through faith and dependence on God. Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
☩Later Life and Death
Jacob settled in Canaan, experiencing both tragedy and blessing—the defilement of his daughter Dinah, the apparent death of his beloved son Joseph, and years of famine. At age 130, he migrated to Egypt where Joseph had risen to power, and blessed Pharaoh upon their meeting. Before his death at 147, Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and pronounced prophetic blessings over all his sons, including the messianic promise that "the scepter shall not depart from Judah." His body was embalmed and carried back to Canaan to be buried in the cave of Machpelah with Abraham and Isaac. His twelve sons became the progenitors of the twelve tribes, and the name "Israel" designated both the nation and, spiritually, all who belong to God by faith.
Related Verses394 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jacob," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Hastings (ed.), "Jacob," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Jacob (1)," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 4.George Morrish, "Jacob," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 5.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jacob," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).