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Jacob

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Jacob, one of the founding fathers of the Jewish

people.


The name means one who follows on another's heels; supplanter


He was the second born of the twin sons of Isaac

by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father

was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old.

Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, and

when he grew up followed the life of a shepherd, while his

brother Esau became an enterprising hunter. His dealing with

Esau, however, showed much mean selfishness and cunning (Gen.

25:29-34).


When Isaac was about 160 years of age, Jacob and his mother

conspired to deceive the aged patriarch (Gen. 27), with the view

of procuring the transfer of the birthright to himself. The

birthright secured to him who possessed it (1) superior rank in

his family (Gen. 49:3); (2) a double portion of the paternal

inheritance (Deut. 21:17); (3) the priestly office in the family

(Num. 8:17-19); and (4) the promise of the Seed in which all

nations of the earth were to be blessed (Gen. 22:18).


Soon after his acquisition of his father's blessing (Gen. 27),

Jacob became conscious of his guilt; and afraid of the anger of

Esau, at the suggestion of Rebekah Isaac sent him away to Haran,

400 miles or more, to find a wife among his cousins, the family

of Laban, the Syrian (28). There he met with Rachel (29). Laban

would not consent to give him his daughter in marriage till he

had served seven years; but to Jacob these years "seemed but a

few days, for the love he had to her." But when the seven years

were expired, Laban craftily deceived Jacob, and gave him his

daughter Leah. Other seven years of service had to be completed

probably before he obtained the beloved Rachel. But "life-long

sorrow, disgrace, and trials, in the retributive providence of

God, followed as a consequence of this double union."


At the close of the fourteen years of service, Jacob desired

to return to his parents, but at the entreaty of Laban he

tarried yet six years with him, tending his flocks (31:41). He

then set out with his family and property "to go to Isaac his

father in the land of Canaan" (Gen. 31). Laban was angry when he

heard that Jacob had set out on his journey, and pursued after

him, overtaking him in seven days. The meeting was of a painful

kind. After much recrimination and reproach directed against

Jacob, Laban is at length pacified, and taking an affectionate

farewell of his daughters, returns to his home in Padanaram. And

now all connection of the Israelites with Mesopotamia is at an

end.


Soon after parting with Laban he is met by a company of

angels, as if to greet him on his return and welcome him back to

the Land of Promise (32:1, 2). He called the name of the place

Mahanaim, i.e., "the double camp," probably his own camp and

that of the angels. The vision of angels was the counterpart of

that he had formerly seen at Bethel, when, twenty years before,

the weary, solitary traveller, on his way to Padan-aram, saw the

angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top

reached to heaven (28:12).


He now hears with dismay of the approach of his brother Esau

with a band of 400 men to meet him. In great agony of mind he

prepares for the worst. He feels that he must now depend only on

God, and he betakes himself to him in earnest prayer, and sends

on before him a munificent present to Esau, "a present to my

lord Esau from thy servant Jacob." Jacob's family were then

transported across the Jabbok; but he himself remained behind,

spending the night in communion with God. While thus engaged,

there appeared one in the form of a man who wrestled with him.

In this mysterious contest Jacob prevailed, and as a memorial of

it his name was changed to Israel (wrestler with God); and the

place where this occured he called Peniel, "for", said he, "I

have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved"

(32:25-31).


After this anxious night, Jacob went on his way, halting,

mysteriously weakened by the conflict, but strong in the

assurance of the divine favour. Esau came forth and met him; but

his spirit of revenge was appeased, and the brothers met as

friends, and during the remainder of their lives they maintained

friendly relations. After a brief sojourn at Succoth, Jacob

moved forward and pitched his tent near Shechem (q.v.), 33:18;

but at length, under divine directions, he moved to Bethel,

where he made an altar unto God (35:6,7), and where God appeared

to him and renewed the Abrahamic covenant. While journeying from

Bethel to Ephrath (the Canaanitish name of Bethlehem), Rachel

died in giving birth to her second son Benjamin (35:16-20),

fifteen or sixteen years after the birth of Joseph. He then

reached the old family residence at Mamre, to wait on the dying

bed of his father Isaac. The complete reconciliation between

Esau and Jacob was shown by their uniting in the burial of the

patriarch (35:27-29).


Jacob was soon after this deeply grieved by the loss of his

beloved son Joseph through the jealousy of his brothers (37:33).

Then follows the story of the famine, and the successive goings

down into Egypt to buy corn (42), which led to the discovery of

the long-lost Joseph, and the patriarch's going down with all

his household, numbering about seventy souls (Ex. 1:5; Deut.

10:22; Acts 7:14), to sojourn in the land of Goshen. Here Jacob,

"after being strangely tossed about on a very rough ocean, found

at last a tranquil harbour, where all the best affections of his

nature were gently exercised and largely unfolded" (Gen. 48). At

length the end of his checkered course draws nigh, and he

summons his sons to his bedside that he may bless them. Among

his last words he repeats the story of Rachel's death, although

forty years had passed away since that event took place, as

tenderly as if it had happened only yesterday; and when "he had

made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into

the bed, and yielded up the ghost" (49:33). His body was

embalmed and carried with great pomp into the land of Canaan,

and buried beside his wife Leah in the cave of Machpelah,

according to his dying charge.



See also History of ancient Israel and Judah




Initial text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897 -- Please update as needed