Facts About Jacob In The Bible: Learn Details On The Twin Brother Of Esau

Jacob is an important figure in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

He is a figure in the Bible and, in this article, we will be looking at his life through the stories presented by the text.

Jacob is the patriarch of the Israelites. He was later given the name Israel. His mention first comes in the Book of Genesis. His elder twin brother was Esau. Esau was his fraternal twin brother. According to the Bible, he moved to Egypt with his son Joseph after a severe drought in Canaan. He died at the age of 147. The cave of Machpela is the place where he was buried. He had 12 sons. His sons were the heads of their tribes, also called the 12 tribes of Israel.

If you like this article, make sure to check out other fun facts articles about Joshua in the Bible and about Matthew in the Bible.

Life History Of Jacob

Jacob was the second son of Isaac and Rebecca.

Jacob, with his mother, is said to have deceived his father. Jacob and Esau were fighting in the womb. Their mother was suffering from Esau and Jacob's birth. The birthright, which was supposed to be for his brother, Esau, was given to him. Jacob's name means heel. He was named Jacob as he was born holding the heel of his brother. He was born when Isaac was 660 years of age. There was a prophecy received by Rebecca that there were twins in her womb and that they would be fighting all their life as they were fighting in the womb. They also said that the elder would serve the younger. Jacob's mother loved him more. Esau was the favorite son of their father. His brother Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in exchange for porridge. The father's blessing, which was meant for Esau as he was the firstborn son, was deceivingly given to the younger brother Jacob by their father, Isaac. When he went away from Canaan, fearing the wrath of his brother, Jacob, he experienced Jacob's ladder. He had a vision in which he was ascending the staircases of heaven with angels beside him. He is also said to have heard the voice of God bless him.

Jacob married Rachael, who was the daughter of the man who stayed at his uncle's place. He asked for her hand in marriage by agreeing to work seven years in his father's land. Rachel remained barren for a long time after marriage. Then, she gave birth to two sons Joseph and Benjamin. After the birth of his children and living with Rachel's father for a few more years, Jacob decided to leave for his hometown. This was hard for the father of Rachel, as the land was being continuously blessed by Jacob's presence. Jacob spent 28 years at the place of uncle Laban. At last, Jacob left with his wife for Canaan. While on the way, he sent a message to his brother Esau. Esau was marching ahead with 400 men to harm Jacob. However, he stopped when a flock of sheep was presented to him by Jacob.

Then on the way, he fought with a man of great strength. The fight continued till daybreak. God gave Jacob the name Israel due to Jacob's struggle. The name Israel meant the one that struggled with a divine angel. When his wife, the beloved Rachel, was pregnant with her second son, Jacob made a move to Bethlehem, where Rachel gave birth to their second son, Benjamin. Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin. Finally, the house of Jacob was in Hebron, in Canaan. Then, they moved to Egypt after the draught. When Jacob died, his brother Esau refused to give him a burial. Esau was then killed by the son of Jacob. Esau buried Heas in the cave in which Isaac and Jacob were buried.

The Role Of Jacob In The Bible

In the Bible, Jacob represents the grace and the bounty of God. When they were fighting in the womb, their mother asked God why they were fighting. Their mother was informed of the enmity between them and that both of them would lead two nations, and the nations would continually fight with each other.

His name means one who follows others' heels in Hebrew, as he was born grabbing Esau's heels. He was associated with deception, as he deceived his brother Esau and his father's brother Laban. His uncle Laban offered him his eldest daughter for marriage in exchange for his service. Jacob had a wrestling match with God, as he feared his death with Esau. When Jacob wrestled with God, Jacob refused to give up, and God forced him to surrender by a divine touch on his hip. After Jacob's meeting, he was awarded a new name: Israel. He left his cunning ways and started leading the Israelites to a new land. God gave a permanent limp in Jacob's hip. This was to remind him of his encounter with God. Joseph was blessed, like Jacob. This was passed on to them by their grandfather Abraham.

After his encounter with God, Jacob was given the name Israel. Dinah was Jacob's only daughter and the older sister of Benjamin and Joseph. Joseph was the favorite son, and his other elder brothers got jealous. They devised a plan to kill Joseph. They took him to a nearby well on the pretense of playing and then dumped him in the well. They told Jacob that Joseph was dead. Jacob refused to believe them and had felt that his son was still alive. From there, he was picked up by a group of people. Those people sold Joseph to a wealthy man in Egypt. Later, when there was a drought in Canaan, he helped his father and older brothers. He was then reunited with his father, Jacob. Jacob died in Egypt at the age of 147.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about Jacob in the Bible, then why not take a look at our articles about the Battle of Moscow or the different types of kinetic energy?