In brief
Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, grandson of Abraham, around 1800 BC by the usual reckoning. His scheming to obtain the birthright forces him to flee. At Bethel, God renews to him the promise made to Abraham. After years with Laban, he wrestles with God at the Jabbok and receives the name Israel. From his twelve sons will come the tribes of Israel.
What does the name Jacob mean?
Jacob is generally linked to a Hebrew word related to the heel. The Bible explains it in Genesis 25:26: he is born holding his brother Esau's heel. God renames him Israel in Genesis 32:28.
The story of Jacob
The Birthright
Genesis 25:19-34Rebekah, barren for a long time, gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob, who already struggle in her womb. God has told her that the older will serve the younger. One day, Esau comes home famished and gives up his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.
The Dream at Bethel
Genesis 28:10-22Jacob flees Esau's anger. He falls asleep on the way and sees a ladder set on the earth and reaching to heaven, with angels going up and down. The Lord promises him the land and descendants who will bless all the families. Jacob names the place Bethel.
The Struggle at the Jabbok
Genesis 32:22-32The night before meeting Esau, Jacob is left alone, and a man wrestles with him until daybreak. Struck on the hip, he does not let go: I will not let you go unless you bless me. He receives the name Israel, and from then on he limps.
The Return to Bethel
Genesis 35:1-15God tells Jacob to go up to Bethel and build an altar there. Jacob asks his household to put away the foreign gods and purify themselves. God appears to him again, confirms his name Israel and renews the promise of a nation, kings and a land.
What Jacob teaches us
- God keeps his promises even when people try to obtain them by trickery.
- God meets fugitives, as he met Jacob at Bethel, and promises them his presence.
- Wrestling with God transforms: Jacob comes out blessed, with a new name and a new gait.
- Returning to Bethel means removing false gods and coming back to the heart of the relationship with God.
Key verses
God promises Jacob to be with him, to keep him wherever he goes and to bring him back to the land. He will keep his word despite the detours.
After the struggle, Jacob receives the name Israel, because he has striven with God and with men and has prevailed.
Before going up to Bethel, Jacob asks his household to put away the foreign gods and purify themselves, in order to build an altar to God.
Sermons about Jacob
- Jacob's Blessing Over Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48)A sermon on Jacob's blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh at the end of his life, in Genesis 48.
- Joseph the Favorite: What Jacob's Family Teaches About God and FavoritismA sermon on Jacob's preference for Joseph and its consequences in the family.
- Isaac and Rebekah: Twenty Years of Waiting and a Faithful GodA sermon on the waiting of Isaac and Rebekah before the birth of Jacob and Esau, and on God's faithfulness.
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Jacob?
Before the twins were born, God had told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger, in Genesis 25:23. The choice comes before Jacob's actions. God acts by grace, and then leads Jacob through trials that transform him.
What does the name Jacob mean?
Jacob is generally linked to a Hebrew word related to the heel. In Genesis 25:26, he is born holding Esau's heel. The word also took on the sense of supplanting or deceiving, as Esau says in Genesis 27:36.
Where can I find the story of Jacob in the Bible?
It fills Genesis, from chapter 25 to 50. The key passages are the birthright (25), Bethel (28), the struggle at the Jabbok (32), the return to Bethel (35) and his arrival in Egypt to be with Joseph (46 to 49).