Jacob

Jacob

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Jacob is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ recorded in Mat.1.15-16. He is identified as the father of Joseph, who was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

This genealogy traces the lineage of Jesus from Abraham through David, and then to Joseph. Jacob is listed as the son of Matthan and the grandson of Eleazar (Mat.1.15). His father and a few generations before him are anonymous placeholders unnamed missing individuals that are necessray to increase the number of generations in Jesus' genealogy as recorded in Matthew to become the same as the number of generations in Luke. Matthew is known to deliberately miss out some individuals (kings Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah) so it is likely he also missed out others, in order to create three sets of 14 generations (Mat.1.17). The inclusion of Jacob in this genealogy serves to establish Joseph's descent from the royal line of David, which was essential for Jesus to be recognized as the Messiah.

While little is known about Jacob's life, his place in the genealogy highlights the importance of family lineage in Jewish tradition and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah's descent from David (2Sa.7.12-16; Isa.9.6-7).

It is important to note that while Joseph was Jesus' legal father, he was not his biological father, as Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mat.1.18-25). Nonetheless, Joseph's lineage through Jacob was significant in establishing Jesus' claim to the Messianic title "Son of David" (Mat.1.1).

Connections

Joseph's father: Jacob or Heli

FamilyDebated

Matthew says Joseph's father was Jacob; Luke says Joseph was the son of Heli. Africanus reconciled this with a levirate marriage; others read Luke's line as Mary's and TIPNR lists Heli as Mary's father.

JosephMary's husband JacobFather of Joseph HeliSon of Matthat MaryMosther of Jesus

Where the text shows it: Matthew 1:16 — Jacob begat Joseph.Luke 3:23 — Joseph the son of Heli.

Ways people read this (3)

Levirate: Jacob and Heli were half brothers (Africanus).
Mary's genealogy: Luke lists Heli as Mary's father through Joseph.
Two different lines of royal and natural descent.

Sources: Matthew 1:16 · Luke 3:23 · Julius Africanus, Letter to Aristides (cited in Eusebius, Church History)

Bible dictionary

Jacob Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

One who follows on another’s heels; supplanter, (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:2-4), 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…

Read the full entry →

Jacob Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

(supplanter), the second son of Isaac and Rebekah. He was born with Esau, probably at the well of Lahai-roi, about B.C. 1837. His history is related in the latter half of the book of Genesis. He bought the birthright from his brother Esau, and afterward acquired the blessing intended for Esau, by practicing a well-known deceit on Isaac. (Jacob did not obtain the blessing because of his deceit, but in spite of it. That which was promised he would have received in some good way; but Jacob and his mother, distrusting God’s promise, sought the promised blessing in a wrong way, and received with it trouble and sorrow.—ED.) Jacob, in his 78th year, was sent from the family home to avoid his brother, and to seek a wife among his kindred in Padan-aram. As he passed through Bethel, God appeared to him. After the lapse of twenty-one years he returned from Padan-aram with two wives, two concubines, eleven sons and a daughter, and large property. He escaped from the angry pursuit of Laban, from a meeting with Esau, and from the vengeance of the Canaanites provoked by the murder of Shechem; and in each of these three emergencies he was aided and strengthened by the interposition of God, and in sign of the grace won by a night of wrestling with God his name was changed at Jabbok into Israel. Deborah and Rachel died before he reached Hebron; Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, was sold into Egypt eleven years before the death of Isaac; and Jacob had probably exceeded his 130th year when he went tither. He was presented to Pharaoh, and dwelt for seventeen years in Rameses and Goshen, and died in his 147th year. His body was embalmed, carried with great care and pomp into the land of Canaan, and deposited with his fathers, and his wife Leah, in the cave of Machpelah. The example of…

Read the full entry →

Jacob Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

that supplants, undermines; the heel

Read the full entry →

Jacob Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

JA'COB (heel-catcher, supplanter), the third of the Jewish patriarchs, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and twin brother to Esau. He received his name from the circumstance which occurred at his birth. Gen 25:26. The family were then living at Lahai-roi. The twins greatly differed in tastes: Esau was a hunter, Jacob "a plain man, dwelling in tents." Gen 25:27. But though domestic, he was selfish and scheming. He bought the birthright from Esau, taking advantage of the latter's temporary weakness. Gen 25:29-34. When Isaac, fearing a sudden death, desired to bless Esau, whose manly character made him his favorite, while the more pliable Jacob was the favorite of Rebekah, Jacob was ready to fall in with his mother's plan, and, by deceiving his blind and aged father, to secure the elder brother's blessing. The event, so momentous to all parties, is related in detail in Gen 27. The hate of Esau, naturally aroused, compelled Jacob in fear to flee somewhere, and the anxiety of Rebekah lest Jacob should marry a daughter of Heth was the ostensible reason for turning his steps toward Padan-aram, where her brother Laban lived. Previous to his departure Isaac blessed him again, and thus with the assurance of divine favor, but with a heavy and fearful heart, did this man of at least 50 years (it is usual to call him 78 years old) turn his back upon his home and wearily go among strangers. But, though unworthy, he was the heir to the promises; and accordingly, God cared for him. At Bethel his eyes were opened to see a glorious vision and his ears to hear the voice of God. On awaking he made a vow to serve the Lord, giving the tenth, if the Lord on his part would protect and prosper him. Gen 28:20-22. An every-day incident introduced him to the family of Laban; an act of gallantry won…

Read the full entry →

Jacob Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

He bought the birthright from Esau, taking advantage of the latter's temporary weakness. Gen 25:29-34. When Isaac, fearing a sudden death, desired to bless Esau, whose manly character made him his favorite, while the more pliable Jacob was the favorite of Rebekah, Jacob was ready to fall in with his mother's plan, and, by deceiving his blind and aged father, to secure the elder brother's blessing. The event, so momentous to all parties, is related in detail in Gen 27. The hate of Esau, naturally aroused, compelled Jacob in fear to flee somewhere, and the anxiety of Rebekah lest Jacob should marry a daughter of Heth was the ostensible reason for turning his steps toward Padan-aram, where her brother Laban lived. Previous to his departure Isaac blessed him again, and thus with the assurance of divine favor, but with a heavy and fearful heart, did this man of at least 50 years (it is usual to call him 78 years old) turn his back upon his home and wearily go among strangers. But, though unworthy, he was the heir to the promises; and accordingly, God cared for him. At Bethel his eyes were opened to see a glorious vision and his ears to hear the voice of God. On awaking he made a vow to serve the Lord, giving the tenth, if the Lord on his part would protect and prosper him. Gen 28:20-22. An every-day incident introduced him to the family of Laban; an act of gallantry won…

Read the full entry →

Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Family

Connections

Joseph's father: Jacob or Heli

Bible dictionary

Where Jacob appears