Sons of Jacob

Jacob's sons and grandsons

Sons of Jacob
ACTS 7 COMMENTARY
Acts 7:8-11 Patriarchs

Acts 7:12-15 Sons of Jacob

Acts 7:16 Shechem
ACTS 7:12  12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

Who are the "fathers" (Acts 7:12) that Jacob sent to Egypt first, and eventually followed?
The sons of Jacob except Joseph and Benjamin (see Patriarchs and Genesis 42:1-47:12).

ACTS 7:13-15  13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

How many relatives did Joseph receive in Egypt?
"Seventy-five" (Acts 7:14)

What is written in Genesis?
"All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy." (Genesis 46:26-27)

What is written in Exodus?
"All those who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already)." (Exodus 1:5)

What is written in Deuteronomy?
"Your fathers went down to Egypt in seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude." (Deuteronomy 10:22)

Which account is correct?
All of them. The number of Jacob's sons and (grandsons) who went with him to Egypt was 64, as follows:

Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Benjamin Dan Napthali Gad Asher Subtotal
Hanoch
Pallu
Hezron
Carm






Jemuel
Jamin
Ohad
Jakin
Zohar
Shaul




Gershon
Kohath
Merari







Er*
Onan*
Shelah
Perez
(Hezron
Hamul)
Zerah
*died in
Canaan

Tola
Puah
Jashub
Shimron






Sered
Elon
Jahleel







Bela
Beker
Ashbel
Gera
Naaman
Ehi
Rosh
Muppim
Huppim
Ard
Hashim









Jahziel
Guni
Jezer
Shillem






Zephon
Haggi
Shuni
Ezbon
Eri
Arodi
Areli



Imnah
Ishvah
Ishvi
Beriah
(Heber
Malkie)













5 7 4 6 (8-2) 5 4 11 2 5 8 7 64

How is "64" reconciled with what is written in Genesis 46:26-27?
Jacob also had a daughter named Dinah (Genesis 46:15), who was a sister of the twelve patriarchs, and Asher had a daughter named Serah (Genesis 46:17), so indeed, "All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all." And Jacob himself, as well as Joseph and his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim in Egypt counted for 4 more, so "All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy."

How about Exodus 1:5, which states that the number of persons who came "out of the loins of" Jacob were seventy?
The original Hebrew word yarek literally means "loins, thigh, the area of genitals, the area of procreative power," refers to what we would call today the genetic makeup, and includes Jacob.

How about the "seventy-five people" in Acts 7:14?
Acts 7:14 states that "all his relatives" were 75 people, and "relatives" includes Joseph's surviving sisters-in-law.