The seemingly simple listing of names at the beginning of Exodus serves a crucial purpose: it anchors the grand narrative of Israel's deliverance in the tangible reality of a single family. This highlights how God's massive redemptive plans often begin with humble, personal beginnings, tracing a lineage from a few individuals to a nation.
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse begins the book of Exodus by listing the names of Jacob's descendants who migrated to Egypt, marking the transition from the patriarchal history in Genesis to the story of the emerging Israelite nation. It sets the stage by reminding readers of the small family unit God promised to multiply, contrasting their initial descent into Egypt with the incredible growth that would later lead to their deliverance from bondage. This foundational recap emphasizes God's faithfulness to his promises, even before detailing the immense suffering and miraculous rescue to come.
Exodus famously recounts God's powerful rescue of His people from slavery. But how does this epic story begin? With names.
The Humble Roots of a People
Exodus 1:1 starts with a list of names: "These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household." This might seem like a quiet way to begin a book about liberation and miracles.
But think about it:
When the Bible says 'each with his household,' what does that really mean? It's more than just immediate family.
Beyond Immediate Family
Ask a follow-up
The phrase "each with his household" (or "family") in Exodus 1:1 is key to understanding the early growth of the Israelites.
Understand the original words
yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
A personal designation used by God for the patriarch Jacob, symbolizing the covenantal identity of the people chosen by God to be His own nation. It represents the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham and Isaac.
mitsrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
Refers to the land of the Nile, frequently serving in Scripture as a place of both refuge and oppression for God's people, often symbolizing the world from which God redeems His children.
ya'aqob · Hebrew Proper Noun
The name given by God to the grandson of Abraham, later renamed Israel; he is the primary patriarch through whom the twelve tribes were established. His life serves as a model of God's sovereign grace and the development of the covenant family.
beythow · Hebrew Noun
A term often translated as 'house' or 'family,' denoting not just a building but the entire kinship group, lineage, and structure of familial authority and belonging under the patriarch.
yotse'ey yerekh ya'aqob · Hebrew Noun phrase
Refers to those born from a common ancestor; in this context, it signifies the expanding covenant community that God is preserving and multiplying according to His promises to the patriarchs.
yoseph · Hebrew Proper Noun
The eleventh son of Jacob who was sold into slavery but rose to power through God's providence to save his family from famine, serving as a type of Christ who was rejected by his brothers yet became the savior of the world.
Exodus 1:1 serves as a crucial bridge, recalling the small, foundational family unit that migrated to Egypt, setting the stage for the incredible, divinely orchestrated multiplication that occurs during their subsequent enslavement.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham's Covenant
God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars and will possess the land of Canaan.
c. 1750 BC— this verse
Jacob's Family Migrates to Egypt
Jacob and his extended family, numbering around 70 people, move to Egypt during a famine, settling in the land of Goshen. Joseph, who had been sold into slavery, is now in a high position in Egypt.
c. 1700 BC
Joseph and His Generation Die
The generation that migrated to Egypt, including Joseph and his brothers, passes away. Their descendants are still living peacefully in Goshen.
c. 1650 BC
New Dynasty Rises in Egypt
A new ruling dynasty comes to power in Egypt, one that did not know or value Joseph's contributions.
c. 1650-1450 BC
Israelites' Exponential Growth
Despite being enslaved, the Israelites multiply at an astonishing rate, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham and filling the land of Goshen.
This passage directly lists the names and families of the sons of Israel who accompanied Jacob into Egypt, serving as the immediate source and fuller account for the summary in Exodus 1:1-5.
Deuteronomy 10:22This verse recalls the small number of Jacob's descendants who entered Egypt, contrasting it with their vast multitude later, highlighting God's faithfulness to His promises even from a tiny beginning.
Galatians 3:16This verse, speaking of the promise made to Abraham concerning his offspring, echoes the foundational covenant that underpins the lineage and future of the people listed in Exodus 1:1.
Acts 7:14Stephen recounts this same event, mentioning Joseph sending for Jacob and his relatives, reinforcing the historical account and emphasizing the divine orchestration of their move to Egypt.
Psalm 105:24This Psalm explicitly praises God for making His people Israel 'exceedingly numerous' and 'stronger than their foes' after their sojourn in Egypt, connecting the blessing of multiplication directly to their historical journey initiated in Exodus 1.
calvinExodus 1:1-7: "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob."
- These are the names It is the intention of Moses to describe the miraculous deliverance of the people, (from whence the Greeks gave the name to the book;) but, before he comes to that, he briefly reminds us that the promise given to Abraham was not ineffectual, that his seed should be multiplied
"as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the…
clarkeExodus 1:1: "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob."
These are the names - Though this book is a continuation or the book of Genesis, with which probably it was in former times conjoined, Moses thought it necessary to introduce it with an account of the names and number of the family of Jacob when they came to Egypt, to show that though they were then very few, yet in a short time, under the especial blessing of God…
The seemingly simple listing of names at the beginning of Exodus serves a crucial purpose: it anchors the grand narrative of Israel's deliverance in the tangible reality of a single family. This highlights how God's massive redemptive plans often begin with humble, personal beginnings, tracing a lineage from a few individuals to a nation.
This verse begins the book of Exodus by listing the names of Jacob's descendants who migrated to Egypt, marking the transition from the patriarchal history in Genesis to the story of the emerging Israelite nation. It sets the stage by reminding readers of the small family unit God promised to multiply, contrasting their initial descent into Egypt with the incredible growth that would later lead to their deliverance from bondage. This foundational recap emphasizes God's faithfulness to his promises, even before detailing the immense suffering and miraculous rescue to come.
This verse begins the book of Exodus by listing the names of Jacob's descendants who migrated to Egypt, marking the transition from the patriarchal history in Genesis to the story of the emerging Israelite nation. It sets the stage by reminding readers of the small family unit God promised to multiply, contrasting their initial descent into Egypt with the incredible growth that would later lead to their deliverance from bondage. This foundational recap emphasizes God's faithfulness to his promises, even before detailing the immense suffering and miraculous rescue to come.
"These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy p…" — The seemingly simple listing of names at the beginning of Exodus serves a crucial purpose: it anchors the grand narrative of Israel's deliverance in the tangible reality of a single family. This high…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
