The verse begins not with a grand declaration, but with a simple, almost understated "And these are the names." This quiet opening highlights that the miraculous future nation of Israel started as a collection of individual families, reminding us that God's vast plans often begin in very ordinary, personal ways. The mention of "each with his household" also broadens the scope beyond just the twelve sons, showing that entire family units, including servants, were part of this foundational moment.
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. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The book of Exodus opens by connecting back to Genesis, introducing the descendants of Israel who journeyed to Egypt with their ancestor Jacob. This list of names and their households serves as a humble starting point, highlighting the small family unit that would eventually become a great nation. It sets the stage for the incredible growth and subsequent oppression that God's people would experience in Egypt, underscoring the fulfillment of His promises.
Ever notice how some stories just begin? Exodus 1:1 feels like that, but it's actually a carefully placed bridge.
This verse isn't just a list; it's Moses intentionally linking the end of Genesis with the beginning of Exodus. Genesis closes with the death of Joseph and his generation, while Exodus opens by reminding us of the family's origins. This connection emphasizes that the mighty acts of deliverance in Exodus are rooted in God's promises made to Abraham and carried through Jacob’s family. It shows us that God's grand plan unfolds over time, connecting generations and covenants.
When Exodus says 'each with his household,' what does that really mean? It's more than just immediate family!
In ancient Near Eastern culture, 'household' (or 'house') could be a broad term. It included not only immediate family – children and grandchildren – but also extended relatives, servants, and dependents living under the same patriarchal authority. Think of Abraham's household of 318 trained men (Genesis 14:14). When Jacob’s family moved to Egypt, 'each with his household' implies a significant group, not just a few individuals. This helps us grasp the potential size and complexity of the group that would later become a nation.
God promised Abraham a vast descendant. Exodus 1:1 reminds us where that incredible journey started – with a surprisingly small group.
Ask a follow-up
Exodus 1:1 sets the scene for the astonishing fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham: 'I will make of you a great nation' (Genesis 12:2). The initial number of Israelites who came to Egypt with Jacob was relatively small – around seventy people. Yet, within a few hundred years, under God’s blessing and despite harsh oppression, they grew into a multitude numbering in the hundreds of thousands. This opening verse intentionally highlights this small beginning to magnify God's power and faithfulness in bringing about such an immense multiplication, a clear sign of His miraculous intervention rather than mere natural growth.
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.
'ach · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term often used for a son of Jacob/Israel, signifying both the biological descendants of the patriarchs and the covenant people of God.
dowr · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to a specific span of time characterized by a group of people living contemporaneously; it often carries connotations of a period of divine providence or judgment.
This opening verse grounds the grand narrative of liberation in the humble beginnings of a single family. It highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to multiply Abraham's descendants, showing how a small group, welcomed into Egypt, would eventually become a vast nation through divine intervention.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Jacob Migrates to Egypt
Jacob and his extended family, totaling around 70 people, move from Canaan to Egypt to escape famine, settling in the land of Goshen. This event marks the beginning of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt.
c. 1700-1650 BC
Joseph and His Generation Die
The generation of Joseph, who had held positions of influence in Egypt, passes away. This marks a transition period where the Israelites' favorable status in Egypt begins to fade.
c. 1650-1550 BC
Rise of the Hyksos
A period of foreign rule in Egypt by the Hyksos, who may have been Semitic peoples. The Israelites likely experienced a more favorable environment during this time.
c. 1550 BC
Expulsion of the Hyksos
Native Egyptian dynasties reassert control and expel the Hyksos. This event ushers in a new era of Egyptian nationalism and suspicion towards foreign populations like the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC (traditional date)
The Exodus from Egypt
Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt after centuries of oppression. This event is the pivotal moment of deliverance and the formation of Israel as a nation.
This passage lists the same individuals and households that came to Egypt with Jacob, providing the foundational genealogy that Exodus 1:1 begins to recount.
Deuteronomy 10:22This verse reiterates the small number of Jacob's descendants who entered Egypt, setting the stage to marvel at their incredible multiplication later described in Exodus.
Acts 7:14Stephen's speech recounts Joseph sending for Jacob and his entire family, providing a New Testament perspective on the number of people who went down into Egypt.
Isaiah 51:1-2This prophetic passage encourages looking back to Abraham and Sarah as the 'rock from which you were hewn' to understand God's power to multiply a few into a multitude, paralleling the beginning of Israel's story in Exodus.
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 verse begins not with a grand declaration, but with a simple, almost understated "And these are the names." This quiet opening highlights that the miraculous future nation of Israel started as a collection of individual families, reminding us that God's vast plans often begin in very ordinary, personal ways. The mention of "each with his household" also broadens the scope beyond just the twelve sons, showing that entire family units, including servants, were part of this foundational moment.
The book of Exodus opens by connecting back to Genesis, introducing the descendants of Israel who journeyed to Egypt with their ancestor Jacob. This list of names and their households serves as a humble starting point, highlighting the small family unit that would eventually become a great nation. It sets the stage for the incredible growth and subsequent oppression that God's people would experience in Egypt, underscoring the fulfillment of His promises.
The book of Exodus opens by connecting back to Genesis, introducing the descendants of Israel who journeyed to Egypt with their ancestor Jacob. This list of names and their households serves as a humble starting point, highlighting the small family unit that would eventually become a great nation. It sets the stage for the incredible growth and subsequent oppression that God's people would experience in Egypt, underscoring the fulfillment of His promises.
"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 verse begins not with a grand declaration, but with a simple, almost understated "And these are the names." This quiet opening highlights that the miraculous future nation of Israel started as a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
