Genesis 46:19
The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Genesis 46:19
The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
While the verse seems straightforward, listing the sons of Rachel, its placement here highlights that Joseph, already in Egypt, is the reason the entire family is being drawn there. It underscores how one person's journey and God's faithfulness can become the pivotal point for generations.
Jacob's entire household is now preparing to move to Egypt to escape the famine and reunite with Joseph. Before they set out, Jacob offers sacrifices at Beersheba, and God reassures him, promising to make his descendants a great nation in Egypt and to bring them back. The text then lists the names of Jacob's descendants, detailing who came with him into Egypt, culminating in this verse which identifies the sons of his beloved wife, Rachel.
Jacob’s family is being listed as they move to Egypt, but why does the text pause to specifically name Rachel's sons?
Jacob’s deepest affection was for Rachel, his wife. He waited fourteen years to marry her, and she was the mother of his two most significant sons: Joseph and Benjamin.
A Mother’s Love, A Father’s Heart
This verse singles out Joseph and Benjamin because they represent a special place in Jacob's heart. Joseph, already in Egypt and instrumental in saving the family, and Benjamin, the last son born to Rachel, were his favorites.
God’s Favor, Not Favoritism
While it's clear Jacob showed favoritism, the narrative highlights that God's plan worked through this family, even with its human imperfections. These two sons would become crucial to the future of Israel.
As Jacob prepares to leave Canaan, he offers sacrifices. What does this act reveal about his mindset and God’s response?
Leaving the Promised Land was a significant step for Jacob. He had received God’s promise that the land belonged to his descendants, yet he was now migrating to Egypt due to famine.
A Sacrifice of Faith
Jacob’s sacrifice at Beersheba wasn't just a ritual; it was an act of faith. He was reassuring himself and honoring God, acknowledging that even though he was leaving the physical land, God's covenant promise remained secure. It was a way to confirm his connection to God and the promises made to Abraham and Isaac.
God's Reassuring Voice
In response, God speaks to Jacob in a vision, affirming His presence and His promises. God tells Jacob not to fear going to Egypt, promising to make a great nation from him there and to bring them back. This divine reassurance validates Jacob’s sacrifice and anchors his faith amidst uncertainty.
Understand the original words
Rachel · Hebrew Proper Noun
The mother of Joseph and Benjamin, beloved wife of Jacob, and a central matriarch in the history of the Israelites.
Yoseph · Hebrew Proper Noun
The son of Jacob through whom God providentially preserved the family during the famine; he occupies a unique place in history as a type of Christ and an instrument of God's saving grace.
ishshah · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word for wife, designating a woman joined to a man in a covenantal marriage relationship, a fundamental institution established by God.
This verse highlights the immediate family of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin, within the larger context of Jacob's entire family migrating to Egypt. It's a foundational moment for the twelve tribes of Israel, who begin their existence as a distinct people in a foreign land.
c. 1876 BC— this verse
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
Jacob and his entire household, numbering seventy people according to the Hebrew text, migrate from Canaan to the land of Goshen in Egypt, due to a severe famine. This event marks the beginning of their sojourn in Egypt.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob Settles in Goshen
Upon arrival, Jacob's family is settled in the fertile region of Goshen, a pastoral area that aligns with their occupation as shepherds. Joseph orchestrates this settlement to keep his family somewhat separate from the Egyptians.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob and Joseph Reunited
Jacob has an emotional reunion with his long-lost son Joseph in Goshen. This meeting brings immense comfort to Jacob, who was willing to die now that he had seen his son alive.
c. 1850 - 1830 BC
Jacob's Blessing of His Sons
Before his death, Jacob gathers his twelve sons and pronounces blessings and prophecies upon them, detailing the future of their tribes. This includes the specific mention of Joseph and Benjamin as the sons of Rachel.
This passage blesses the new family with a descendant like Rachel and Leah, highlighting their foundational role in Israel's lineage.
Song of Solomon 4:5This verse uses imagery of a flock fed on Mount Gilead, which can be linked to Rachel's two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, who represent the future flock of Israel.
Matthew 2:18This New Testament passage directly quotes Jeremiah, referencing Rachel weeping for her children, connecting Rachel's sorrow to a later, profound tragedy in Israel's history.
Jeremiah 31:15This prophecy speaks of Rachel weeping for her children, a poignant image that finds its initial context in the sons of Jacob and resonates with later national grief.
calvinGenesis 46:1-34: "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac."
- Et dixit Deus ad Israel in visi onibus noctis, dixit inquam, Jahacob Jahacob. Ille respondit, Ecce, adsum.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
- Et dixit, Ego sum Deus, Deus patris tui: ne timeas descendere in Aegyptum: quia in gentem magnam ponam to ibi…
pooleGenesis 46:19: "The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin."
No text from Poole on this verse.
While the verse seems straightforward, listing the sons of Rachel, its placement here highlights that Joseph, already in Egypt, is the reason the entire family is being drawn there. It underscores how one person's journey and God's faithfulness can become the pivotal point for generations.
Jacob's entire household is now preparing to move to Egypt to escape the famine and reunite with Joseph. Before they set out, Jacob offers sacrifices at Beersheba, and God reassures him, promising to make his descendants a great nation in Egypt and to bring them back. The text then lists the names of Jacob's descendants, detailing who came with him into Egypt, culminating in this verse which identifies the sons of his beloved wife, Rachel.
Jacob's entire household is now preparing to move to Egypt to escape the famine and reunite with Joseph. Before they set out, Jacob offers sacrifices at Beersheba, and God reassures him, promising to make his descendants a great nation in Egypt and to bring them back. The text then lists the names of Jacob's descendants, detailing who came with him into Egypt, culminating in this verse which identifies the sons of his beloved wife, Rachel.
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The text meticulously lists Jacob's descendants. Why is the specific number 'seventy' so significant?
Genesis 46:27 states that seventy souls came with Jacob into Egypt. This number, though seemingly small, is foundational for the future nation of Israel.
A Seed of a Nation
This small group, seventy people in total, represents the entire lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s from this humble beginning that God would multiply them into a great nation, as promised.
Divine Multiplication in Action
The contrast between this small number and the vast multitude Israel would become in Egypt highlights God’s miraculous power. It emphasizes that their growth was not due to their own strength or numbers, but solely to God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises. This small seed would eventually deliver Egypt itself from famine and become a distinct people.
c. 1830 BC
Death of Jacob
Jacob dies in Egypt at the age of 147. His body is embalmed and then transported back to Canaan for burial in the cave of Machpelah, as he had commanded.
c. 1805 BC
Death of Joseph
Joseph dies in Egypt at the age of 110. He also requests that his bones be carried out of Egypt by the Israelites when they eventually leave the land.
"The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin." — While the verse seems straightforward, listing the sons of Rachel, its placement here highlights that Joseph, already in Egypt, is the reason the entire family is being drawn there. It underscores ho…