Keraia
People

Israel

Israel, also named Jacob, was the son of Isaac, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and a key patriarch of the Jewish people.

The name Israel means “who prevails with God”

MaleEarly PatriarchPatriarchs eraOld & New Testaments47 books3,504 verses

Summary

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Genesis 25:26; referred to as Israel (Aramiac יִשְׂרָאֵל), Jacob (יַעֲקֹב), Jeshurun (יְשֻׁרוּן), Israelite (יִשְׂרְאֵלִי), Israelitess (יִשְׂרְאֵלִית), Israelite (Ἰσραήλ), Jacob (Ἰακώβ), or Israel (Ἰσραηλίτης); son of Isaac and Rebekah; a brother of Esau; husband of Rachel and Leah, with concubines Zilpah and Bilhah; father of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph and Benjamin.

Profile

Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah. He struggled with his twin brother Esau in the womb and was born holding Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:21–26). God told Rebekah that the boys symbolized two nations and that the older son would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23).

Isaac favored Esau, who loved the outdoors, while Rebekah preferred Jacob, who enjoyed staying at home. One day, Esau came back very hungry from hunting, and Jacob traded him some red stew for his inheritance rights (Genesis 25:27–34; see Hebrews 12:16). Later, Isaac asked Esau to prepare wild game for him to eat so he could bless him (Genesis 27:1–4; compare 25:28). However, Rebekah sent Jacob to trick Isaac into giving him the blessing instead, and her plan worked (Genesis 27:5–29). Jacob's deception was soon discovered (Genesis 27:30–35). But legally, valid blessings were unchangeable promises (27:33). So Isaac gave Esau a lesser blessing (Genesis 27:36–40). Esau planned to kill Jacob (27:41). Rebekah persuaded Isaac to send Jacob to her brother Laban so Jacob could marry within the family (Genesis 27:42–46).

Isaac gave the covenant promises to Jacob and sent him to Haran (Genesis 28:1–5). On the way, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and confirmed the promises of land and descendants given to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 28:10–15). Jacob worshiped the Lord and named the place Bethel, meaning "house of God."

In Haran, Jacob worked for his uncle Laban (Genesis 29–31). Jacob loved Laban's daughter Rachel and worked seven years to marry her. However, Laban tricked him by giving him his older daughter Leah on the wedding night. Jacob then worked another seven years for Rachel and six more years to build his own flocks (Genesis 30:25–43; see also 31:38–42). Despite many challenges, he had thirteen children and became very wealthy.

After twenty years, God told Jacob to return to Canaan (Genesis 31:3). Jacob feared Laban and his sons (Genesis 31:1–2). So, he organized his caravan and left while Laban was away (31:4–21). Laban chased after him, but God stopped him from harming Jacob (Genesis 31:22–24, 29). Instead, Laban scolded Jacob for leaving secretly and accused him of stealing his idols (Genesis 31:25–30). Jacob allowed Laban to search his tents, but the idols were not found (Genesis 31:33–35). Jacob then became angry (Genesis 31:36–42). Although their conflict was unresolved, the two men made a peace agreement (Genesis 31:43–54). The location became a lasting boundary between Israel and Aram.

Jacob now faced Esau and God. When Esau came with four hundred men, Jacob asked for God's protection and sent gifts to make peace with his brother, whom he had not seen for many years (Genesis 32:3–21). That night, in an event symbolizing his life, Jacob wrestled with a man who dislocated his hip and gave him the blessing he wanted (Genesis 32:22–32). God also changed his name to Israel, meaning "God fights."

In the morning, Jacob met Esau, and they reconciled (Genesis 33:1–11). Esau was kind and forgiving, and Jacob shared some of his blessings. Esau then returned to Seir, while Jacob continued to Canaan. In Shechem, Jacob bought land and built an altar (Genesis 33:18–20). He then moved to Bethel and removed all foreign idols from his household (Genesis 35:1–8). God reaffirmed Jacob's new name, Israel, and renewed his promises of land and descendants (Genesis 35:9–15).

Jacob favored Rachel and her son Joseph (Genesis 37:1–3). Joseph's brothers grew jealous and hated him. Joseph's dreams made them angrier (Genesis 37:4–11), so they sold him as a slave (Genesis 37:12–28). For over twenty years, Jacob thought Joseph was dead. Jacob only learned Joseph was alive after sending Benjamin to Egypt with Judah. Joseph then helped his family during the famine (Genesis 43:1–14; 45:24–28). Jacob felt renewed and moved to Egypt. He joyfully reunited with Joseph in Goshen (Genesis 46:28–30) and thrived for seventeen more years.

When Jacob was near death at age 147, he planned for his family's future. He made Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan (Genesis 47:29–31; 49:29–32). He gave Joseph’s sons his main blessing and placed Ephraim, the younger son, first (Genesis 48:1–20). He assured the family they would return to Canaan (Genesis 48:21–22). Then he blessed each of his sons and predicted the future of their descendants (Genesis 49:1–28). He died and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, accompanied by his sons and a large Egyptian procession (Genesis 49:33–50:13). His death marked the end of the patriarchal age and the start of Israel’s growth as a nation in Egypt until they returned to live in the promised land (see Exodus—Joshua).

The name "Jacob" became another name for the nation of Israel (see Numbers 23:7, 21; 24:5; Hosea 12:2). God called the nation to serve him as their ancestors did (Hosea 12:3–14). He promised Israel the same love he showed Jacob (Malachi 1:2). He also promised that a powerful leader would come from Jacob's descendants (Genesis 49:8–12; Numbers 24:17–19).

Passages for Further Study

Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–35:29; 37:1–35; 42:1–4, 29–38; 43:1–13; 45:25–50:14; Exodus 1:1–5; Numbers 23:7–10, 20–23; 24:5–9, 17–19; Deuteronomy 26:5; Joshua 24:4, 32; Hosea 12:2–14; Malachi 1:2; John 4:5–6, 12; Acts 7:8–16; Romans 9:10–13; Hebrews 11:8–9, 20–21

Events

Dates are approximate

Glossary entries

Jacob Jeshurun Israel (Person) Israelite Jesurun

Family members

Father

Isaac

Mother

Rebekah

Spouse

Bilhah Leah Rachel Zilpah

Siblings

Esau

Children

Asher Benjamin Dan Dinah Gad Issachar Joseph Judah Levi Naphtali Reuben Simeon Zebulun

Family tree

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Alternative names

Mentions

3,504 verses

Includes 926 verses that refer to Israel without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. Deuteronomy 13:1Referred to, not named
    If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
  2. Deuteronomy 13:2Referred to, not named
    …and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”
  3. Deuteronomy 13:3Referred to, not named
    …you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
  4. Deuteronomy 13:4Referred to, not named
    You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
  5. Deuteronomy 13:5Referred to, not named
    Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
  6. Deuteronomy 13:6Referred to, not named
    If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
  7. Deuteronomy 13:7Referred to, not named
    …the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other),
  8. Deuteronomy 13:8Referred to, not named
    …you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.
  9. Deuteronomy 13:9Referred to, not named
    Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
  10. Deuteronomy 13:10Referred to, not named
    Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
  11. Deuteronomy 13:11יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
  12. Deuteronomy 13:12Referred to, not named
    If, regarding one of the cities the LORD your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said
  13. Deuteronomy 13:13Referred to, not named
    …that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
  14. Deuteronomy 13:14Referred to, not named
    …then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
  15. Deuteronomy 13:15Referred to, not named
    …you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
  16. Deuteronomy 13:16Referred to, not named
    And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.
  17. Deuteronomy 13:17Referred to, not named
    Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,
  18. Deuteronomy 13:18Referred to, not named
    …because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
  19. Deuteronomy 14:1Referred to, not named
    You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
  20. Deuteronomy 14:2Referred to, not named
    …for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
  21. Deuteronomy 14:3Referred to, not named
    You must not eat any detestable thing.
  22. Deuteronomy 14:4Referred to, not named
    These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat,
  23. Deuteronomy 14:6Referred to, not named
    You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.
  24. Deuteronomy 14:7Referred to, not named
    But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you,
  25. Deuteronomy 14:8Referred to, not named
    …as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.
  26. Deuteronomy 14:9Referred to, not named
    Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,
  27. Deuteronomy 14:10Referred to, not named
    …but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.
  28. Deuteronomy 14:11Referred to, not named
    You may eat any clean bird,
  29. Deuteronomy 14:12Referred to, not named
    …but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
  30. Deuteronomy 14:19Referred to, not named
    All flying insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten.
  31. Deuteronomy 14:20Referred to, not named
    But you may eat any clean bird.
  32. Deuteronomy 14:21Referred to, not named
    You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
  33. Deuteronomy 14:22Referred to, not named
    You must be sure to set aside a tenth of all the produce brought forth each year from your fields.
  34. Deuteronomy 14:23Referred to, not named
    And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
  35. Deuteronomy 14:24Referred to, not named
    But if the distance is too great for you to carry that with which the LORD your God has blessed you, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put His Name is too far away,
  36. Deuteronomy 14:25Referred to, not named
    …then exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.
  37. Deuteronomy 14:26Referred to, not named
    Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.
  38. Deuteronomy 14:27Referred to, not named
    And do not neglect the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
  39. Deuteronomy 14:28Referred to, not named
    At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and lay it up within your gates.
  40. Deuteronomy 14:29Referred to, not named
    Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.
  41. Deuteronomy 15:1Referred to, not named
    At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
  42. Deuteronomy 15:3Referred to, not named
    You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
  43. Deuteronomy 15:4Referred to, not named
    There will be no poor among you, however, because the LORD will surely bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,
  44. Deuteronomy 15:5Referred to, not named
    …if only you obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commandments I am giving you today.
  45. Deuteronomy 15:6Referred to, not named
    When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.
  46. Deuteronomy 15:7Referred to, not named
    If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
  47. Deuteronomy 15:8Referred to, not named
    Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.
  48. Deuteronomy 15:9Referred to, not named
    Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
  49. Deuteronomy 15:10Referred to, not named
    Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.
  50. Deuteronomy 15:11Referred to, not named
    For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.
  51. Deuteronomy 15:12Referred to, not named
    If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free.
  52. Deuteronomy 15:13Referred to, not named
    And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.
  53. Deuteronomy 15:14Referred to, not named
    You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.
  54. Deuteronomy 15:15Referred to, not named
    Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
  55. Deuteronomy 15:16Referred to, not named
    But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you,
  56. Deuteronomy 15:17Referred to, not named
    …then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.
  57. Deuteronomy 15:18Referred to, not named
    Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.
  58. Deuteronomy 15:19Referred to, not named
    You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.
  59. Deuteronomy 15:20Referred to, not named
    Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.
  60. Deuteronomy 15:21Referred to, not named
    But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
  61. Deuteronomy 15:22Referred to, not named
    Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer.
  62. Deuteronomy 15:23Referred to, not named
    But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
  63. Deuteronomy 16:1Referred to, not named
    Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
  64. Deuteronomy 16:2Referred to, not named
    You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name.
  65. Deuteronomy 16:3Referred to, not named
    You must not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.
  66. Deuteronomy 16:4Referred to, not named
    No leaven is to be found in all your land for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day shall remain until morning.
  67. Deuteronomy 16:5Referred to, not named
    You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you.
  68. Deuteronomy 16:6Referred to, not named
    You must only offer the Passover sacrifice at the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name. Do this in the evening as the sun sets, at the same time you departed from Egypt.
  69. Deuteronomy 16:7Referred to, not named
    And you shall roast it and eat it in the place the LORD your God will choose, and in the morning you shall return to your tents.
  70. Deuteronomy 16:8Referred to, not named
    For six days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day you shall hold a solemn assembly to the LORD your God, and you must not do any work.
  71. Deuteronomy 16:9Referred to, not named
    You are to count off seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain.
  72. Deuteronomy 16:10Referred to, not named
    And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you,
  73. Deuteronomy 16:11Referred to, not named
    …and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
  74. Deuteronomy 16:12Referred to, not named
    Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully follow these statutes.
  75. Deuteronomy 16:13Referred to, not named
    You are to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress.
  76. Deuteronomy 16:14Referred to, not named
    And you shall rejoice in your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
  77. Deuteronomy 16:15Referred to, not named
    For seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place He will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that your joy will be complete.
  78. Deuteronomy 16:16Referred to, not named
    Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed.
  79. Deuteronomy 16:17Referred to, not named
    Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.
  80. Deuteronomy 16:18Referred to, not named
    You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
  81. Deuteronomy 17:4יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    …and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
  82. Deuteronomy 17:5Referred to, not named
    …you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
  83. Deuteronomy 17:12יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
  84. Deuteronomy 17:20יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
  85. Deuteronomy 18:1יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance.
  86. Deuteronomy 18:6יִשְׂרָאֵל · God; יִשְׂרָאֵל · Israel
    Now if a Levite moves from any town of residence throughout Israel and comes in all earnestness to the place the LORD will choose,
  87. Deuteronomy 18:9Referred to, not named
    When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
  88. Deuteronomy 18:10Referred to, not named
    Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
  89. Deuteronomy 18:12Referred to, not named
    For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.
  90. Deuteronomy 18:13Referred to, not named
    You must be blameless before the LORD your God.
  91. Deuteronomy 18:14Referred to, not named
    Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
  92. Deuteronomy 18:15Referred to, not named
    The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
  93. Deuteronomy 18:16Referred to, not named
    This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!”
  94. Deuteronomy 18:17Referred to, not named
    Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.
  95. Deuteronomy 18:18Referred to, not named
    I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
  96. Deuteronomy 18:21Referred to, not named
    You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?”
  97. Deuteronomy 18:22Referred to, not named
    When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
  98. Deuteronomy 19:1Referred to, not named
    When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
  99. Deuteronomy 19:2Referred to, not named
    …then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
  100. Deuteronomy 19:3Referred to, not named
    You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.