Jacob is one of the three patriarchs of the Jewish people. He succeeded where his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac failed. In the following biblical study, author Rolf Weiss illuminates the fascinating life story of this patriarch. He also explores why Jacob is often portrayed so much more negatively in church discourse than the Bible presents him.
From: Rolf Weiss
In what is now Iraq, in the city of Ur, God encountered a man and gave him the command: “Leave your people and your family and go to the land I will show you.” Abram then lived as a nomad in what is now Israel. He fathered a total of eight sons with three different women, not uncommon at the time. But only the second son was by his wife Sarah. With this son, Isaac, God would continue his plan.
When Isaac was grown and had not yet sought or found a wife, Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to his relatives in his old homeland to find a wife for Isaac. This was successful, and Rebekah was ready to follow Eliezer to Isaac.
Isaac married Rebekah. When she became pregnant with twins, Rebekah received a promise from God that the older son would serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23) Esau was born first. Then Jacob followed, holding Esau's heel—that's how Jacob got his name, which means "heel-holder.".
The twins grew up, but developed very differently. Jacob "remained quietly by the tents" (Genesis 25:27). There, he took care of the needs of the extended family. They needed a leader, especially since the head of the family, Isaac, was increasingly unable to fulfill this role due to his blindness. Esau, on the other hand, preferred to indulge his hobby, roaming the land and hunting. Later, it became clear that Esau had little interest in the responsibilities of the extended family. He left his parents and moved to Seir (Edom), even though his father desperately needed help because of his blindness (Genesis 32:4 and 33:16)
The sale of the right of birth
One day, Esau returned home empty-handed and hungry from the hunt. Jacob had just cooked himself a stew of lentils. But the hungry Esau demanded that Jacob give him some of the stew. Jacob was the wiser and more cunning of the two, and he recognized his opportunity. He demanded an exorbitant price, namely the right of the firstborn.
Many Christians today consider this immoral. Is it permissible for a price to be significantly higher than the value of the offer? Doesn't this constitute guilt? The question must be asked: what standards may be used for judgment in such cases? Should our present-day feelings be the primary factor in our judgment? Or must our feelings take a back seat to God's Word if we do not want to repeat the original sin of Adam and Eve, namely, "wanting to be like God"? (Genesis 3:5)
And is an exorbitant price always morally reprehensible? What is the crucial difference between a meal and a piece of paper with a Mauritian stamp on it? The recent sale of a "Mauritius" for several million dollars wasn't condemned by anyone – so why is Jakob's sale of a meal considered wrong? Supply and demand only need to match to lead to a transaction. They can be of equal value. But that's never a requirement. Both parties only need to agree if they freely choose to enter into the transaction.
A trade without fraud
Quoting a high price is common practice in the Orient. But was the transaction truly legitimate? Certainly, the quoted price was higher than the offered goods or services – but everything was out in the open. There was no catch – no false promises, no deception, no tricks – nothing. Not a trace of fraud. Didn't one of his descendants, Jesus, later say: “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”? (Matthew 10:16) That is precisely how Jacob acted.
Even today in the Orient, the initial mention of a price, especially a high one, is usually followed by lengthy and tough negotiations. Anyone who refuses is considered a spoilsport. Esau, however, immediately accepted the offer, for he didn't care about his birthright. Jacob was deeply astonished and therefore demanded that Esau seal the deal with an oath—which Esau did without hesitation. And Esau "ate and drank, and rose and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:29-34)
This transaction fundamentally changed the relationship between the two brothers. It also affected everyday situations, as the birthright gave the holder, as successor to the family patriarch, greater weight in all discussions.
Even though it isn't explicitly stated that this transaction was known within the family, it's clear from the context. Such changes can't be kept secret within a family indefinitely, and Rebekah and Jacob had no reason to do so. Furthermore, the Bible, in Hebrews 12:16, presents a clear and unambiguous judgment on Esau's behavior. Jacob, on the other hand, is never criticized anywhere in the Bible. The Bible often uses very concise language; obvious points don't need to be explicitly stated.
Esau also took Canaanite wives against God's command and the wishes of his parents, who were "a grief to Isaac and Rebekah." (Genesis 26:34-35) Nevertheless, Isaac preferred Esau to Jacob because he enjoyed eating game, which Esau sometimes prepared for him from his hunting spoils.
Isaac chose to ignore his sons' agreement and cheat Jacob out of his acquired right, instead of distributing his blessing to bring peace between the brothers. The assumption that Isaac acted ignorantly and knew nothing about the sale of the birthright seems absurd. Rebekah learned of her husband's plan in time and disagreed, determined to honor the brothers' agreement. In addition to the acquired birthright, the younger son Jacob now also needed the birthright blessing, which regulated the succession of the family patriarch. However, in the culture of that time, Rebekah, as a woman, had no chance of enforcing anything against her husband Isaac's will through negotiation.
Isaac is deceived
What could Rebekah do? Isaac and Esau were determined to break their covenant with Jacob, thereby deceiving him and ignoring God's promise to Rebekah. So she decided to deceive her husband Isaac and send Jacob to him instead of Esau. After some objections, Jacob agreed to her suggestion. The deception succeeded; Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing of a firstborn son—that is, as the main heir and successor as patriarch. (Genesis 27:28-29)
Esau was at least obligated to inform his father of the sold right so that he could bestow his blessing. This did not happen, and thus a joint attempt to defraud Jacob ensued. For is it truly conceivable that such a far-reaching agreement between siblings and parents would not have been discussed? Rebekah and Jacob, on the other hand, clearly defended the right arising from the contract between Esau and Jacob. Through her deception, Rebekah saved her husband from a far worse mistake: acting against God's promise and committing fraud with Esau through breach of contract and perjury. She was evidently within her rights. Nowhere in the Bible are Rebekah and Jacob condemned for this, not even criticized—neither for the expensive lentil stew nor for deceiving their father. Esau, however, faces repeated criticism, particularly harsh in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where he is called "ungodly" and "fornicator" for his reckless sale (Hebrews 12:16-17). As Christians, we absolutely must place the judgment of God's word, the Bible, above our own present-day feelings!
When Esau went to claim his father's blessing—which he had recklessly sold and sworn to—he learned from Isaac that Isaac had already blessed Jacob. Only then did Esau repent of his recklessness, and he began to accuse Jacob. Esau's anger escalated to murderous intent on his brother. Never had Jacob threatened his brother so vehemently! When Rebekah learned of this, she consulted with Isaac. They agreed to send Jacob to Rebekah's relatives to find a wife there, rather than taking one from Canaan. This journey would also prevent Esau's murderous intentions, "until your brother's anger turns away" (Genesis 27:44). So Isaac sent Jacob to his brother-in-law Laban after blessing him for this mission, explicitly reaffirming the Abrahamic blessing, thus expressly acknowledging Jacob as the rightful heir. Isaac finally recognized his mistake and corrected it. (Genesis 28:1-5)
On the road from Beersheba to Haran, Jacob dreamed one night and saw a ladder from earth to heaven, on which angels were ascending and descending. He heard God say that He would be with Jacob, bless him, and protect him everywhere—and that He would give the land to him and his descendants. Jacob responded to this promise with a vow that he would dedicate his life entirely to God. (Genesis 28:20-22) Many of his later actions are rooted in this trust in God.
Love at first sight
When Jacob came to Laban's territory, he met some shepherds at a well. Then Rachel came along. When he saw her, he fell in love with her instantly and kissed her (Genesis 29:10-11). Rachel's father, Laban, agreed to the betrothal. They agreed on seven years of service as the bride price.
After this time, the wedding preparations began, but that evening Laban deceived his son-in-law by giving Jacob his elder daughter Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob, because of the veil and the darkness, only realized this the following morning. Laban didn't deny the deception. He merely excused himself by saying that in his region, daughters were married according to their age, a practice Laban had had seven years to follow. Finally, they agreed that Jacob would spend the "wedding week" with Leah, and then he would also have Rachel as his wife, for whom he would then have to serve for another seven years. Despite the betrayal, the smitten Jacob agreed. (Genesis 29:21-30)
Jacob's wives and children
Jacob now had two wives, but he loved Rachel more than Leah. However, this displeased God, and so He caused Leah to bear four sons in succession. Rachel, however, was barren. Each of the daughters had also brought a maidservant into her marriage. Occasionally, there were quarrels. In these disputes, both women resorted to a method that seems strange to us today: they sent their maidservants to Jacob's bed. Both became pregnant and each gave birth to two sons, who, as was customary at the time, were then considered the legitimate sons of their wives. But God eventually heard Rachel as well. She bore Joseph, who later became Jacob's favorite son. Thus, Jacob was quickly "blessed"—or occupied—with four wives, and soon also with eleven sons and one daughter.
Did God guide Jacob through these situations to prepare him for his role as patriarch of a large family, where he would face even more problems? And he would have to solve them.
After another six years of service to Laban's flocks, his sons grew jealous of Jacob and stirred up their father against him. But God remained with Jacob and said to him, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your people! I will be with you." So Jacob took his wives and children, his male and female servants, and his flocks and fled.
Esau went out to meet him with 400 men. When Jacob learned of this, he was very afraid. So he prepared a generous peace offering and sent some of his servants with more than 500 animals to meet Esau.
Jacob's new name
When Jacob reached the Jabbok (a left tributary of the Jordan in present-day Jordan), he led his family and all his possessions across and remained behind alone. During the night, a man attacked him and wrestled with him until dawn, but could not overpower him. However, he struck Jacob on the hip, causing him to limp. As dawn broke, the stranger wanted to leave. But Jacob would not let him and demanded that he first receive a blessing from him, which the stranger did, asking for Jacob's name. Then he said:
“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have stood firm.” (Genesis 32:25-30)
The following day, the dreaded encounter with Esau took place. “But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him; and they wept.”
They then continued their journey. Shortly before reaching Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to her second son. But the birth was difficult, and she died. Jacob buried her, as was customary at the time, in the same place where her grave can still be visited today. Jacob named his newborn son Benjamin. He now had twelve sons and one daughter. The family was complete.
Decades after Jacob's return to Kiryath Arba, that is, Hebron, Isaac died at the age of 180 (Genesis 35:29). His sons buried him there, and his tomb can still be visited in Hebron today. Beneath a building there are the tombs of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah.
A brilliant finale
Of course, Jacob also had his human weaknesses. He spoiled and sometimes favored Rachel's firstborn son, his original love. But then he succeeded at something his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac had utterly failed at: they bestowed gifts upon the sons they fathered with their concubines, but then sent them away, effectively disinheriting them. The consequences of this are palpable throughout the centuries to this day, as seen in the profound hatred of extremist Muslims toward God's people, or in the biblical stories of the Amalekites, Moabites, Edomites, and Ishmaelites.
Jacob, however, blessed all 12 sons – largely equally. There was no significant difference between them, even if they were fathered by Leah, his surrogate wife, or by the maids Bilhah and Zilpah.
Jacob's children were: Leah's sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; and his daughter Dinah; Rachel's sons: Joseph and Benjamin; Bilhah's maidservant sons: Dan and Naphtali; Zilpah's maidservant sons: Gad and Asher. These sons became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The promises God made to Abraham were passed on equally to all of Jacob's sons; they are still largely revered as the patriarchs of the people of Israel! It makes no difference whether they were born to his wives or concubines. This merit alone more than compensates for Jacob's weaknesses and makes him a role model to this day! (Genesis 49)
epilogue
Jacob's story is far from over. Even after what has been told here, there is plenty more to tell. Many books have already been written about his favorite son, Joseph. But one question remains that cannot be ignored:
"Why is Jacob often portrayed so much worse in church discourse than the Bible shows him to us?"
Laban is rarely mentioned in a negative light – certainly not like Jacob. His deception at Jacob's wedding is hardly ever mentioned. Esau's breaking of his oath and his intention to murder his brother are also almost always conveniently glossed over.
Looking at 2,000 years of church history, right up to today's preaching, one explanation presents itself: After almost 2,000 years of anti-Jewish church tradition, people are still railing against Jacob – and in doing so, they are targeting everyone, including today's Jews, since Jacob was given the name Israel. "You hit the donkey and beat the sack."
Does this reveal the ancient hatred of Jews, which dates back to Abraham's calling and repeatedly shows its ugly face? And does it ultimately target not only the Jews, but above all God himself as the initiator? Whether this happens consciously or unconsciously is something only each person can answer for themselves – it changes little in the outcome. Shouldn't we be careful to subordinate our feelings and judgments to God's Word in the Bible – and not the other way around?
