Who are the sons of Dan and Naphtali named in this passage?

Dan is listed with one son, Hushim. Naphtali is listed with four sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These men are Jacob’s grandsons through Bilhah, who had been given to Rachel as a servant and then became a wife to Jacob. This short list helps round out the full picture of Jacob’s family as they move to Egypt. Later, these names become the heads of families within the tribe of Dan and the tribe of Naphtali in Israel’s history.

Why does the text say there were seven souls from Bilhah?

Bilhah herself gave Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Each of them then had children. Dan had one son, Hushim, and Naphtali had four sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. When you add the two original sons with their five boys, you get seven people in that branch of the family. So “all the souls were seven” means the total number of Bilhah’s descendants who went down to Egypt with Jacob at that time.

How do we get the number sixty-six souls that came with Jacob into Egypt?

The sixty-six refers to Jacob’s direct descendants who traveled with him into Egypt, not counting certain people. It includes his children and grandchildren who “came out of his loins,” but it leaves out his sons’ wives, because they did not come from him. It also does not include Joseph and his two sons, since they were already living in Egypt. When you total the family branches this way, you arrive at sixty-six who actually traveled with Jacob into Egypt.

How does the total number become seventy souls of the house of Jacob?

The passage first gives the number sixty-six for those who traveled with Jacob and came from his own body, not including his sons’ wives or Joseph’s family already in Egypt. Then it mentions that Joseph had two sons in Egypt. When you add Jacob himself, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons to the sixty-six, you reach seventy. The wording changes to “all the souls of the house of Jacob,” which takes in the whole family group connected to Jacob, however they ended up in Egypt.

Why does this family count matter in the story of Israel?

This small number shows how early the story still is. God had promised to make Abraham’s family into a great nation, but at this point Jacob’s whole house in Egypt is only seventy people. The careful counting highlights how few they were at the start, so later growth into a large people in Egypt clearly comes from God’s blessing. It also marks the beginning of Israel’s life in Egypt, where God would watch over them even away from the promised land.

Who is Bilhah, and why is she mentioned here?

Bilhah was given by Laban to his daughter Rachel as a servant. Later, she became a wife to Jacob, and through her Jacob had two sons, Dan and Naphtali. This passage reminds us that the sons of Dan and Naphtali came from Bilhah. Mentioning her connects these grandsons back to their place in the family story and helps explain how different branches of Jacob’s family came from different mothers but still formed one household.

What does the phrase “came out of his loins” mean in this passage?

The phrase “came out of his loins” is a simple way of saying “his own offspring” or “his own descendants.” It makes clear that the count is only of those who were physically descended from Jacob, not people who married into the family. So Jacob’s sons’ wives are not included in that number. This tight focus on his direct line helps show how God was growing the family that carried the promises given to Abraham and passed down through Isaac and Jacob.

Why does this verse seem difficult when comparing different counts of Jacob’s family?

This verse can feel confusing because different parts of the passage use slightly different ways of counting. One number counts only those who traveled with Jacob and came from his own body. Another number widens it to “all the souls of the house of Jacob,” which then includes Jacob himself, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons already in Egypt. Faithful readers have noticed these shifts, but when you see who is included or excluded in each phrase, the numbers fit together.

Gen.46.23

Genesis 46:23

KJV

¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

The Children of Bilhah

¶ And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

¶ And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.

All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.