Why does this passage list the names of Jacob’s family going to Egypt?

This section lists the names to show who actually formed the family of Israel when they moved to Egypt. God had promised to make a great nation from this family, yet at this point they are still a small group. By giving the names and numbers, the passage lets later readers look back and see how few they were at the start, and then see how much they increased in Egypt. The list also begins to show the family lines that would become the tribes of Israel.

Who are the sons of Leah mentioned in this passage?

The passage names six sons born to Jacob through Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. It then gives the sons of several of these men, such as Reuben’s four sons and Simeon’s sons, along with the sons of Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Dinah, Leah’s daughter, is mentioned too. All of these together, counting Jacob himself, make up thirty-three persons from Leah’s branch of the family who are connected with the move to Egypt.

Why are Er and Onan mentioned if they died in Canaan?

Er and Onan are included as sons of Judah to give a full picture of Judah’s family, even though they died in the land of Canaan and did not go into Egypt. The passage also clearly says that they died, so they are not counted among those who actually traveled there. Their mention keeps the family record complete, but the note about their death explains why they are not part of the number of living descendants who formed the group that settled in Egypt with Jacob.

What does it mean that all the souls of Leah’s sons and daughters were thirty and three?

When it says there were thirty-three souls from Leah, this is a counting of persons in that branch of the family connected with Jacob’s move to Egypt. The wording can feel a bit hard, because if you add up every name listed you might get a different number. Many readers understand that the count includes Jacob himself along with Leah’s children and grandchildren, and that “daughters” here mainly points to Dinah. The main point is the total number linked with Leah’s line at this stage.

Who is Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman mentioned here?

Shaul is listed as one of Simeon’s sons, and the passage adds that his mother was a Canaanite woman. This detail is marked in the text, while the mothers of the other sons in this list are not identified. The passage does not explain further why this note is given, but it shows that at least one of Simeon’s sons had a Canaanite mother.

Why does this passage focus only on Leah’s children in verse 15?

In verse 15 the focus narrows to the part of Jacob’s family that came through Leah. The writer has just finished listing her sons, grandsons, and Dinah, so it pauses to total that group before moving on to the children of the other wives and concubines. Each mother’s line is counted and summed separately, so readers can see how the whole family was made up of several branches.

What does this list of names show about God’s work in Jacob’s family?

The names show that God’s promise to give Jacob many descendants was already taking shape. There are only a few dozen people here, but they are arranged in family lines from each son. Later, these lines will be known as tribes and clans. The passage lets readers compare this small group with the much larger people of Israel that will descend from them in Egypt.

Why is Dinah mentioned among the sons and grandsons in this passage?

Dinah is named as Jacob’s daughter by Leah when the passage sums up Leah’s family. The verse speaks of “his sons and his daughters,” but only Dinah is actually named here. This fits the way records from that time often work, in which sons are listed first and a particular daughter may be named in the summary. Including her shows that Leah’s daughter, as well as her sons, was part of the family counted.

Gen.46.8

Genesis 46:8

KJV

¶ And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

The Children of Leah

¶ And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

¶ And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

¶ And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¶ And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

¶ And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

¶ And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.