First, it assumes the impossibility of the birth of twelve children in seven years. with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth of twelve of Jacob's children is recorded. as possible one after the other. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's It is interesting to note, however, that Rea is not at all interested in accepting this interpretation to help resolve some of the distance between the calculation from ancient history and the seeming Scriptural chronology. The answer to these and other questions can be found in the below timeline! Jacob, at Penuel, wrestles with "a man" all night long who is Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh. Manasseh, Ephraim are between 2 and 9. Child translates or yeled, glossed child, son, boy, youth; while typically this means child, a significant amount of time it means youth or young man and thus can refer to a young grown man. Benjamin is treated as a young child in most of the Biblical narrative, but at one point is abruptly described as the father of ten sons. It was at the end of the second seven year period that Joseph was born (Gen 30:25ff) and that Jacob wanted to leave but was persuaded to stay longer. Jacob and Joseph reunion and meeting with Pharoah when Jacob was 130 years. Isaac marries Rebekah when he is 40 (Genesis 25:20). It was at the end of the second seven year period that Joseph was born (Gen 30:25ff) and that Jacob wanted to leave but was persuaded to stay longer. Joseph must be still an infant to bow down. and integrity of the Word of God is highly valued. Benjamin was the twelfth-born and youngest son in Jacobs family. Therefore, it by no means follows that because the passage, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children" (30:1) occurs after Leah is said to have had four sons, that it was not until after the birth of Leah's fourth child that Rachel becomes aware of her barrenness. This problem with this view arises when we come to chapter 34. A. Dillmann, Genesis (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897). He can be found on the Biblical Timeline Poster around 1754 BC. Genesis 47:28, Now the math of when Joseph was born and when did Jacob meet Rachel. His story is found in Genesis chapters 3549. How old were Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim when they were blessed by their grandfather? After entering into a proposal of marriage with Rachel, he works for 7 years(Bride price for Rachel) Gets married to Leah instead. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. After a, Unique Circular Format see more in less space. But the birth of Benjamin is described in Genesis 35.1625. Genesis 37 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esaus heel; so he was named Jacob. Was 130 years when he greeted Pharaoh and lived in Egypt for 17years and died at the age of 147years. Remaining 13 years he has 1 child each per year To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. This event had to take place at least a year before Joseph was seventeen (37:2). I, p. 210. 37 is unlikely. He was born to Jacobs wife Rachel, making Benjamin the full brother of Joseph. M. degrees from Grace Theological Seminary. God commands Jacob to journey to Bethel (Genesis 35:1). Does Joseph (in Genesis) prefigure Christ? Thus she would be eighteen years of age when she married. They took Joseph to Egypt. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[b] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. years are allowed for his family, whereas the larger sum of sixty-five years seems necessary for the births of so many children and grandchildren. Issac gets married at the age of 40.Genesis 25:20 The family leaves Bethel for Bethlehem with the goal of reaching Hebron. The proponents say, "with regard to the birth of Dinah, the expression afterward ('hr, 30:21) seems to indicate that she was not born during Jacob's second seven years of service, but during the remaining six years of his stay with Laban.6. Thus, Jacob was at least 96 or 97 and Isaac was at least 156 or 157 years old. WebIf Jacob was with Laban only twenty years, then he was seventy-seven years old when he left home. As for Jerusalem, it was under the control of the tribe Jebusites, despite the fact that it was a part of the territory that was given to the tribe of Benjamin. You have another son. 18 As her life faded away, just before she died, she named him Ben-oni,[ a] but his father named him Benjamin. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. 35:28, KJV). Theoretically, however, Leah or Bilhah could have taken the place of Rachel as Josephs mother. Joseph receives his coat of many colors. Thus she would be eighteen years of age when she married. How could Rachel fulfill Joseph's dream if she was dead? Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mothers brother. He ends up working for Laban an additional six years (Genesis 30:27 - 43, 31:38). No one who heard those dreams wondered "why 12?" By making calculations based on the life of Joseph we learn that there was an interval of about thirty-three years between the time when Jacob returned from Haran and when he went down to sojourn in Egypt. He next sired Dan and Naphtali through Rachel's handmaid Bilhah (30:1 - 8). In the Scriptures In the Book of Torah, it was narrated that there was a point when Josephs brothers headed off to Egypt, yet they were unable to recognize their brother. On this basis, Benjamin was born about 10 years before Joseph was sold (??) Gen. 37:18-35). Jacob lives in Egypt for seventeen years after his arrival (Genesis 47:28). The word zeh is used twice at a greater distance, "one dieth . 5And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. This fact will be challenged by some of the suggested interpretations. WebBy then Jacob had become over 100 years old. 6:5). Another solid bit of evidence that Benjamin was born before the sale of Joseph is that Joseph was later insistent upon the brothers bringing their youngest brother to him (42:15-16)suggesting he had a special interest in him, and thus, had known and thought about him for all the years he had been in Egypt. Now, is there any evidence that he was born before the events of Gen 37? Your email address will not be published. If Joseph were old enough to be walking and to bow, that would mean he had been born even earlier, putting the time between the births of his siblings at even closer intervals than one year--and this time would be added to Jacob's age at his departure from home (when he met Rachel). This conflict can be relieved a bit by making Jacob's stay with Laban forty years instead of twenty. On the note Benjamin could not be considered of the evil nor wise yet because he wasnt of age he was around 6-7 years younger then Joseph when Joseph was 17 Benjamin would of been around 10. Let us review the material from the previous question as per the appendix below. Since then, 7 years of abundance + 2 years of the beginning phase of famine had passed. Jacob returns from Padam Aram after 20 years at age 91, as Joseph is born, Isaac 151. He was the 12th and final son of Jacob; whose sons represent the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacobs other name). Jacob, for the first time after leaving Canaan, meets Esau. 20 years of service Joseph sold to midianites at the age of 17years. Those who hold to this view suggest that if Jacob's first child was born in the first year of his second period of service, and if the other births followed in the order in which they are enumerated in chapter 30, it is impossible that Leah could have borne her six sons and one daughter and Rachel could have borne afterwards Joseph by the end of the period, so that the new contract could be made at the beginning of the fifteenth year. The above process probably took at least five years(???). Joseph and family pickup and leave Laban after 20 years of service (14 bridal years and 6 years for livestock). Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Jacob worked a total of 20 years for Laban (Gen 31:38). Through further bargaining and mutual agreement, for seven more years of service Jacob was given Rachel, the woman he loved, one week later. 9. 152 - 20 = 132 (estimated years of age for Isaac when Jacob leaves home). Thus, Jacob was at least 96 or 97 and Isaac was at least 156 or 157 years old. Perhaps attention to the Hebrew words would permit this, though. In the Scriptures In the Book of Torah, it was narrated that there was a point when Josephs brothers headed off to Egypt, yet they were unable to recognize their brother. He was the 12th and final son of Jacob; whose sons represent the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacobs other name). His body is embalmed and escorted by Joseph and the rest of the family to the cave of Machpelah near Hebron. But Rachel had not immediately had children when they married. Esau marries his first two wives (Genesis 26:34). Jacob's agreement of 14 years with Laban must have expired at this point. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. This view also has the advantage of assigning such ages to Simeon, Levi, Dinah, Benjamin, Judah, Er, and Onan as harmonize with the events described in chapters 34 and 35. There is another uncertainty beyond this second 7-year period. ." When you get a chance, please take the. Contemporaneously with the birth of Dinah, or immediately afterwards, Rachel may have given birth to Joseph. Jacob and Esau, twin boys, are born to Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 25:24 - 26). Each mention of twenty years is introduced with the word zeh, which word, when repeated, is used by way of distinction; as when we say, this or that; the one or the other. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, Dont despair, for you have another son. 18 As she breathed her lastfor she was dyingshe named her son Ben-Oni. How should we view/interpret Jacob's initiative involving the rolling of the stone from the mouth of the well? I. 6. Then there is the problem of harmonizing the dates of the patriarchs with the exodus. Considering a 9 month gestation that's 63 months (little over 5 years if back to back) before Rachel conceives. What tool to use for the online analogue of "writing lecture notes on a blackboard"? After he dies, he is embalmed and put in a coffin (Genesis 50:22 - 26). Each clause is introduced with the word zeh. Marrys Leah at 78, Rachel at 85, leaves Laban at 91 when Joseph is born. 1692Jacob is 108 years old.Isaac is 168.Benjamin is possibly around one year old.Joseph is 17 years old.Jacob's other children are between 17 and 24. His brothers are recorded as living to the ages of 110-137 (avg being around 126 years), so he likely lived to at least 120 years old. Jacob's children born during this time, in chronological order, are Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah through Leah (Genesis 29:32 - 35). . 79 years 1st son Genesis 29:31..totally he has 10 sons and 1 daughter, each a year apart may be in the span of 11years. "This hath more rest than the other" (Eccl. If Jacob was one hundred and thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, then he must have been ninety-seven when he came back to Canaan. Jacob was 71 when he meets Rachel. Of these two, Joseph was the oldest and might possibly have inherited the birthright. Jacob went to Padam Aram 20 years earlier at the age of 71. After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. This is an extreme contradiction with the ancient history calculation of eighteen years of age. Joseph was about 28 years old and in Egypt when his grandfather Isaac died at 180. And Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bare Jacob a son. WebJacob was 77 years old, [22] and he loved Rachel immediately. Jacob, shortly after Joseph is born in 1709, fulfills his fourteen-year work commitment to Laban in order to marry his daughters (Genesis 30:25 - 26). John Rea has dealt with this matter in his doctoral dissertation, "The Historical Setting of the Exodus and the Conquest." The rapidity and regularity with which Leah had borne her first four sons, would make her notice all the more quickly the cessation that took place (30:9). into slavery and about 22 years before Isaac died. 1703Jacob is 97 years old. At such an age, a girl might be given adult responsibility in a family that did not (yet) have sons. Genesis 25:26 . WebJacob is 130 years old. The family arrives in Mamre (Hebron) where Isaac lives. Jacob dies at 147 years. Under interpretation II, we showed the danger of assuming too much. To make it clear of Genesis 37:3 KJV Benjamin is treated as a young child in most of the Biblical narrative, but at one point is abruptly described as the father of ten sons. Calculation begins from the first year of Jacob's marriage to Leah. Thus, Joseph was indeed a child of Isaacs old age (Gen 37:3). Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. The following passages are cited as confirming this translation. In Jacob 's deathbed blessing, he said of Benjamin: Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours his prey, in the evening he divides the plunder. Ackermann Function without Recursion or Stack. And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. "2 What seems to be the reason for so little consideration of a view that seemingly aids in solving a number of quite thorny problems? Is email scraping still a thing for spammers, Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation, Integral with cosine in the denominator and undefined boundaries. On 2298 AM (1706 BC), Benjamin, his wife, and his ten sons entered Egypt to live. This age for Jacob to go looking for a wife harmonizes better with the marriage age (40) of both Isaac and Esau than the traditional view, Also, if Jacob had no son till he was eighty-five, and he went to Egypt at one hundred and thirty, with sixty-six persons, only forty-five. Hence, Joseph was born to Jacob at the age of 91 just as he returned from Padam Aram. Leah then produced Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah (17 - 21). Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born. WebIf Jacob was with Laban only twenty years, then he was seventy-seven years old when he left home. . On this basis, Benjamin was born about 10 years before Joseph was sold (??) Does God Approve of Interracial Marriage. How old was Jacob when he first saw Rachel? Or did these events occupy some period other than seven years? He can be found on the Biblical Timeline Poster around 1754 BC. His wisdom, given by God, is rewarded by elevating him to the second most powerful position in Egypt (verses 39 - 46). (130-39=91)So Jacob must be 91 years old when he had Joseph. Please. Their brother returned to Canaan and brought Jacob to Egpyt, What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? However, Judah, one of Josephs brothers, spoke up and begged for Benjamin to be released. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Thus, Joseph was possibly at least 5 or 6 years old when Benjamin was born. Did Isaac die before Joseph was sold to the Midianites? Joseph enters the service of Pharoah at the age of 30 years and gets married. Jacob was 147 years old when he died, Gen 47:28. Projective representations of the Lorentz group can't occur in QFT! There is nothing on the part of grammar to prevent the arrangement of events in this way. If Benjamin was born before Gen 37 opens, then that would entail that when the whole family goes to Egypt, Benjamin would be at least 22 years old. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ. 1723Jacob, Esau are 77 years old (Gen. 25:24 - 26).Isaac is 137 years old. Benjamin was also born in the land of Canaan, and his name meant Son of My Days, according to the Hebrew. 17 She was having a rough time, but the woman who was helping her said, Don't worry! Genesis 33: 1-7. When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? [ b] Read full chapter. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. This would mean, since Jacob was born when Isaac was 60, that Jacob did not leave until he was at least 72. Genesis 31:38, Benjamin was also born in the land of Canaan, and his name meant Son of My Days, according to the Hebrew. Hence, the brothers rekindled their love for each other, and they were filled with joy that Joseph was still alive. How Long Was Joseph In Potiphars House? The number of distinct words in a sentence. (Genesis 33:2,7, What is the biblical significance of the "red hair" / "Scarlet thread" and the first born brother/twin? Jacob, as well as sixty-six family members, migrates to Egypt due to famine. This conflict can be relieved a bit by making Jacob's stay with Laban forty years instead of twenty. This is a surprisingly complicated question. The seven births took place within the second seven year period that Jacob served Laban for his wives. Benjamin was a son of Jacob and head of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was presented in the story when Joseph was filled with tears as he met Benjamin after a long time. (30:26) my time of service, need not necessarily be restricted to the seven years of 29:18 and 27. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Thirdly, it assumes that the author of 30:26 is not the author of 31:41. He also lives long enough to witness the birth of his great-grandchildren's children. ,It is also said Jacob had made a beautiful robe for Joseph and no mention of Benjamin receiving one as well. Therefore, it may be reasonably concluded that these two clauses are not arranged to imply two different periods of twenty years but rather to emphasize the significance of the one twenty year period in the mind of Laban. What is the biblical significance of the "red hair" / "Scarlet thread" and the first born brother/twin? He even ordered that Benjamin should receive five times more food than what his other brothers were served. 22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. Many thanks for your contribution. He reunites with his son Joseph after twenty-two years. Thus, Joseph planned to test his brothers character and wanted to determine if they have already turned away from their evil way. Web16 They left Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into hard labor. The same dream also provides evidence on the other side. 8. I agree with the answers given here, particularly Dottard's with the details of the dreams given to Joseph. Now, we must look at when Joseph was born. 2. Clash between mismath's \C and babel with russian. WebThus, Jacob was 121 years old. Manasseh, Ephraim are between 2 and 9. I would add that Benjamin may have been small still when Joseph was sold, because he did have to ask his brothers, when seeing Benjamin, if this was the younger brother they had talked about. Amazing Bible Timeline with World History, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe_of_Benjamin, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figures_041_Joseph%27s_Cup_Is_Found_in_Benjamin%27s_Sack.jpg, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_LACMA_M.88.91.296L.jpg. Was Jacob so Sexually driven that He mistook Leah for Rachel? Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years, dying at age 147 (Gen 47:28). Should I include the MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN? To God be the glory. Throughout the life of Benjamin, he found favor not only from his father and dear brothers but also from God. The proponents say, "with regard to the birth of Dinah, the expression afterward ('hr, 30:21) seems to indicate that she was not born during Jacob's second seven years of service, but during the remaining six years of his stay with Laban.. Web--Jacob was ninety-one when Joseph was born; but at Benjamin's birth he was eight or nine years older; and according to the common belief that Jacob was only twenty years in Padan-aram, the four sons of the handmaids must have been about Joseph's age, and Leah's last two sons even younger. Thus ch. Jacob pretends to be Esau in order to get Isaac's firstborn blessing (Genesis 27). Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? Genesis 49:27 Benjamin in fiction Thus, Joseph was indeed a child of Isaacs old age (Gen 37:3). The main refutation and weakness of this interpretation lies in the grammar of the text. (Genesis 31:41, KJV). Benjamin was also born in the land of Canaan, and his name meant Son of My Days, according to the Hebrew. This conflict can be relieved a bit by making Jacob's stay with Laban forty years instead of twenty. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? In the Book of Torah, it was narrated that there was a point when Josephs brothers headed off to Egypt, yet they were unable to recognize their brother. Rebekah was the instigator of having Jacob deceive Jacob's other children are between 39 and 46. Joseph revealed the meaning of Pharaoh's dream in To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. With this system of calculation Jacob would have left his home to find his wife twenty years earlier, or at approximately fifty-seven years of age. Joseph is 39 and Benjamin is about 23. Before his death Joseph makes his descendants promise to carry his bones into the Promised Land. He gaind favour both in the sight of God and in the sight of man. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? Thus, Joseph was possibly at least 5 or 6 years old when Benjamin was born. Joseph had to be born before the six year period of Jacob's service for Laban's cattle. The next day, there was a great search that was conducted, with the intention of finding the lost silver cup. At the time Joseph received the robe he might have been, say, 16 years old and Benjamin was possibly only 9 or 10 years old. As was shown in the question, Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born. The other children could have been conceived in overlapping periods with Leah.
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