What is the birth order of Jacob's thirteen children?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jacob, marrying Leah and Rachel, fathered twelve sons and a daughter. Jacob’s sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Leah bore Jacob’s first four sons, followed by Rachel's surrogate Bilhah bearing two sons, and Leah's servant Zilpah bearing two more. Leah then had three additional sons and a daughter. After Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin, she died, completing the family. Despite their flaws, God used Jacob’s family to fulfill His purposes. God can work through any family situation to accomplish His plans, teaching us that our family backgrounds don't limit God's ability to fulfill His promises.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Jacob married two sisters, Leah and Rachel. He eventually fathered twelve sons and a daughter as recorded in Genesis 29–30 and Genesis 35. These sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel and were blessed according to the covenant God had made with their great-grandfather, Abraham.
• Leah was the older of the two sisters, and she birthed Jacob his first four sons. In order, they were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. When Rachel saw that she was barren, she gave Jacob her handmaiden, Bilhah, to become a surrogate mother on her behalf. Bilhah then gave birth to Dan and Naphtali. Leah, no longer having babies of her own, decided to do the same thing with her maidservant, Zilpah. Zilpah then bore Gad and Asher. Leah again became pregnant and had three additional children: Issachar, Zebulun, and Jacob's only daughter, Dinah. Finally, God opened Rachel's womb, and she gave birth to Joseph, who became Jacob's favorite son.
• After Joseph's birth, Jacob decided to move his family from Paddan Aram, where he had fled from his brother, back home to Canaan. In Canaan, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's final son, Benjamin, but, tragically, she died in childbirth. So, the final birth order of Jacob's thirteen children by these four women was: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• This family, with its sordid history of deceit, jealousy, and even murder, was the family God chose through which to make Himself known (Romans 9:4–5).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament records the birth order of Jacob's thirteen children.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The birth order of Jacob's children illustrates a significant lesson: God can work through any family, despite its complexities and imperfections, to fulfill His purposes. Jacob's family, with its polygamous relationships, surrogacy, and sibling rivalries, might seem far from ideal, yet God used them to establish the twelve tribes of Israel according to His covenant with Abraham. Despite their flaws, God's sovereignty prevailed. God can overcome human weaknesses and use all circumstances to accomplish His plans. God's purposes are not limited by our family situations or shortcomings; rather, it is through these situations and circumstances that His glory is displayed.

UNDERSTAND

• Jacob married Leah and Rachel, who bore him twelve sons and one daughter: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• Rachel and Leah gave their handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, to Jacob as surrogates, bearing children: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
• Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin but died in childbirth after Benjamin's birth.

REFLECT

• How does the complexity of Jacob's family situation reflect the idea that God can work through family dynamics to accomplish His purposes?
• What does Jacob's family teach you about God's ability to overcome human weaknesses and use imperfect circumstances for His plans?
• In what ways can you relate to the struggles and imperfections within Jacob's family, and how does God's sovereignty give hope in such situations?

ENGAGE

• What are some key lessons we can learn from the birth order and dynamics of Jacob's children?
• How does God’s sovereignty in the midst of Jacob's family history, with its complexities and conflicts, give encouragement for our families today?
• How can we encourage others in seeing God’s work in their lives and in their family?