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Joel 3 (WEB)

Jacob (Israel) — Jacob (Israel): Son of Isaac and Rebekah·1836 BC – 1689 BC

Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, born immediately after Esau, and Abraham was his grandfather. He achieved the right of the firstborn by trickery, in offering his older brother, Esau, food in exchange for the birthright, who cared little for this position. He also received the blessing of firstborn from his father Isaac before his death by cunning, and with the assistance of his mother Rebekah.

After his deception of Esau, receiving the blessing from his father, Jacob escaped to his uncle Laban, who in turn deceived Jacob into working for fourteen years for the marriage of Jacob to Leah, and then his beloved Rachel. Laban also sought to deceive Jacob of wages, but God intervened to ensure he would prosper. In a time of trial, when he feared the wrath of Esau, upon returning to the land of Canaan, Jacob had an encounter with God, and his name was changed to Israel, the one who wrestles with God. Even though his early life was characterized by deception, God worked through the situation to ensure that Jacob would be the one in the line of the patriarchs, to create a great nation and ultimately fulfill His purposes in the earth, especially through the future Messiah. The Messiah would guarantee the promise of the land to Abram and a person who would rule over Abraham's descendants, but also He would bring blessings to all the people of the earth (Gen 12:1-3).

In spite of Jacob's early failure by deception, God worked through him, and finally, Jacob became a different type of man after his struggle with God. As one has said,

"Despite Jacob’s faults, God chose him to be the leader of a great nation that still bears his name today. But for this, it is unlikely that we would know much about Jacob, who appears to be in the middle of events while the key players are those around him. There is no great wisdom or bravery in Jacob to speak of, and we are tempted to see him as little more than God’s passive instrument. If we are tempted to think that, because we aren’t in the spotlight performing great acts for God, we are unimportant to Him, then we should consider the life of Jacob and know that, in spite of our failings, God can and will still use us in His plan."

For more on Jacob, see "Who was Jacob in the Bible?", https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Jacob.html

Copyright © 2026 Hershel Wayne House. All rights reserved.
Also called
Israel
Lived
1836 BC – 1689 BC (approximate)
Gender
Male
Died
Egypt
Appears in
Father Isaac
Mother Rebekah
Spouse BilhahLeahRachelZilpah
Children GadDanLevi (patriarch)Benjamin (patriarch)IssacharReubenDinahAsherZebulunSimeonJudah (patriarch)Joseph (son of Jacob)Naphtali
Siblings Esau (Edom)
Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Joel 3 (WEB)

1“For, behold, in those days,

and in that time,

when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

2I will gather all nations,

and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat;

and I will execute judgment on them there for my people,

and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations.

They have divided my land,

3and have cast lots for my people,

and have given a boy for a prostitute,

and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

4“Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre and Sidon,

and all the regions of Philistia?

Will you repay me?

And if you repay me,

I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.

5Because you have taken my silver and my gold,

and have carried my finest treasures into your temples,

6and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks,

that you may remove them far from their border.

7Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them,

and will return your repayment on your own head;

8and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah,

and they will sell them to the men of Sheba,

to a faraway nation,

for Yahweh has spoken it.”

9Proclaim this among the nations:

“Prepare for war!

Stir up the mighty men.

Let all the warriors draw near.

Let them come up. 10Beat your plowshares into swords,

and your pruning hooks into spears.

Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’

11Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations,

and gather yourselves together.”

Cause your mighty ones to come down there, Yahweh.

12“Let the nations arouse themselves,

and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat;

for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

13Put in the sickle;

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, tread, for the wine press is full,

the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!

For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.

15The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

16Yahweh will roar from Zion,

and thunder from Jerusalem;

and the heavens and the earth will shake;

but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people,

and a stronghold to the children of Israel.

17“So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God,

dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain.

Then Jerusalem will be holy,

and no strangers will pass through her any more.

18It will happen in that day,

that the mountains will drop down sweet wine,

the hills will flow with milk,

all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters;

and a fountain will flow out from Yahweh’s house,

and will water the valley of Shittim.

19Egypt will be a desolation

and Edom will be a desolate wilderness,

for the violence done to the children of Judah,

because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

20But Judah will be inhabited forever,

and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21I will cleanse their blood

that I have not cleansed,

for Yahweh dwells in Zion.”

World English Bible · public domain · ebible.org

Jacob (Israel)