Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah.
* Jacob's name means "he grabs the heel" which is an expression meaning "he deceives." As Jacob was being born, he was holding onto the heel of his twin brother Esau.
* Many years later, God changed Jacob's name to "Israel," which means "he struggles with God."
* Jacob was clever and deceptive. He found ways to take the firstborn blessing and inheritance rights from his older brother, Esau.
* Esau was angry and planned to kill him so Jacob left his homeland. But years later Jacob returned with his wives and children to the land of Canaan where Esau was living, and their families lived peacefully near each other.
* Jacob had twelve sons. Their descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel.
* A different man named Jacob is listed as being Joseph's father in Matthew's genealogy.
* __[07:01](rc://en/tn/help/obs/07/01)__ As the boys grew up, Rebekah loved __Jacob__, but Isaac loved Esau. __Jacob__ loved to stay at home, but Esau loved to hunt.
* __[07:07](rc://en/tn/help/obs/07/07)__ __Jacob__ lived there for many years, and during that time he married and had twelve sons and a daughter. God made him very wealthy.
* __[07:08](rc://en/tn/help/obs/07/08)__ After twenty years away from his home in Canaan, __Jacob__ returned there with his family, his servants, and all his herds of animals.
* __[08:01](rc://en/tn/help/obs/08/01)__ Many years later, when __Jacob__ was an old man, he sent his favorite son, Joseph, to check on his brothers who were taking care of the herds.
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