These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all.
Parallel translations
- WEB These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
- KJV These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
- BSB These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
- NKJV These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.
- NLT These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Rachel was fourteen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Rachel's descendants total fourteen souls. This summarizes Jacob's family through his beloved wife.
Overview
The fourteen include Joseph, Benjamin, and their children. Though Rachel bore fewer children than Leah, her line produced Joseph, whose providential rise saved the whole family. The counting again emphasizes God's faithful multiplication of the covenant seed despite famine and exile.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 46:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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