These are the names of the descendants of Israel—the sons of Jacob—who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son.
Parallel translations
- WEB These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
- KJV And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
- BSB Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
- NKJV Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.
- NASB Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
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
The narrative begins listing the names of Israel's children who came to Egypt, starting with Reuben the firstborn. The record preserves the founding family of the nation.
Overview
Scripture records the names of those who entered Egypt, beginning with Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. Such genealogies anchor Israel's identity and trace God's faithfulness through real people and families. This roster marks the seed from which the twelve tribes of Israel will grow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Chr 2:1–55These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
- Exod 1:1–5Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
- Deut 33:6“Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.”
- Num 1:5These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.
- Exod 6:14–18These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
- 1 Chr 8:1–40Benjamin became the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third,
- Gen 49:1–33Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
- Gen 29:32Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”
- Gen 35:22–23While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
- Num 1:20–21The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;
- Gen 29:1–30Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.
- Num 26:4–11“Take a census, from twenty years old and upward; as Yahweh commanded Moses and the children of Israel.” These are those that came out of the land of Egypt.
- Num 2:10–13“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 46:8 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.