Exodus 1:2 kjv
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Exodus 1:2 nkjv
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
Exodus 1:2 niv
Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;
Exodus 1:2 esv
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Exodus 1:2 nlt
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Exodus 1 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 35:23-26 | The sons of Jacob were twelve: the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun… | Provides the full list of Jacob's sons, establishing their identity. |
| Gen 46:8-25 | These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt: Jacob and his sons… | Lists the family of Jacob entering Egypt, similar to Ex 1:2 but more exhaustive. |
| Gen 46:27 | All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy. | Specifies the total number of souls who came to Egypt, affirming their growth. |
| Deut 10:22 | Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons… | Recalls the humble beginnings of Israel as a small family, now grown to a nation. |
| Acts 7:14 | Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all… | Stephen's speech confirms the entry into Egypt and the approximate number. |
| Num 1:5-15 | And these are the names of the men who shall assist you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur… | Demonstrates the establishment of distinct tribal identities from these sons. |
| Num 26:5-50 | Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: the sons of Reuben: Hanoch… These are the clans of the Reubenites… | Enumerates the tribes stemming from each son listed in Ex 1:2, showing growth. |
| 1 Chron 2:1-2 | These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, Asher. | Confirms the twelve tribal progenitors for Israel's genealogical records. |
| 1 Chron 7:1-12 | The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. | Detailed tribal genealogies validating their descent from these individuals. |
| Ps 105:23 | Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. | Poetic recollection of the historical event of Israel's descent into Egypt. |
| Isa 43:3 | For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt as your ransom… | Reminds Israel of their divine origin and salvation from Egypt. |
| Eze 47:13-23 | These are the borders by which you shall allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel… | Allotment of the land in prophecy, showing the continued importance of these tribal divisions. |
| Matt 1:2 | Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. | Establishes the ancestral line from which the Messiah would come, tracing through these sons. |
| Rev 7:4-8 | And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel… | Eschatological vision maintaining the tribal structure derived from these twelve sons. |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. | Reinforces God's covenant promises that flow through this specific lineage. |
| Heb 11:22 | By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. | Highlights the continuity and anticipation of the exodus by Joseph, a key figure in their entry. |
| Jer 31:3 | The LORD appeared to him of old: "I have loved you with an everlasting love…" | Emphasizes God's enduring love for the people He chose, tracing back to this founding family. |
| Hos 12:13 | By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded. | Reiteration of God's bringing Israel out of Egypt, demonstrating His providence for this family-turned-nation. |
| Neh 9:9 | "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea." | Recollection of their history in Egypt, starting with the family units identified here. |
| Ex 12:40 | The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. | Indicates the long duration of their stay, initiated by the "coming" mentioned here. |
| Josh 14:1 | These are the inheritances that the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed… | Shows the enduring importance of the tribal divisions that stemmed from these named sons for the distribution of the Promised Land. |
| Luke 3:34 | …the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah… | Traces the genealogy of Jesus through Jacob, connecting directly to the origin of these tribes. |
| Rom 9:4 | They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. | Highlights the special spiritual heritage bestowed upon the descendants of these men. |
| 2 Sam 7:23 | And who is like your people Israel, a unique nation on earth, whom God went to redeem to be his people, making a name for himself and doing great and awesome things for them, by driving out before his people a nation and its gods? | Reflects on the distinct identity of Israel as God's chosen people, whose beginning as a family is recorded here. |
Exodus 1 verses
Exodus 1 2 Meaning
Exodus 1:2 lists eleven of the direct sons of Jacob who came to Egypt, serving to identify the progenitors of the nation of Israel as they entered their sojourn in the land. This verse, along with Ex 1:1, establishes the immediate family lineage of "the sons of Israel" at the outset of the book of Exodus, connecting it directly to the patriarchal narratives of Genesis. It underlines the divine remembrance and preservation of Jacob's descendants who would eventually become the large populace the Egyptians would fear.
Exodus 1 2 Context
Exodus 1:2 is a critical transitional verse, bridging the Genesis narratives with the emerging drama of the Exodus. It follows Exodus 1:1, which generically states that "these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household." Verse 2 then begins the specific listing of these individuals by name. The chapter quickly establishes the growth of this family into a populous people, setting the stage for the new Pharaoh's fear and the subsequent oppression of the Israelites. This immediate context underscores that the growing population in Egypt was not just any people, but the direct descendants of Jacob, God's chosen servant, through whom the covenant promises were made. The historical context roots the verse in the post-patriarchal period, after Jacob's entire family had relocated to Egypt due to the famine, a detail from the concluding chapters of Genesis.
Exodus 1 2 Word analysis
- Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, Reuven): "Behold a son." Jacob's firstborn son. His listing first adheres to birth order, but his significance often relates to the loss of his birthright due to his actions (Gen 49:3-4).
- Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, Shim'on): "He has heard." Second son of Leah. Connected with Levi in a controversial act of vengeance (Gen 34).
- Levi (לֵוִי, Levi): "Attached." Third son of Leah. Despite a questionable start (Gen 49:5-7), his tribe later gained special priestly status through their loyalty to God (Ex 32:26-29, Num 3).
- and Judah (וִיהוּדָה, vi-Yehudah): "Praise." Fourth son of Leah. A pivotal figure, whose tribe was prophesied to hold the scepter (Gen 49:8-12). From his line would come King David and ultimately the Messiah. His placement here as the fourth, before Issachar, might subtly foreshadow his eventual preeminence.
- Issachar (יִשָּׂשכָר, Yissakhar): "There is reward." Son of Leah.
- Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, Zevulun): "Dwelling." Son of Leah.
- and Benjamin (וּבִנְיָמִן, u-Vinyamin): "Son of the right hand." Youngest son of Rachel, a particularly cherished son by Jacob. The previous two names (Issachar, Zebulun) belong to Leah's sons; then Benjamin is listed, skipping Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
- Dan (דָּן, Dan): "He judged." Son of Bilhah, Rachel's servant.
- and Naphtali (וְנַפְתָּלִי, ve-Naftali): "My struggle." Son of Bilhah.
- Gad (גָּד, Gad): "Fortune/troop." Son of Zilpah, Leah's servant.
- and Asher (וְאָשֵׁר, ve-Asher): "Happy/blessed." Son of Zilpah.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah": These are Leah's first four sons, listed generally in birth order. This grouping highlights the foundational figures of Israel from Leah. The special mention of Judah hints at his future prominence.
- "Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin": These are Leah's next two sons followed by Rachel's youngest. This continues the main tribal lines. The omission of Joseph at this point is significant, as he was already in Egypt as established in Genesis. Benjamin's position is important as the last son born in Canaan, crucial to Jacob's initial willingness to go to Egypt.
- "Dan and Naphtali": These are the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant. Their inclusion ensures that all children born in the patriarchal family who entered Egypt are accounted for, reinforcing the complete nature of the future nation.
- "Gad and Asher": These are the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant. Their listing completes the set of the eleven immediate sons of Jacob who came into Egypt with him, showing the entirety of the fledgling family. This meticulous detailing emphasizes the familial and covenantal lineage from which the vast population of Israel would sprout.
Exodus 1 2 Bonus section
The specific enumeration of these eleven sons immediately after the mention of "the sons of Israel" in Exodus 1:1, along with the later detail in Ex 1:5 about "seventy persons" (including Jacob, his children, and grandchildren, and excluding Joseph and his already-born children), emphasizes the foundational role of each named individual. It highlights the biblical concern for exact genealogical record-keeping, essential for demonstrating God's meticulous fulfillment of covenant promises, particularly the promise of a multitudinous seed from Abraham. This deliberate naming also served to distinguish the Israelites from other peoples, cementing their identity as a unique family unit from which God would raise a nation for His redemptive purposes. Each name represents a vital branch of the emerging nation, signifying that every segment of the future Israel held its roots in the patriarchs.
Exodus 1 2 Commentary
Exodus 1:2 is a genealogical anchor, reaffirming the direct, named connection between the Israelite population about to endure severe oppression and their ancestral patriarch, Jacob (Israel). It is not a mere listing of names but a powerful declaration of identity and divine continuity. By explicitly naming these sons, the sacred text underscores that the countless people who would suffer in Egypt were not a random populace, but the inheritors of the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their distinct identities, established here, would evolve into the twelve tribes that would form the unique nation of Israel, proving God's faithfulness in preserving His chosen lineage despite challenges. This verse subtly highlights that even in their humble beginnings as a small family unit descending into a foreign land, they were always known and accounted for by God, awaiting the fulfillment of His promises.