Lexical Summary
Yaaqob: Jacob
Original Word:יַעֲקֹב
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Ya`aqob
Pronunciation:yah-ah-kobe
Phonetic Spelling:(yah-ak-obe')
KJV: Jacob
NASB:Jacob, Jacob's
Word Origin:[fromH6117 (עָקַב - deals craftily)]
1. heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter)
2. Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jacob
Fromaqab; heel-catcher (i.e. Supplanter); Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch -- Jacob.
see HEBREWaqab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
aqebDefinitiona son of Isaac, also his desc.
NASB TranslationJacob (331), Jacob's (18).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
344,
5 and
, , son of Isaac and Rebekah, father of tribes of Israel (explanation fromheelGenesis 25:26;Hosea 12:4; i.e.supplanter; compare withoverreachGenesis 27:36;one closely following according to LagBN 127; connection with Palestinian city (?) called in EgyptianY±kb'ara (i.e. ) is obscure; compare MeyZAW vi.1 ff. WMMAs.u.Eur.162 ff. JenZA x(1895-6), 347 ff.; see also Babylonian proper name, masculineYa±‡ubilu, Pinches in HomAHT 61, 96, 112; hence OT perhaps originally or the like. compare Palmyrene proper name , ); —Jeremiah 30:18 3t. JeremiahLeviticus 26:42; 215t. Hexateuch (chiefly J E; 180 t. Genesis, once Leviticus, etc.), 34 t. Psalms, 42 t. Isaiah (27 t. 40-66), etc.; — as
Genesis 25:26 205t. (+ , 19t.); also of people (see ()), (see ()), (see ), (see ), etc. as
(c. 100 t.; poetry and prophets)Numbers 24:5,19;Deuteronomy 32:9;Psalm 44:5;Isaiah 10:21;Isaiah 17:4;Jeremiah 10:25;Jeremiah 30:7 +; ""Numbers 23:7;Deuteronomy 33:10;Isaiah 14:1;Psalm 14:7 + approximately 35 t.; specifically of Northern IsraelAmos 7:2,5;Hosea 12:13 (+Hosea 10:11;Hosea 12:3 probably, see Now),Micah 1:5 (twice in verse);Isaiah 9:7; of JudahMicah 3:1,8; Obadiah 10;Isaiah 65:9;Malachi 2:12 + al. post-exilic; see ;Psalm 146:5,Psalm 114:7 ;2 Samuel 23:1;Isaiah 2:3 =Micah 4:2 9t. Psalms +Psalm 24:6 ( for alone), so Ew Ol Hup Bae We Che and others; read also probably2 Samuel 23:2 (for , "" ) HPS;Isaiah 29:23 ("" );Isaiah 41:21 ("" ). — On see especially Dr 'Jacob' in HastingsDict. Bib. ii. 526 ff.
Topical Lexicon
Canonical Overviewיַעֲקֹב (Jacob) appears about 349 times across the Hebrew Scriptures. In Genesis the name designates the individual patriarch; thereafter it often serves as a poetic or covenantal synonym for the nation of Israel. The recurrent pattern moves from personal history (Genesis), to family-turned-tribal identity (Exodus through Joshua), to national shorthand employed by historians, psalmists, prophets, and post-exilic writers.
Patriarchal Narrative (Genesis 25–50)
Jacob’s account forms the theological hinge between Abraham and the twelve-tribe nation.
• Birth and oracle (Genesis 25:21-23). God’s sovereign choice governs events before Jacob’s first breath.
• Acquisition of birthright and blessing (Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-40) shows the tension between divine election and human scheming.
• Bethel vision (Genesis 28:10-22). “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16). The ladder unites heaven and earth, prefiguring the Mediator (cf.John 1:51).
• Discipline in Paddan-Aram (Genesis 29–31). Through Laban, God shapes Jacob’s character and multiplies his household.
• Wrestling at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-30). A life of grasping ends in dependence; the limp memorializes grace.
• Reconciliation with Esau (Genesis 33) models repentance and restitution.
• Covenant reaffirmations at Bethel (Genesis 35) bookend the earlier vision.
• Sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 46–50) preserves the seed during famine and sets the stage for Exodus. Jacob’s last words (Genesis 48–49) prophesy tribal futures, with Judah singled out for kingship (Genesis 49:10).
Name Change and Dual Designations
Genesis 32:28 records, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel.” Scripture thereafter alternates between the two names:
• Jacob often highlights weakness, need, and historical rootedness.
• Israel stresses calling, destiny, and covenant fulfillment.
Prophets sometimes pair them (Isaiah 9:8;Hosea 12:12) to confront the nation with both identity and responsibility.
Covenantal Continuity
God identifies Himself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). The formula anchors later revelation in unbroken covenantal fidelity (1 Kings 18:36;Psalm 46:7). The patriarch’s inclusion underscores:
1. Promise of land (Genesis 35:12;Exodus 33:1).
2. Promise of nationhood (Genesis 46:3).
3. Promise of blessing to the world (Numbers 24:17).
House of Jacob—Corporate Usage
“House of Jacob” first appears inExodus 19:3 and recurs in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah as a summons to covenant loyalty. It reminds the people that their collective origin lies in one man brought low and raised by grace.
The God of Jacob in Worship
Psalms employ “God of Jacob” nineteen times. The title comforts the humble (Psalm 146:5), emboldens warriors (Psalm 20:1), and magnifies God’s holiness (Psalm 132:2,5).Psalm 24:6 links seeking God with bearing Jacob’s name, binding worship to lineage and faith.
Prophetic Themes
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets invoke Jacob to:
• Announce restoration: “Fear not, O Jacob My servant” (Jeremiah 46:27).
• Expose sin: “The rebellious house of Jacob” (Isaiah 1:2-4).
• Promise Messiah: “A star will come forth from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17); “I will raise up the tribes of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:6).
• Affirm remnant hope: “He will have mercy on Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1).
Wisdom Literature
Job 42:11 andProverbs 30:1 allude indirectly, but the strongest wisdom connection is in the Psalms, where “Jacob” frames trust versus self-reliance (Psalm 75:9; 81:1).
Jacob and Messianic Expectation
Jacob’s blessing of Judah (Genesis 49:10) pinpoints royal lineage culminating in Jesus Christ. Balaam’s oracle (Numbers 24:17-19) entwines “Jacob” with a coming ruler who crushes God’s foes. Later prophets apply Servant and Shepherd motifs to “Jacob,” then to the Messiah (Isaiah 49;Micah 5:2-4).
New Testament Echoes
Although the entry concerns the Hebrew text, the New Testament repeatedly cites Jacob:
• Genealogy (Matthew 1:2).
• Affirmation of resurrection (Matthew 22:32).
• Example of election by grace (Romans 9:10-13).
These references verify the patriarch’s ongoing theological weight.
Ministry Implications
1. Election and Grace: Jacob’s unmerited choosing encourages believers to rest in divine initiative.
2. Transformation: From deceiver to prince, Jacob demonstrates sanctification’s lifelong process.
3. Worship: The Psalms’ refrain “God of Jacob” invites prayer rooted in covenant memory.
4. Hope for the Weak: Prophetic promises to “worm Jacob” (Isaiah 41:14) assure God’s power perfected in frailty.
5. Mission: The blessing on Jacob extends to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 28:14), motivating evangelism.
Summary
Jacob’s name gathers the narrative of one man, the identity of a people, and the promise of universal redemption. From Genesis to Malachi, יַעֲקֹב embodies grace that elects, disciplines, transforms, and preserves—a testimony that the “God of Jacob” remains faithful to His word and His people.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּֽיַעֲקֹ֗ב בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב בְּיַעֲקֹ֑ב בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּיַעֲקֹ֣ב בְּיַעֲקֹ֤ב ׀ בְּיַעֲקֹב֙ בְיַעֲקֹ֑ב ביעקב וְ֝יַעֲקֹ֗ב וְיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב וְיַעֲקֹ֗ב וְיַעֲקֹ֞ב וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב וְיַעֲקֹ֥ב וְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ ויעקב וליעקב וליעקב׃ יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יַ֠עֲקֹב יַֽעֲק֔וֹב יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב יַֽעֲקֹב֙ יַעֲק֑וֹב יַעֲק֗וֹב יַעֲק֛וֹב יַעֲקֹ֑ב יַעֲקֹ֔ב יַעֲקֹ֖ב יַעֲקֹ֗ב יַעֲקֹ֛ב יַעֲקֹ֜ב יַעֲקֹ֣ב יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀ יַעֲקֹ֤ב יַעֲקֹ֥ב יַעֲקֹ֧ב יַעֲקֹ֨ב יַעֲקֹֽב׃ יַעֲקֹב֒ יַעֲקֹב֙ יַעֲקֹב֮ יַעֲקוֹב֩ יעקב יעקב׃ יעקוב לְּיַעֲקֹֽב׃ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב לְיַֽעֲקֹב֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לְיַעֲקֹ֣ב לְיַעֲקֹ֤ב לְיַעֲקֹ֥ב לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ לְיַעֲקֹב֙ ליעקב ליעקב׃ מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֑ב מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֗ב מִֽיַּעֲקֹב֙ מיעקב bə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ ḇə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ bəya‘ăqōḇ ḇəya‘ăqōḇ beyaaKo lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ ləya‘ăqōḇ leyaaKo mî·ya·‘ă·qōḇ mîya‘ăqōḇ miyaaKo ū·lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ ūləya‘ăqōḇ uleyaako veyaaKo wə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ wəya‘ăqōḇ ya‘ăqōḇ ya‘ăqōwḇ ya·‘ă·qō·wḇ ya·‘ă·qōḇ yaaKo yaaKov
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