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When does Jacob's whole family first appear, and what happens on the journey?

Research question: Where in the Genesis story does Jacob's household first appear as a whole family, and what happens to his wives and children on the journey?

The records give two different answers for where the household first appears as a whole family. One source places it when Jacob rose from Beer-sheba to travel to Egypt 6, while another places it when Jacob set his sons and wives on camels to leave Paddan-aram 2021. On the journey to Egypt, Jacob's wives and children rode in wagons that Pharaoh provided 1711. The family also brought its cattle and goods from Canaan, and the group included sons, grandsons, daughters, and granddaughters 289. Er and Onan had already died in Canaan, so they did not make the trip 410. The count of seventy excludes the sons' wives 1618, and the newest source here is a 2010-2012 commentary 22, so it is not current.

Checked 2026-10-20. Only documented and supported facts are used.
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Sources

[1] supported
Jacob's entire household, including his sons, daughters, wives, and grandchildren, traveled to Egypt in wagons provided by Pharaoh.
"And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him."
Genesis 46:1-6 [King James Version]
[2] supported
The family brought their cattle and goods from the land of Canaan with them when they entered Egypt.
"And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:"
Genesis 46:1-6 [King James Version]
[3] documented
God promised Jacob that he would make him into a great nation in Egypt and would personally bring him back out.
"And he said, I [am] God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: [4] I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up [again:]"
Genesis 46:1-6 [King James Version]
[4] supported
Jacob's sons Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan before the family moved to Egypt.
"And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan."
Genesis 46:1-6 [King James Version]
[5] documented
Jacob's son Shaul was the son of a Canaanitish woman.
"And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman."
Genesis 46:1-6 [King James Version]
[6] documented
Jacob's household first appears as a whole family when he rose from Beer-sheba to travel to Egypt.
"And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him."
Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[7] supported
Jacob's wives and children were transported in wagons that Pharaoh had sent.
"the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him."
Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[8] supported
The family brought their cattle and goods acquired in Canaan with them into Egypt.
"And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him;"
Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[9] documented
The group entering Egypt included Jacob's sons, grandsons, daughters, and granddaughters.
"his sons, and his sons’sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt."
Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[10] documented
Two of Judah's sons, Er and Onan, died in the land of Canaan before the journey to Egypt.
"but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan."
Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[11] supported
Joseph instructed his brothers to bring their wives and children to Egypt on waggons provided by Pharaoh.
"And do thou charge them thus; that they should take for them waggons out of the land of Egypt, for your little ones, and for your wives; and take up your father, and come."
Genesis 45:19-24 [Septuagint (Brenton English, 1844)]
[12] supported
Joseph provided his brothers with provisions for the journey and two sets of clothing each, except for Benjamin who received additional gold and clothing.
"And he gave them provision for the journey. And he gave to them all two sets of raiment apiece; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of gold, and five changes of raiment."
Genesis 45:19-24 [Septuagint (Brenton English, 1844)]
[13] supported
Jacob initially did not believe his sons' report that Joseph was alive and ruling Egypt.
"And they reported to him, saying, Thy son Joseph is living, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt; and Jacob was amazed, for he did not believe them."
Genesis 45:19-24 [Septuagint (Brenton English, 1844)]
[14] supported
The list of Jacob's descendants traveling to Egypt is organized by their mothers.
"The list of the descendants of Jacob who traveled to Egypt divides the entire family according to their mothers ."
The Torah; A Women's Commentary, Parashah Introductions, Vayigash 7 [CCAR Press and Women of Reform Judaism, 2008]
[15] supported
Among Jacob's daughters, only Dinah is explicitly named in the context of those who went to Egypt.
"Of the daughters of Jacob, only Dinah is mentioned by name ."
The Torah; A Women's Commentary, Parashah Introductions, Vayigash 7 [CCAR Press and Women of Reform Judaism, 2008]
[16] supported
The count of Jacob's offspring traveling to Egypt excludes the wives of his sons.
"The total number of offspring of Jacob who traveled with him to Egypt does not count the wives of his sons ."
The Torah; A Women's Commentary, Parashah Introductions, Vayigash 7 [CCAR Press and Women of Reform Judaism, 2008]
[17] supported
Jacob is described as having married the daughters of the Aramean Laban and living far from his homeland as part of an Aramean family.
"Jacob married the daughters of the Aramean Laban and dwelled far from his homeland as part of an Aramean family."
Steinsaltz on Deuteronomy 26:5 [The Steinsaltz Tanakh - English]
[18] supported
Jacob arrived in Egypt with a family consisting of exactly seventy members.
"And he, Jacob, descended to Egypt, and resided there, few in number, arriving in Egypt with a family of merely seventy members."
Steinsaltz on Deuteronomy 26:5 [The Steinsaltz Tanakh - English]
[19] supported
Some interpretations suggest that the term 'Aramean' in the verse refers to Laban, who sought to annihilate Jacob.
"Others explain that the term “Aramean” refers to Laban, who sought to annihilate my father Jacob."
Steinsaltz on Deuteronomy 26:5 [The Steinsaltz Tanakh - English]
[20] supported
Jacob's household first appears together as a whole family when Jacob sets his sons and wives on camels to leave Paddan-aram.
"Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon the camels"
Genesis 31:13-18 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[21] supported
Jacob's wives and sons are placed on camels as the family sets out, which is the first point in the Genesis account where the household travels together as a whole family.
"Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels"
Genesis 31:13-18 [King James Version]
[22] supported
The commentary breaks down the seventy souls who went down to Egypt: Jacob with Leah's children and Dinah totals 33, Zilpah's sons 16, Rachel's sons 14, and Bilhah's sons 7.
"יעקב, בני לאה ובניהם ודינה בכלל - 33 , בני זלפה - 16 , בני רחל - 14 , בני בלהה - 7 , הרי זה סך 70 נפש."
Birkat Asher on Torah, Genesis 46:26:8 [Birkat Asher, Asher Vasertil, Jerusalem 2010-2012]
[23] supported
Jacob takes all his livestock and the possessions he gathered in Paddan-aram with him as he travels toward his father Isaac in Canaan.
"and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan."
Genesis 31:13-18 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[24] supported
Jacob takes all his livestock and possessions with him when he leaves Padan-aram for Canaan.
"And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram"
Genesis 31:13-18 [King James Version]
[25] supported
The verse's count of 66 is a smaller number used to distinguish the people who arrived together at that time from Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt.
"ונקט כאן הכתוב מספר ממועט "ששים ושש", להבדיל בין הבאים ביחד באותה השעה ובין אלה שכבר ישבו במצרים - יוסף ושני בניו."
Birkat Asher on Torah, Genesis 46:26:8 [Birkat Asher, Asher Vasertil, Jerusalem 2010-2012]
[26] supported
Rachel and Leah say that the wealth taken from their father belongs to them and their children, which is the reason they support the departure.
"For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's."
Genesis 31:13-18 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
[27] supported
The household's destination is Isaac, Jacob's father, in the land of Canaan.
"for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan"
Genesis 31:13-18 [King James Version]
[28] supported
Because the verse counts those who came out of Jacob's loins, Jacob himself is excluded from the count.
"וכיון שהכתוב מונה את יוצאי ירך יעקב, יצא יעקב מן המנין."
Birkat Asher on Torah, Genesis 46:26:8 [Birkat Asher, Asher Vasertil, Jerusalem 2010-2012]
[29] documented
Jacob's departure is prompted by a divine command in which God tells him to leave Laban's land and return to his birthplace.
"Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity."
Genesis 31:13-18 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]