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.
Sources
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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)]
"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)]
"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)]
"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)]
"but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan."Genesis 46:1-6 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
"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)]
"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)]
"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)]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"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]
"Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon the camels"Genesis 31:13-18 [Hebrew Bible (JPS 1917 English, Sefaria)]
"Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels"Genesis 31:13-18 [King James Version]
"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]
"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)]
"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]
"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]
"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)]
"for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan"Genesis 31:13-18 [King James Version]
"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]
"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)]
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