1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Jacob (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Yaʿăqōḇ); renamed Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yiśrāʾēl)
• Meaning: Jacob means “heel-grabber” or “supplanter”; Israel means “he struggles with God” or “God prevails” (Genesis 32:28)

2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Twenty-second generation from Adam; twelfth generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Isaac – the child of promise and Abraham’s heir
• Son: Judah (among twelve sons); Judah continues the Messianic line
• Lineage Role: Covenant bearer and father of the twelve tribes of Israel; Judah, his fourth son, becomes the ancestral line of Christ

3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Born as a twin to Esau; known for cunning, wrestling for blessing and birthright
• Deceived his father Isaac to obtain the blessing (Genesis 27), fled to Haran, married Leah and Rachel, and fathered twelve sons
• Encountered God at Bethel and later wrestled with Him at Peniel, after which he was renamed Israel
• Lived in Canaan and later migrated to Egypt during a famine, under the protection of his son Joseph
• Lifespan: 147 years (Genesis 47:28)

4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Central patriarch through whom the nation of Israel is named and shaped
• Recipient of the covenantal promises given to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 28:13–15)
• Judah, his son, receives the Messianic blessing and kingship prophecy (Genesis 49:10), establishing the line of David and Christ
• Jacob’s spiritual transformation reflects the redemptive theme of struggle, grace, and divine election

5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Frequently invoked in Scripture as a patriarch of faith and the father of the tribes (e.g., “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”)
• Revered for his role in covenant history despite personal flaws; reflects God’s grace in using imperfect people
• Symbolises spiritual perseverance, divine election, and national identity
• Mentioned throughout Old and New Testaments as a foundational figure in Israel’s history and Christ’s lineage

6. Summary Insight
• Jacob, renamed Israel, is the father of the covenant nation and the Messianic tribe of Judah—his life exemplifies divine grace, spiritual struggle, and the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan.

7. Biblical References
• Genesis 25–50
• 1 Chronicles 1:34
• Luke 3:34
• Exodus 3:6; Matthew 8:11; Acts 7:8–15
• Romans 9:10–13; Hebrews 11:20–21