Background

In order to understand the meaning of Jacob as “one who comes after”, it is necessary to begin with some background on his ancestry. Jacob is one of the patriarchs of the nation of Israel whose name is mentioned throughout scripture, sometimes by himself and many times as part of a thematic phrase — “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. Often we see these men referenced in other phrases such as “the patriarchs” and the “God of our fathers.” All together these men are mentioned hundreds of times. Their life stories are found in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, and by reading chapters 12-22 you will see that All three of these men are spoken of as heirs of God’s promise. Abraham was promised that he would be a father of a multitude and that he and his wife Sarah would have a child in their old age (Isaac). The promise was passed through Isaac and then Jacob as a result of God’s promise to the second born. Jacob’s birth is described in Genesis 25:20-34:

…and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Padan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord.

The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.’

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Notice verses 25-26 describe the brother grasping Esau’s heel, “so he was named Jacob.” Here we see that the true, actual meaning of the name Jacob is “he grabs his heel” or, in essence, “one who comes after.” Throughout history most cultures, including this one, bestowed special duties and blessings on the first born. In this case however, God’s blessings were promised to the second born, and I believe that since they were twins, Rebekah felt the need to permanently identify her second born the best way she knew how — with a name.

Jacob Receives the Blessing

Many believe that Jacob means deceiver based on the story of how he received the birthright and blessing instead of Isaac’s first born son Esau. Let’s begin with a look at Chapter 25 of Genesis, verses 29-34:

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished! (That is why he was also called Edom.)

Jacob replied, ‘first sell me your birthright.’

‘Look, I am about to die,’ Esau said. ‘What good is the birthright to me?’

But Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Now let’s take a look at Chapter 27 where it describes the deception:

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, ‘My son.’

‘Here I am,’ he answered.

Isaac said, ‘I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your weapons – your quiver and bow – and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.’

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, ‘Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau,’ ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.’

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘But my brother Esau  is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.’

His mother said to him, ‘ My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.’

So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

He went to his father and said, ‘My father.’

‘Yes, my son,’ he answered. ‘Who is it?’

Jacob said to his father, ‘I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing.’

The story continues for a few verses, and we pick it up again in starting in verse 30:

After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, ‘My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.’

His father Isaac asked him, ‘Who are you?’

‘I am your son, ‘he answered, ‘your firstborn, Esau.’

Isaac trembled violently and said, ‘Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him — and indeed he will be blessed!’

When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, ‘Bless me — me too, my father!’

But he said, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’

Esau said, ‘Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?’ He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!’ Then he asked, ‘Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?’

Isaac answered Esau, ‘ I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?’

Esau said to his father, ‘Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!’ Then Esau wept aloud.

Notice what Esau tells his father: “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?”  In other words, isn’t he rightly identified as the second born? Esau is reminding his father of the birth order and, as the first born, he should get the birthright and the blessing. Now notice Esau’s lie: “He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” This is interesting because remember we saw previously that Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup — and now Esau is pinning the blame on his younger brother! You may say well, this is interesting but wasn’t Jacob lying? And the answer is — absolutely, but take a look at how scripture remembers the event. In the New Testament book of Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 17 we see the following: “See that no one is sexually immoral, or Godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” Scripture remembers Esau’s role but not Jacob’s.

As the scriptures above show, the actual meaning of Jacob’s name, “he grabs his heel” or, in other words, “one who comes after,” is rich in contextual meaning and identifies him with God’s promise. Also, at the time of Jacob’s birth, his mother did not have any knowledge about anything good or bad that might occur in his life. She only knew that God said her second born would receive the blessing and she named him accordingly. In fact, scripture verifies this in Romans 9:6-13:

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: ‘At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.’

Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls — she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’

You are probably wondering what the promise is and what it means for us today. I believe the promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Consider Hebrews 11:8, which says:

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Issac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundation, whose architect and builder is God.

Galatians 3:29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Part One Conclusion

In conclusion, a person’s name is their identity, and that is exactly why Jacob received his name — it identifies him with God’s promise.

In Part Two, the next installment of this series, we will take another look at the story of Jacob receiving the blessing and see that it is a remarkable illustration of his mother’s faith and God’s amazing grace.