Exodus 1:1-5 · Bible study
Exodus 1:1-5 Commentary: Recapitulation and God's Multiplication Promise
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Exodus begin with the sons of Jacob and seventy souls? This study examines the recapitulation of Genesis and the significance of this small beginning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Exodus recaps the names and number of Jacob's family to link the narrative to God's promises, showing the small beginning that will become a great nation.
- Key words: 'Names' (shemot, the book's Hebrew title), 'souls' (nefesh, meaning persons), 'thigh' (yarekh, loins, emphasizing procreative power).
- Main debate: Whether the seventy souls includes Jacob or excludes him; see Genesis 46:27 and Deuteronomy 10:22.
- Theological theme: God's faithful multiplication of Abraham's seed despite human circumstances.
- Best use: A foundation for preaching God's covenant faithfulness and the importance of remembering our spiritual heritage.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5All the souls who came out of Jacob’s body were seventy souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already.
KJV King James Version 1769
1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: and Joseph was in Egypt already.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And these are the names of the sons of Israel who are coming into Egypt with Jacob; a man and his household have they come;
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5And all the persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as to Joseph, he was in Egypt.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And these are the names of the sons of Israel who had come into Egypt; with Jacob had they come, each with his household:
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5And all the souls that had come out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; and Joseph was in Egypt.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in every man with his household:
2Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
3Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
4Dan, and Nephthali, Gad and Aser.
5And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 1:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that these verses reintroduce the family of Jacob as they entered Egypt, connecting Exodus directly to the narratives of Genesis. Barnes notes that the opening 'And' (literally) ties back to the preceding account, while Calvin emphasizes that Moses intends to show the fulfillment of God's promise to multiply Abraham's seed. Keil & Delitzsch state that the repetition of names gives the history a character of completeness, and Gill observes that the small number of seventy is recorded so that the reader can later see how greatly the people increased. Cambridge describes the passage as a recapitulation of Genesis 35 and 46. The number seventy, drawn from Genesis 46:27, is a traditional total, though interpreters differ on whether it includes Jacob or not. All agree that the list sets the stage for the story of deliverance and demonstrates God's faithfulness to His covenant.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The passage is a deliberate recapitulation listing Jacob's sons and the number of seventy souls, anchoring the exodus narrative in the earlier promises to Abraham and setting the stage for God's miraculous multiplication of His people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The number seventy | All traditions take it as a traditional number from Genesis 46:27. | Some read it as excluding Jacob (so Jacob makes 71, based on the wording in Genesis 46:26, 27), while others include Jacob, relying on Deuteronomy 10:22. |
| Function of the list | It serves as a recapitulation connecting Exodus to Genesis and establishing the family of Israel. | Some emphasize its literary completeness (Keil & Delitzsch), others its role in highlighting future multiplication (Gill, Calvin). |
| The phrase 'sons of Israel' | Refers to the literal sons of Jacob, the patriarch. | In context it also anticipates the nation Israel, creating a subtle shift from family to people. |
| Why omit Joseph from the list | Joseph is already in Egypt, as verse 5 states. | Some see this as purely factual; others see it as literary distinction to highlight Joseph's exceptional position and the irony of his later being forgotten. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Exodus takes its Hebrew title, Shemot ('Names'), from the first words of this passage. The verses deliberately echo the lists of Jacob's sons in Genesis 35:23, 26 and 46:8, serving as a bridge between the patriarchs' stories and the national history that follows. Jacob's family entered Egypt during a famine, invited by Joseph who had risen to power. The phrase 'every man and his household' (v.1) underscores that entire family units came, fulfilling the pattern of God's blessing on the family line.
The sons are arranged by their mothers: the sons of Leah appear first (Reuben through Judah), then Rachel's sons (Benjamin, also Joseph who is separate), then the sons of the concubines (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher). This organization reflects the genealogical lists in Genesis and hints at the future distinct roles of the tribes. The expression 'came out of Jacob's thigh' (the Hebrew yarekh can refer to the loins, the seat of procreative power) emphasizes direct descent and God's promise of offspring. The number seventy carries symbolic weight: in Genesis 10 the world's nations number seventy, suggesting that Israel, though small, represents the full complement of God's purposes for humanity. By starting with this census, Moses sets a contrast between the tiny group that entered Egypt and the multitude that will leave. The mention that Joseph was already in Egypt (v.5) both explains his absence from the list and hints at the high position he held, a position that would soon be forgotten by a new king.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 1:1, 5. The number seventy appears consistently across manuscripts, though the specific counting (whether Jacob is included) is a matter of interpretation rather than textual corruption. The Hebrew text is stable.
Reception History
These verses have been read as a hinge between the patriarchal stories and the national epic. Early Jewish tradition, reflected in later rabbinic writings, uses the number seventy to connect Israel to the seventy nations of Genesis 10, seeing Israel as a microcosm of humanity. Christian interpreters in the early church, such as Origen, saw the movement from seventy souls to a great multitude as a type of the Church’s growth from a small apostolic band to a worldwide body. The list of names also became the basis for spiritual readings of the twelve tribes as representing virtues or stages of the spiritual life. In liturgy, the Hebrew title Shemot ('Names') has been used for the entire second book of Moses, tying this passage to the enduring identity of God’s people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God remembers His family by name. The list connects the present generation to the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- God works through small beginnings. Seventy souls seems insignificant, but it is the seed from which a great nation will grow.
- God prepares for deliverance before we see the need. Joseph’s presence in Egypt foreshadows the provision and protection God has already arranged.
Five-point outline
- Continuity with the past. The opening 'And' links Exodus to Genesis; God’s story does not restart, it continues.
- An ordered community. The sons are listed by their mothers, establishing the structure of the twelve tribes.
- The measure of blessing. Seventy souls, the starting number for a nation that will become 'as the stars of heaven.'
- A crucial exception. Joseph is already in Egypt, a detail that points to God’s providential timing.
- A transition to conflict. After this census comes the death of Joseph and the rise of a king who will oppress Israel.
Illustration hooks
- The small group of a church plant that meets in a living room, unaware that within a generation they will fill a building.
- A family reunion where the youngest great-grandchild can’t keep track of all the cousins, but the person who started the family line had just a few children.
- A box of seeds that contains tiny specks, yet each one carries the potential for a harvest that feeds hundreds.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible include long lists of names? Are they just for ancient audiences?
- Does the number seventy matter to me today, or is it just an old number?
- How do I trust God's promises when the start seems so small?
Leading a Discussion
This passage can feel like a simple repetition, but it holds deep significance. It reminds us that God tracks His people by name and number, and that He is faithful to His promises even when we are small and unnoticed.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What specific details from Genesis are repeated here? Why might the writer choose to start a new book with a recap?
- Observation: How are the sons of Jacob arranged? What pattern do you see in the order?
- Interpretation: The number seventy appears in Genesis 46:27 and Deuteronomy 10:22. What does the consistency of this number suggest about God’s record keeping?
- Interpretation: Verse 5 notes that Joseph was already in Egypt. Why is this detail important for understanding the story that follows?
- Application: In what situations do you feel like 'seventy souls', small, overlooked, or insignificant? How does this passage speak to that feeling?
- Application: The list connects the Exodus generation to the patriarchs. How can remembering your spiritual heritage strengthen your faith today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 29:31 | Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. |
| Genesis 30:21 | Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah. |
| Genesis 35:18 | As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin. |
| Genesis 35:23 | The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. |
| Genesis 35:26 | The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. |
| Genesis 46:8 | These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. |
| Genesis 46:26 | All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six. |
| Genesis 49:3 | “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the connective word "And," which links this passage directly to God's earlier promises to Abraham and Jacob. He notes that the writer's aim is a complete family census, and the mention of dependents shows the group was already sizable, a point that becomes important for the later Exodus story.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin points out that the descent into Egypt looked like the end of God's covenant with Abraham, but Moses begins by listing the patriarchs to show the promise of multiplying descendants was not in vain. In his own time, God abundantly fulfilled what he had sworn.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note highlights that the number "seventy souls" reflects two different traditions: the Priestly writer counts seventy persons excluding Jacob, while another tradition (seen in Deuteronomy) includes Jacob to reach the same total. The commentator also observes that the word "soul" meaning "person" appears nearly a hundred times in the Priestly source, far more often than elsewhere.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes draw attention to the precise number of seventy souls that came from Jacob's own descendants, noting that Joseph is not counted because he had already arrived in Egypt earlier. This detail clarifies the exact makeup of Jacob's family at the time
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the opening list of names connects Exodus directly to Genesis as one continuous history, signaled by the Hebrew word "and" joining the books. He sees the precise record of seventy souls as demonstrating how God's promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants was already beginning to be fulfilled.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the list of names in this verse is not a new record but a direct reference to the earlier genealogy in Genesis. The commentator draws attention to the continuity: the same families named in Jacob's migration are now being counted as the starting point for Israel's growth in Egypt.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees the repeated reference to seventy souls and the sons' names as deliberate, highlighting the start of God's promises being fulfilled through Israel's multiplication. The list follows the arrangement by their mothers and singles out Joseph, who was already in Egypt and held an exalted position there.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange views the midwives' lie as a desperate act born from extreme moral pressure, not a simple deception. He also notes their claim about the Hebrew women giving birth quickly had a factual basis, which softens the falsehood.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry treats Exodus as a new creation, where God forms Israel for himself just as he formed the world in Genesis. The name means departure, and Henry sees Israel's emergence from Egyptian slavery as a type of redemption, followed by receiving God's law and tabernacle.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Benjamin is listed before the sons of the handmaids because of their lower status. He also observes that the total of seventy souls matches the number of nations in Genesis 10, showing God's plan that the bounds of the peoples would correspond to Israel's number.