Timeline of Jacob's Life

A table showing Jacob's age at various events in his life.


EventJacob's Age
Esau married two Canaanite women
40
Jacob flees Esau &
Betrothal to Rachel
77
End of Leah's 7 years &
Marriage to Leah & Rachel
84
End of Rachel's 7 years &
Birth of Joseph
91
Jacob leaves Laban
97
Joseph is sold by his brothers
108
Joseph is brought before Pharaoh &
Beginning of the 7 years of plenty
121
Beginning of the 7 years of famine
128
Jacob stands before Pharaoh
130
Jacob dies
147


My first thought on laying this out was "Why did Jacob wait so long to find a wife?" Evidently, like his mother Rebekah, he knew the Canaanite women were unacceptable, but he wasn't willing to strike out on his own without direction from his parents.

My second thought was "Jacob was 77 years old when he fell in love with Rachel," and she returned his love! People were longer lived, so he remained healthy and virile much later than men do today, but women also married young. Rachel was likely between 15 and 25, probably somewhere in the middle.

And my third thought was "All 6 of Leah's sons were born between when Jacob was 84 and 91. Could Leah really have had 6 children in just 7 years?" But my mother had 5 children in 5 years, so why not? Breastfeeding tends to suppress fertility, naturally spacing children out every couple of years, but it doesn't always work that way.

Things that make you go "hmm."

Thematic Connections: Jacob and Laban vs Israel and Egypt

The Flood, Sodom, and Egypt.

Lot and Rahab.

Joseph and Jesus.

Moses and Deborah.

Yom Kippur and the Blessing of Jacob and Esau.

There are parallels everywhere. Now check out this one!

Jacob and LabanIsrael and Egypt
Jacob was initially received by Laban with joyJacob was initially received by Pharaoh with joy
Jacob married the daughters of LabanJoseph & other Hebrews married Egyptians
Jacob cared for Laban’s livestock & benefitedIsrael cared for Pharaoh’s livestock & benefited
Laban prospered because of JacobEgypt prospered because of Israel
Laban hated Jacob when he saw how much Jacob prosperedPharaoh hated Israel when he saw how much they prospered and multiplied
Laban cheated and oppressed JacobPharaoh enslaved and oppressed Israel
Laban was impoverished by his enmity against JacobEgypt was devastated by their enmity against Israel
Laban treated his daughters and their children by Jacob as foreignersEgypt treated the mixed multitude with Israel as foreigners
God told Jacob to leave Israel and went with himGod told Israel to leave Egypt and went with them
Jacob, with his wives and children, left Laban in a hurry with Laban’s wealthIsrael, with the mixed multitude, left Egypt in a hurry with Egypt’s wealth
Jacob crossed a body of water to escape LabanIsrael crossed a body of water to escape Egypt
Rachel stole Laban’s idolsIsrael took Egypt’s idolatry with them into the wilderness
Laban pursued Jacob after 3 days and caught up with them after 7 daysPharaoh pursued Israel and caught up with them at their 3rd-day camp
God intervened to keep Laban from harming JacobGod intervened to keep Pharaoh from harming Israel
Laban claimed ownership of Jacob’s childrenPharaoh claimed ownership of Israelite children
Laban changed Jacob’s wages 10 timesEgypt was inflicted by 10 plagues
Jacob’s existence as a family separate from Laban was confirmed at a monument on a mountainIsrael’s existence as a nation separate from Egypt was confirmed on Mount Sinai
When Jacob went to Laban, he set up a single stone. When he left, he set up a pile of stonesWhen Israel entered Egypt, they were small. When they left, they were a vast multitude
God saw Jacob’s distress and passed judgment in his favor in the nightGod saw Israel’s distress and passed judgment in their favor in the night
Laban blessed Jacob and made a covenant of peace with himPharaoh cursed Israel and he was destroyed with his army.
This pattern is the pattern of God's people in exile and in return. God dropped a pebble and the ripples extend from one end of time to the other.