How old was Jacob when he wrestled with God?

[tonychanyt]

How old was Jacob when Joseph was born?

Joseph was 30 when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream (Genesis 41:46).

7 years of plenty + 2 years of famine later (Ge 45:6), Jacob came to Egypt when Joseph was 39.

Soon after that, Jacob came to Egypt at 130 (Genesis 47:9).

So, Jacob was 130-39=91 when Joseph was born in Paddan Aram.

Jacob was at least 91 when he wrestled with God.

Can we be more precise?

Joseph was born after Jacob had completed 14 years of service to Laban (Ge 30:24) and before he left Laban after working for him for 20 years (Ge 31:41). That was a six-year interval.

If Joseph was born at the beginning of the interval, Jacob was 91+6=97 when he wrestled with God.

When Jacob wrestled with God, he was between 91 and 97. The middle value was 94.

 

[Jonas1964]

How do you determined the age of Jacob when he wrestled with the Angel of the covenant in genesis 32?
He was about 97 years old. He was born about 1858 B.C., when Isaac his father was 60yrs old. (Genesis 25:26) Jacob was 77 yrs old when he left Beer-Sheba for the land of his fore parents, a land where he spent the next 20 years (Genesis 28:10, 31:38) so 77 + 20 years comes to 97 yrs old is the collect age mate he was when he wrestled with God.

 

[tonychanyt]

Jacob was 77 yrs old when he left Beer-Sheba for the land of his fore parents

Please show the precise calculation.

 

[KevinT]

How old was Jacob when Joseph was born?

Joseph was 30 when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream (Genesis 41:46).

7 years of plenty + 2 years of famine later (Ge 45:6), Jacob came to Egypt when Joseph was 39.

Soon after that, Jacob came to Egypt at 130 (Genesis 47:9).

So, Jacob was 130-39=91 when Joseph was born in Paddan Aram.

Jacob was at least 91 when he wrestled with God.

I followed you up to this last point. Are you saying that Joseph was alive when Jacob wrestled with God? I just went and read the passage. Jacob, as he was fleeing Laban it says he took his wives and children. But it doesn't specify the names of the children. But then I found this passage:

Gen 32: 22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

Since Benjamin was the 12th son, and Joseph the 11th, then it DOES mean that Joseph was alive when Jacob wrestled with God.

Joseph was born after Jacob had completed 14 years of service to Laban (Ge 30:24) and before he left Laban after working for him for 20 years (Ge 31:41). That was a six-year interval.

This point also confuses me. Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years, and then got married to Leah. He agreed to work another 7 years for Rachel, but he was given Rachel as the BEGINNING of the 7 yrs, not the end.

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 b, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

If Jacob fled home at age 16 yrs, and worked for 7 years for Laban, then he could have been with Rachel at age 23 yrs. If it was as long as 20 yrs before Rachel was able to conceive, that would still only make him 43 yrs when Joseph was born.

So I am confused.

If Joseph was born at the beginning of the interval, Jacob was 91+6=97 when he wrestled with God.

When Jacob wrestled with God, he was between 91 and 97. The middle value was 94.

Interesting post!

KT

 

[tonychanyt]

Are you saying that Joseph was alive when Jacob wrestled with God?

Right.
Ge 30: 22Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!” 25As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country.

This point also confuses me. Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years, and then got married to Leah. He agreed to work another 7 years for Rachel, but he was given Rachel as the BEGINNING of the 7 yrs, not the end.

Right, at the beginning of the second 7-year period.

If Jacob fled home at age 16 yrs,

See How old was Jacob when he fled Esau?