The twelve tribes

Jacob’s sons and grandsons, as Genesis lists those who went to Egypt

Jacob’s twelve sons and his daughter Dinah, under their mothers, and their children as Genesis lists the family that went down to Egypt. Exodus, Numbers and 1 Chronicles list the same families again, sometimes with other spellings, other names or a different number of sons; the notes say where.

JacobAlso called: Israel · Lived 147 years (Gen 47:28)
Genesis counts sixty-six who came with him to Egypt, besides his sons’ wives, and “seventy in all” with Joseph’s family. Exodus and Deuteronomy also say seventy; Stephen, in Acts, says seventy-five.
Gen 25:26 · Gen 32:28 · Gen 46:8
- Wife
  Leah
  Laban’s elder daughter, Jacob’s first wife. Genesis counts her sons and grandsons, with Dinah, as thirty-three.
  Gen 29:16 · Gen 46:15
- Wife
  Rachel
  Laban’s younger daughter. Genesis counts her sons and grandsons as fourteen.
  Gen 29:16 · Gen 46:19
- Wife
  Bilhah
  The servant Laban gave to Rachel; Rachel gave her to Jacob “as a wife.” Genesis counts her sons and grandsons as seven.
  Gen 29:29 · Gen 30:4 · Gen 46:25
- Wife
  Zilpah
  The servant Laban gave to Leah; Leah gave her to Jacob “as a wife.” Genesis counts her sons and grandsons as sixteen.
  Gen 29:24 · Gen 30:9 · Gen 46:18
1. ReubenMother: Leah
  Jacob’s firstborn. Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and 1 Chronicles name the same four sons.
  Gen 29:32 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:8
  1. HanochGen 46:9 · Num 26:5
  2. Pallu
    His grandsons Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses with Korah.
    Gen 46:9 · Num 26:5
  3. Hezron
    Reuben’s son — not Hezron the son of Perez.
    Gen 46:9 · Num 26:6
  4. CarmiGen 46:9 · Num 26:6
2. SimeonMother: Leah
  Genesis and Exodus name six sons. Numbers and 1 Chronicles name five, without Ohad, and spell some names differently: Nemuel for Jemuel, Zerah for Zohar, and in 1 Chronicles Jarib for Jachin.
  Gen 29:33 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:10
  1. JemuelAlso called: NemuelGen 46:10 · Exod 6:15
  2. JaminGen 46:10 · Num 26:12
  3. Ohad
    Named in Genesis and Exodus, but not among Simeon’s sons in Numbers or 1 Chronicles.
    Gen 46:10 · Exod 6:15
  4. JachinAlso called: JaribGen 46:10 · Num 26:12
  5. ZoharAlso called: ZerahGen 46:10 · Exod 6:15
  6. Shaul
    “The son of a Canaanite woman,” Genesis says; it does not name her.
    Gen 46:10 · Num 26:13
3. LeviMother: Leah · Lived 137 years (Exod 6:16)
  Every list names the same three sons, and the Levites are counted by their clans. His daughter Jochebed, “born to Levi in Egypt,” was the mother of Aaron and Moses.
  Gen 29:34 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:11
  1. GershonAlso called: GershomGen 46:11 · Exod 6:16 · Num 3:17
  2. KohathLived 133 years (Exod 6:18)
    Through his son Amram, the grandfather of Aaron and Moses.
    Gen 46:11 · Exod 6:16 · Num 3:17
  3. MerariGen 46:11 · Exod 6:16 · Num 3:17
4. JudahMother: Leah
  Er, Onan and Shelah were born to the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite; the twins Perez and Zerah to Tamar. Numbers names the clans of Shelah, Perez and Zerah, and of Perez’s sons Hezron and Hamul.
  Gen 29:35 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:12
  - Mother of his sons
    Tamar
    The widow of Judah’s son Er. She bore Judah twin sons.
    Gen 38:6 · Gen 38:27
  1. Er
    Judah’s firstborn and Tamar’s first husband. Genesis names him among Judah’s sons, adding that Er and Onan “died in the land of Canaan.”
    Gen 38:3 · Gen 46:12
  2. Onan
    Judah’s second son. Like Er, he “died in the land of Canaan.”
    Gen 38:4 · Gen 46:12
  3. Shelah
    Judah’s third son; Numbers names a clan after him.
    Gen 38:5 · Gen 46:12
  4. PerezMother: Tamar
    The twin born first. Genesis names his two sons among those who went to Egypt; Numbers and 1 Chronicles name the same two.
    Gen 38:29 · Gen 46:12
    1. Hezron
      Perez’s son — not Hezron the son of Reuben. The line to King David runs through him.
      Gen 46:12 · Ruth 4:18
    2. HamulGen 46:12 · Num 26:21 · 1 Chr 2:5
  5. ZerahMother: Tamar
    The twin born with the scarlet thread on his wrist. Genesis names no sons of his; 1 Chronicles names five.
    Gen 38:30 · Gen 46:12
5. DanMother: Bilhah
  Genesis names one son, Hushim; Numbers names one clan, from Shuham.
  Gen 30:6 · Gen 35:25 · Gen 46:23
6. HushimAlso called: ShuhamGen 46:23
7. NaphtaliMother: Bilhah
  Every list names the same four sons; 1 Chronicles spells two of them Jahziel and Shallum.
  Gen 30:8 · Gen 35:25 · Gen 46:24
  1. JahzeelAlso called: JahzielGen 46:24 · Num 26:48
  2. GuniGen 46:24 · Num 26:48 · 1 Chr 7:13
  3. JezerGen 46:24 · Num 26:49 · 1 Chr 7:13
  4. ShillemAlso called: ShallumGen 46:24 · Num 26:49
8. GadMother: Zilpah
  Numbers names the same seven clans, in the same order; three of the names are spelled differently there: Zephon, Ozni and Arod.
  Gen 30:11 · Gen 35:26 · Gen 46:16
  1. ZiphionAlso called: ZephonGen 46:16
  2. HaggiGen 46:16 · Num 26:15
  3. ShuniGen 46:16 · Num 26:15
  4. EzbonAlso called: OzniGen 46:16
  5. EriGen 46:16 · Num 26:16
  6. ArodiAlso called: ArodGen 46:16
  7. AreliGen 46:16 · Num 26:17
9. AsherMother: Zilpah
  Numbers names three sons, without Ishvah, and his daughter Serah; 1 Chronicles names his children as Genesis does.
  Gen 30:13 · Gen 35:26 · Gen 46:17
  1. ImnahGen 46:17 · Num 26:44 · 1 Chr 7:30
  2. Ishvah
    Named in Genesis and 1 Chronicles, but not among Asher’s clans in Numbers.
    Gen 46:17 · 1 Chr 7:30
  3. IshviGen 46:17 · Num 26:44 · 1 Chr 7:30
  4. Beriah
    Genesis, Numbers and 1 Chronicles all name his two sons.
    Gen 46:17 · Num 26:44 · 1 Chr 7:30
    1. HeberGen 46:17 · Num 26:45 · 1 Chr 7:31
    2. MalchielGen 46:17 · Num 26:45 · 1 Chr 7:31
  5. Serah
    Asher’s daughter, “their sister Serah,” named in all three lists.
    Gen 46:17 · Num 26:46 · 1 Chr 7:30
10. IssacharMother: Leah
  Numbers and 1 Chronicles name the same four sons, with Jashub where Genesis has Job; 1 Chronicles spells the second Puah.
  Gen 30:18 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:13
  1. TolaGen 46:13 · Num 26:23 · 1 Chr 7:1
  2. PuvahAlso called: PuahGen 46:13 · Num 26:23
  3. JobAlso called: Jashub
    Numbers and 1 Chronicles call him Jashub. Not Job of the book of Job.
    Gen 46:13
  4. ShimronGen 46:13 · Num 26:24 · 1 Chr 7:1
11. ZebulunMother: Leah
  Numbers names the same three clans; 1 Chronicles gives no list of his sons.
  Gen 30:20 · Gen 35:23 · Gen 46:14
  1. SeredGen 46:14 · Num 26:26
  2. ElonGen 46:14 · Num 26:26
  3. JahleelGen 46:14 · Num 26:26
12. DinahMother: Leah
  Named in the list with Leah’s sons: “in addition to his daughter Dinah.”
  Gen 30:21 · Gen 34:1 · Gen 46:15
13. JosephMother: Rachel · Lived 110 years (Gen 50:26)
  Already in Egypt; his two sons were born there. Jacob said, “Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine,” and Numbers counts their clans separately.
  Gen 30:24 · Gen 35:24 · Gen 46:19
  - Wife
    Asenath
    Daughter of Potiphera, priest of On; Pharaoh gave her to Joseph as his wife.
    Gen 41:45 · Gen 46:20
  1. ManassehMother: Asenath
    Joseph’s firstborn, born in Egypt. Jacob counted him and Ephraim as his own sons.
    Gen 41:51 · Gen 46:20
  2. EphraimMother: Asenath
    Joseph’s younger son, on whose head Jacob put his right hand, putting him ahead of Manasseh.
    Gen 41:52 · Gen 46:20
14. BenjaminAlso called: Ben-oni · Mother: Rachel
  Genesis names ten sons. Numbers names five clans — Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shupham, Hupham — and calls Ard and Naaman sons of Bela; 1 Chronicles names three sons in one list and five in another. The tree follows Genesis.
  Gen 35:18 · Gen 35:24 · Gen 46:19
  1. Bela
    Benjamin’s firstborn, the one son named in every list. Numbers and 1 Chronicles name sons of his.
    Gen 46:21 · Num 26:38 · 1 Chr 7:6 · 1 Chr 8:1
  2. Becher
    Named again as Benjamin’s son in 1 Chronicles, but not among Benjamin’s clans in Numbers, which names a clan of Becher among Ephraim’s.
    Gen 46:21 · 1 Chr 7:6
  3. Ashbel
    Numbers and 1 Chronicles name him second, after Bela.
    Gen 46:21 · Num 26:38 · 1 Chr 8:1
  4. Gera
    1 Chronicles names a Gera among the sons of Bela.
    Gen 46:21
  5. Naaman
    Numbers calls Ard and Naaman sons of Bela, Benjamin’s firstborn; 1 Chronicles also names a Naaman among Bela’s sons.
    Gen 46:21
  6. EhiGen 46:21
  7. RoshGen 46:21
  8. Muppim
    Numbers names a clan of Shupham among Benjamin’s; the text does not say whether he is Muppim.
    Gen 46:21
  9. Huppim
    Numbers names a clan of Hupham among Benjamin’s; the text does not say whether he is Huppim.
    Gen 46:21
  10. Ard
    Numbers calls Ard and Naaman sons of Bela, Benjamin’s firstborn.
    Gen 46:21

Family trees

People and links: Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0), each one checked against the text of the Bible. No dates: only the lifespans the text itself gives.

Theographic Bible Metadata · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Berean Standard Bible