Bible Commentary

Exodus 1:2-5

Exodus 1:2-5

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public Domain

The sons of the legitimate wives Leah and Rachel are placed first, in the order of their seniority (; ; ); then these of the secondary wives, or concubines, also in the order of their birth ().

The order is different from that observed in ; and seems intended to do honour to legitimate, as opposed to secondary, wedlock. The omission of Joseph follows necessarily from the exact form of the opening phrase, "These are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt with Jacob."

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