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I thought Jacob had 13 children, being Benjamin the last one. By

  • Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Essachar, Zebulun and Dinah
  • Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin
  • Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali
  • Zilpah: Gad and Asher

which makes a total of 13.

Yet, from this answer in Quora

Yes, the Bible does indicate that Jacob had more than one daughter. However, it is instructive to note that only Dinah is mentioned (Genesis 30:19–21; 34:1–3; 46:15) .

which references passages that point to Jacob having "daughters" (plural, more than one) such as Genesis 37:34-35

34 So Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

Genesis 46:5-7

5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

and then in Genesis 46:15

These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

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  • 1
    It is worth noting that the total given in Genesis 46:15 gives one more than those listed(minus Er/Onan) in its preceding verses.
    – user21676
    Jan 13, 2021 at 21:45
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    A brief scan in Strongs concordance indicated that the word “bath” can mean both daughter and daughters. If this is true, which maybe someone can confirm, then the word “bath” in the questioned verses does not necessarily mean daughters but could actually just mean one daughter.
    – Constantthin
    Jan 13, 2021 at 22:42
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    “Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34:9*‬ ‭Hamor makes the point of daughters too, whether because he didn’t know any better or because he knew of Dinah’s family from Dinah. *“Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34:16‬ The response doesn’t necessarily mean they have other sisters, it was probably intended to be a long term alliance for generations to come. Thought you might appreciate these verses
    – Nihil Sine Deo
    Jan 14, 2021 at 4:58

1 Answer 1

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+50

This is fairly uncomplicated. In Hebrew idiom, "son" and "daughter" does not necessarily mean the immediate progeny of the person. For example:

  • Luke 13:16 - Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”
  • Eze 16:48 - As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

Thus, while only one daughter of Jacob is recorded, Dinah, this does not prevent his sons' daughters' still being called "daughters of Jacob".

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