How Many Persons Were in Jacob’s Household When They Moved Into Egypt?

Please Help Us Keep These Thousands of Blog Posts Growing and Free for All

$5.00

The Numbers in Genesis 46:26-27 and Acts 7:14

The question of how many people from Jacob’s household entered Egypt is a commonly cited Bible difficulty. Genesis 46:26-27 states:

“All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his direct descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.”

In contrast, Acts 7:14 records Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin, in which he states:

“Then Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all.”

At first glance, this seems to be a contradiction. How can Genesis report seventy while Stephen, inspired by the Holy Spirit, states seventy-five? The solution lies in understanding how the numbers were calculated and whether different textual traditions were used.

The Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Septuagint

The discrepancy arises from the textual differences between the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint. The Masoretic Text (MT), which is the basis for most Old Testament translations, lists seventy people in Genesis 46:27. This includes Jacob, his children, grandchildren, and Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt.

The Septuagint (LXX), an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures widely used in the first century, records seventy-five in Genesis 46:27. The extra five people likely come from an addition found in the Septuagint’s version of Genesis 46:20, which includes Joseph’s five grandsons. These names do not appear in the Hebrew text but were known in later Jewish traditions.

Since Stephen was speaking Greek and using the Septuagint—a text commonly cited by New Testament writers—his reference to seventy-five follows that version’s enumeration.

How Do We Account for the Numbers?

There are multiple ways to reconcile the seventy versus seventy-five issue, and all of them show that there is no contradiction but rather different methods of counting.

One explanation is that the seventy in Genesis includes only the direct male descendants of Jacob, excluding wives and any extended family members. The number seventy-five in Acts may include additional family members, such as the wives of Jacob’s sons or Joseph’s grandsons, as recorded in the Septuagint.

Genesis 46:26 clarifies that the sixty-six mentioned there excludes Jacob himself, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. When these three are added, the number reaches seventy. The Septuagint’s extra five individuals explain how Acts 7:14 arrives at seventy-five.

Some scholars propose another logical explanation: Stephen was referencing an alternative Jewish tradition, possibly one circulating in Alexandria, where the Septuagint was widely used. It was common for variations in genealogical records to exist in different Jewish communities.

Did Luke Make a Mistake in Acts?

Some critics argue that Luke, the author of Acts, made an error in recording Stephen’s speech. However, this ignores the fact that Luke was an educated historian who carefully researched his writings (Luke 1:1-4). The New Testament authors frequently quoted from the Septuagint, so it is entirely reasonable that Stephen, who was addressing a Greek-speaking audience, used the figure from that version.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit inspired both Genesis and Acts, and any perceived discrepancies must be examined with an understanding of how ancient texts were transmitted and translated.

What About the Wives of Jacob’s Sons?

Another possible explanation is that Genesis 46 does not count the wives of Jacob’s sons, whereas Acts 7:14 does. If we assume that Stephen included nine wives (since Judah’s wife was deceased, Simeon’s wife may have been as well, and Joseph’s wife was an Egyptian), this brings the count up to seventy-five.

This theory aligns with the idea that Stephen, speaking to the Sanhedrin, would have been familiar with Jewish traditions that included extended family members in genealogical records.

Does This Affect the Inerrancy of Scripture?

This difference in numbers does not represent a contradiction but rather a variation in textual traditions and methods of counting. Many biblical numbers are rounded, symbolic, or counted according to specific cultural customs. For example, genealogies in Scripture often skip generations for theological or literary purposes.

Since both seventy and seventy-five are derived from legitimate textual sources, the apparent discrepancy is easily explained by considering:

The use of the Septuagint by New Testament authors
The inclusion of Joseph’s grandsons in some Jewish traditions
The potential addition of wives of Jacob’s sons in some calculations

Rather than undermining the accuracy of the Bible, these variations demonstrate the depth of biblical history and the faithfulness of scribes in preserving textual traditions.

Conclusion

Genesis 46:26-27 and Acts 7:14 do not contradict each other but reflect different textual traditions and methods of counting. The Hebrew Masoretic Text records seventy, while the Greek Septuagint records seventy-five by including Joseph’s five grandsons. Stephen, quoting from the widely used Septuagint, naturally used that number in his speech.

This shows the importance of understanding the context of biblical texts and demonstrates that variations in numbers often have historical and textual explanations rather than being contradictions.

You May Also Enjoy

What Are Some Proven Ways to Handle Bible Difficulties?

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).