Jacob and Joseph are Mentioned

John W. Welch

Verse 7 talks about the two sons that were born in the wilderness. The elder was called Jacob and the younger was called Joseph. What is the significance of naming their last two sons Jacob and Joseph? Jacob surely comes from the famous patriarch of the Old Testament, whose father was Isaac, whose grandfather was Abraham, and whose sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. And Joseph? Lehi’s noteworthy discourse in 2 Nephi 3, which is all about the prophecies of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, indicates his admiration for his recently discovered ancestor who also left Israel so that his family might eventually prosper.

Further Reading

Matthew Bowen, "’And There Wrestled a Man with Him’ (Genesis 32:24): Enos’s Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10 (2014): 151–159.

John W. Welch Notes

References