What does Exodus 1:2 mean?

Question

Accepted Answer

Exodus 1:2 lists the names of four of Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. This verse is part of a longer list naming the sons of Jacob who came to Egypt, setting the stage for the story of the Israelites in Egypt. The book of Exodus begins by recalling the family of Jacob (also called Israel) who migrated to Egypt during a famine. These names are the heads of the tribes of Israel, and mentioning them here reminds readers of the family roots of the nation. This verse is not a teaching or command, but a record of ancestry that connects the story of Exodus to the earlier stories in Genesis.

Exodus 1:2 (KJV)