All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

GENESIS 46:26KJV
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Genesis 46:26 (KJV)

What does Genesis 46:26 mean?

Genesis 46:26 states that the total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who traveled with him to Egypt, not counting his sons’ wives, was sixty-six people. This count specifically includes only those who were born from Jacob’s own family line.

Genesis 46:26 is part of a list describing Jacob’s journey from Canaan to Egypt during a famine, as he and his family go to join Joseph. The verse clarifies exactly who is included in the count—those coming from Jacob’s own “loins”—and leaves out the wives of his sons, making the family tally precise for the story’s purposes.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 46:26

  • The word for “souls” is נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), which often means a living being or person. Here, it emphasizes the individual members of Jacob’s family, not just an abstract number.
  • The phrase “came out of his loins” uses יָרֵךְ (yarek, “loins”), a Hebrew way of saying direct physical descendants. This makes clear that only Jacob’s blood relatives are counted, not in-laws.
  • The number “threescore and six” is שִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ (shishim va-shesh, “sixty-six”), showing the exact total of Jacob’s descendants who made the journey, which is important for the genealogy and the unfolding story.

Why Genesis 46:26 matters

  • This verse helps prevent confusion about how many people actually made the journey with Jacob by specifying who is and isn’t included in the count.
  • The careful listing of Jacob’s descendants sets up the later story of the Israelites’ growth into a large nation while in Egypt.
  • By focusing on those who “came out of his loins,” the verse highlights the importance of family lineage in the biblical narrative and connects the story to earlier promises made to the patriarchs.

Where else these words appear

“loins” Hebrew H3409 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
  • Exodus 37:17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
  • Judges 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

“threescore” Hebrew H8346 · used in 56 verses

  • Genesis 5:15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
  • Numbers 31:39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.
  • 2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.