Was Jacob a Trickster?

Description. The book of Genesis portrays the character Jacob as a brazen trickster who deceives members of his own family: his father Isaac, brother Esau, and uncle Laban. At the same time, Genesis depicts Jacob as YHWH's chosen, from whom the entire people Israel derive and for whom they are named.

Why was Jacob known as a trickster?

In this story, Jacob demonstrates his role as trickster as he tricks his brother out of his birthright and his father's blessing, tricks his father into blessing him instead of Esau, tricks his uncle out of his best cattle , and attempts to trick his brother again when they meet years later.

What does trickster mean in the Bible?

In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human, or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and defy conventional behavior.