Comparing Jacob And Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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Jacob and Odysseus are completely different in a literary sense; meaning that Odysseus is fictional and Jacob is historical. They share the obvious character traits of deceitfulness and pride. They both experience lifelong obstacles and eventually overcome them.
In the historical account of Jacob, he grew content in the comfort of his tent, while Esau, his brother, grew to become a “skilled hunter”.
Genesis 25:27 “The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.” (NIV)
Being resourceful, Jacob deceives Esau and his father into selling him Esau’s birthright and blessing.
Genesis 27:41, Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father …show more content…

Because of his resourcefulness, he is able to thrive away from his homeland. He is able to use his cunning ways to avoid trouble. Odysseus loves his wife Penelope and never ceases to find her. In book V, Calypso offers her hand in marriage to Odysseus, however, he declines because of his love for Penelope. Then, Calypso offers immortality if he stays but still, he refuses. “Well, I wish you luck all the same. If you knew what troubles you will have before you get to Ithaca, you would stay here and keep this house with me, and be immortal, however much you might want to see your wife whom you long for day in and day out.” (The Odyssey Pg. …show more content…

Odysseus teaches us of perseverance. He never loses hope of returning home no matter what trial has been placed before him. Jacob and Odysseus relate through their relationships with Rachel and Penelope, God and Athena and their lifelong journey.
Jacobs’s story teaches us to trust in God, for He is in control. It is common that when we our struggling, we pull away from God instead of trusting in Him. Odysseus teaches us of perseverance. He never loses hope of returning home no matter what trial has been placed before him. We can learn from both Jacob and Odysseus that in the midst of pride, self-confidence, and resourcefulness we need to remain humble. No matter how strong people believe they are, weakness will always exist.
While pride and resourcefulness can be beneficial, they can often impede on one’s judgment. Due to sin, people take these traits and turn them into negative traits. God longs for us to be humble, so often he will set trials in our lives to remind us of his power over us. Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life. (Proverbs

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