THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
The esteemed Moses lists the descendants of Jacob, using his account to impart lessons on the qualities of the virtuous individual. To dispel any notion that Jacob's unions with Rachel, Leah, and the two handmaids were merely coincidental, Moses illustrates that these relationships were purposeful, intended to ensure that the twelve tribes would originate from him. Consequently, Scripture omits any mention of other sons he may have had, emphasizing that their births were neither random nor without significance.
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"But the sons," it states, "Jacob had twelve." The text distinguishes between the offspring of Leah and those of Rachel before also counting the children of the maidservants, concluding with the remark, "These are the sons of Jacob, born to him in Mesopotamia." However, Benjamin was born as Jacob was journeying towards Bethlehem; so why does the Scripture say, "born to him in Mesopotamia"? It is possible that Rachel was already with child prior to their departure from Mesopotamia.