Augustine of Hippo : WHAT DO YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SOULS OF JACOB? — In relation to what Scripture says, that Leah begot so many souls, or that so many souls left the thigh of Jacob, we must note how it is answered to those who try to confirm by this text that the fathers propagate the souls at the same time as the bodies. Well, no one can doubt that with this expression the author speaks of souls to refer to people, as when one mentions the part to refer to the whole. In spite of this, there is the problem of separating the part that has given name to the whole, that is to say, the soul, whose name designates the complete man, of what the text says next: “they left his thighs (Gen. 46:26).” Well, even if only the souls are mentioned, it is necessary to accept that only the body left Jacob. But to solve the problem we must investigate the modes of expression of the Scriptures. [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 149 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)