“sons of Jacob.” God does not call them “the tribes of Israel” here. They are the “sons of Jacob;” Jacob, that “heel snatcher,” who was on and off for Yahweh and wavered just as his descendants were now doing toward Yahweh.

“to whom the word of Yahweh came.” God chose Israel as His people and guided them with His Word, which was a special blessing to those people (cp. the special blessing on people who received specific revelation (John 10:35; Jer. 1:2)).