Esau the son of Isaac

Esau

Genesis 25:19-34. The birth of Esau the wayward older twin brother of Jacob.

Esau was a hunter who sold his birthright as the older son to his younger brother for food.

Esau was Isaac’s favorite son and a hunter of game.

Born 2005BC died after his twin brother Jacob who died in 1858BC.

Background Reading:

Birth of Esau

20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean from Paddan-aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, since she was unable to conceive children, and the LORD responded to him—his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

22 But when the infants kept on wrestling each other inside her womb, she asked herself, “Why is this happening?” So she asked the LORD for an explanation.

23 “Two nations are in your womb,” the LORD responded, “and two separate people will emerge. One people will be the stronger, and the older one will serve the younger.”

24 Sure enough, when her due date arrived, she delivered twin sons. 25 The first son came out reddish—his entire body was covered with hair—so they named him Esau. 26 After that, his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

Esau Sells His Rights as the First-born Son

27 As the boys were growing up, Esau became skilled at hunting and was a man of the outdoors, but Jacob was the quiet type who tended to stay indoors. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he loved to hunt, while Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau happened to come in from being outdoors, and he was feeling famished.

30 Esau told Jacob, “Let me gobble down some of this red stuff, since I’m starving.” (That’s how Esau got his nickname “Edom”.)

31 But Jacob responded, “Sell me your birthright. Do it now.”

32 “Look! I’m about to die,” Esau replied. “What good is this birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob insisted, “Swear it by an oath right now.” So he swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some of his food, along with some boiled stew. So Esau ate, drank, got up, and left, after having belittled his own birthright.
Genesis 25:19-34
Background reading Genesis 25:19-34, Genesis 27:30-40, 33:1-28 and 36:1-40

More Information:

Esau did things his own way, unlike his younger brother who eventually learned to do things God’s way.
Esau lost his inheritance because he was more interested in the present than the future.
Esau in Hebrew means: hairy.


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