Jacob and Esau

This is the story of Isaac's children: Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddam-aram, sister of Laban.

Isaac pleaded with Jehovah to give Rebekah a child, for even after many years of marriage she had no children. Then at last she became pregnant. And it seemed as though children were fighting each other inside her!

"I can't endure this," she exclaimed. So she asked the Lord about it.

And he told her, "The sons in your womb shall become two rival nations. One will be stronger than the other; and the older shall be a servant of the younger!"

And sure enough, she had twins. The first was born so covered with reddish hair that one would think he was wearing a fur coat! So they called him "Esau." Then the other twin was born with his hand on Esau's heel! So they called him Jacob (meaning "Grabber"). Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

As the boys grew, Esau became a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a quiet sort who liked to stay at home. Isaac's favorite was Esau, because of the venison he brought home, and Rebekah's favorite was Jacob.

One day Jacob was cooking stew when Esau arrived home exhausted from the hunt.

Esau: "Boy, am I starved! Give me a bite of that red stuff there!" (From this came his nickname "Edom," which means "Red Stuff.")
Jacob: "All right, trade me your birthright for it!"
Esau: "When a man is dying of starvation, what good is his birthright?"
Jacob: "Well then, vow to God that it is mine!"

And Esau vowed, thereby selling all his eldest-son rights to his younger brother. Then Jacob gave Esau bread, peas, and stew; so he ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the loss of the rights he had thrown away.

Isaac and Abimelech »

TEXT SOURCE: (Genesis 25:19-34) The Children's Living Bible, ©1970 Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187
TITLE SOURCE: The New Student Bible, ©1992 Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan 49530