Genesis 26:2 | 63
25:21 s 1Ch 5:20 ; 2Ch 33:13 ; Ezr 8:23 ;
Ps 127:3 ; Ro 9:10
25:22 t 1Sa 9:9 ; 10:22
25:23 u Ge 17:4 v Ge 27:29 , 40 ;
Mal 1:3 ; Ro 9:11‐12 * 25:25 w Ge 27:11
25:26 x Hos 12:3 y Ge 27:36
25:27 z Ge 27:3 , 5
25:28 a Ge 27:19 b Ge 27:6
25:33 c Ge 27:36 ; Heb 12:16
26:1 d Ge 12:10 e Ge 20:1
26:2 f Ge 12:7 ; 17:1 ; 18:1 g Ge 12:1
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on be half of his wife , be cause she was child less . The Lord an swered his prayer , s and his wife Re bekah be came preg nant . 22 The ba bies jos tled each other within her , and she said , “ Why is this hap pen ing to me ?” So she went to in quire of the Lord . t
23 The Lord said to her ,
“ Two nations u are in your womb , and two peoples from within you will be separated ; one people will be stronger than the other , and the older will serve the younger . v ”
24 When the time came for her to give birth , there were twin boys in her womb . 25 The first to come out was red , and his whole body was like a hairy gar ment ; w so they named him Esau . a 26 Af ter this , his brother came out , with his hand grasp ing Esau ’ s heel ; x so he was named Jacob . b y Isaac was sixty years old when Re bekah gave birth to them .
27 The boys grew up , and Esau be came a skill ful hunter , a man of the open coun try , z while Ja cob was con tent to stay at home among the tents . 28 Isaac , who had a taste for wild game , a loved Esau , but Rebekah loved Jacob . b
29 Once when Ja cob was cook ing some stew , Esau came in from the open coun try , famished . 30 He said to Ja cob , “ Quick , let me have some of that red stew ! I ’ m fam ished !” ( That is why he was also called Edom . c ) 31 Ja cob re plied , “ First sell me your birth right .” 32 “ Look , I am about to die ,” Esau said . “ What good is the birth right to me ?” 33 But Ja cob said , “ Swear to me first .” So he swore an oath to him , sell ing his birth right c to Jacob . 34 Then Ja cob gave Esau some bread and some len til stew . He ate and drank , and then got up and left . So Esau de spised his birth right .
Isaac and Abimelek
26:1-11Ref — Ge 12:10-20 ; 20:1-18
26 Now there was a fam ine in the land d — besides the previous famine in Abraham ’ s
time — and Isaac went to Abim e lek king of the Phi lis tines in Ge rar . e 2 The Lord appeared f to Isaac and said , “ Do not go down to Egypt ; live in the land where I tell you to live . g
a 25 Esau may mean hairy . b 26 Jacob means he grasps the heel , a Hebrew idiom for he deceives . c 30 Edom means red .
highlighting how the younger brother Jacob takes precedence over his older twin Esau . The entire story is skillfully composed , with the motifs of birthright and blessing being especially significant . 25:19 – 34 Jacob and Esau . The strained relationship between the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah comes to the fore in chs . 25 – 36 . Even before they are born , the boys struggle with each other ( vv . 22 – 23 ), anticipating a greater struggle that will eventually result in Jacob fleeing for his life ( 27:41 — 28:5 ). At the heart of this struggle is the issue of who will be heir to the promises God gave to Abraham . While the birthright belongs to Esau , he dismisses it as unimportant , being willing to sell it to his brother for a bowl of stew ( vv . 29 – 34 ). Jacob , however , is keen to have the benefits that accompany the status of firstborn . 25:19 This is the account of the family line of . This formula marks the start of a new section in Genesis ( 25:19 — 35:29 ). See note on 2:4 . 25:20 Paddan Aram . The roots of Abraham ’ s family go back to this location in Northwest Mesopotamia ( see NIV text note ); for this reason Abraham is later designated a “ wandering Aramean ” ( Deut 26:5 ). 25:21 childless . Like Sarah before her ( 11:30 ) and Rachel after her ( 29:31 ), Rebekah is unable to have children . The motif of childlessness in Genesis draws attention to how God ensures the continuation of the unique family lineage through which the nations of the earth will be blessed .
25:22 – 23 When Rebekah asks God to explain the struggle that is happening inside her womb , she learns that her twins will produce two nations . 25:23 the older will serve the younger . Contrary to the custom of that time . This prediction provides the first indication that the special family line that Genesis traces will continue through Jacob rather than Esau . The struggle between the unborn babies recalls how throughout Genesis , beginning with Cain and Abel , conflict between brothers is a recurring motif . Such conflict threatens the survival of the unique lineage through which the nations will be blessed . The apostle Paul quotes from this verse to show that God is free to act as he pleases in the process of accomplishing his plan of salvation ( Rom 9:10 – 13 ). 25:25 – 26 The names of both Jacob and Esau derive from features associated with their births ( see NIV text notes ). A person who grasps another person by the heel was a way to describe a deceiver . The motif of deception reappears throughout Jacob ’ s life . 25:26 Isaac was sixty years old . If Isaac was this age when the twins were born , then Abraham was still alive . Not all events in Genesis are in strict chronological order ; see vv . 7 – 10 , where Abraham ’ s death is recorded . 25:27 – 28 As the two boys grow into manhood , they differ significantly in their interests and character ( see note on vv . 29 – 34 ). Esau favors outdoor activities , while Jacob prefers a more domesticated lifestyle . Their differing interests not only cause Isaac and Rebekah to favor different sons , but they set the scene for the events in the episodes that follow . 25:29 – 34 Although Jacob ’ s desire to buy his brother ’ s birthright demonstrates his grasping nature , Esau ’ s attitude comes in for particular criticism . By selling for a bowl of stew the benefits associated with his firstborn status , Esau displays contempt for all that God promised to Abraham and his family line . What Esau despises ( v . 34 ), Jacob desires . Jacob recognizes the value of the birthright , even though his method of attaining it is hardly commendable . This short episode casts a long shadow over the rest of the Jacob-Esau story , building on the earlier prediction in v . 23 that “ the older will serve the younger .”
26:1 – 33 Isaac and Abimelek . The next stage in the story of Jacob and Esau ’ s struggle with each other occurs when their father Isaac is close to death ( 26:34 — 28:9 ). Meanwhile , ch . 26 records various incidents involving Isaac . Remarkably , these incidents have much in common with events involving Abraham . Not only do Isaac ’ s actions closely parallel those of his father , but Isaac receives the promises God made to Abraham . 26:1 famine . Abraham went to Egypt during a famine ( 12:10 – 20 ), but God instructs Isaac to remain in Gerar ( v . 2 ). Abimelek . Possibly the king chs . 20 – 21 mention ; more likely , he is a son or grandson of that Abimelek . Philistines . See note on 21:32 .