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Genesis 25

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Abraham's Later Descendants 1–6

1
And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. ​
2
And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
3
And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
4
And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. ​
6
But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. ​

The Death and Burial of Abraham 7–11

7
And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8
And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. ​
9
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; ​
10
the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
11
And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son: and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi. ​

The Generations of Ishmael 12–18

12
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham: ​
13
and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
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and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
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Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
16
these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations. ​
17
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people.
18
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: he abode over against all his brethren.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob 19–28

19
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac: ​
20
and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. ​
21
And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren: and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ​
22
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of Jehovah. ​
23
And Jehovah said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels: And the one people shall be stronger than the other people; And the elder shall serve the younger. ​
24
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25
And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. ​
26
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. ​
27
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. ​
28
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob. ​

Esau Sells His Birthright 29–34

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And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint:
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and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. ​
31
And Jacob said, Sell me first thy birthright. ​
32
And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die: and what profit shall the birthright do to me? ​
33
And Jacob said, Swear to me first; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34
And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 25

Verse 1

her name was Keturah — Yasaph, 'again' (literally 'added'). She is called 'wife' here and 'Abraham's concubine' in 1 Chr 1:32, as v.6 speaks of 'the sons of the concubines'. Her six sons (v.2) include Midian, whose people appear with 'the children of the east' in Judg 6:3.

Verse 5

gave all that he had unto Isaac — The servant had said as much: 'unto him hath he given all that he hath' (24:36). Sarah's word long before was, 'the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac' (21:10); God confirmed it, 'in Isaac shall thy seed be called' (21:12). Paul cites it: 'shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman' (Gal 4:30).

Verse 6

gave gifts, and sent them away — Shalach, the verb used when Abraham 'sent her away' (21:14). The sons of the concubines receive 'gifts' (mattanah) while he lives, and go 'eastward, unto the east country' (qedem), the region of 'the children of the east' (Judg 6:3), so that Isaac stays as heir (v.5).

Verse 8

gathered to his people — The words come before the burial in v.9, so they speak of more than the grave. They fulfil 'thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age' (15:15), and are said of Ishmael (v.17) and Isaac (35:29) too. 'Full of years' is saba, satisfied; Abraham's life is 'an hundred threescore and fifteen years' (v.7).

Verse 9

Isaac and Ishmael buried him — The two sons stand together at the cave Abraham bought, where he had buried Sarah (23:19). Isaac and Rebekah and Leah were buried there too (49:31), and Jacob (50:13). Ishmael had been 'sent away' (21:14); here he is named with Isaac in the burial.

Verse 11

God blessed his son Isaac — The blessing promised Abraham continues in his son. The LORD says to Isaac, 'Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee' (26:3), and 'I am the God of Abraham thy father… I am with thee, and will bless thee' (26:24). Isaac lives by Beer-lahai-roi, where he was found in 24:62.

Verse 12

the generations of Ishmael — Toledoth, 'generations', the heading used for Terah (11:27), Ishmael, Isaac (v.19), Esau (36:1) and Jacob (37:2). The list fulfils the word to Abraham: 'As for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful… and I will make him a great nation' (17:20).

Verse 16

twelve princes — Nasi, the word of 17:20, 'twelve princes shall he beget'. The names are given in vv.13–15, with their 'towns' (chatser, enclosed settlements) and 'castles' (tirah, walled enclosures). Jacob's sons are also twelve (35:22); Ishmael's line is counted the same way, by nations (v.16).

Verse 19

the generations of Isaac — Each heading names the head of the line and what comes from him: the story that follows is of Isaac's sons, Esau and Jacob. The heading for Abraham's father Terah (11:27) is of the same form. Matthew's genealogy repeats the sequence: 'Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob' (Matt 1:2).

Verse 20

Padanaram — 'Syrian' is Arammi, an Aramean. Moses later says of Jacob, 'A Syrian ready to perish was my father' (Deut 26:5). Jacob is sent back to this house: 'Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father' (28:2). Isaac was forty here, and sixty when his sons were born (v.26).

Verse 21

intreated the LORD — Athar, to pray and be heard, used of both Isaac's prayer and the LORD being 'intreated'. The wait was twenty years: forty at the marriage (v.20), sixty at the birth (v.26). Sarah had been barren as well (11:30), and the line again comes by an answer to prayer.

Verse 22

the children struggled together — Ratsats, to crush or push against one another: the conflict is already present in the womb, and Hosea recalls it: Jacob 'took his brother by the heel in the womb' (Hos 12:3). Rebekah's 'why am I thus?' is carried to the LORD; 'to enquire' (darash) is the word of seeking God.

Verse 23

the elder shall serve the younger — Paul quotes the line to show election by God's call and not by birth: 'the children being not yet born… that the purpose of God according to election might stand' (Rom 9:11–12). Isaac's blessing says 'shalt serve thy brother' (27:40); 'all they of Edom became David's servants' (2 Sam 8:14), and 'Edom revolted' later (2 Kgs 8:20).

Verse 25

red, all over like an hairy garment — 'Red' is admoni, from the root of Edom (v.30); 'hairy' is se'ar, hair; Jacob later uses the related sa'ir: 'Esau my brother is a hairy man' (27:11). The 'garment' is aderet, a mantle or robe: the whole body was red and covered as with one. 'They called his name Esau.'

Verse 26

took hold on Esau's heel — Aqeb, heel, from which Jacob (Ya'aqov) is named. Esau later puts the name into a verb: 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times' (27:36, aqab, found only there in Genesis). Hosea 12:3 recalls the grasp in the womb.

Verse 27

a plain man — Tam, whole, without fault; in Genesis only here. Job is described by it: 'that man was perfect and upright' (Job 1:1). Esau is 'a cunning hunter', literally one who knows the hunt, 'a man of the field'. Jacob 'dwelling in tents' lives as his fathers did: 'dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob' (Heb 11:9).

Verse 28

Isaac loved Esau — The reason given is venison, literally 'venison in his mouth'. Isaac later asks Esau for 'savoury meat, such as I love' before the blessing (27:4). Rebekah's love for Jacob is stated without a reason; the word of the LORD about the two sons had come to her (v.23).

Verse 30

therefore was his name called Edom — Edom is 'red', from the 'red pottage' (adom) and the red of v.25. 'Feed me' is la'at, to gulp, a verb found only here. 'Esau, who is Edom' (36:1) names his line, and the Law says of its people, 'Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother' (Deut 23:7).

Verse 31

thy birthright — Bechorah, the right of the firstborn, including 'a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength' (Deut 21:17). It could pass from the eldest: Reuben's 'was given unto the sons of Joseph' (1 Chr 5:1). Jacob asks that it be sold 'this day'.

Verse 32

what profit shall this birthright do to me? — Esau reasons from the moment: 'I am at the point to die'. The same reasoning is quoted as 'let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die' (1 Cor 15:32; Isa 22:13). Hebrews names the result: 'profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright' (Heb 12:16).

Verse 34

Esau despised his birthright — The verse has four quick verbs, he 'did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way', and then the verdict, bazah, to despise. The verb is that of Num 15:31, 'he hath despised the word of the LORD'. Hebrews adds: 'afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected' (Heb 12:17).