Genesis 25:27-34

Esau Sells His Birthright

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman,^[a] but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.^[b]

28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, exhausted.

30 He said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I'm exhausted." That is why he was [also] named Edom.^[c]

31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

32 "Look," said Esau, "I'm about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?"

33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him.

34 Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.^[d]

Genesis 25:27-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 25

This chapter contains an account of Abraham's marriage with another woman, and of the children he had by her and of their posterity Ge 25:1-4; of Abraham's disposal of his substance; and his sons, Ge 25:5,6; of the years of his life, his death and burial, Ge 25:7-11; of the children of Ishmael, and of the years of his life, and of his death, Ge 25:12-18; and of the sons of Isaac the fruit of prayer, and of the oracle concerning them before they were born, and of their temper and disposition, conduct and behaviour, Ge 25:19-34.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit a man of the field
• [b]. Lit man living in tents
• [c]. Red
• [d]. Heb 12:16-17