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Genesis 25

1 Und Abraham nahm wieder ein Weib, mit Namen Ketura.
2 Und sie gebar ihm Simran und Jokschan und Medan und Midian und Jischbak und Schuach.
3 Und Jokschan zeugte Scheba und Dedan; und die Söhne Dedans waren die Assurim und Letuschim und Leummim.
4 Und die Söhne Midians: Epha und Epher und Hanok und Abida und Eldaba. Diese alle waren Söhne der Ketura. -
5 Und Abraham gab dem Isaak alles, was er hatte.
6 Und den Söhnen der Kebsweiber, die Abraham hatte, gab Abraham Geschenke; und er ließ sie, während er noch lebte, von seinem Sohne Isaak wegziehen nach Osten, in das Land des Ostens. -
7 Und dies sind die Tage der Lebensjahre Abrahams, die er gelebt hat: hundertfünfundsiebzig Jahre.
8 Und Abraham verschied und starb in gutem Alter, alt und der Tage satt, und wurde versammelt zu seinen Völkern.
9 Und seine Söhne Isaak und Ismael begruben ihn in der Höhle von Machpela, auf dem Felde Ephrons, des Sohnes Zohars, des Hethiters, das vor Mamre liegt,
10 dem Felde, welches Abraham von den Kindern Heth gekauft hatte; dort wurden Abraham und sein Weib Sara begraben.
11 Und es geschah nach dem Tode Abrahams, da segnete Gott Isaak, seinen Sohn; und Isaak wohnte bei dem Brunnen Lachai-Roi.
12 Und dies sind die Geschlechter Ismaels, des Sohnes Abrahams, den Hagar, die Ägypterin, die Magd Saras, dem Abraham geboren hat;
13 und dies sind die Namen der Söhne Ismaels mit ihren Namen, nach ihren Geschlechtern: Der Erstgeborene Ismaels: Nebajoth, und Kedar und Adbeel und Mibsam
14 und Mischma und Duma und Massa,
15 Hadad und Tema, Jetur, Naphisch und Kedma.
16 Das sind die Söhne Ismaels, und das ihre Namen in ihren Gehöften und in ihren Zeltlagern; zwölf Fürsten nach ihren Stämmen.
17 Und dies sind die Lebensjahre Ismaels: hundertsiebenunddreißig Jahre; und er verschied und starb und wurde versammelt zu seinen Völkern.
18 Und sie wohnten von Hawila bis Sur, das vor Ägypten liegt, nach Assyrien hin. Er ließ sich nieder angesichts aller seiner Brüder.
19 Und dies sind die Geschlechter Isaaks, des Sohnes Abrahams: Abraham zeugte Isaak.
20 Und Isaak war vierzig Jahre alt, als er sich Rebekka zum Weibe nahm, die Tochter Bethuels, des Aramäers aus Paddan-Aram, die Schwester Labans, des Aramäers.
21 Und Isaak bat Jehova für sein Weib, denn sie war unfruchtbar; und Jehova ließ sich von ihm erbitten, und Rebekka, sein Weib, wurde schwanger.
22 Und die Kinder stießen sich in ihr; und sie sprach: Wenn es so steht, warum bin ich dies? Und sie ging hin, Jehova zu befragen.
23 Und Jehova sprach zu ihr: Zwei Nationen sind in deinem Leibe, und zwei Völkerschaften werden sich scheiden aus deinem Innern; und eine Völkerschaft wird stärker sein als die andere, und der Ältere wird dem Jüngeren dienen.
24 Und als ihre Tage erfüllt waren, daß sie gebären sollte, siehe, da waren Zwillinge in ihrem Leibe.
25 Und der erste kam heraus, rötlich, am ganzen Leibe wie ein härener Mantel; und man gab ihm den Namen Esau.
26 Und danach kam sein Bruder heraus, und seine Hand hielt die Ferse Esaus; und man gab ihm den Namen Jakob. Und Isaak war sechzig Jahre alt, als sie geboren wurden.
27 Und die Knaben wuchsen heran. Und Esau wurde ein jagdkundiger Mann, ein Mann des Feldes; Jakob aber war ein sanfter Mann, der in den Zelten blieb.
28 Und Isaak hatte Esau lieb, denn Wildbret war nach seinem Munde; Rebekka aber hatte Jakob lieb.
29 Und Jakob kochte ein Gericht; und Esau kam vom Felde und war matt.
30 Da sprach Esau zu Jakob: Laß mich doch essen von dem Roten, dem Roten da, denn ich bin matt! Darum gab man ihm den Namen Edom.
31 Und Jakob sprach: Verkaufe mir heute dein Erstgeburtsrecht.
32 Und Esau sprach: Siehe, ich gehe hin zu sterben, und wozu mir da das Erstgeburtsrecht?
33 Und Jakob sprach: Schwöre mir heute! Und er schwur ihm und verkaufte sein Erstgeburtsrecht dem Jakob.
34 Und Jakob gab Esau Brot und ein Gericht Linsen; und er aß und trank und stand auf und ging davon. So verachtete Esau das Erstgeburtsrecht.

Genesis 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

Abraham's family by Keturah, His death and burial. (1-10) God blesses Isaac The descendants of Ishmael. (11-18) The birth of Esau and Jacob. (19-26) The different characters of Esau and Jacob. (27,28) Esau despises and sells his birth-right. (29-34)

Verses 1-10 All the days, even of the best and greatest saints, are not remarkable days; some slide on silently; such were these last days of Abraham. Here is an account of Abraham's children by Keturah, and the disposition which he made of his estate. After the birth of these sons, he set his house in order, with prudence and justice. He did this while he yet lived. It is wisdom for men to do what they find to do while they live, as far as they can. Abraham lived 175 years; just one hundred years after he came to Canaan; so long he was a sojourner in a strange country. Whether our stay in this life be long or short, it matters but little, provided we leave behind us a testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord, and a good example to our families. We are told that his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him. It seems that Abraham had himself brought them together while he lived. Let us not close the history of the life of Abraham without blessing God for such a testimony of the triumph of faith.

Verses 11-18 Ishmael had twelve sons, whose families became distinct tribes. They peopled a very large country that lay between Egypt and Assyria, called Arabia. The number and strength of this family were the fruit of the promise, made to Hagar and to Abraham, concerning Ishmael.

Verses 19-26 Isaac seems not to have been much tried, but to have spent his days in quietness. Jacob and Esau were prayed for; their parents, after being long childless, obtained them by prayer. The fulfilment of God's promise is always sure, yet it is often slow. The faith of believers is tried, their patience exercised, and mercies long waited for are more welcome when they come. Isaac and Rebekah kept in view the promise of all nations being blessed in their posterity, therefore were not only desirous of children, but anxious concerning every thing which seemed to mark their future character. In all our doubts we should inquire of the Lord by prayer. In many of our conflicts with sin and temptation, we may adopt Rebekah's words, "If it be so, why am I thus?" If a child of God, why so careless or carnal? If not a child of God, why so afraid of, or so burdened with sin?

Verses 27-28 Esau hunted the beasts of the field with dexterity and success, till he became a conqueror, ruling over his neighbours. Jacob was a plain man, one that liked the true delights of retirement, better than all pretended pleasures. He was a stranger and a pilgrim in his spirit, and a shepherd all his days. Isaac and Rebekah had but these two children, one was the father's darling, and the other the mother's. And though godly parents must feel their affections most drawn over towards a godly child, yet they will not show partiality. Let their affections lead them to do what is just and equal to every child, or evils will arise.

Verses 29-34 We have here the bargain made between Jacob and Esau about the right, which was Esau's by birth, but Jacob's by promise. It was for a spiritual privilege; and we see Jacob's desire of the birth-right, but he sought to obtain it by crooked courses, not like his character as a plain man. He was right, that he coveted earnestly the best gifts; he was wrong, that he took advantage of his brother's need. The inheritance of their father's worldly goods did not descend to Jacob, and was not meant in this proposal. But it includeth the future possession of the land of Canaan by his children's children, and the covenant made with Abraham as to Christ the promised Seed. Believing Jacob valued these above all things; unbelieving Esau despised them. Yet although we must be of Jacob's judgment in seeking the birth-right, we ought carefully to avoid all guile, in seeking to obtain even the greatest advantages. Jacob's pottage pleased Esau's eye. "Give me some of that red;" for this he was called Edom, or Red. Gratifying the sensual appetite ruins thousands of precious souls. When men's hearts walk after their own eyes, ( Job 31:7 ) , and when they serve their own bellies, they are sure to be punished. If we use ourselves to deny ourselves, we break the force of most temptations. It cannot be supposed that Esau was dying of hunger in Isaac's house. The words signify, I am going towards death; he seems to mean, I shall never live to inherit Canaan, or any of those future supposed blessings; and what signifies it who has them when I am dead and gone. This would be the language of profaneness, with which the apostle brands him, ( Hebrews 12:16 ) ; and this contempt of the birth-right is blamed, ver. ( 34 ) . It is the greatest folly to part with our interest in God, and Christ, and heaven, for the riches, honours, and pleasures of this world; it is as bad a bargain as his who sold a birth-right for a dish of pottage. Esau ate and drank, pleased his palate, satisfied his appetite, and then carelessly rose up and went his way, without any serious thought, or any regret, about the bad bargain he had made. Thus Esau despised his birth-right. By his neglect and contempt afterwards, and by justifying himself in what he had done, he put the bargain past recall. People are ruined, not so much by doing what is amiss, as by doing it and not repenting of it.

Chapter Summary

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.

Genesis 25 Commentaries

The Elberfelder Bible is in the public domain.