Genesis 25

The Death and Descendants of Abraham

1 Now Abraham again took a wife, and her name [was] Keturah.
2 And she bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian [were] Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All of these [were] the children of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
6 But to the sons of Abraham's concubines Abraham gave gifts. And while he [was] still living he sent them away eastward, [away] from his son Isaac, to the land of the east.
7 Now these [are] the days of the years of {the life of Abraham}: one hundred and seventy-five years.
8 And Abraham passed away and died in a good old age, old and full of years. And he was gathered to his people.
9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, that [was] east of Mamre,
10 the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried and Sarah his wife.
11 And it happened [that] after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son, and Isaac settled at Beer-Lahai-Roi.
12 Now these [are] the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, that Hagar the Egyptian, the maidservant of Sarah, bore to Abraham.
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names according to their family records. The firstborn of Ishmael [was] Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These [are] the sons of Ishmael, and these [are] their names by their villages and by their encampments--12 leaders according to their tribes.
17 Now these [are] the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. And he passed away and died, and was gathered to his people.
18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which [was] opposite Egypt, going toward Asshur, opposite; he {settled} opposite all his brothers.

Jacob and Esau

19 Now these [are] the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac,
20 And Isaac was {forty years old} when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, as his wife.
21 And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she [was] barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, "{If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant}?" And she went to inquire of Yahweh.
23 And Yahweh said to her, "Two nations [are] in your womb, and two peoples {from birth} shall be divided. And {one people shall be stronger than the other}. And [the] elder shall serve [the] younger."
24 And when her days to give birth were completed, then--behold--twins [were] in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all {his body} [was] like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau.
26 And afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped the heel of Esau, so his name was called Jacob. And Isaac {was sixty years old} at their birth.
27 And the boys grew up. And Esau [was] a skilled hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob [was] a peaceful man, living [in] tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau because {he could eat of his game}, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once Jacob cooked a thick stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.
30 And Esau said to Jacob, "Give me {some of that red stuff} to gulp down, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom).
31 Then Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright {first}."
32 And Esau said, "Look, I am going to die; now what [is] this birthright to me?"
33 Then Jacob said, "Swear to me {first}." And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

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.

Footnotes 21

  • [a]. Literally "the years of the life of Abraham which he lived"
  • [b]. Or "sons of Heth"
  • [c]. Or "family records"
  • [d]. Or "upon the face of"
  • [e]. Or "upon the face of"
  • [f]. Literally "fell"
  • [g]. Or "upon the face of"
  • [h]. Or "family records"
  • [i]. Literally "a son of forty years"
  • [j]. Literally "if so, why this I?"
  • [k]. Literally "from your bowels"
  • [l]. Literally "people than people shall be stronger"
  • [m]. Or "full"
  • [n]. Literally "of him"
  • [o]. Literally "a son of sixty years"
  • [p]. Or "knowing" (knowledgeable)
  • [q]. Literally "game in his mouth"
  • [r]. Or "and"
  • [s]. Literally "some of the red, this red"
  • [t]. Literally "as the day"
  • [u]. Literally "as the day"

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

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.