Genesis 25:19-34
Expanded Bible
Isaac’s Family
19 ·This is the family history [L These are the generations; 2:4] of Isaac. Abraham ·had a son named [or was the father of] Isaac. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he ·married [L took as a wife] Rebekah [ch. 24], ·who came from northwestern Mesopotamia [L the Aramean from Paddan-aram]. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac’s wife ·could not have children [was barren], so Isaac ·prayed to [entreated; interceded with] the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah ·became pregnant [conceived].
22 While she was pregnant, the ·babies [L children] struggled inside her. She asked, “·Why is this happening to me [L If thus, why this, I—; C the Hebrew is uncertain]?” Then she went to ·get an answer from [L seek; inquire of] the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your ·body [L womb],
and two groups of people ·will be taken from you [L are being divided within your body].
One group will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger [Rom. 9:10–13].”
24 When the time came, ·Rebekah gave birth to twins [L there were twins in her womb]. 25 The first baby ·was born [L came out] red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau [C sounds like “hairy” in Hebrew]. 26 When ·the second baby [L his brother] ·was born [L came out], ·he [L his hand] was ·holding on to [gripping; grabbing] Esau’s heel, so that baby was named Jacob [C sounds like Hebrew for “heel”; grabbing a heel is a Hebrew idiom for tricking someone]. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a ·skilled [experienced] hunter. He ·loved to be out in the fields [L was a man of the fields]. But Jacob was a ·quiet [or mild; or blameless] man ·and stayed among the [L living in] tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because ·he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating [L game was in his (Isaac’s) mouth]. But Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day Jacob was ·boiling a pot of vegetable soup [or preparing stew]. Esau came in from hunting in the fields, ·weak from hunger [famished; starving]. 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me ·eat [gulp down] some of that red ·soup [or stuff], because I am ·weak with hunger [famished; starving].” (That is why people call him Edom [C sounds like Hebrew for “red”].)
31 But Jacob said, “·First [L As the day; C an idiom meaning, “First of all…”] ·sell [or exchange with] me your ·rights as the firstborn son [birthright; C the firstborn had special inheritance rights and became the head of the family in the next generation].”
32 Esau said, “I am ·almost dead from hunger [L going to die]. ·If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me [L What will my birthright be to me?].”
33 But Jacob said, “First [v. 31], ·promise [swear to] me that you will give it to me.” So Esau ·made a promise to Jacob [L swore to him] and ·sold [exchanged] his ·part of their father’s wealth [L birthright] to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and ·vegetable soup [stew], and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau ·showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son [L despised/showed contempt toward his birthright; Heb. 12:16–17].
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