Genesis 25:30-32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
30 He said to Jacob, “Let me gulp down some of that red stuff;[a] I am famished.” That is why he was called Edom. 31 But Jacob replied, “First sell me your right as firstborn.”[b](A) 32 “Look,” said Esau, “I am on the point of dying. What good is the right as firstborn to me?”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 25:30 Red stuff: in Hebrew, ’adom; another play on the word Edom, the “red” land.
- 25:31 Right as firstborn: the privilege that entitled the firstborn son to a position of honor in the family and to a double share in the possessions inherited from the father. There is a persistent wordplay between bekorah, “right of the firstborn,” and berakah, “the blessing.” Contrary to custom, the preference here is for the younger son, as it was in the choice of Isaac over Ishmael.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.