Genesis 25
25
The Death of Abraham
1Ch 1:32–33
1Then Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2#1Ch 1:32–33And she bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5#Ge 24:36Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6#Ge 21:14; Jdg 6:3But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living, he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward to the east country.
7#Ge 12:4These are the years of Abraham’s life that he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8#Ge 49:33; 15:15; 25:17Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9#Ge 35:29; 50:13His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10#Ge 23:16; 49:31the field that Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11#Ge 16:14; 24:62After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived at Beer Lahai Roi.
Sons of Ishmael
1Ch 1:29–31
12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
13#1Ch 1:29–31; Isa 60:7These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15#1Ch 5:19Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16#Ge 17:20These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their peoples. 17These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died; and he was gathered to his people. 18#Ge 16:12; 20:1They lived from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He died in the presence of all his relatives.
The Births of Jacob and Esau
19#Mt 1:2These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son.
Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20#Ge 24:29; 22:23; 24:67Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21#1Ch 5:20; 2Ch 33:13Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22#1Sa 9:9; 10:22But the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23#Ge 27:29; 27:40Then the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from your body;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24Now when the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. 25#Ge 27:11; 27:16The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. 26#Ge 27:36; Hos 12:3After that his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27#Heb 11:9So the boys grew. Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a calm man, living in tents. 28#Ge 27:19; 27:4Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field and he was famished. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31Then Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”
32Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; of what use is the birthright to me?”
33#Heb 12:16; Ge 27:36Then Jacob said, “Swear to me this day.” So he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way.
Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Military Bible Association
Genesis 25
25
Abraham Marries Keturah
1Abraham married Keturah, 2and they had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Later, Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan, and when Dedan grew up, he had three sons: Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4Midian also had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
5-6While Abraham was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of Hagar and Keturah. He also sent their sons to live in the east far from his son Isaac, and when Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac.
The Death of Abraham
7-8Abraham died at the ripe old age of 175. 9-10#Gn 23.3-18. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him east of Hebron#25.9,10 Hebron: See the note at 23.16-18. in Machpelah Cave that was part of the field Abraham had bought from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. Abraham was buried there beside his wife Sarah. 11God blessed Isaac after this, and Isaac moved to a place called “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”#25.11 The Well … Sees Me: Or “Beer-Lahai-Roi,” (see 16.14).
Ishmael's Descendants
12Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, the slave woman of Sarah. 13Ishmael had twelve sons, in this order: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.
17-18Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons#25.17,18 sons: Or “descendants.” settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur.#25.17,18 Havilah to Shur … Asshur: The exact location of these places is not known. Ishmael was 137 when he died.
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19Isaac was the son of Abraham, 20and he was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria.#25.20 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
Almost 20 years later, 21Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the Lord to let her have a child, and the Lord answered his prayer.
22Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?” Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting, 23#Ro 9.11,12. and he told her:
“Your two sons will become
two separate nations.#25.23 two separate nations: Or “two nations always in conflict.”
The younger of the two
will be stronger,
and the older son
will be his servant.”
24When Rebekah gave birth, 25the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.#25.25 Esau: In Hebrew “Esau” sounds like “hairy.” 26The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.#25.26 Jacob: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “heel.” Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
Esau Sells His Rights as the First-Born Son
27As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.#25.27 of a shepherd: Hebrew “in tents.” 28Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.
29One day, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came home hungry 30and said, “I'm starving to death! Here and now give me some of that red stew!” That's how Esau got the name “Edom.”#25.30 Edom: In Hebrew “Edom” sounds like “red.”
31Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights as the first-born son.”#25.31 rights … son: The first-born son inherited the largest amount of property, as well as the leadership of the family.
32“I'm about to die,” Esau answered. “What good will those rights do me?”
33 #
He 12.16. But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did. 34Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born.
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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