Genesis 25
25
Abraham’s Death and His Descendants
1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2#1 Chr. 1:32, 33She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5#ch. 24:36Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he #ch. 21:14 sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward #[Judg. 6:3]to the east country.
7These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. 8Abraham #ver. 17; ch. 35:29; 49:33 breathed his last and #ch. 15:15died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and Ishmael #ch. 35:29his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field #ch. 23:16; 50:13 that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. #ch. 49:30, 31There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at #ch. 16:14; 24:62Beer-lahai-roi.
12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, #ch. 16:15whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13#1 Chr. 1:29-31 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: #Isa. 60:7Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and #Isa. 60:7Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, #Job 6:19; Isa. 21:14 Tema, #1 Chr. 5:19Jetur, #1 Chr. 5:19Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, #ch. 17:20twelve princes according to their tribes. 17(These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He #ver. 8breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18#1 Sam. 15:7 They settled from Havilah to #ch. 16:7; 20:1; Ex. 15:22Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled#25:18 Hebrew fell over against all his kinsmen.
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: #Matt. 1:2Abraham fathered Isaac, 20and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, #ch. 22:23 the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of #See ch. 28:2 Paddan-aram, #ch. 24:29the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And #2 Sam. 21:14; 24:25; 1 Chr. 5:20; 2 Chr. 33:13; Ezra 8:23the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”#25:22 Or why do I live? So she went #[1 Sam. 9:9]to inquire of the Lord. 23And the Lord said to her,
# ch. 17:16; 24:60 “Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you#25:23 Or from birth shall be divided;
# [2 Sam. 8:14]; See Obad. 18-21 the one shall be stronger than the other,
# ch. 27:29, 40; Cited Rom. 9:12 the older shall serve the younger.”
24When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25The first came out red, #ch. 27:11, 16, 23all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26Afterward his brother came out with #Hos. 12:3 his hand holding Esau’s heel, so #ch. 27:36his name was called Jacob.#25:26 Jacob means He takes by the heel, or He cheats Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27When the boys grew up, Esau was #ch. 27:3, 5 a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, #Heb. 11:9dwelling in tents. 28Isaac loved Esau because #ch. 27:4, 7, 9he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.#25:30 Edom sounds like the Hebrew for red) 31Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and #Heb. 12:16sold his birthright to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Genesis 25
25
Abraham’s Family
1Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah. 2She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The people of Asshur,#25:3 Asshur Or “Assyria.” Leum, and Letush were descendants of Dedan. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these sons came from the marriage of Abraham and Keturah. 5-6Before Abraham died, he gave some gifts to his sons who were from his slave women. He sent them to the East,#25:5 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. away from Isaac. Then Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.
7Abraham lived to be 175 years old. 8Then he grew weak and died. He had lived a long and satisfying life. He died and went to be with his people. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. This cave is in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar. It was east of Mamre. 10This is the same cave that Abraham bought from the Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham died, God blessed Isaac. Isaac was living at Beer Lahai Roi.
12This is the list of Ishmael’s family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar’s son. (Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid.) 13These are the names of Ishmael’s sons: The first son was Nebaioth; then Kedar was born, then Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These were the names of Ishmael’s sons. Each son had his own camp that became a small town. The twelve sons were leaders over their own people. 17Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. Then he died and went to be with his people. 18His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael’s people were often at war with#25:18 were often at war with Or “lived away from.” the other descendants of Abraham.
Isaac’s Family
19This is the story of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac. 20When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Paddan Aram. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Isaac’s wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.
22While Rebekah was pregnant, the babies inside her struggled with one another. She prayed to the Lord and said, “What is happening to me?” 23The Lord said to her,
“The leaders of two nations are in your body.
Two nations will come from you,
and they will be divided.
One of them will be stronger,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24When the right time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. 25The first baby was red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau.#25:25 Esau This name is like the word meaning “hairy.” 26When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob.#25:26 Jacob This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “heel.” It also means “the one who follows” or “tricky.” Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.
27The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter, who loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed at home. 28Isaac loved Esau. He liked to eat the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah loved Jacob.
29One day Esau came back from hunting. He was tired and weak from hunger. Jacob was boiling a pot of beans. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “I am weak with hunger. Let me have some of that red soup.” (That is why people call him “Red.”#25:30 Red Literally, “Edom,” a name that means “red.”)
31But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32Esau said, “I am almost dead with hunger, so what good are these rights to me now?”
33But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give them to me.” So Esau made an oath to him and sold his rights as the firstborn son to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil#25:34 lentil A type of bean. soup. Esau ate the food, had something to drink, and then left. So Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International