Esau (Edom)

Hairy, Rebekah’s first-born twin son (Gen. 25:25). The name of Edom, “red”, was also given to him from his conduct in connection with the red lentil “pottage” for which he sold his birthright (30, 31). The circumstances connected with his birth foreshadowed the enmity which afterwards subsisted between the twin brothers and the nations they founded (25:22, 23, 26). In process of time Jacob, following his natural bent, became a shepherd; while Esau, a “son of the desert,” devoted himself to the perilous and toilsome life of a huntsman. On a certain occasion, on returning from the chase, urged by the cravings of hunger, Esau sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, who thereby obtained the covenant blessing (Gen. 27:28, 29, 36; Heb. 12:16, 17). He afterwards tried to regain what he had so recklessly parted with, but was defeated in his attempts through the stealth of his brother (Gen. 27:4, 34, 38).

At the age of forty years, to the great grief of his parents, he married (Gen. 26:34, 35) two Canaanitish maidens, Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Bashemath, the daughter of Elon. When Jacob was sent away to Padan-aram, Esau tried to conciliate his parents (Gen. 28:8, 9) by marrying his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael. This led him to cast in his lot with the Ishmaelite tribes; and driving the Horites out of Mount Seir, he settled in that region. After some thirty years’ sojourn in Padan-aram Jacob returned to Canaan, and was reconciled to Esau, who went forth to meet him (33:4). Twenty years after this, Isaac their father died, when the two brothers met, probably for the last time, beside his grave (35:29). Esau now permanently left Canaan, and established himself as a powerful and wealthy chief in the land of Edom (q.v.).

Long after this, when the descendants of Jacob came out of Egypt, the Edomites remembered the old quarrel between the brothers, and with fierce hatred they warred against Israel.

Male Born: 1835 BC

People and places

Selected passages

Show passage in OET: GEN 25:24-34

OET-RV GEN 25:24

24 When the time came to give birth, she gave birth to twin boys.

OET-RV GEN 25:25

25 The firstborn came out quite red and covered with hair like a fur coat, so they named him ‘Esav’ (Esau) (which means ‘hairy’).

OET-RV GEN 25:26

26 Then his brother was born and his hand grabbed Esav’s heel, so he was named ‘Ya’akov’ (Jacob) (which means ‘heel-grabber’). Yitshak (Isaac) was sixty years old when they were born.

OET-RV GEN 25:27

27 As the boys grew up, Esav (Esau) got good at hunting, a man of the outdoors, but Ya’akov (Jacob) was a quiet man who stayed around the tents.

OET-RV GEN 25:28

28 Yitshak (Isaac) liked the taste of game meat so he loved Esav, but Rivkah loved Ya’akov.

OET-RV GEN 25:29

29 One day, Ya’akov was cooking some stew when Esav arrived home from being out, and he was very hungry

OET-RV GEN 25:30

30 and asked Ya’akov, “I’m starving—can I have some of that yummy-looking red stuff.” (After that, Esav’s nickname became ‘Edom’, meaning ‘red’.)

OET-RV GEN 25:31

31 “Well, now,” Ya’akov answered, “sell me your future inheritance.”

OET-RV GEN 25:32

32 “Listen, I’m dying of starvation,” said Esav, “so what use would a future inheritance be to me?”

OET-RV GEN 25:33

33 “Well then, make a vow to me,” insisted Ya’akov.
¶ So Esav promised him, effectively selling his future inheritance to Ya’akov,

OET-RV GEN 25:34

34 and Ya’akov gave him some of the lentil stew and some bread. So Esav ate and drank and left again, thus despising his own inheritance as firstborn son.

OET-LV GEN 25:24