Side by side
Genesis 25
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Between scenesVerses 1 to 18
This part isn't retold as its own scene.
1Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah, 2and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. 7Abraham lived a total of 175 years. 8And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi. 12This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes. 17Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
Scene 1: A Hard PregnancyVerses 19 to 23
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. For many years they had no children. Rebekah was barren. That means she could not get pregnant.
Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
The LORD heard Isaac's prayer. Rebekah became pregnant.
But the pregnancy was hard. The babies struggled with each other inside her. Rebekah was troubled. She said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to ask the LORD.
The LORD answered her. "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated" (25:23).
God also said something surprising. "The older will serve the younger" (25:23). Back then, the oldest son usually led the family. God turned that order upside down.
19This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD, 23and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
Scene 2: TwinsVerses 24 to 26
When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins.
The first baby came out red. He was covered with hair "like a fur coat" (25:25). This is a comparison. His body was very hairy. They named him Esau.
Then his brother came out. His hand was holding on to Esau's heel. They named him Jacob.
Isaac was sixty years old now. He and Rebekah had waited about twenty years for these boys.
24When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. 26After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
Scene 3: FavoritesVerses 27 to 28
The boys grew up very different. Esau became a skillful hunter. He loved the open fields. Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed at home among the tents.
Isaac loved Esau, because Isaac liked to eat the wild game Esau brought home. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Each parent had a favorite son. This favoritism was a real family problem. It would cause hurt for years.
27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Scene 4: The Red StewVerses 29 to 34
One day Jacob was cooking stew. Esau came in from the field. He was famished. That means very, very hungry.
Esau said, "Let me eat some of that red stew. I'm starving." Because of this red stew, Esau was also called Edom. Edom sounds like the Hebrew word for "red."
Jacob answered, "First sell me your birthright" (25:31).
A birthright was the special right of the firstborn son. When the father died, the firstborn got a double share of what the father owned (Deuteronomy 21:17). He also became the head of the family.
Esau said, "Look, I am about to die. What good is a birthright to me?"
Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So Esau made the promise. He sold his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank. Then he got up and left.
The Bible says, "Thus Esau despised his birthright" (25:34). Esau treated his birthright as if it were worth less than a meal. And Jacob had used his brother's hunger to get what he wanted.
29One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. 30He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31“First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. 32“Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?” 33“Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. 34Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
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