Esau
Isaac’s elder son and Jacob’s twin, a hunter, who sells his birthright and loses his father’s blessing. He is later reconciled with Jacob and settles in Seir. Genesis names him as the ancestor of Edom.
Esau is the firstborn of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah, “a skillful hunter, a man of the field”, and his father’s favourite (Genesis 25:25–28). He sells his birthright to Jacob for bread and lentil stew (Genesis 25:29–34), and weeps aloud when he finds that Jacob has taken his blessing (Genesis 27:30–38). When Jacob comes home twenty years later, Esau meets him with four hundred men, runs to him and embraces him (Genesis 33:1–4). The brothers bury Isaac together (Genesis 35:29). Esau settles in the hill country of Seir, and Genesis calls him Edom, the father of the Edomites (Genesis 36:6–9). His death is not recorded.
Malachi sets the two brothers against each other as two nations, “I loved Jacob; but Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:2–3), and Paul quotes the words when he writes about God’s choice (Romans 9:10–13). Hebrews warns its readers not to be like Esau, “who sold his birthright for one meal” (Hebrews 12:16–17).
In the timeline
- about 1929 BC to 1909 BC, traditional dateJacob Becomes Israel
Jacob, fleeing his brother Esau, receives the promise of Abraham in a dream at Bethel. Twenty years later he wrestles through the night at the Jabbok and is given the name Israel, which his descendants will bear.