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Esau was the older twin brother of Jacob; they were the sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham. Being the first son, he was entitled to inherit the family but lost it to his brother (Jacob) when he sold it to him for a bowl of stew.
But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
GENESIS 33:4 ESV
Often just when you think you know someone, that person does something completely unexpected, and you’re left scratching your head trying to make sense of it all. Esau must have been someone like that.
Esau was the older twin brother of Jacob; they were the sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham. As the oldest sibling, Esau was entitled to the family birthright, which granted him leadership of the extended family and a double portion of his father’s inheritance. But Esau revealed his disregard for his birthright when he sold it to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob made sure to seal the deal by tricking his father into blessing him as the one receiving the birthright (Genesis 25–27).
When Esau realized that his birthright was lost forever, he became furious with Jacob and wanted to kill him. So Jacob fled far away to Paddan Aram (Genesis 27:42 – 28:5).
After many years, Jacob returned to Canaan, and along the way he heard that Esau was coming to meet him. Jacob feared for his life, thinking that Esau was still looking to exact revenge on him for stealing the birthright. When Esau caught up with him, however, he ran to Jacob and kissed him! The two brothers were finally reconciled (Genesis 32–33).
Esau became the ancestor of the Edomites, who lived in the mountainous area to the southeast of Israel (Genesis 36:9). The rivalry between Jacob and Esau appears to have continued through their descendants, the Israelites and the Edomites. The Israelites fought several battles with the Edomites throughout their history (2 Samuel 8:13; 2 Kings 8:21; 14:1–7).Esau was the older brother of Jacob in the Bible, and the two were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau is most well-known for selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup, a decision that would have significant consequences for both brothers.
The birthright in ancient Hebrew culture was a special privilege that was passed down from father to oldest son. It conferred upon the recipient a number of rights and responsibilities, including a double portion of the inheritance, the right to be head of the family, and the responsibility to carry on the family’s name and traditions.
Esau, being the older of the two brothers, was the natural heir to the birthright. However, he was a man of the outdoors and a skilled hunter, and he seemed to have little interest in the responsibilities that came with the birthright. One day, as he was returning from a hunting trip, he came upon Jacob cooking a pot of lentil soup. Esau, who was starving and exhausted from his hunt, begged Jacob for some of the soup, and Jacob agreed to give it to him in exchange for Esau’s birthright.
At the time, Esau probably didn’t think much of the deal. He was more interested in satisfying his hunger than in the long-term consequences of his actions. However, as it turned out, the birthright would have a significant impact on both brothers’ lives.
Jacob, on the other hand, was more interested in the responsibilities that came with the birthright. He was a quiet, studious man who spent much of his time at home, learning the ways of his father and grandfather. After he received the birthright from Esau, he became the head of the family and the one responsible for carrying on the family’s traditions and legacy.
As for Esau, he eventually became known as Edom, and his descendants went on to become a powerful nation in their own right. However, the loss of the birthright had a lasting impact on his relationship with Jacob, and the two brothers were never as close as they might have been.
In the end, the story of Esau and Jacob serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of making careful, thoughtful decisions and the consequences that can result from rash or thoughtless actions. It’s a lesson that is still relevant today, and one that can help us to avoid making the same mistakes that Esau did.
Here are a few Bible verses where Esau is mentioned:
“And the boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27).
“And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Genesis 25:32).
“And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Genesis 25:31-32).
“And he said, Behold, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die” (Genesis 27:2-4).
“And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob” (Genesis 25:33)
Here are a few more Bible verses about Esau:
“And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite” (Genesis 26:34).
“And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan” (Genesis 28:1).
“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep” (Genesis 28:10-11).
“And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob” (Genesis 36:6).
“And Esau said to his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept” (Genesis 27:38)
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