Esau And Jacob Were Born To Isaac And Rebekah

Abraham died at the age of 175 years.  His two sons Isaac and Ismael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite ... which was before Mamre [close to Hebron].  They buried him in the same cave as his wife, Sarah.

And Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, but she couldn't have children.  Isaac prayed to God and The Lord heard his prayer.  Rebekah then became pregnant with twins.  She asked The Lord why this is, and He answered her that her 2 sons will become two nations.

 When they were borne, the 1st child was red and hairy and they called him Esau ... and after that came his brother and his hand was holding onto Esau's heel, and they called him Jacob.

As they grew up, Easu became a man of the field, a cunning hunter ... and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

Isaac loved Esau more, because he liked the meat that Esau brought him ... and Rebekah loved Jacob more.

Then, 1 day, Jacob made a pottage of lentiles, and Esau was very hungry and he said to Jacob: 'Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint of hunger.'  Jacob answered him: 'Sell me this day thy birthright.'  Esau could see no gain in his birthright.  So he sold his birthright to Jacob for a pottage of lentiles and bread.

When Isaac was old and blind he called to his eldest son, Esau: 'My son!' and Esau answered: 'I am here.'  Isaac then said to Esau: 'Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death.  Take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and shoot me some game, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat ... that my soul may bless thee before I die.'


Rebekah overheard this conversation and when Esau went out to hunt game for his father, she conspired with Jacob.  She told him about the conversation, and then said to him: 'Go find me 2 young coats and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loves.  You must bring it to your father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

Jacob pointed out to her that he had a smooth skin and Easu was hairy ... and that his father would immediately knew that it was not Easu.  Rebekah told him to trust her and to go fetch the 2 young coats.  He did as his mother said, and went to fetch the goats.

His mother then made savoury meat, just like his father liked it. She then gave Esau's clothes to Jacob, and she then put the skins of the young coats upon Jacob's hands, and upon the smooth of his neck ... and she gave Isaac the savoury meat with bread to give to his father.

Jacob went in by his father and offered him the feast. Isaac was surprised that Esau was already back and asked Isaac: 'How is it that thou had found it so quickly, my son? ... and Jacob answered: 'Because The Lord thy God brought it to me.'

Isaac then felt Jacob's hands and neck and he thought it strange that his son sounded like Jacob, but his skin felt like Esau.  He asked if was really Esau and Jacob answered that it was.  He then asked Jacob to bring the meat to him: 'Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee.'

After eating and drinking Isaac asked Jacob to kiss him.  As Isaac kissed Jacob, he smelled Esau on his clothes. He then blessed Jacob to be fruitful and have a good life.

When Esau, in turn, offered his savoury meat to his father, later that day, he found out what Jacob had done.

He was beyond himself that Jacob had stole his blessing, he hated Jacob.  So he thought to himself that he would bide his time, and with his father's death he would kill Jacob and took back that was his.

But the words of Esau were told to Rebekah and she warned Jacob.  She told him to flee to Laban, her brother in Haran, and stay there untill Esau was no longer angry at him. She told him that she would send for him when it was save for him to return.


Source: The Bible: Genesis 25-27