18
They livedוַיִּשְׁכְּנוּfrom HavilahמֵחֲוִילָהtoעַדShur,שׁוּרwhichאֲשֶׁרis facingעַל פְּנֵיEgyptמִצְרַיִםas you goבֹּאֲכָהtoward Assyria.אַשּׁוּרָהHe settledנָפָלfacingעַל פְּנֵיallכָלhis brothers.אֶחָיו
Genesis 25:18
Study it in the app“They lived from Havilah to Shur, which is facing Egypt as you go toward Assyria. He settled facing all his brothers.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 25:18, word by word
- They livedיִּשְׁכְּנוּyishknu
dwell
To live somewhere, stay.
Where else “yishknu” appears- from Havilahחֲוִילָהchavila
Havilah
Havilah, the name of a region (perhaps more than one) and of men descended from it. Where it lay is not known for certain.
Where else “chavila” appears- Shurשׁוּרshur
Shur
Shur, a wilderness region between Canaan and Egypt.
Where else “shur” appears- is facingפְּנֵיpene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “pene” appears- Egyptמִצְרַיִםmitsrayim
Egypt, Mizraim
See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayim” appears- as you goבֹּאֲboa
come
To come, arrive: "days are coming".
Where else “boa” appears- toward Assyriaאַשּׁוּרָashura
Assyria, Asshur
See it on the mapWhere else “ashura” appears- He settledנָפָלnafal
General meaning: Fall.
Where else “nafal” appears- his brothersאֶחָיechay
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “echay” appears
Places in this verse
1Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
2Assyria
Today: northern Iraq (with parts of Syria, Turkey, Iran)
An empire of northern Mesopotamia along the Tigris River, in present-day Iraq.
Assyria took the northern kingdom of Israel captive (2 Kgs 17:6). God sent Jonah to preach in Nineveh, its capital (Jonah 3:3).
The context
17These are the years of the life of Ishmael: a hundred and thirty and seven years. He breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.
18 · This verse (above)
19These are the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac.
To study Genesis 25 in a group
1. What it says
What did Esau do with his birthright, and what did he receive in exchange (vv. 29-34)?
2. What it means
What does the text mean when it ends, “Thus Esau despised his birthright” (v. 34)?
3. How I live it
What valuable thing are you at risk of trading away for a need of the moment?