Genesis 25:23

“YHWH said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your inner parts will be divided; one people will be stronger than the other people, and the older will serve the younger.””
Genesis 25:23 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

YHWHיְהוָהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto her,לָהּ“Twoשְׁנֵיnationsגוֹיִםare in your womb,בְּבִטְנֵךְand twoוּשְׁנֵיpeoplesלְאֻמִּיםfrom your inner partsמִמֵּעַיִךְwill be divided;יִפָּרֵדוּone peopleוּלְאֹםwill be strongerיֶאֱמָץthan the other people,מִלְאֹםand the olderוְרַבwill serveיַעֲבֹדthe younger.”צָעִיר

Quotation · Romans 9:12

Go to Romans 9:12

Paul quotes the last sentence of the oracle to Rebekah about the two sons she was carrying in her womb.

Formula: ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι “it was said to her” (Romans 9:12)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἀλλ’ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι Ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לָהּ שְׁנֵי גוֹיִם בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר

Septuagint (Genesis 25:23 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπεν κύριος αὐτῇ Δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται· καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “Ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Genesis 25:23, word by word

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears

“Twoשְׁנֵיshene

two

A pair, a quantity of two.

Where else “shene” appears

nationsגוֹיִםgoyim

nation

A people with their land; also Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears

are in your wombבִטְנֵvitne

womb

The belly where a mother carries her child.

Where else “vitne” appears

peoplesלְאֻמִּיםleumim

people, nation

People, nation.

Where else “leumim” appears

from your inner partsמֵּעַיִmeayi

inward parts

The inward parts, the inside of the body; hence the child who comes out of them.

Where else “meayi” appears

will be dividedיִפָּרֵדוּyiparedu

separate

To go one's own way, like Abram and Lot.

Where else “yiparedu” appears

will be strongerיֶאֱמָץyeemats

be bold

To be bold and steady: "take heart and be brave".

Where else “yeemats” appears

and the olderרַבrav

great

Of great size or power; the one who stands out.

Where else “rav” appears

will serveיַעֲבֹדyaavod

serve

To serve a person.

Where else “yaavod” appears

the youngerצָעִירtsair

younger

The youngest.

Where else “tsair” appears

Translation note

“Older” (rav) also means “great, numerous.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 9:12

Paul quotes the last sentence of the oracle to Rebekah about the two sons she was carrying in her womb.

See them side by side

Genesis 25:23

²³YHWH said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your inner parts will be divided; one people will be stronger than the other people, and the older will serve the younger.”

Romans 9:12

¹²not by works but by the one who calls— it was said to her: The older will serve the younger.

The context

22The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If so, why me?” So she went to inquire of YHWH.

23 · This verse (above)

24When her days to give birth were fulfilled, look, there were twins in her womb.

Read all of Genesis 25

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?

How to use it