Genesis 25:29

“Jacob cooked a stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.”
Genesis 25:29 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Jacobיַעֲקֹבcookedוַיָּזֶדa stew,נָזִידand Esauוַ עֵשָׂוcameיָּבֹאin fromמִןthe field,הַשָּׂדֶהand heוְהוּאwas exhausted.עָיֵף

Allusion · Hebrews 12:16

Go to Hebrews 12:16

Both texts speak of Esau, who sells his birthright for a meal.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

עֵשָׂוesavH6215ἨσαῦĒsauG2269“Esau”
בְּכֹרָתְbejoratH1062πρωτοτόκιαprōtotokiaG4415“birthright”

Firstbornבְּכוֹר / πρωτότοκοςבכור prōtotokos

The first male child. According to the law he belonged to YHWH and was redeemed (Exodus 13:2, 13), and he received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). The New Testament calls Jesus “firstborn” (Luke 2:7; Colossians 1:15).

See it in the glossary

Genesis 25:29, word by word

Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov

Jacob

Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.

Where else “yaakov” appears

cookedיָּזֶדyazed

boil

To boil a meal over the fire.

Where else “yazed” appears

a stewנָזִידnazid

stew

Stew, cooked food, a boiled dish.

Where else “nazid” appears

and Esauעֵשָׂוesav

Esau

Esau, the elder son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Jacob; also called Edom, father of the Edomites. The name also stands for his descendants.

Where else “esav” appears

cameיָּבֹאyavo

come

To come, arrive: "days are coming".

Where else “yavo” appears

the fieldשָּׂדֶהsade

field

The open country: "the beasts of the field".

Where else “sade” appears

was exhaustedעָיֵףayef

weary, exhausted

Weary, exhausted, faint; also thirsty, dry.

Where else “ayef” appears

The context

28Isaac loved Esau, because game was to his taste, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 · This verse (above)

30Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me gulp down some of the red, this red stuff, for I am exhausted.” That is why his name was called Edom.

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