32
Esauעֵשָׂוsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Look,הִנֵּהIאָנֹכִיam goingהוֹלֵךְto die;לָמוּתwhat goodוְלָמָּה זֶּהis a birthrightבְּכֹרָהto me?”לִי
Genesis 25:32
Study it in the app“Esau said, “Look, I am going to die; what good is a birthright to me?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 25:32, word by word
- 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- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- am goingהוֹלֵךְholech
go
To move on foot from place to place; to set out.
Where else “holech” appears- to dieמוּתmut
die
To cease living; also, one who has ceased living.
Where else “mut” appears- is a birthrightבְּכֹרָהbechora
birthright
The rights of the eldest son in the family.
Where else “bechora” appears
The context
31Jacob said, “Sell me today your birthright.”
32 · This verse (above)
33Jacob said, “Swear to me today.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.
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?