34
Then JacobוְיַעֲקֹבgaveנָתַןEsauלְעֵשָׂוbreadלֶחֶםand lentilעֲדָשִׁיםstew,וּנְזִידand he ateוַיֹּאכַלand drank,וַיֵּשְׁתְּrose,וַיָּקָםand went away.וַיֵּלַךְSo Esauוַ עֵשָׂוdespisedיִּבֶזthe birthright.אֶת הַבְּכֹרָה
Genesis 25:34
Study it in the app“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, rose, and went away. So Esau despised the birthright.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 25:34, word by word
- Then 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- gaveנָתַןnatan
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “natan” appears- 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- breadלֶחֶםlechem
bread
Food made of kneaded, baked flour: the basis of each day's meal.
Where else “lechem” appears- and lentilעֲדָשִׁיםadashim
lentils
Lentils.
Where else “adashim” appears- stewנְזִידnezid
stew
Stew, cooked food, a boiled dish.
Where else “nezid” appears- and he ateיֹּאכַלyochal
eat
To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.
Where else “yochal” appears- and drankיֵּשְׁתְּyesht
drink
Drink.
Where else “yesht” appears- roseיָּקָםyakam
rise
To go from sitting or lying to standing, or to set out.
Where else “yakam” appears- and went awayיֵּלַךְyelach
go
To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.
Where else “yelach” appears- despisedיִּבֶזyivez
despise
Despise, think little of.
Where else “yivez” appears- the birthrightבְּכֹרָהbechora
birthright
The rights of the eldest son in the family.
Where else “bechora” appears
The context
33Jacob said, “Swear to me today.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.
34 · This verse (above)
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?