Focused Passage

Genesis 25:19-26

Abraham Dies, the Promise Narrows Through Isaac, and Esau Despises What Jacob Desires

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

19 This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,

20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD,

23 and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.

25 The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau.

26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 19

Original words

This וְאֵ֛לֶּה H428 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common plural is the account תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת H8435 Noun - feminine plural construct of Abraham’s אַבְרָהָ֑ם H85 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct Isaac יִצְחָ֖ק H3327 Noun - proper - masculine singular Abraham אַבְרָהָ֖ם H85 Noun - proper - masculine singular became the father of הוֹלִ֥יד H3205 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Isaac יִצְחָֽק׃ H3327 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

and Isaac יִצְחָק֙ H3327 Noun - proper - masculine singular was וַיְהִ֤י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular forty אַרְבָּעִ֣ים H705 Number - common plural years old בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . שָׁנָ֔ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular when he married בְּקַחְתּ֣וֹ H3947 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ H802 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Rebekah רִבְקָ֗ה H7259 Noun - proper - feminine singular the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of Bethuel בְּתוּאֵל֙ H1328 Noun - proper - masculine singular the Aramean הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י H761 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular vvv מִפַּדַּ֖ן H6307 Preposition from Paddan-aram אֲרָ֑ם H758 Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular and the sister אֲח֛וֹת H269 Noun - feminine singular construct of Laban לָבָ֥ן H3837 Noun - proper - masculine singular the Aramean הָאֲרַמִּ֖י H761 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, northwest Mesopotamia
Verse 21

Original words

Later, Isaac יִצְחָ֤ק H3327 Noun - proper - masculine singular prayed וַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר H6279 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to the LORD לַֽיהוָה֙ H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular on behalf of לְנֹ֣כַח H5227 Preposition-l his wife אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction she הִ֑וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular [was] barren עֲקָרָ֖ה H6135 Adjective - feminine singular And the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular heard his prayer וַיֵּעָ֤תֶר H6279 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and his wife אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Rebekah רִבְקָ֥ה H7259 Noun - proper - feminine singular conceived וַתַּ֖הַר H2029 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Verse 22

Original words

But the children הַבָּנִים֙ H1121 Article | Noun - masculine plural inside her בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular struggled with each other וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ H7533 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and she said וַתֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction . . . כֵּ֔ן H3651 Adverb Why לָ֥מָּה H4100 Interrogative is this זֶּ֖ה H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular happening to me אָנֹ֑כִי H595 Pronoun - first person common singular So [Rebekah] went וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular to inquire לִדְרֹ֥שׁ H1875 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

and [He] יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular declared לָ֗הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular to her וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Two שְׁנֵ֤י H8147 Number - masculine dual construct nations גֹיִים H1471 Noun - masculine plural are in your womb בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ H990 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular and two וּשְׁנֵ֣י H8147 Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine dual construct peoples לְאֻמִּ֔ים H3816 Noun - masculine plural from within you מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ H4578 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular will be separated יִפָּרֵ֑דוּ H6504 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural one people וּלְאֹם֙ H3816 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular will be stronger יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץ H553 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular than the other מִלְאֹ֣ם H3816 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular and the older וְרַ֖ב H7227 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular will serve יַעֲבֹ֥ד H5647 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the younger צָעִֽיר׃ H6810 Adjective - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in Romans 9:12
Verse 24

Original words

When her time יָמֶ֖יהָ H3117 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular came וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ H4390 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to give birth לָלֶ֑דֶת H3205 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct there were indeed וְהִנֵּ֥ה H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection twins תוֹמִ֖ם H8380 Noun - masculine plural in her womb בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃ H990 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 25

Original words

The first הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ H7223 Article | Adjective - masculine singular one came out וַיֵּצֵ֤א H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular red אַדְמוֹנִ֔י H132 Adjective - masculine singular . . . כֻּלּ֖וֹ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular covered with hair שֵׂעָ֑ר H8181 Noun - masculine singular like a fur coat כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת H155 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct so they named him וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Esau עֵשָֽׂו׃ H6215 Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means hairy.
Verse 26

Original words

After וְאַֽחֲרֵי־ H310 Conjunctive waw | Preposition this כֵ֞ן H3651 Adverb his brother אָחִ֗יו H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular came out יָצָ֣א H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular grasping אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ H270 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular Esau’s עֵשָׂ֔ו H6215 Noun - proper - masculine singular heel בַּעֲקֵ֣ב H6119 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct - וְיָד֤וֹ H3027 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular so he was named וַיִּקְרָ֥א H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Jacob יַעֲקֹ֑ב H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular And Isaac וְיִצְחָ֛ק H3327 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular was sixty שִׁשִּׁ֥ים H8346 Number - common plural years old בֶּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . שָׁנָ֖ה H8141 Noun - feminine singular when [the twins] were born בְּלֶ֥דֶת H3205 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֹתָֽם׃ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.