Genesis 25 – Abraham’s Death; Jacob and Esau Born to Isaac

A. Abraham’s latter life and death.

1. (1-4) Abraham marries again and has many children by Keturah.

Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

a. Abraham again took a wife: This was after the death of Sarah, recorded in Genesis 23:1-2 and Genesis 23:19. There was nothing wrong with Abraham taking another wife after Sarah’s death.

b. Her name was Keturah: It is easy to forget that Abraham had a second wife, and he fathered six more sons through her. In total, Abraham had eight sons: Isaac through Sarah, Ishmael through Hagar, and these six through Keturah.

c. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah: These sons would themselves become the fathers of distinct peoples. For example, the Midianites came from Midian. These sons through Keturah were also a further demonstration that in Abraham’s marriage to Sarah, whatever fertility problems that existed were on the part of Sarah, not Abraham.

2. (5-6) Abraham is careful to set Isaac apart as the child of promise.

And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

a. Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac: Abraham gave his wealth to Isaac, and he gave the promise of the land God had promised to him to Isaac (he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son).

b. Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines: The only such relationship we know of in Abraham’s life was with Hagar (Genesis 16:1-4). Perhaps this is also a reference to Keturah, letting us know that though she was Abraham’s wife (Genesis 25:1), regarding God’s covenant promise to Abraham and his descendants, she was not considered the same as Sarah.

3. (7-11) Abraham’s death and burial.

This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

a. Then Abraham breathed his last and died: Abraham passed from the scene, being one of the most important men of the Bible. He is mentioned 70 times in the New Testament alone. Only Moses is mentioned more times in the New Testament (80 times).

b. Died in a good old age, an old man and full of years: Abraham lived a remarkably long life of one hundred and seventy-five years. By many measures his life was not perfect, but he was a man of faith, who had a real relationship with God marked by remarkable obedience. Abraham was a true friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23).

i. Adam Clarke wrote a good eulogy of Abraham: “Above all as a man of God, he stands unrivaled; so that under the most exalted and perfect of all dispensations, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he is proposed and recommended as the model and pattern according to which the faith, obedience, and perseverance of the followers of the Messiah are to be formed. Reader, while you admire the man, do not forget the God that made him so great, so good, and so useful. Even Abraham had nothing but what he had received; from the free unmerited mercy of God proceeded all his excellences; but he was a worker together with God, and therefore did not receive the grace of God in vain. Go thou, believe, love, obey, and persevere in like manner.”

c. After the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac: Abraham was a great man, but he was only a man. God’s work passed on from one generation to the next. Now, God would carry on the work of the covenant first promised to Abraham through Isaac.

4. (12-18) The life and descendants of Ishmael.

Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

a. Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael: Here the twelve sons of Ishmael are named. With so many sons to carry on his family name, Ishmael was a blessed man. However, he was not blessed as the inheritor of the covenant God made to Abraham.

b. Twelve princes… one hundred and thirty-seven years… was gathered to his people… He died in the presence of all his brethren: All of these descriptions show what a blessed man Ishmael was. Though he did not receive the Abrahamic covenant, God’s blessing and hand was upon him.

B. The children of Isaac: Jacob and Esau.

1. (19-21) In answer to prayer, Rebekah conceives twins.

This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

a. Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: Isaac was the son of promise, but he did not receive the promise easily. It was only fulfilled through waiting and prayer (Hebrews 6:12). God’s intention is for a husband and wife to fulfill His purpose for them to be one (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:28-29, 5:33). In pleading to God for his wife, Isaac thought and acted in accord with their union; her problems were also his.

b. The LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived: This prayer was answered, but some 20 years after Isaac and Rebekah first married (Genesis 25:20, 26). Their faith and persistence in prayer was tested and invited to grow through many years. As well, these were the only children born to Isaac and Rebekah.

2. (22-23) God’s choice of the younger over the older.

But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

a. So she went to inquire of the LORD: As Rebekah’s pregnancy progressed, there was unusual movement in her womb, as if there was a struggle. As she sought God, the Lord spoke to Rebekah regarding the number of children in her womb, their gender, and the destiny of those sons.

b. Two nations are in your womb: What God said was simple. Rebekah would give birth to twins. The twins would each be ancestors of nations. One of the sons and nations would be greater than the other. The younger son and the nation descended from him would be greater than the older son and his descendants.

i. According to Ginsberg, some Jewish legends say Jacob and Esau tried to kill each other in the womb. It was also claimed by some legends that every time Rebekah went near an altar dedicated to an idol, Esau became excited in the womb, and when she went near a place where the Lord was worshipped, Jacob would become excited. These should be regarded as nothing more than legends.

c. And the older shall serve the younger: God commanded that in the case of these twin sons, the long-established practice of privilege for the firstborn be set aside and the younger son be considered as privileged over his older brother. In normal cases, God recognized the custom of preference for the firstborn and older. Yet God may upset normal customs and hierarchies to advance His plan and purpose.

i. In Romans 9:10-13, the Apostle Paul used this choice of Jacob over Esau before their birth as an illustration of God’s sovereign choice. God’s choice of Isaac instead of Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-13) is more apparently logical. Yet His choice between Jacob and Esau, regarding which one would be the heir of God’s covenant of salvation, was just as valid, though the logic behind the choice is less apparent.

ii. Paul wrote that God’s choice was not based on the performance of Jacob or Esau. The choice was made when they were not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil (Romans 9:11).

iii. God announced these intentions (the older shall serve the younger) to Rebekah before the children were born and repeated His verdict long after Jacob and Esau had both passed from the earth (Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated, Malachi 1:2-3).

iv. Some people question the fairness of God to make such a choice before Jacob or Esau were born. Yet we should regard the love and the hate God spoke of in Malachi 1:2-3 and Romans 9:10-13 as having to do with His purpose in choosing one of these two to become the heir of the covenant of Abraham. In that regard, God’s preference could rightly be regarded as a display of love towards Jacob and hate towards Esau. The real thought in Malachi 1 and Romans 9 is much more like “accepted” and “rejected” more than how the terms “loved” and “hated” are commonly used.

v. God did not hate Esau in the sense of cursing him to a doomed life in either this world or the next. All told, Esau was indeed a blessed man, and in some ways more well-adjusted than Jacob (Genesis 33:4-9). Yet regarding the inheritance of the covenant, it was rightly said that God hated Esau and loved Jacob.

vi. “A woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, ‘I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.’ ‘That,’ Spurgeon replied, ‘is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.’” (Newell in Romans, Verse by Verse)

vii. One great error in thinking about the choices God makes is to believe He chooses for arbitrary or random reasons, as if His choices were haphazard and without reason. In truth, God chooses according to His divine wisdom, love, and goodness. Believers may not be able to perceive all the reasons for the choices God makes, but God’s choices are always made for good reasons. The reasons may be known to God alone, but God’s choices are not random or haphazard.

3. (24-26) The birth of Jacob and Esau.

So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

a. Indeed there were twins in her womb: When God told Rebekah she carried twin boys (Genesis 25:23), no one could immediately see the truth of it. When she delivered, it was seen that God’s word was true. This gave reason to believe that what God said about the two boys being fathers of nations and the older serving the younger would also be true.

b. And the first came out red: The circumstances surrounding the birth of each child were responsible for their names. Esau (hairy) referred to the hairiness and hair color of the first-born child. Jacob (heel-catcher) referred to the way the second-born held on to the heel of his brother at birth.

i. Additionally, the idea of a “heel-catcher” meant something in that day. It had the idea of trickster, con man, scoundrel, or rascal. It wasn’t a compliment.

4. (27-28) The different characters of Jacob and Esau.

So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

a. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man: Like many siblings in a family, Jacob and Esau were different in their personality and tastes; and as is sometimes the case, each parent had a favorite child.

b. Jacob was a mild man: The Hebrew word for mild has the idea of “wholeness,” instead of referring to someone who is weak or effeminate. The same Hebrew word translated mild here is also used of Job, referring to him as blameless (Job 1:8).

5. (29-34) Esau despises his birthright and sells it to Jacob.

Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

a. Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field: In this story, each son acted consistently with his own natural inclination. Esau hunted and Jacob cooked.

b. Sell me your birthright as of this day: Jacob knew that the birthright was valuable, and he wanted it. He understood that the birthright involved both material and spiritual aspects (Deuteronomy 21:17; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2). The son of the birthright received a double portion of the inheritance, and he also became the head of the family and the spiritual leader upon the passing of the father.

i. In the case of this family, the birthright determined who would inherit the covenant God made with Abraham, the covenant of a land, a nation, and the Messiah (Genesis 12:1-3; 12:7; 13:15; 15:18-21; 17:7-8; 22:17-18).

c. I am about to die: Esau’s thought wasn’t that he was so hungry that he would die without food. Instead, the idea was, “I will die one day anyway, so what good is this birthright to me?” He clearly did not consider the birthright a valuable thing.

d. Swear to me as of this day: Jacob acted in the character of his name, acting like a heel-catcher. He acted like a scoundrel or a rascal in taking advantage of his brother.

i. Jacob was guilty of scheming and manipulating to gain something God said was already his. Yet the greater blame was placed on Esau, who despised his birthright.

ii. According to Leupold, Martin Luther drew attention to an important fact: this was not a valid transaction, because Jacob tried to purchase what was already his, and Esau tried to sell something that didn’t belong to him.

e. And sold his birthright to Jacob: Esau thought little of the spiritual heritage connected to the birthright. He valued only material things, so a spiritual birthright meant little to him when his stomach was hungry. Esau is a lasting example of those who place little value on spiritual things.

i. “History shows that men prefer illusions to realities, choose time rather than eternity, and the pleasures of sin for a season rather than the joys of God forever. Men will read trash rather than the Word of God, and adhere to a system of priorities that leaves God out of their lives. Multitudes of men spend more time shaving than on their souls; and multitudes of women give more minutes to their makeup than to the life of the eternal spirit. Men still sell their birthright for a mess of pottage.” (Barnhouse)

ii. Spiritually speaking, many believers despise their birthright. Ephesians 1:3-14 describes a treasury of riches that belong to God’s people by birthright in Jesus:

· Every spiritual blessing.

· The blessing of being chosen in Jesus.

· Adoption into God’s family.

· Complete acceptance by God in Jesus.

· Redemption from our slavery to sin.

· True and total forgiveness.

· The riches of God’s grace.

· The revelation and knowledge of the mystery of God’s will.

· An eternal inheritance.

· The guarantee of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Far too many neglect or trade away this birthright for cheap entertainment, momentary popularity, or passing pleasures.

f. Thus Esau despised his birthright: Esau’s character as a fornicator and profane person (Hebrews 12:16) shows God was entirely correct in choosing Jacob over Esau to carry on the birthright, even though Jacob was younger.

i. Esau’s character was not the basis for God’s choosing; He chose Jacob over Esau before they were born (Romans 9:11-13). Nevertheless, Esau’s character showed the wisdom of God’s choice.

©1996–present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik