Genesis 25

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Took another wife' (vayyosef... vayyiqqach ishah) — the verb yasef ('to add, to do again') signals continuation after Sarah's death and Isaac's marriage. Abraham, at well over 140 years old, takes a new wife. Some interpreters identify Keturah with Hagar (cf. 1 Chronicles 1:32, which calls her a 'concubine'), but the plain text introduces her as a distinct figure.
2. 'Keturah' (Qeturah) — the name likely derives from qetoret ('incense'), suggesting a connection to the aromatic spice trade of Arabia. This etymology fits the geography of her descendants, who are associated with Arabian and eastern territories.

Translator Notes

1. Six sons are listed, each becoming the ancestor of peoples or tribes. Midian (Midyan) is the most significant in later biblical narrative: Moses will flee to Midian and marry a Midianite woman (Exodus 2:15–21), and the Midianites later become both allies and adversaries of Israel.
2. Shuah (Shuach) is noteworthy as the ancestor of Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's three friends (Job 2:11). These Abrahamic descendants populate the broader Near Eastern landscape, extending Abraham's influence far beyond the covenant line through Isaac.

Translator Notes

1. Sheba and Dedan also appear in the genealogy of Ham through Cush (10:7) and in connection with Shem (10:28). These overlapping names likely reflect intermarriage and blending of tribal identities in Arabian territories. Sheba is associated with the famous spice trade and the later Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10).
2. The three 'sons' of Dedan — Asshurim, Letushim, Leummim — bear names with plural endings (-im), indicating they are tribal or ethnic groups rather than individuals. The name Le'ummim means 'peoples' or 'nations,' underscoring the collective nature of these identities.

Translator Notes

1. Ephah (Eifah) is mentioned in Isaiah 60:6 alongside Midian as bringing gold and incense — again connecting Keturah's line to the Arabian trade routes. The five sons of Midian represent the major clans of the Midianite confederation.
2. 'All these were the sons of Keturah' — the summary formula closes the genealogy and underscores that while Abraham fathered many peoples, the covenant distinction will be drawn sharply in the verses that follow.

Translator Notes

1. 'All that he had' (kol-asher-lo) — this is an absolute transfer. Isaac receives the entirety of Abraham's estate, which includes not merely material wealth but the covenantal inheritance: the promises of land, descendants, and divine blessing. The other sons receive gifts (v. 6) but not the inheritance. The distinction is categorical, not proportional.
2. This verse establishes the legal and theological principle of the chosen heir receiving 'everything.' It parallels the later distinction between Jacob and Esau, and ultimately the concept of the firstborn's double portion — though here it is not the firstborn (Ishmael) but the son of promise who inherits all.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The concubines' (happilagshim) — the plural suggests both Hagar and Keturah are included under this designation. In 1 Chronicles 1:32, Keturah is explicitly called a concubine (pilegesh). The legal distinction matters: concubines' sons receive gifts but not inheritance rights.
2. 'Sent them away from Isaac his son' (vayeshallechem me'al Yitschaq beno) — Abraham separates the other sons from Isaac to prevent future disputes over inheritance and to protect the covenant line from dilution. The pattern echoes the earlier sending away of Ishmael (21:14), though here it is done with gifts rather than minimal provisions.
3. 'Eastward, to the land of the east' (qedmah el-erets qedem) — the doubled emphasis on 'east' is deliberate. In Genesis, movement eastward consistently signals departure from the place of divine presence and promise: Adam and Eve go east of Eden (3:24), Cain goes east of Eden (4:16), and the builders of Babel move east (11:2). The Abrahamic sons who are not heirs of the promise go east.

Translator Notes

1. 'The days of the years of Abraham's life' (yemei shenei-chayyei Avraham) — the formulaic death notice mirrors the style used for other patriarchs (cf. 5:5 for Adam, 9:29 for Noah). The phrase layers time units — days within years within a life — as though each unit of time mattered.
2. A hundred and seventy-five years — Abraham was 75 when called from Haran (12:4), making his life in the land of promise exactly 100 years. This round number may be theologically significant: a full century under the covenant. Jewish tradition notes the numerical pattern: 175 = 7 × 5² (or 7 × 25), which can be read as 'seven lives of twenty-five years,' suggesting fullness and completion.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Breathed his last' (vayyigva) — the verb gava means to expire, to breathe out for the last time. It is a gentle word, suggesting a peaceful death rather than a violent or agonizing one. The narrative grants Abraham the serene death that his faithful life warranted.
2. 'In a good old age, old and full of days' (beseivah tovah zaqen vesave'a) — four terms pile up to describe Abraham's death: good grey-headedness, aged, and satisfied (or 'full'). The word save'a literally means 'sated, satisfied' — Abraham has had his fill of life. This echoes God's promise in 15:15: 'You shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.'
3. 'Gathered to his people' (vayye'asef el-ammav) — this phrase appears to mean more than simply being buried. Abraham's ancestors were buried in Mesopotamia, not at Machpelah. The expression suggests reunion with the dead in some form — an early intimation of afterlife or continued existence beyond physical death. It is used for Abraham, Ishmael (v. 17), Isaac (35:29), Jacob (49:33), Aaron (Numbers 20:24), and Moses (Deuteronomy 32:50).

Translator Notes

1. 'Isaac and Ishmael' — Isaac is named first, though Ishmael is the firstborn. The order reflects covenantal priority, not birth order. Yet Ishmael's presence at the burial is striking and poignant: the son who was sent away returns to bury his father alongside the son who stayed. Whatever tensions existed, the brothers come together in grief.
2. 'The cave of Machpelah' — purchased by Abraham in chapter 23 for Sarah's burial. Abraham is now laid beside his wife. The cave becomes the patriarchal burial site: Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah will all be interred there (49:31). It remains the only piece of the promised land that Abraham legally owned.

Translator Notes

1. 'The field that Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth' — the narrative deliberately recalls the transaction of chapter 23, reinforcing the legal validity of Abraham's ownership. In death as in life, Abraham's only permanent foothold in the promised land is this purchased burial plot.
2. 'There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife' — husband and wife reunited in death. The simplicity of the statement carries enormous weight: the man who left everything to follow God's call now rests in the one piece of ground he bought with full price in the land of promise.

Translator Notes

1. 'God blessed Isaac his son' — the blessing passes from Abraham to Isaac without interruption. God himself ensures the continuity of the covenant. The verb barakh ('blessed') echoes the comprehensive blessing of Abraham in 24:1, signaling that Isaac now stands in his father's place as the recipient of divine favor.
2. 'Beer-lahai-roi' — 'the well of the Living One who sees me.' This is the well where Hagar encountered the angel of the LORD (16:13–14). That Isaac settles here is richly suggestive: the son of promise dwells at the site where the rejected concubine's son received divine attention. It may hint at a connection or reconciliation between the two family lines, or simply at Isaac's awareness of God's providential care for all of Abraham's household.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The generations of Ishmael' (toledot Yishma'el) — this is the fifth toledot formula in Genesis (after 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1). Ishmael receives his own toledot section, affirming his significance as Abraham's son. Though he is not the covenant heir, he is not forgotten or insignificant.
2. 'Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maidservant' — Ishmael's identity is defined through both parents and through social status. He is Abraham's son (dignity), born of Hagar (Egyptian origin), who was Sarah's servant (subordinate status). Every element of this introduction carries weight for understanding Ishmael's place in the narrative.

Translator Notes

1. 'By their names, according to their generations' (bishmotam letoledotam) — the double specification emphasizes both individual identity (names) and collective continuity (generations). Each name represents a tribal group that will inhabit the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions.
2. Nebaioth (Nevayot) — the firstborn, later associated with the Nabataeans of Petra and the Arabian trade routes. Kedar (Qedar) — becomes a significant Arabian tribe, referenced frequently in later Scripture as a symbol of the desert-dwelling nomadic life (Psalm 120:5; Song of Songs 1:5; Isaiah 21:16–17; 42:11; 60:7). Kedar represents wealth in flocks and martial prowess.

Translator Notes

1. Dumah (Dumah) — the name means 'silence' and is associated with the oasis of Dumat al-Jandal in northern Arabia, a significant caravan crossroads. Isaiah 21:11 contains an oracle concerning Dumah. Massa (Massa) — the name means 'burden' or 'oracle'; some scholars connect the 'words of King Lemuel' and the 'words of Agur' in Proverbs 30–31 with this Massa tribe, reading the Hebrew massa as a proper noun rather than the common noun 'oracle.'

Translator Notes

1. Tema (Teima) — an important oasis in northwestern Arabia, mentioned in Job 6:19 and Isaiah 21:14 as a caravan stop. Jetur (Yetur) and Naphish (Nafish) — these two tribes appear in 1 Chronicles 5:19 as opponents of the Transjordanian Israelite tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh). The Itureans of the New Testament era (Luke 3:1) are likely descendants of Jetur.
2. Kedemah (Qedmah) — the last name means 'eastward,' echoing the direction in which Abraham sent his non-covenant sons (v. 6). The list ends with a geographic marker pointing toward the eastern desert, the domain of Ishmael's descendants.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Settlements and encampments' (chatsereihem uveteirotam) — chatser refers to an unwalled village or settlement, while tirah denotes a more fortified encampment or enclosure. Together they describe a semi-nomadic lifestyle: some permanent habitations, some temporary encampments following seasonal patterns.
2. 'Twelve princes' (shnem-asar nesi'im) — this directly fulfills God's promise to Abraham in 17:20: 'As for Ishmael... I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.' The word nasi (prince, chieftain) denotes tribal leadership. The number twelve parallels the later twelve tribes of Israel through Jacob, suggesting a deliberate structural echo: both sons of Abraham produce twelve-fold tribal organizations.

Translator Notes

1. A hundred and thirty-seven years — Ishmael's lifespan is substantial, though shorter than Abraham's (175) and Isaac's (180). Sarah also died at 137 (23:1), creating a numerical echo between the mother who expelled Ishmael and Ishmael himself.
2. 'Breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people' (vayyigva vayyamot vayye'asef el-ammav) — Ishmael receives the same dignified death formula as Abraham (v. 8), with one exception: 'in a good old age, old and full of days' is omitted. Nonetheless, the phrase 'gathered to his people' extends to Ishmael the same hope of postmortem continuity granted to Abraham.

Translator Notes

1. 'From Havilah to Shur' — this defines the geographic range of the Ishmaelite tribes: from Havilah (likely in northeastern Arabia or perhaps southwestern Arabia) to Shur (in the northwestern Sinai, near Egypt's border). This is a vast territory encompassing much of the Arabian Peninsula and its northern reaches.
2. 'He settled over against all his kinsmen' (al-penei khol-echav nafal) — the verb nafal literally means 'he fell,' but here it likely means 'he settled' or 'he dwelt.' This echoes the divine oracle in 16:12: 'He shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.' The prophecy is fulfilled: Ishmael's descendants live in proximity and sometimes tension with their related peoples, maintaining their distinct identity alongside — but apart from — the covenant line.

Translator Notes

1. 'The generations of Isaac' (toledot Yitschaq) — this is the sixth toledot formula and one of the most important, as it introduces the central narrative of the next several chapters: the Jacob-Esau conflict, Isaac's sojourning, and the transmission of the blessing. The toledot of Isaac will extend through chapter 35.
2. 'Abraham fathered Isaac' (Avraham holid et-Yitschaq) — the seemingly redundant repetition ('Isaac, Abraham's son; Abraham fathered Isaac') creates a verbal bracket that frames Isaac's identity entirely within his relationship to Abraham. Isaac is defined as Abraham's heir — both biologically and covenantally. The emphasis is deliberate: after listing all of Abraham's other offspring (vv. 1–4, 12–16), the narrative returns emphatically to the one through whom the promise continues.

Translator Notes

1. 'Forty years old' — Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 (21:5), and Abraham sent his servant when he was at least 140 (cf. 24:1). Isaac is 40 at his marriage, placing the events of chapter 24 in proper chronological context. The age of 40 in the biblical world often marks the threshold of mature adulthood.
2. 'Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean' — the double designation 'Aramean' (Arammi) and the place name Paddan-aram ('the field of Aram') firmly locate Rebekah's origins in Upper Mesopotamia. Laban is mentioned here for the first time as Rebekah's brother; he will become a major figure in Jacob's story (chapters 29–31). His introduction here plants a narrative seed that will germinate two generations later.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Prayed earnestly' (vayye'tar) — the verb atar is rare and intensive, meaning to pray with urgency, to entreat, to plead. It is stronger than the common word for prayer (palal). Isaac does not casually ask; he labors in prayer. The same verb is used for its result: 'the LORD was moved by his prayer' (vayye'ater lo) — the wordplay between the active and passive forms of atar creates a verbal mirror: Isaac entreated, and God was entreated.
2. 'She was barren' (aqarah hi) — Rebekah joins Sarah (11:30) as a barren matriarch. This pattern will continue with Rachel (29:31). The barrenness of the covenant mothers is a recurring motif establishing that Israel's existence is not a natural inevitability but a divine gift. Isaac was 40 at marriage (v. 20) and 60 at the twins' birth (v. 26), implying twenty years of barrenness and prayer.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Struggled' (vayyitrotsatsu) — the verb ratsats means to crush, to break, to shatter. In its reflexive-reciprocal form (hitpolel), it describes two forces violently colliding. This is not gentle kicking; it is a prenatal war. The intensity of the language foreshadows the lifelong conflict between the two nations emerging from Rebekah's womb.
2. 'If it is so, why is this happening to me?' (im-ken lammah zeh anokhi) — Rebekah's cry is compressed and ambiguous. Literally: 'If so, why this — I?' Interpreters have heard in it various anguished questions: 'If this is what pregnancy is like, why did I want it?' or 'If God answered our prayer, why is it so painful?' or even 'Why do I exist?' The raw brevity conveys genuine distress.
3. 'She went to inquire of the LORD' (vattelekh lidrosh et-YHWH) — the verb darash means to seek, to inquire, to consult. Rebekah takes independent initiative in seeking God — she does not ask Isaac to inquire for her. This establishes Rebekah as a woman of direct spiritual agency, a trait that will shape the narrative profoundly in chapter 27.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Two nations are in your womb' (shenei goyim bevitnekh) — the oracle reveals that Rebekah carries not merely two children but two nations. The word goyim ('nations') elevates the pregnancy from a personal event to a geopolitical prophecy. The struggle in her womb is the opening battle of a national conflict.
2. 'Two peoples shall be divided from within you' (ushnei le'ummim mimme'ayikh yipparedu) — the verb parad ('to separate, to divide') recalls the division of peoples after Babel (10:32). From the moment of birth, these two will diverge — in character, destiny, and relationship to God.
3. 'The older shall serve the younger' (rav ya'avod tsa'ir) — this climactic line overturns the natural order of primogeniture. The Hebrew is deliberately ambiguous: rav can mean 'the older' or 'the greater,' and tsa'ir means 'the younger' or 'the lesser.' The oracle can be read as 'the older shall serve the younger' or 'the greater shall serve the lesser.' This divine reversal of the firstborn's privilege is a pattern throughout Genesis (Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Ephraim over Manasseh) and throughout Scripture.

Translator Notes

1. 'When her days were fulfilled' (vayyimle'u yameha laledet) — the language of fulfillment (male, 'to fill, to complete') suggests that the pregnancy ran its full, appointed course. There is a sense of divine timing: the birth happens when the days are 'full,' not premature, not late.
2. 'Behold — twins' (vehinneh tomim) — the narrative withholds the information until this dramatic moment. The reader, who knows the oracle, now watches it begin to unfold. The word tomim (twins) is spelled defectively here (without the expected aleph), which some commentators distinguish from the full spelling used for Tamar's twins in 38:27. Whether this orthographic difference carries meaning is debated.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Red' (admoni) — this adjective, from the root a-d-m, links Esau to the color red and thus to his later name Edom (v. 30). The same root gives us adam ('man,' from adamah, 'red earth') and dam ('blood'). Esau's redness is his defining physical trait, and it will be punned upon when he demands the 'red stuff' (ha'adom ha'adom) in v. 30.
2. 'Like a garment of hair' (kadderet se'ar) — the word adderet means a cloak or mantle, and se'ar means hair. Esau emerges covered in hair so thick it looks like a fur garment. The word se'ar also connects to Se'ir, the mountainous region where Esau's descendants will settle (32:3; 36:8). Name, appearance, and geography are all woven together.
3. 'They called his name Esau' (Esav) — the etymology of Esau is debated. Some connect it to asah ('to make, to do'), suggesting he came out 'fully made' or 'completed.' Others relate it to an Arabic root meaning 'hairy' or 'rough.' The name may simply be a description of his appearance: the rough, finished-looking one.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'His hand was grasping Esau's heel' (veyado ochezet ba'aqev Esav) — from the womb, Jacob is already reaching for what belongs to Esau. The heel-grasping is an extraordinary birth sign: the second twin emerging with his hand locked around the first one's heel. It is simultaneously a physical detail, a character revelation, and a prophecy enacted.
2. 'Jacob' (Ya'aqov) — the name derives from aqev ('heel'), meaning 'he grasps the heel' or, by extension, 'he supplants.' The verb aqav means to follow at the heel, to track, and by metaphorical extension, to supplant or deceive. Esau will later make the pun explicit: 'Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me (vayya'qeveni) these two times' (27:36). The name carries both a physical description and a moral characterization.
3. Isaac was sixty years old — since Isaac married at 40 (v. 20), this confirms twenty years of barrenness and prayer before the twins' birth. The long wait parallels Abraham and Sarah's wait for Isaac and reinforces that the covenant children come not by natural timing but by divine gift.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A man skilled in hunting, a man of the field' (ish yode'a tsayid, ish sadeh) — Esau is defined by two phrases: he knows hunting (the verb yada implies mastery and expertise), and he belongs to the open field. He is outdoor, physical, and wild. The phrase 'man of the field' echoes Cain, who was a 'worker of the ground' (4:2), and later Nimrod, the 'mighty hunter before the LORD' (10:9). The field in Genesis is often a place of danger and violence.
2. 'A quiet man, dwelling in tents' (ish tam yoshev ohalim) — the word tam is often translated 'plain' (KJV) but more accurately means 'complete, wholesome, blameless, integrated.' It is the same word used to describe Job (Job 1:1) and Noah's expected conduct (6:9, tamim). Jacob is not 'plain' in the sense of ordinary; he is tam in the sense of morally intact or undivided. 'Dwelling in tents' suggests the domestic, pastoral life of the shepherd and the camp — the civilized sphere as opposed to Esau's wild field.

Translator Notes

1. 'Isaac loved Esau, for game was in his mouth' (vayyehav Yitschaq et-Esav ki-tsayid befiv) — the phrase 'game in his mouth' (tsayid befiv) is ambiguous: it could mean Isaac liked the taste of Esau's hunted meat (literally, the game was in Isaac's mouth), or that Esau was verbally skilled — 'hunting' in his mouth, meaning he knew how to talk to his father. Most interpreters favor the culinary reading: Isaac's preference for Esau is linked to sensory pleasure, to appetite. This creates an uncomfortable parallel with the broader narrative: Isaac's love is based on something he consumes.
2. 'But Rebekah loved Jacob' — no reason is given for Rebekah's preference. The absence of explanation may suggest that her love is less conditional than Isaac's, or it may reflect her knowledge of the oracle (v. 23): God declared that the older would serve the younger, and Rebekah aligns her affections with the divine word. The divided loyalties of the parents — father for one son, mother for the other — will drive the painful drama of chapter 27.

Translator Notes

1. 'Was cooking stew' (vayyazed nazid) — the verb zud means 'to boil, to cook,' and nazid is 'stew' or 'pottage.' The wordplay between the verb and noun (vayyazed nazid) is emphatic. Some commentators note that zud also carries the meaning 'to act presumptuously' (cf. Exodus 18:11; Deuteronomy 17:13), hinting at the audacity of what Jacob is about to do.
2. 'He was exhausted' (vehu ayef) — the word ayef means utterly spent, drained of strength. Esau returns from the field in a state of total depletion. This sets up his willingness to trade long-term value (the birthright) for immediate physical relief — a choice the narrative will judge severely (v. 34).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Let me gulp down' (hal'iteni) — the verb la'at means to swallow greedily, to gulp, to gobble. It is used elsewhere only for feeding animals (cf. the related noun in Proverbs 26:15, where the sluggard is too lazy to bring food to his mouth). The word is coarse and animal-like, portraying Esau as a man reduced to pure appetite. He doesn't ask to 'eat' (akhal) — he demands to have food crammed into his mouth.
2. 'This red — this red stuff' (min-ha'adom ha'adom hazzeh) — Esau cannot even name what he wants. He points and sputters: 'that red, that red.' The repetition and the absence of a noun (he doesn't say 'red stew' or 'red food') convey breathless, almost incoherent urgency. He is so depleted that language itself fails him.
3. 'Therefore his name was called Edom' — the narrator provides the etymology: Edom comes from adom ('red'). Esau's grasping demand for the red stew becomes his national identity. An entire people will be named for this moment of appetite. The Edomites will settle in the red sandstone mountains of Seir, reinforcing the chromatic connection.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Sell me your birthright, here and now' (mikhrah khayom et-bekhoratekha li) — the word khayom means 'today, right now, this very day.' Jacob demands immediate transaction, no delay, no time for Esau to reconsider. The urgency mirrors Esau's urgency for food: appetite meets ambition in a single moment.
2. 'Birthright' (bekhorah) — the birthright (from bekhor, 'firstborn') included a double portion of the inheritance, family leadership, and in this family, presumably the covenantal promises given to Abraham and Isaac. It was the firstborn's most precious possession. Jacob's willingness to barter food for this treasure reveals his understanding of its value — an understanding Esau conspicuously lacks.

Translator Notes

1. 'I am about to die' (hinneh anokhi holekh lamut) — literally, 'Behold, I am going to die.' Esau's self-assessment is almost certainly hyperbolic: he is hungry and tired, not mortally endangered. But his words reveal a man who lives entirely in the present moment, with no capacity for long-term thinking. A birthright has value only to someone who can imagine a future; Esau cannot see past his current hunger.
2. 'What good is a birthright to me?' (velammah-zeh li bekhorah) — the question is devastating in its shortsightedness. Esau dismisses the birthright as worthless because it cannot satisfy his immediate physical need. The narrator will render judgment on this attitude in v. 34. Hebrews 12:16 later calls Esau a 'profane person' (bebelos) for this act — one who treats the sacred as common.

Translator Notes

1. 'Swear to me today' (hishave'ah li kayyom) — Jacob demands an oath to make the transaction irrevocable. An oath before God cannot be undone. Jacob understands legal formalities and ensures that this is not a casual promise Esau can later deny. The insistence on an oath shows Jacob's calculating nature: he leaves nothing to chance.
2. 'He swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob' — the sequence is rapid and final: oath, then sale. The transaction is complete. Esau has legally and formally relinquished his firstborn status. What took a moment of weakness to surrender will take years of anguish to regret (27:34, 36).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Bread and lentil stew' (lechem unezid adashim) — now we learn what the 'red stuff' was: lentil stew. Red lentils are a common food in the ancient Near East, a humble, everyday dish. The birthright of the firstborn was traded for the most ordinary of meals. The inclusion of bread (lechem) shows Jacob provided a full meal, not a mere taste.
2. 'He ate and drank and rose and went away' (vayyokhal vayyesht vayyaqom vayyyelakh) — four verbs in rapid succession, all in the wayyiqtol (narrative past) form, create a staccato rhythm: ate-drank-rose-left. The machine-gun pacing conveys Esau's total lack of reflection. There is no pause, no moment of regret, no hesitation. He consumes and departs as though nothing of consequence has occurred.
3. 'So Esau despised his birthright' (vayyivez Esav et-habbekhorah) — the narrator's verdict is devastating. The verb bazah means to despise, to regard as worthless, to treat with contempt. It is a word of moral judgment. Esau did not merely sell his birthright; he despised it. He assigned it zero value. This editorial comment transforms a story about a hungry man and a clever brother into a theological parable about the difference between those who value the sacred and those who do not.