Genesis 25:26
in Genesis 25After 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
KJV
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
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This verse in Genesis 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verseIn addition, because [Christ] supplanted the activity of the adversary and because he alone sees the Father, he is "Jacob" and "Israel" when he has become man. As we become light because he is the light of the world, so we become Jacob because he is called "Jacob" and Israel because he is named "Israel."
This site's exposition
there were indeed twins in her womb
on Genesis 25:24-26
Genesis reports twins twice, here and at the birth of Tamar's sons in chapter 38. Both times the expected order is overturned. Esau comes out red and covered with hair, and in chapter 27 Jacob will counterfeit it with kid skins on his hands and neck. The second comes out gripping the heel, and Esau throws that name back at him at 27:36.
This site's exposition
so he was named Jacob
Adam Clarke derived Jacob from a root meaning to supplant, to trip a man by the heel, and read the grip as a sign of the birthright taken later. Origen applied the name to Christ, who supplanted the activity of the adversary. Hosea 12:3 recalls the grip on the heel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
An example might be found in the patriarch Isaac. He married Rebecca when he was past the flower of his age and his prime was well-nigh spent, so that his marriage was not the deed of passion, but because of God's blessing that should be upon his seed. He cohabited with her till the birth of her only children, and then, closing the channels of the senses, lived wholly for the Unseen; for this is what seems to be meant by the mention in his history of the dimness of the Patriarch's eyes.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This signified, (1.) Jacob's pursuit of the birthright and blessing; from the first, he reached forth to catch hold of it, and, if possible, to prevent his brother. (2.) His prevailing for it at last, that, in process of time, he should undermine his brother, and gain his point. This passage is referred to ( Hos. xii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And after that came his brother out,....
This signified, (1.) Jacob's pursuit of the birthright and blessing; from the first, he reached forth to catch hold of it, and, if possible, to prevent his brother. (2.) His prevailing for it at last, that, in process of time, he should undermine his brother, and gain his point. This passage is referred to ( Hos. xii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
His name was called Jacob - יעקב Yaccob, from עקב akab, to defraud, deceive, to supplant, i.e., to overthrow a person by tripping up his heels. Hence this name was given to Jacob, because it was found he had laid hold on his brother’s heel, which was emblematical of his supplanting Esau, and defrauding him of his birthright.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַֽחֲרֵי־ | veacharei- | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| כֵ֞ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| יָצָ֣א | yatza' | he came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אָחִ֗יו | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְיָד֤וֹ | veyado | and hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ | ʾochezet | [was] holding | H270 → | 67 times |
| בַּעֲקֵ֣ב | baakev | on [the] heel of | H6119 → | 14 times |
| עֵשָׂ֔ו | ʾesav | Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| וַיִּקְרָ֥א | vaiyikra' | and he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֑ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| וְיִצְחָ֛ק | veyitzchak | and Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [was] a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שִׁשִּׁ֥ים | shishim | sixty | H8346 → | 59 times |
| שָׁנָ֖ה | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| בְּלֶ֥דֶת | beledet | when fathered | H3205 → | 496 times |
| אֹתָֽם׃ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְאַֽחֲרֵי־and after
veacharei-H310 →715 times
כֵ֞ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
יָצָ֣אhe came out
yatza'H3318 →1067 times
אָחִ֗יוbrother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
וְיָד֤וֹand hand his
veyadoH3027 →1618 times
אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙[was] holding
ʾochezetH270 →67 times
בַּעֲקֵ֣בon [the] heel of
baakevH6119 →14 times
עֵשָׂ֔וEsau
ʾesavH6215 →97 times
וַיִּקְרָ֥אand he called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
יַעֲקֹ֑בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
וְיִצְחָ֛קand Isaac
veyitzchakH3327 →108 times
בֶּן־[was] a son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שִׁשִּׁ֥יםsixty
shishimH8346 →59 times
שָׁנָ֖הyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
בְּלֶ֥דֶתwhen fathered
beledetH3205 →496 times
אֹתָֽם׃<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 27:36So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing…
it leads to
- John 1:47
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
- Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
- Genesis 25:31–34
“First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied.
- John 1:47
Through
Hosea 12:3In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.
it leads to
- Romans 9:11
Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,
- Genesis 32:24–28
So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
- James 5:16–18
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Romans 9:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory of Nyssa, ON VIRGINITY 7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.260.