Genesis 25:27
in Genesis 25When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
KJV
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
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This verse in Genesis 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA man of the field - איש שדה ish sadeh, one who supported himself and family by hunting and by agriculture. Jacob was a plain man - איש תם ish tam, a perfect or upright man; dwelling in tents - subsisting by breeding and tending cattle, which was considered in those early times the most perfect employment; and in this sense the word תם tam, should be here understood, as in its moral meaning it certainly could not be applied to Jacob till after his name was changed, after which time only his character stands fair and unblemished.
This site's exposition
Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field
on Genesis 25:27-28
The boys grow into opposite men, one in the open country and one at home among the tents. The household divides along that line. Isaac loves Esau for one stated reason, a taste for wild game, and the verse gives no reason for Rebekah loving Jacob. That taste is the hinge of chapter 27, where a dish of meat carries the whole deception.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity · Written before 523.
proposed
And the history of Jacob and Esau testifieth. "Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in a tent," and from their works we are able to understand the difference of their characters.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Esau was an hunter - And a man that knew how to live by his wits, for he was a cunning hunter. A man of the field - All for the game, and never so well but as when he was in pursuit of it.
He was attached to that safe and silent employment of keeping sheep, to which also he bred up his children, ch. xlvi. He frequented the tents of Melchizedek, or Heber, as some understand it, to be taught by them divine things. And this was that son of Isaac on whom the covenant was entailed.
Esau was an hunter - And a man that knew how to live by his wits, for he was a cunning hunter. A man of the field - All for the game, and never so well but as when he was in pursuit of it.
And the boys grew,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He was attached to that safe and silent employment of keeping sheep, to which also he bred up his children, ch. xlvi. He frequented the tents of Melchizedek, or Heber, as some understand it, to be taught by them divine things. And this was that son of Isaac on whom the covenant was entailed.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ | vaiyigdelu | and they grew up | H1431 → | 117 times |
| הַנְּעָרִ֔ים | hanearim | the lads | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֵשָׂ֗ו | ʾesav | Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| אִ֛ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יֹדֵ֥עַ | yodea' | [who] knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| צַ֖יִד | tzayid | hunting | H6718 → | 19 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| שָׂדֶ֑ה | sadeh | [the] open country | H7704 → | 334 times |
| וְיַעֲקֹב֙ | veyaako | and Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [was] a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| תָּ֔ם | tam | quiet | H8535 → | |
| יֹשֵׁ֖ב | yoshev | [who] dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אֹהָלִֽים׃ | ʾohalim | tents | H168 → | 345 times |
וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙and they grew up
vaiyigdeluH1431 →117 times
הַנְּעָרִ֔יםthe lads
hanearimH5288 →239 times
וַיְהִ֣יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
עֵשָׂ֗וEsau
ʾesavH6215 →97 times
אִ֛ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יֹדֵ֥עַ[who] knew
yodea'H3045 →945 times
צַ֖יִדhunting
tzayidH6718 →19 times
אִ֣ישׁa man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
שָׂדֶ֑ה[the] open country
sadehH7704 →334 times
וְיַעֲקֹב֙and Jacob
veyaakoH3290 →350 times
אִ֣ישׁ[was] a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
תָּ֔םquiet
tamH8535 →
יֹשֵׁ֖ב[who] dwelt
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
אֹהָלִֽים׃tents
ʾohalimH168 →345 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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 6:9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes…
- Luke 1:6
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
- Galatians 3:11
Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.
- 2 Peter 2:5
if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
- Hebrews 11:7
Through
Hebrews 11:9By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
it leads to
- Genesis 12:8
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD,…
- Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
- Genesis 13:3
From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,
- Genesis 12:8
Where this verse is studied
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; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity.