Genesis 25:34
in Genesis 25Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright.
KJV
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
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This verse in Genesis 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verseJacob saw that the right of the firstborn was despised by Esau, and he contrived to take it from him, trusting in God who had said, "The elder shall serve the younger."
This site's exposition
First sell me your birthright
on Genesis 25:31-34
The word birthright stands here for the first time in the Bible, in a demand that it be sold. Jacob makes his brother swear to it, and verse 34 runs its verbs at speed, ate and drank and got up and went away. Esau despised his birthright, and Hebrews 12:16 calls him profane.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Listening to this, however, let us learn the lesson never to neglect the gifts from God or forfeit important things for worthless trifles. I mean, why, tell me, should we be obsessed with a desire for money when the kingdom of heaven and those ineffable blessings are within our grasp, and why prefer blessings that endure forever and ever to those that are passing and scarcely last until evening? What could be worse than the folly of being deprived of the former through lust after the latter and never being able to enjoy them in a pure fashion? What good, after all, tell me, is such wealth? Are you not aware that acquisition of great wealth brings us nothing else than an increase in worry, anxiety and sleeplessness? Do you not see that these people (in particular those possessing great wealth) are, so to say, everyone's slaves, and day in and day out are in fear even of shadows? This, you see, is the source of plotting, envy, deep hatred and countless other evils. Often you would see the person with ten thousand talents of gold hidden away calling blessed the one behind the shop counter who prepares his own meals by hand.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Thus Esau despised his birth-right - He used no means to get the bargain revoked, made no appeal to his father about it but the bargain which his necessity had made, (supposing it were so) his profaneness confirmed, and by his subsequent neglect and contempt, he put the bargain past recall.
Thus Esau despised his birth-right - He used no means to get the bargain revoked, made no appeal to his father about it but the bargain which his necessity had made, (supposing it were so) his profaneness confirmed, and by his subsequent neglect and contempt, he put the bargain past recall.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles,....
Marriage is not forbidden to old age. By her he had six sons, in whom the promise made to Abraham concerning the great increase of his posterity was in part fulfilled, which, it is likely, he had an eye to this marriage. The strength he received by the promise still remained in him, to show how much the virtue of the promise exceeds the power of nature.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Pottage of lentils - See note Gen 25:29. Thus Esau despised his birthright - On this account the apostle, Heb 12:16, calls Esau a profane person, because he had, by this act, alienated from himself and family those spiritual offices connected with the rights of primogeniture.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיַעֲקֹ֞ב | veyaako | and Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| נָתַ֣ן | natan | he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְעֵשָׂ֗ו | leesav | to Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| לֶ֚חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וּנְזִ֣יד | unezid | and cooked food of | H5138 → | |
| עֲדָשִׁ֔ים | ʾadashim | lentils | H5742 → | |
| וַיֹּ֣אכַל | vaiyokhal | and he ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ | vaiyeshet | and he drank | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וַיָּ֖קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ | vaiyelakh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַיִּ֥בֶז | vaiyivez | and he despised | H959 → | |
| עֵשָׂ֖ו | ʾesav | Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ ס | habekhorah | the birthright | H1062 → | 10 times |
וְיַעֲקֹ֞בand Jacob
veyaakoH3290 →350 times
נָתַ֣ןhe gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
לְעֵשָׂ֗וto Esau
leesavH6215 →97 times
לֶ֚חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וּנְזִ֣ידand cooked food of
unezidH5138 →
עֲדָשִׁ֔יםlentils
ʾadashimH5742 →
וַיֹּ֣אכַלand he ate
vaiyokhalH398 →810 times
וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּand he drank
vaiyeshetH8354 →217 times
וַיָּ֖קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
וַיֵּלַ֑ךְand he went
vaiyelakhH1980 →1546 times
וַיִּ֥בֶזand he despised
vaiyivezH959 →
עֵשָׂ֖וEsau
ʾesavH6215 →97 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ סthe birthright
habekhorahH1062 →10 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
1 Corinthians 15:32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:12
“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 22:13
But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
- Luke 12:19
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- 2 Corinthians 1:8–10
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired…
- 2 Peter 2:12
These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.
- Isaiah 56:12
Through
Matthew 26:15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
it leads to
- Zechariah 11:12–13
Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.
- Zechariah 11:12–13
Through
Isaiah 22:13But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
it leads to
- Luke 17:26–29
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man:
- 1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
- Luke 17:26–29
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; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 23:2; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 50.7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.