Birth of Jacob and Esau – Genesis 25:19-34

From Jeanne Steig,  a poem entitled “Twins”:  Esau said, “I’m feeling faint.”  “Aw,” said Jacob, “no you ain’t.”  “Papa’s blessing,” Esau cried, “Is mine by rights. But I’ll have died  Of hunger first. For pity’s sake — My birthright for your lentils, Jake.”  “Your birthright?” Jacob murmured. “Sold!  Dig in, before the stuff gets cold.”

[19] These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, [20] and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. [21] And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. [22] The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. [23] And the LORD said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

[24] When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. [25] The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. [26] Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

[27] When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. [28] Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

[29] Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. [30] And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) [31] Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” [32] Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” [33] Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. [34] Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:19–34, ESV)

We’re now into the Isaac story, which is quite short compared to Abraham’s and Jacob’s stories.  Like Sarah, Isaac’s mom, Rebekah is unable to have a child until Isaac prays for her, in faith believing God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring will be like the sand of the sea.  She gets pregnant but there is turmoil in her womb.  She apparently visits a prophet or someone who will inquire of Yahweh for her and explain what is going on (Balaam is an example of a free-wheeling prophet who could be used for such a purpose, as the book of Numbers explains).  This suggests that Rebekah is still steeped in the religious traditions of her family back in Haran, and not as developed in her faith as Abraham and Isaac, though despite this, God does give her an oracle about her pregnancy.

The message is that the conflict in her womb foretells the conflict of the twins who will be born.  The stronger one will be the younger one, so that the older serves the younger.  And indeed, when they are born, the younger one comes out holding the heel of his brother.  Wiersbe notes, “The name “Jacob” comes from a Hebrew word (yaaqob) that means “may God protect,” but because it sounds like the words aqeb (“heel”) and aqab (“watch from behind” or “overtake”), his name became a nickname: “He grasps the heel” or “he deceives.”

We are given then an instance in the boys’ later life in which Esau despised his birthright and Jacob took advantage of him in a vulnerable time to get that birthright.  The oracle to Rebekah said Jacob would be the leader, but Jacob feels compelled to make it come true himself.  Did Rebekah tell her husband Isaac about this oracle?  Did she tell Jacob?

Though this passage is not directly about parenting, it gives a sad commentary on what happens when parents parent out of their own needs instead of the needs of their children.  Favoritism is a form of the enmeshed parenting style.