The Generations of Yitschaq (Part One)

Genesis 25:19 – These are the generations of Yitschaq son of Avraham. Avraham fathered Yitschaq.

Genesis 25:20 – He was forty years old when he married Rivqah, daughter of Bethu’el the Aramiy of the Field of Aram, sister of Lavan the Aramiy.

Genesis 25:21 – Yitschaq prayed to Yahweh on his wife’s behalf, for she was barren. Yahweh heard him, and his wife Rivqah conceived.

Genesis 25:22 – Her sons fought one another inside her. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked, and she sought Yahweh.

Genesis 25:23 – “Two nations are in your belly,” Yahweh said to her. “From your bowels, two peoples will be divided. One will be stronger than the other, and the greater will serve the lesser.”

Genesis 25:24 – There were twins in her belly when her time came to give birth.

Genesis 25:25 – The first came out entirely red, like a hairy cloak. They named him Esaw.

The “two nations” inside Rivqah are Edom (from Esaw) and Israel/Judah (from Ya’aqov). Both brothers are given secondary names that their descendants adopt as the names of their nations – Esaw is also called Edhom/Edom, and Ya’aqov later gets the name Yisra’el/Israel.

Esaw is associated with redness, and there seem to be a couple of different traditions about this association blended into this story (this being the first, that he was born hairy and red).  Mount Seir will eventually be one of the borders of Edom, so “se’ar”, “hair”, might be a pun on that.

Genesis 25:26 – Next, his brother came out, and his hand was grasping Esaw’s heel. He was named Ya’aqov. Yitschaq was sixty years old when Rivqah bore sons to him.

Ya’aqov seems to be a pun on “aqev”, “heel.”

Genesis 25:27 – The youths grew up. Esaw was a hunter and a man of the field, while Ya’aqov was a peaceful tent-dweller.

Esaw was a “man knowing prey, a man of the field.” “Tam” means “complete”, and also “pious”, with the connotation of gentleness and blamelessness.

Genesis 25:28 – Yitschaq, who ate game, loved Esaw, while Rivqah loved Ya’aqov.

“For prey was in his mouth.”

Genesis 25:29 – Ya’aqov was boiling stew, and Esaw came in weary from the field.

I like this phrasing – Ya’aqov was “causing the stew to seethe.”

Genesis 25:30 – “Give me that red stuff,” Esaw said to Ya’aqov. “I’m weary.” For this reason, he is called Edhom.

More redness, this time relating to the stew that Edhom wanted. The name “Edhom/Edom”, the word “adhom” (red), the name “Adham/Adam”, and the word “adhamah” (ground) all come from the same root. Redness, the color of the dirt, the patriarch Adham who was made out of dirt, etc.

Genesis 25:31 – “Sell me your birthright, right now,” Ya’aqov said.

Genesis 25:32 – “I’m going to die. What do I care about my birthright?”

Genesis 25:33 – “Swear it to me, today.” Esaw swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Ya’aqov.

Genesis 25:34 – Ya’aqov gave Esaw bread and lentil stew. Esaw ate and drank, then he rose and left, and he despised his birthright.

Full Text

These are the generations of Yitschaq son of Avraham.

Avraham fathered Yitschaq. He was forty years old when he married Rivqah, daughter of Bethu’el the Aramiy of the Field of Aram, sister of Lavan the Aramiy.

Yitschaq prayed to Yahweh on his wife’s behalf, for she was barren. Yahweh heard him, and his wife Rivqah conceived. Her sons fought one another inside her.

“Why is this happening to me?” she asked, and she sought Yahweh.

“Two nations are in your belly,” Yahweh said to her. “From your bowels, two peoples will be divided. One will be stronger than the other, and the greater will serve the lesser.”

There were twins in her belly when her time came to give birth. The first came out entirely red, like a hairy cloak. They named him Esaw. Next, his brother came out, and his hand was grasping Esaw’s heel. He was named Ya’aqov. Yitschaq was sixty years old when Rivqah bore sons to him.

The youths grew up. Esaw was a hunter and a man of the field, while Ya’aqov was a peaceful tent-dweller. Yitschaq, who ate game, loved Esaw, while Rivqah loved Ya’aqov.

Ya’aqov was boiling stew, and Esaw came in weary from the field.

“Give me that red stuff,” Esaw said to Ya’aqov. “I’m weary.” For this reason, he is called Edhom. ­­­

“Sell me your birthright, right now,” Ya’aqov said.

“I’m going to die. What do I care about my birthright?”

“Swear it to me, today.”

Esaw swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Ya’aqov. Ya’aqov gave Esaw bread and lentil stew. Esaw ate and drank, then he rose and left, and he despised his birthright.