Genesis Chapter 25

Updated: September 14, 2025

Abraham and Keturah

1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

The Death of Abraham

(1 Chronicles 1:28-33)

7And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. 8Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 9And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; 10The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 11And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

The Descendants of Ishmael

12Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: 16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. 17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. 18And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

Jacob and Esau

(Malachi 1:1-5; Romans 9:6-18)

19And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.

23And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

24And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26And 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.

27And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells his Birthright

29And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34Then 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.

Abraham and Keturah
(1 Chronicles 1:32–33)

1 Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, 6 but to the sons of Abraham’s concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

The Death of Abraham

7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. 8 Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. 11 It happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi.

The Descendants of Ishmael
(1 Chronicles 1:28–31)

12 Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations. 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

Jacob and Esau
(Malachi 1:1–5; Romans 9:6–29)

19 This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh.

23 Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

Abraham and Keturah
(1 Chronicles 1:32–33)

1 Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah, 2 and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.

4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.

All these were descendants of Keturah.

5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

The Death of Abraham

7 Abraham lived a total of 175 years. 8 And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.

The Descendants of Ishmael
(1 Chronicles 1:28–31)

12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes. 17 Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

18 Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. a And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

Jacob and Esau
(Malachi 1:1–5; Romans 9:6–29)

19 This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram b and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD, 23 and He declared to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.” c

24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. d 26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. e And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28 Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom. f)

31 “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied.

32 “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”

33 “Swear to me first,” Jacob said.

So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. 34 Then 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.

Footnotes:

18 a Or Assyria
20 b That is, northwest Mesopotamia
23 c Cited in Romans 9:12
25 d Esau  sounds like a Hebrew term that means hairy .
26 e Jacob  means he grasps the heel  or he deceives .
30 f Edom  means red .

Abraham and Keturah

1And Abraham addeth and taketh a wife, and her name is Keturah; 2and she beareth to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3And Jokshan hath begotten Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim; 4and the sons of Midian are Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah: all these are sons of Keturah. 5And Abraham giveth all that he hath to Isaac; 6and to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham hath, Abraham hath given gifts, and sendeth them away from Isaac his son (in his being yet alive) eastward, unto the east country.

The Death of Abraham

(1 Chronicles 1:28-33)

7And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham, which he lived, a hundred and seventy and five years; 8and Abraham expireth, and dieth in a good old age, aged and satisfied, and is gathered unto his people. 9And Isaac and Ishmael his sons bury him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron, son of Zoar the Hittite, which is before Mamre -- 10the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth -- there hath Abraham been buried, and Sarah his wife. 11And it cometh to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blesseth Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelleth by the Well of the Living One, my Beholder.

The Descendants of Ishmael

12And these are births of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, hath borne to Abraham; 13and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their births: first-born of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: 16these are sons of Ishmael, and these their names, by their villages, and by their towers; twelve princes according to their peoples. 17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expireth, and dieth, and is gathered unto his people; 18and they tabernacle from Havilah unto Shur, which is before Egypt, in thy going towards Asshur; in the presence of all his brethren hath he fallen.

Jacob and Esau

(Malachi 1:1-5; Romans 9:6-18)

19And these are births of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham hath begotten Isaac; 20and Isaac is a son of forty years in his taking Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean, from Padan-Aram, sister of Laban the Aramaean, to him for a wife. 21And Isaac maketh entreaty to Jehovah before his wife, for she is barren: and Jehovah is entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceiveth, 22and the children struggle together within her, and she saith, 'If it is right -- why am I thus?' and she goeth to seek Jehovah.

23And Jehovah saith to her, 'Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples from thy bowels are parted; and the one people than the other people is stronger; and the elder doth serve the younger.'

24And her days to bear are fulfilled, and lo, twins are in her womb; 25and the first cometh out all red as a hairy robe, and they call his name Esau; 26and afterwards hath his brother come out, and his hand is taking hold on Esau's heel, and one calleth his name Jacob; and Isaac is a son of sixty years in her bearing them.

27And the youths grew, and Esau is a man acquainted with hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob is a plain man, inhabiting tents; 28and Isaac loveth Esau, for his hunting is in his mouth; and Rebekah is loving Jacob.

Esau Sells his Birthright

29And Jacob boileth pottage, and Esau cometh in from the field, and he is weary; 30and Esau saith unto Jacob, 'Let me eat, I pray thee, some of this red red thing, for I am weary;' therefore hath one called his name Edom Red; 31and Jacob saith, 'Sell to-day thy birthright to me.' 32And Esau saith, 'Lo, I am going to die, and what is this to me -- birthright?' 33and Jacob saith, 'Swear to me to-day:' and he sweareth to him, and selleth his birthright to Jacob; 34and Jacob hath given to Esau bread and pottage of lentiles, and he eateth, and drinketh, and riseth, and goeth; and Esau despiseth the birthright.

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The F.O.G Commentary

Genesis 25 – When God’s Plan Gets Messy

What’s this chapter about?

Abraham remarries and has more kids, then dies peacefully. His sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him together. But the real drama? Twin brothers Jacob and Esau are born fighting, and it only gets worse from there. This chapter shows us that God’s promises don’t always unfold the way we expect.

The Full Context

Genesis 25 sits right at the hinge between the Abraham narratives and what becomes the Jacob cycle. We’re watching a generational transition where God’s covenant promises pass from grandfather to father to son – but not without serious family dysfunction along the way. The chapter was written during Israel’s exile or return, when the people desperately needed to understand how God’s promises survive even when His chosen family acts like anything but chosen.

Moses structured this as a toledot (genealogical account) focusing on Abraham’s final years and Isaac’s early family life. The original audience – Israelites wondering if God’s promises still held after their own national disasters – would have found both comfort and challenge here. Comfort because God’s plan advances despite human failings; challenge because the text doesn’t sugarcoat the cost of those failings. The literary focus narrows from Abraham’s expansive legacy to the laser-focused tension between two brothers whose conflict will define Israel’s entire future.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew in this chapter is doing some heavy lifting. When we read that the boys “struggled together” in Rebekah’s womb, the word is yitrotsatsu – it’s violent, almost gladiatorial. This isn’t gentle jostling; it’s war before birth.

Grammar Geeks

The name Jacob (Ya’aqov) literally means “heel-grabber” or “supplanter.” But here’s the kicker – it comes from the same root as the word for “crooked” or “deceitful.” The narrator is basically giving us a spoiler alert about Jacob’s character right in his birth announcement.

But here’s where it gets interesting. When Esau comes out “red” (admoni), it’s not just describing his complexion – it’s wordplay on Edom, the nation he’ll father. And when Jacob emerges “grasping” (ochezet) Esau’s heel, that verb shows up again later when Jacob “grasps” the birthright and blessing. The author is weaving a linguistic web that connects character, destiny, and national identity.

The description of Esau as a “skillful hunter, a man of the field” uses ish sadeh – literally “man of the open country.” This isn’t necessarily negative, but in Genesis, the “field” is often where violence happens (think Cain and Abel). Meanwhile, Jacob is described as ish tam – “blameless” or “complete” – but that same word will get turned on its head when Jacob proves to be anything but straightforward.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

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Picture this: you’re an Israelite in exile, wondering if God’s promises are still in play. Your nation has been scattered, your temple destroyed, your identity shattered. Then someone reads you this story about your founding fathers.

The audience would have immediately caught the irony. Here’s Isaac, the miracle child, the son of promise – and he’s showing favoritism just like his grandfather did with Ishmael and Isaac. They’d have seen their own tribal tensions reflected in Esau and Jacob, because Esau represents Edom, Israel’s longtime enemy to the south.

Did You Know?

Archaeological evidence from sites like Bozrah and Petra shows that Edom was indeed a major power during Israel’s monarchic period. When the original audience heard about Esau fathering the Edomites, they weren’t hearing ancient history – they were hearing about their contemporary political situation.

But they’d also have heard hope. Abraham dies “old and full of years” – the same phrase used for Job after his restoration. Despite all the family chaos, God’s promise-keeper gets a peaceful end. And notice who shows up for the funeral: both Isaac and Ishmael. The divided family comes together to honor their father. Maybe reconciliation is possible after all.

The audience would have caught something else: God’s promises don’t depend on human perfection. Abraham remarries and has six more sons, but Isaac remains the heir. Isaac shows favoritism, but God’s plan continues. The chosen family is deeply flawed, but they’re still chosen.

But Wait… Why Did They…?

Why does Abraham remarry after Sarah’s death? And why does the text tell us about all these other sons if they don’t matter to the story? This isn’t just ancient family gossip – it’s theologically loaded.

Abraham’s marriage to Keturah and his six additional sons serve as a counterpoint to the Isaac narrative. Here’s a man who could have many heirs naturally, but God’s covenant flows through the one son who came supernaturally. It’s emphasizing that divine choice, not human fertility, determines the covenant line.

But here’s the puzzling part: why does Isaac favor Esau when God has already revealed that “the older will serve the younger”? The oracle in Genesis 25:23 is crystal clear, yet Isaac seems determined to give Esau the blessing anyway. Is he deaf to God’s voice, or is he trying to subvert divine election?

The text suggests Isaac’s favoritism comes from his stomach – “he loved Esau because he ate of his game.” There’s something almost comical about this. The great patriarch, heir to cosmic promises, is swayed by good venison. Meanwhile, Rebekah loves Jacob – and the Hebrew suggests her love is more aligned with God’s revealed will.

Wrestling with the Text

The birthright scene raises uncomfortable questions about divine sovereignty and human agency. Was Jacob right to exploit his brother’s hunger? Was Esau right to despise something so valuable? And what about that stew?

The Hebrew calls it nazid – not just any stew, but specifically lentil stew. Red lentil stew. The wordplay is intentional: Esau trades his birthright for red stew and gets nicknamed “Red” (Edom). It’s almost satirical – the founding father of a nation gets his name from a bowl of soup.

Wait, That’s Strange…

Why does Esau say “I am about to die” when he’s just coming back from a hunting trip? The Hebrew anochi holek lamut suggests imminent death, but the context shows he’s being dramatic. Either Esau is genuinely starving (possible after a failed hunt), or he’s using hyperbole to justify a terrible decision.

But before we judge Esau too harshly, notice what the text says about his choice: “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” The verb bazah means to treat as worthless or contemptible. This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment – it was a fundamental rejection of his covenant identity.

Yet Jacob isn’t portrayed as a hero either. The narrative tone is almost clinical: “Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way.” There’s no celebration, no sense that justice has been done. Just the cold facts of a transaction that will poison a family for generations.

How This Changes Everything

This chapter flips our assumptions about how God works in the world. We expect divine promises to unfold through noble characters making wise decisions. Instead, we get remarriage complications, sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and opportunistic deal-making.

“God’s grace doesn’t require perfect people – it transforms imperfect stories into perfect purposes.”

The transformation happens not despite the mess, but through it. Jacob’s heel-grabbing nature will eventually wrestle with God himself and emerge as Israel. Esau’s rejection of the birthright confirms God’s election of Jacob, but it also sets up the complex relationship between Israel and Edom that shapes much of later biblical history.

For the original audience, this would have been simultaneously comforting and challenging. Comforting because it shows God’s promises surviving human failure. Challenging because it reveals the real cost of that failure – generations of family conflict that spills over into national politics.

The chapter also establishes a pattern we’ll see throughout Scripture: God’s choosing the younger over the older, the unexpected over the obvious, the weak over the strong. It’s not about merit – it’s about grace working through the most unlikely circumstances.

Key Takeaway

God’s promises advance not because His people are perfect, but because His faithfulness is. Even our worst family dynamics can’t derail divine purposes – though they can make the journey much more painful than it needs to be.

Genesis Chapter 25

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