In the story of Jacob and Esau, no positive heroes are to be found. Nor, equally, are there negative ones: each of the two is ambiguous in his own way. Rivalry and the struggle for the birthright are understandable: this is a struggle for power...
In the story of Jacob and Esau, no positive heroes are to be found. Nor, equally, are there negative ones: each of the two is ambiguous in his own way. Rivalry and the struggle for the birthright are understandable: this is a struggle for power. The elder son of a chief usually inherited power in the tribe after his father's death. In the case of Jacob and Esau, deciding this was not simple: the difference was only a few seconds and was purely formal. In essence, Jacob and Esau were the same age.
But the brothers' characters turned out to be diametrically opposed. Esau unquestionably appealed much more to the male part of the tribe: a hunter, a warrior, he had been in the steppe since childhood. Jacob was different: a typical mama's boy, he was always in the tent, with the women. In those days this was how one could and should raise a girl, but by no means a boy, who had to grow up into a real man, otherwise no worthy place in the tribe would be found for him. In the eyes of the whole tribe, Esau grew up as a real man, and became one. That is why he had no doubt that he, and certainly not his brother, would be chief after his father's death. Esau did not take Jacob seriously: he was sure that power was guaranteed to him, and he most likely considered the sale of his right as firstborn, his "birthright," to Jacob to be only a game that imposed no obligation.
For Jacob, however, everything was serious. He wanted power, strove for it, dreamed of becoming chief after his father's death. Paradoxically, this question did not occupy Esau, perhaps because he was sure: power was already in his hands, and he had no one to struggle against. On the other hand, he did not especially value his right as firstborn. He was hardly being deceitful when he said to Jacob: I go to death, and what is this birthright to me? The corresponding Hebrew expression can be translated both as "I am dying" and as "I go to death." Judging by these words, Esau was, at least in his youth, not one of those who especially valued life. For a hunter and warrior such a self-understanding is natural, but for a future chief it must be considered far too frivolous: to gamble with one's life when responsibility for the tribe rests on you is hardly reasonable.
With age, of course, habits and a view of the world change, but there was something else in Esau: he was sure that he would be a good chief, that he was ready to take his father's place. He was not going to make any special effort for that. Jacob was different: he knew that he would have to expend considerable effort, that power would not fall into his hands by itself. God only had to direct these efforts into the right channel. With a person like Jacob, a person ready for purposeful effort, work is possible. With someone who is sure he is ready already, work is difficult, if possible at all. And yet in reality neither Esau nor Jacob was ready. Esau was ready to become chief of his tribe, but that is not the same as becoming leader of the people of God. Jacob was not ready for anything except any effort he might make in order to become chief. He is ready to change, ready to work, and God chooses him.
25 The sacred historian in this chapter,
25:1 Five and thirty years Abraham lived after the marriage of Isaac, and all that is recorded concerning him during that time lies here in a very few verses: we hear no more of God's extraordinary appearances to him, or trials of him; for all the days even of the greatest saints are not eminent days, some slide on silently, and neither come nor go with observation: such were these last days of Abraham. We have here an account of his children by Keturah, another wife, which be married after the death of Sarah. He had buried Sarah, and married Isaac, the two dear companions of his life, and was now solitary; his family wanted a governess and it was not good for him to he thus alone; he therefore marries Keturah, probably the chief of his maid servants, born in his house, or bought with money. By her he had six sons, in whom the promise made to Abraham concerning the great increase of his posterity was in part fulfilled. The strength he received by the promise still remained in him, to shew how much the virtue of the promise exceeds the power of nature.
25:5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac - As he was bound to do in justice to Sarah his first wife, and to Rebekah who married Isaac upon the assurance of it.
25:6 He gave gifts - Or portions to the rest of his children, both to Ishmael, though at first he was sent empty away, and to his sons by Keturah. It was justice to provide for them; parents that do not that, are worse than infidels. It was prudence to settle them in places distant from Isaac, that they might not pretend to divide the inheritance with him. He did this while he yet lived, lest it should not have been done, or not so well done afterwards. In many cases it is wisdom for men to make their own hands their executors, and what they find to do, to do it while they live. These sons of the concubines were sent into the country that lay east from Canaan, and their posterity were called the children of the east, famous for their numbers. Their great increase was the fruit of the promise made to Abraham, that God would multiply his seed.
25:7 And these are the days of Abraham - He lived one hundred and seventy - five years; just a hundred years after he came to Canaan; so long he was a sojourner in a strange country.
25:8 He died in a good old age, an old man - So God had promised him.His death was his discharge from the burdens of his age: it was also the crown of the glory of his old age. He was full of years - A good man, though he should not die old, dies full of days, satisfied with living here, and longing to live in a better place. And was gathered to his people - His body was gathered to the congregation of the dead, and his soul to the congregation of the blessed. Death gathers us to our people. Those that are our people while we live, whether the people of God, or the children of this world, to them death will gather us.
25:9 Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him - It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father. Some distance there had formerly been between Isaac and Ishmael, but it seems either Abraham had himself brought them together while he lived, or at least his death reconciled them. They buried him, in his own burying - place which he had purchased and in which he had buried Sarah. Those that in life have been very dear to each other, may not only innocently, but laudably, desire to be buried together, that, in their deaths, they may not be divided, and in token of their hopes of rising together.
25:11 And God blessed Isaac - The blessing of Abraham did not die with him, but survived to all the children of the promise. But Moses presently digresseth from the story of Isaac, to give a short account of Ishmael, for as much as he also was a son of Abraham; and God had made some promises concerning him, which it was requisite we should know the accomplishment of. He had twelve sons, twelve princes they are called, Gen 25:16, heads of families, which, in process of time, becamenations, numerous and very considerable. They peopled a very large continent that lay between Egypt and Assyria, called Arabia.The names of his twelve sons are recorded: Midian and Kedar we oft read of in scripture. And his posterity had not only tents in the fields wherein they grew rich in times of peace, but they had towns and castles, Gen 25:16, where in they fortified themselves in time of war. Their number and strength was the fruit of the promise made to Hagar concerning Ishmael, Gen 16:10.and to Abraham, Gen 17:20 Gen 21:13, .
25:17 He lived an hundred and thirty and seven years - Which is recorded to shew the efficacy of Abraham's prayer for him, Gen 17:18.O that Ishmael might live before thee! Then he also was gathered to his people. And he died in the presence of all his brethren - With his friends about him. Who would not wish so to do?
25:20 And Isaac was forty years old - Not much is related concerning Isaac, but what had reference to his father, while he lived, and to his sons afterward; for Isaac seems not to have been a man of action, nor much tried, but to have spent his day, in quietness and silence.
25:21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife - Though God had promised to multiply his family, he prayed for it; for God's promises must not supersede but encourage our prayers, and be improved as the ground of our faith. Though he had prayed for this mercy many years, and it was not granted, yet he did not leave off praying for it.
25:22 The children struggled within her - The commotion was altogether extra - ordinary, and made her very uneasy: If it be so, or, since it is so, why am I thus? - Before the want of children was her trouble, now the struggle of the children is no less so. And she went to enquire of the Lord - Some think Melchizedek was now consulted as an oracle, or perhaps some Urim or Teraphim were now used to enquire of God by, as afterwards in the breast - plate of judgment. The word and prayer, by which we now enquire of the Lord, give great relief to those that are upon any account perplexed: it is a mighty ease to spread our case before the Lord, and ask council at his mouth.
25:23 Two nations are in thy womb - She was now big not only with two children, but two nations, which should not only in their manners greatly differ from each other, but in their interest contend with each other, and the issue of the contest should be that the elder should serve the younger, which was fulfilled in the subjection of the Edomites for many ages to the house of David.
25:25 Esau when he was born was red and hairy, as if he had been already a grown man, whence he had his name Esau, made, reared already.This was an indication of a very strong constitution, and gave cause to expect that he would be a very robust, daring, active man. But Jacob was smooth and tender as other children.
25:26 His hand took hold on Esau's heel - This signified,
25:27 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 Jacob was a plain man - An honest man, that dealt fairly. And dwelt in tents - Either,
25:28 And Isaac loved Esau - Isaac though he was not a stirring man himself, yet he loved to have his son active. Esau knew how to please him, and shewed a great respect for him, by treating him often with venison, which won upon him more than one would have thought. But Rebekah loved him whom God loved.
25:29 Sod - That is, boiled.
25:30 Edom - That is, red.
25:31 Sell me this day thy birth - right - He cannot be excused in taking advantage of Esau's necessity, yet neither can Esau be excused who is profane, Heb 12:16, because for one morsel of meat he sold his birth - right. The birth - right was typical of spiritual privileges, those of the church of the first - born: Esau was now tried how he would value those, and he shews himself sensible only of present grievances: may he but get relief against them, he cares not for his birth - right. If we look on Esau's birth - right as only a temporal advantage, what he said had something of truth in it, that our worldly enjoyments, even those we are most fond of, will stand us in no stead in a dying hour. They will not put by the stroke of death, nor ease the pangs, nor remove the sting. But being of a spiritual nature, his undervaluing it, was the greatest profaneness imaginable. It is egregious folly to part with our interest in God, and Christ, and heaven, for the riches, honours, and pleasures of this world.
25:34 He did eat and drink, and rise up and went his way - Without any serious reflections upon the ill bargain he had made, or any shew of regret.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.