Genesis 25:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

NASB: Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

CSB: After this, his brother came out grasping Esau's heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

NLT: Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

The first twin emerged both red and hairy. His name, Esau, somehow describes his hairiness. The second twin is neither red nor hairy, compared to his twin, but he is also named for his first impression on his parents. He comes into the world grabbing his brother's heel. The Hebrew word for heel is 'aqeb, and so this child is named Ya'aqob, or Jacob, literally meaning "he clutches the heel." Interestingly, though, and also important, Jacob can mean "may God protect or reward," or—unfortunately for Esau—it can also mean "usurper."

Interestingly, in English at least, the phrase "pulling my leg" means "joking with me," or "lying to me." Jacob's future will be heavily influenced by acts of deception (Genesis 25:29–34; 27:30–35). Some of those will be at his own expense (Genesis 29). While there's no direct connection between his Hebrew name and the English idiom, Hebrew verbs similar to Jacob's name refer to those who "watch from behind" or "trip up" others, a reference to trickery. In practical terms, Jacob's life is loaded with incidents of usurping—both in his favor, and to his disadvantage.

We're now told that Isaac was 60 years old when the twins were born. These babies, as troubled as their relationship might be, were a direct answer to Isaac's prayer that his wife would become pregnant. After 20 years of childlessness, the couple were finally parents, twice over, and Abraham—now 160 years old—can finally glimpse the next generation of the covenant entering the scene.

Genesis 25:19–28 describes the birth of Isaac and Rebekah's twin boys. After marrying when Isaac is 40, Rebekah does not become pregnant for 20 years, and only in response to Isaac's prayer to the Lord. Her pregnancy is so difficult that she approaches the Lord to ask why. His response is a prophecy about the divided nations that will come from her. That makes more sense when two children are born, one red and hairy, the other grabbing his brother's heel. The first is named Esau, who becomes a hunter loved by his father. The second is Jacob, a quiet, stay-at-home man favored by his mother.

Genesis 25 is packed with information. Abraham marries another wife, most likely before Sarah died, and has six sons with her. Abraham dies at the age of 175 and is buried by both Isaac and Ishmael at the family-owned cave where Sarah was buried. Ishmael's 12 sons are listed, along with the region their tribes settled in, to the east of what would later become Israel. And, finally, God grants Isaac's prayer for Rebekah to become pregnant by giving the couple twins: the feuding Jacob and Esau.

The previous chapter tells the story of how Abraham's servant found a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's people. This chapter rushes to fill in the details of the end of Abraham's life before beginning the story of Isaac's years as patriarch. Abraham marries another woman and has six sons with her, eventually sending them all away from Isaac. Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah. Ishmael's 12 sons are listed, and then his death is recorded, as well. Finally, Isaac's twin boys are born in response to his prayer to the Lord.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.