Genesis 25:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

NIV: But Jacob said, 'Swear to me first.' So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

NASB: And Jacob said, 'First swear to me'; so he swore an oath to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

CSB: Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him.

NLT: But Jacob said, 'First you must swear that your birthright is mine.' So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

KJV: And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

NKJV: Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Esau, exhausted from working in the field, has requested some of Jacob's red stew. Jacob has demanded Esau's birthright as payment (Genesis 25:29–31). Esau has foolishly and hastily agreed. Now Jacob closes the deal by asking Esau to bind himself with an oath. Oaths were taken with great seriousness in this era. Esau quickly swears the oath and sells his firstborn rights.

We're amazed at both men here. First, Esau strikes us as a careless fool who would value his birthright so little. He might have thought that Jacob was joking, at first. But asking him to swear an oath, in that day, was the equivalent to signing a modern written contract. Esau is, at the very least, being reckless.

Second, Jacob comes off as cold and calculating, unconcerned about taking advantage of his brother's irresponsibility and need for immediate gratification of his appetite. He's leveraging the situation for his own benefit, and at great cost to Esau. Neither brother is very likable in this moment.

Genesis 25:29–34 describes a significant encounter between the twins Jacob and Esau. Esau, the hunter, returns home from the fields exhausted. He requests a bowl of Jacob's red stew. In curt language, Jacob demands Esau's birthright in exchange. Esau foolishly agrees. Jacob, cruelly it seems, requires his brother to bind himself to the ''sale'' with an oath so that it can't be reversed. Neither brother is presented in a flattering light.

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.

Accessed 5/8/2024 5:15:16 AM