Book: [[Genesis]] Next chapter: [[Genesis 26]] # Overview ## [[Toledot]] [[Isaac]] (25:19 to end) - [[Toledot]] intro: reminder that [[Isaac]] is married to [[Rebekah]] - [[Isaac]] prays for children and so [[Rebekah]] becomes pregnant ### Birth and early life of the children - The babies jostle within her, and so she asks the LORD why - LORD's response in verse 23: > 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 | | [[Esau]] | [[Jacob]] | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- | | Birth (verse 25-26) | red and hairy | clutching [[Esau]]'s heel | | Early life (verse 27) | skilled hunter, a man of the open fields | even-tempered man, living in tents | | Loved by (verse 28) | [[Isaac]], because he had a taste for fresh game | [[Rebekah]] | ### Selling of birthright - [[Jacob]] cooked some stew - [[Esau]] came in from the open fields famished, and demanded [[Jacob]] feed him that stew - The word `la'at` translated as "feed" is usually only used for feeding animals - [[Esau]] calls the stew "red stuff", which is used as justification for his name [[Edom]] - [[Esau]] agrees to exchange his "birthright" in exchange for the stew - This causes [[Esau]] to "despise" his birthright # Questions - What exactly is [[Esau]]'s birthright? - Isaac prays to LORD on behalf of wife because she was childless. Look for parallels w/ Abraham? - I haven't found any direct textual connections between Isaac and Abraham's childlessness - But conceptually, it seemed a lot "easier" for Isaac to get children after praying. Does that mean anything more?