Esau

Lore & Background

According to the Hebrew Bible, Esau is the progenitor of the Edomites and the elder brother of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandsons of Abraham and Sarah. Of the twins, Esau was the first to be born with Jacob following, holding his heel. Isaac was sixty years old when the boys were born. Esau, a 'man of the field', became a hunter who had 'rough' qualities that distinguished him from his twin brother. Among these qualities were his redness and noticeable hairiness. Jacob was a plain or simple man, depending on the translation of the Hebrew word tam (which also means 'relatively perfect man'). Jacob's color was not mentioned. Throughout Genesis, Esau is frequently shown as being supplanted by his younger twin, Jacob (Israel). The Christian New Testament alludes to him in the Epistle to the Romans and in the Epistle to the Hebrews. According to the Muslim tradition, the prophet Yaqub, or Israel, was the favorite of his mother, and his twin brother Esau was the favorite of his father, prophet Ishaq, and he is mentioned in the 'Story of Ya'qub' in Qisas al-Anbiya.

Reader's Guide

In Genesis, Esau returned to his twin brother Jacob, famished from the fields. He begs Jacob to give him some 'red pottage' (a play on his nickname, Edom). This refers to his red hair. Jacob offers Esau a bowl of lentil stew in exchange for Esau's birthright, the right to be recognized as firstborn son with authority over the family, and Esau agrees. Thus Jacob acquires Esau's birthright. Later, Jacob deceives his blind father Isaac, motivated by his mother, Rebekah, to lay claim to the blessing that was inherently due to the firstborn, Esau. Jacob successfully received his father Isaac's blessing. When Esau learns of his brother's deception, he is livid and begs his father to undo the blessing. Isaac responds by saying that he only had one blessing to give and that he could not reverse the sacred blessing. Isaac promises Esau a life of service to his brother instead. Esau is furious and vows to kill Jacob. At Rebekah's urging, Jacob then flees to a distant land, Paddan-aram (towards Harran) to work for his uncle Laban. Genesis 33 tells of Jacob's and Esau's eventual reconciliation. Jacob sends multiple waves of gifts to Esau as they approach each other, hoping that Esau will spare his life. Esau refuses the gifts, as he is now very wealthy and does not need them. Jacob bows down before Esau and insists on his receiving the gifts. Esau shows forgiveness in spite of this bitter conflict.

Did You Know?

• Esau became the progenitor of the Edomites in Mount Seir.
• The minor prophet Obadiah claims that the Edomites participated in the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 587 BCE.

Origins and Early Life

Jacob entered the world as a fraternal twin alongside his elder brother Esau, born to Isaac and Rebecca after two decades of marriage when Isaac was sixty years old. Their conception was marked by divine foretelling; Rebecca, distressed by the twins' violent struggle within her womb, received a prophecy stating that two nations would emerge from her, with the older serving the younger. At birth, Esau emerged first, covered in reddish hair resembling a hairy garment, while Jacob followed closely, grasping his brother's heel. This physical act inspired his name, derived from the Hebrew word for heel, signifying concepts like 'supplanter' or 'he who follows.' As they matured, their characters diverged sharply: Esau became a skilled hunter and man of the field, favored by Isaac due to his provision of venison, whereas Jacob was described as a simple man dwelling in tents. This familial dynamic set the stage for future conflict, with Rebecca showing distinct affection for Jacob while Isaac preferred Esau.

The Birthright and Deceptive Blessing

A pivotal turning point occurred when Esau, famished after hunting, returned to find Jacob cooking stew. In a moment of desperation, Esau agreed to sell his birthright—the privileges of the firstborn—to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of red pottage, an act that earned him the nickname Edom, meaning 'Red.' Later, as Isaac aged and lost his sight, he intended to bestow his final blessing upon Esau. Rebecca, recalling the ancient prophecy that the younger would serve the older, orchestrated a deception. She dressed Jacob in Esau's clothes and covered his smooth skin with goat skins to mimic Esau's hairy texture. Jacob successfully deceived his blind father by presenting savory meat prepared according to Isaac's preference. Consequently, Isaac unknowingly bestowed the patriarchal blessing upon Jacob instead of Esau, fulfilling the divine prediction but fracturing the family bond permanently.

Family Structure and Tribal Legacy

Jacob's progeny formed the foundational structure of the Israelite people through his relationships with four women: his wives Leah and Rachel, who were also his maternal cousins, and their concubines Bilhah and Zilpah. He fathered twelve sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin—as well as a daughter named Dinah. These sons became the forefathers of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, each allotted territory in the Land of Israel except for the Tribe of Levi. However, Jacob's household was plagued by internal strife due to his overt favoritism toward Rachel and her sons, Joseph and Benjamin. This partiality fueled deep resentment among Joseph's older brothers, ultimately leading them to sell him into slavery. Despite these familial fractures, Jacob's descendants migrated from Canaan to Egypt during a severe drought, facilitated by Joseph's rise as a confidant to the Pharaoh.

Historical Context and Scholarly Debate

The historicity of Jacob remains a subject of intense scholarly debate, with archaeology currently yielding no direct evidence for his existence. Early scholars like William Albright initially dated him to the 19th century BCE, but later experts such as John J. Bimson and Nahum Sarna cautioned against relying on limited archaeological data from that era. More recent research by Thomas L. Thompson and William Dever suggests these narratives are late literary compositions designed with specific ideological purposes rather than factual historical accounts. The name Israel, given to Jacob after wrestling an angel, is interpreted as a combination of 'God' and roots meaning 'to rule' or 'strive,' reflecting the complex theological themes embedded in his story.