Genesis 25 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Spanning roughly 2005 to 1980 BC, covering Abraham's death at 175 and the birth of his twin grandsons
Location
The Negev region of southern Canaan around Beer-lahai-roi and Hebron, with the descendants of Keturah and Ishmael spreading east and south into Arabia
Audience
The Israelites of Moses' generation, a people who had left Egypt and were preparing to take possession of Canaan
Situation
Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, fathers more sons, then dies and is buried beside Sarah at Machpelah. Rebekah gives birth to the struggling twins Esau and Jacob, and years later Esau trades his rights as firstborn to Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew.
Key Background
The birthright was not sentiment but law and economics: the firstborn son received a double share of the estate and became head of the family after his father's death. Legal tablets from Nuzi in northern Mesopotamia record brothers transferring birthright claims to each other for goods, so the transaction here would have looked recognizable rather than absurd to ancient readers. Esau's nickname Edom means red, tying both the stew and his ruddy appearance to the later nation of Edom that descended from him.
Abraham took another whose name was
She gave him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Jokshan fathered and Dedan. Dedan's descendants were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.
Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah's descendants.
Abraham gave everything he owned to
But to the sons of his Abraham gave gifts while he was still alive and sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the lands of the east.
Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.
Then Abraham took last breath and died at a good old age, full of years, and was to
His sons Isaac and buried him in the cave of in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre --
the field that Abraham had bought from the Abraham was buried there, next to his wife Sarah.
After Abraham died, God for his son Isaac. Isaac settled near
These are the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom the Egyptian -- Sarah's servant -- bore to Abraham.
These are the names of Ishmael's sons, listed by their birth order: Ishmael's firstborn, then Adbeel, Mibsam,
Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
These were Ishmael's sons, and these were their names by their settlements and camps -- of their peoples.
Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.
His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt on the way toward Assyria. They in with all their relatives.
This is the of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham fathered Isaac.
Isaac was forty years old when he married daughter of Bethuel the from Paddan-aram and sister of Laban the
Isaac to on behalf of his wife, because she couldn't have children. answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
But the children inside her, and she said, "If this is how it's going to be, why go on living?" So she to about it.
Yahweh told her: are in your womb. peoples will be divided from the moment they leave your body. One will be stronger than the other, and the will the
When the time came for her to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.
The first one came out his whole body like a cloak. They named him
After that, his brother came out with his hand So they named him Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
The boys grew up. Esau became a a of the open country, while Jacob was a who stayed close to the tents.
Isaac loved Esau because he had a for but Rebekah loved Jacob.
One day Jacob was cooking a when Esau came in from the open country, completely exhausted.
Esau said to Jacob, "Quick, let me down some of that -- that there! I'm dying here!" That's why he was also called
Jacob said, "First, sell me your
Esau said, "Look, I'm about to die. What good is a birthright to me?"
Jacob said, "Swear it to me right now." So Esau an and sold his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave bread and up, and how