Esau

"Esaw" redirects here. For the Native American tribe, see Catawba (tribe).

Esau (Hebrew Template:Hebrew, Standard Hebrew Esav, Tiberian Hebrew ʿĒśāw) is the brother of Jacob whom God renamed Israel, [1] the patriarch and founder of the Israelites, in the biblical Book of Genesis.. Esau was the oldest son of Isaac and Rebekah and the grandson of Abraham. Jacob and Esau were non-identical twins, with Esau born only minutes before Jacob (Israel) and thus entitled to lead the family and obtain a preferred inheritance after Isaac's death.

The Bible depicts Esau as a hunter who prefers the outdoor life, qualities that distinguished him from his brother. Esau is also considered to be the ancestor of the Edomites.. In the Book of Genesis, Esau is frequently shown being supplanted by his younger twin Jacob (Israel).

Genesis 25:19-25 narrates Esau's birth. He emerges from the womb with Jacob grasping his heel. He is described as: "Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau." [2]

Genesis 25:29-34 shows him willingly and foolishly selling his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a "mess of pottage" (meal of lentils). Some controversy has surrounded this scripture, in that some have noted that Esau may have been in danger of starving to death and was taken advantage of by Jacob in a vulnerable moment. Certainly, Jacob's refusal to share his food without exacting a high price from Esau is in conflict with Biblical principles for moral living such as charity and goodwill. However, others suggest that among the large entourage of Isaac's wealthy household, death from starvation would not likely have been a genuine danger simply on account of Esau not having caught anything while hunting that day. Owing to the strict law concerning draining the blood from an animal before eating it, Esau would not have expected to immediately eat what he killed and would probably have carried food while hunting. Rather Esau's words about being close to death may have been dramatic exaggeration of the type frequently found in the Old Testament and that selling his birthright indicated Esau's lack of appreciation for the long-term value of such an intangible right when he was more interested in fulfilling his immediate needs.

Curiously, the Old Testament of the Bible does not tell us which of these views is correct, whether in God's eyes Esau was cheated by Jacob or whether Esau carelessly sold his birthright to Jacob. However, the New Testament Book of Hebrews in Chapter 12, verse 15-16, takes the view -- somewhat harshly -- that Esau was wrong and unspiritual for thoughtlessly throwing away his birthright. [3]

In Genesis 27:1-40, Jacob uses deception to trick their father Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing normally due to the eldest, instead of giving it to Esau. [4] Jacob's deception also engenders controversy, while motivated in fact by Rebekah, the mother of both Jacob and Esau and Isaac's beloved wife. Genesis 28:28 explains: "Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob." [5] (Emphasis added). In Genesis 27:5-7, "Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.'" [6]. Rebekah then instructs Jacob in an elaborate deception through which Jacob pretends to be Esau, in order to steal from Esau Isaac's blessing and birthright -- which in theory Esau had agreed to give to Jacob. As a result, Jacob becomes the spiritual leader of the family after Isaac's death and the heir of the promises of Abraham. Genesis 27:37[7]

Esau, naturally, is furious and vows to kill Jacob in Genesis 27:41 [8]. Once again Rebekah intervenes to save her youngest son Jacob from being murdered by her eldest son, Esau. [9]

Therefore, at Rebekah's urging, Jacob flees to a distant land to work for a relative Laban. Genesis 28:5 [10]. To engineer Jacob's escape unharmed, Rebekah invents a story about not wanting Jacob to marry a local Heth-ite woman. Genesis 27:46 [11]

Evidently illustrating Biblical morality, Jacob thus actually receives none of his father's inheritance after the elaborate deception aimed at taking it from Esau. Jacob having fled for his life, leaves behind the wealth of Isaac's flocks and land and tents and is forced to sleep out on the open ground and then work for wages as a servant in Laban's household.

In spite of this bitter conflict, Genesis Chapters 32-33 tells a heart-warming story of Jacob and Esau being reconciled. Jacob effectively apologizes to Esau, indirectly through sending multiple waves of gifts to Esau as they approach each other, and Jacob ultimately bowing down before Esau. It is not until Jacob has set in motion these plans to send gifts to Esau as attempts at reconciliation that God appears to Jacob and renames Jacob as "Israel."

Genesis Chapter 36 lists the descendants of Esau. His death is not recounted in the Bible.

There is also mention of Esau marrying Canaanite wives, and, upon believing that this displeased his parents, then marrying his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Gen 28:6-9). However, the Bible portray's Rebekah's expression of displeasure with the women of the region as actually being only a ruse to facilitate Jacob's escape from Esau's threats to murder Jacob.

There are many Biblical references to hostility between the people of Israel and the people of Edom (e.g., 2 Samuel 8:12-14; 2 Kings 8:20-22; Psalm 137:7), and it is possible that some of the narrative of Genesis is intended to explain the origins and justification of that hostility.

Esau's name

Esau's name in Hebrew means "hairy", and, according to Genesis 25:25, it is a reference to his hairiness at birth. He is also called "Edom", which means red. Genesis relates this directly to his selling his birthright for some "red stuff" (Gen. 25:30). However, Genesis also makes a point of mentioning that he was red when he emerged from the womb (Gen 25:25). However, this may be an example of retroactive nomenclature, as the land which was supposedly inhabited by his descendants, Edom, contains a great abundance of red rock, and most scholars believe that the name of the land is a topographical reference.

References

• Metzeger, Bruce M. (ed) (1993). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504645-5. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)