Genesis 25

1 Now Abraham [the father of many nations] had taken [married, added to his family] another wife [a female partner, companion], named [whose name was, called] Keturah [incense], word study 2 and she bore him [became the mother of] Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian [a tribe that lived in the desert north], Ishbak, and Shuah [a son of Abraham, born to his wife Keturah]. word study 3 Jokshan [a son of Abraham and Keturah, meaning ‘snarer’] was the father [to beget, give birth to] of Sheba [a region in southern Arabia, also a man’s name] and Dedan [a low-lying area or a region]. And the sons [descendants, offspring] of Dedan were the Asshurites [from the tribe of Asher, one of the 12 tribes of Israel], the Letushites [an Arabian tribe, descended from Dedan], and the Leummites. word study 4 The sons [descendants, children] of Midian [a son of Abraham, his country, and descendants] were Ephah [a person and a place], Epher [meaning a calf], Hanoch [dedicated, a son of Reuben], Abida [my father knows, a son of Midian], and Eldaah [God has known, a son of Midian]. All [everything, every one of them] these [specific people, the aforementioned sons] were descendants [sons, children, offspring] of Keturah [a wife of Abraham, meaning incense]. word study 5 Abraham [the father of faith] left [gave, entrusted] everything [all his possessions, every asset] he owned [had acquired, possessed] to [as an inheritance, for his benefit] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise]. word study 6 But while he was still [yet, in his lifetime] alive, Abraham [the father of many nations] gave gifts [presents, offerings] to the sons [descendants, children] of his concubines [secondary wives, companions] and sent them away [deported, separated] from his son [heir, descendant] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise] to the land [country, territory] of the east [front, direction] [toward the rising sun, to the east country]. word study 7 Abraham [the father of many nations] lived [was alive, had life] a total [complete, entire span] of 175 [a hundred and seventy-five, one hundred seventy-five years] years [periods of time, seasons of life]. word study 8 And at a ripe old age [in a good old age, full of years] he breathed his last [gave up the ghost, expired] and died [passed away, came to his death], old [greyheaded, elderly] and contented [sated, full of life], and was gathered [brought together, united] to his people [nation, family]. word study 9 His sons [children, descendants] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise] and Ishmael [God will hear] buried [laid to rest, interred] him in the cave [hollow rock, underground chamber] of Machpelah [a place of burial, near Hebron] near [close to, in the vicinity of] Mamre [a place of strength, alliance], in the field [land, territory] of Ephron son of Zohar [a Hittite, father of Ephron] the Hittite [a descendant of Heth, a Canaanite]. word study 10 This was the field [a plot of land, agricultural area] that Abraham [the father of faith] had bought [purchased, acquired] from the Hittites [sons of Heth, descendants of Canaan]. Abraham was buried [laid to rest, interred] there [in that place, at that location] with his wife [companion, partner] Sarah [noblewoman, mother of Isaac]. word study 11 After Abraham’s [father of the faithful, later name of Abram] death [physical passing, end of earthly life], God [Elohim, the one supreme God] blessed [to praise or honor, bestowed divine favor upon] his son Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham and Sarah], who lived [to dwell, reside, or abide] near [in close proximity to, by the side of] Beer-lahai-roi [well of the Living One seeing me, a well in the Desert]. word study 12 This is the account [genealogy, family history] of Abraham’s son [descendant, offspring] Ishmael [God will hear], whom Hagar [flight, fugitive] the Egyptian [from the country of Egypt], Sarah’s maidservant [female slave, servant girl], bore [gave birth, beget] to Abraham [father of many, exalted father]. word study 13 These [specific, particular] are the names [identities, reputations] of the sons [descendants, offspring] of Ishmael [God will hear, son of Abraham] in the order [sequence, arrangement] of their birth [genealogy, lineage]: Nebaioth [Nebajoth] the firstborn [eldest, premier] of Ishmael, then [next, afterwards] Kedar [dark, a son of Ishmael], Adbeel [chastened of God, disciplined by God], Mibsam [sweet, pleasant], word study 14 Mishma [a hearing, son of Ishmael], Dumah [silence, a region in Arabia], Massa [burden, a son of Ishmael], word study 15 Hadad [a son of Ishmael], Tema [a desert region], Jetur [enclosed, meaning his descendants were a distinct group], Naphish [refreshment, a son of Ishmael], and Kedemah [eastward, a son of Ishmael]. word study 16 These [specifically, these very ones] were the sons [descendants, heirs] of Ishmael [God will hear], and these [same ones] were their names [identities, designations] by their villages [towns, settlements] and encampments [fortified camps, strongholds]—twelve [a full count] princes [leaders, chiefs] of their tribes [nations, peoples]. word study 17 Ishmael [God will hear, the son of Abraham] lived a total of 137 years [one hundred thirty-seven, a specific and complete span of life]. Then he breathed his last [gave up the ghost, yielded the spirit] and died [to die, expire, come to an end], and was gathered [collected, brought together] to his people [his ancestors, those who came before him]. word study 18 Ishmael’s descendants [the sons of Ishmael, his posterity] settled [dwelt, lived] from Havilah [a region in Arabia, a circle] to Shur [a desert region near Egypt], which is near [before, in the direction of] the border of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians, a country in northeastern Africa] as you go [approach, travel] toward Asshur [the ancestor of the Assyrians, a nation]. And they lived [dwelt, tabernacled] in hostility [opposition, enmity] toward all [every one of] their brothers [relatives, kin]. word study 19 This is the account [history, genealogy] of Abraham’s son [descendant, offspring] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise]. Abraham [father of the faithful] became the father [to beget, gave birth to] of Isaac [son of Abraham and Sarah], word study 20 and Isaac [the son of laughter] was forty years old when he married [took as his wife, to be his companion] Rebekah [a woman of strong faith], the daughter [a female child, a descendant] of Bethuel [a man of God, a nephew of Abraham] the Aramean [a person from Aram, a region in Syria] from Paddan-aram [a plain or tableland in Syria, a place of spiritual growth] and the sister [a biological sibling, a close relative] of Laban [a person of cunning, a son of Bethuel] the Aramean [a person from Aram, a region in Syria]. word study 21 Later, Isaac [the son of Abraham, a man of faith] prayed [to make supplication, to entreat] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] on behalf of his wife [Rebekah, his partner and companion], because she was barren [sterile, unable to have children]. And the LORD [the sovereign God, full of mercy] heard [listened to, gave attention to] his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived [became pregnant, received new life]. word study 22 But the children [twin babies, struggling together] inside her struggled [fought, crushed each other] with each other, and she said, “Why [what, how] is this happening [occuring, taking place] to me [to myself, personally]?” So Rebekah [the mother, seeking guidance] went to inquire [seek, ask, consult] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], word study 23 and He [Yehovah] declared to her: “Two [a pair, a dual nature] nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew communities] are in your womb [belly, the seat of emotions and life], and two peoples [distinct communities, ləʾummîm] from within you will be separated [divided, parted]; one people [a community, a nation] will be stronger [more courageous] than the other, and the older [the elder, the firstborn] will serve [be in bondage, work for] the younger [the younger one, the lesser].” word study 24 When her time [to be delivered, days to give birth] came to give birth [to beget, to bring forth], there were indeed [behold, look] twins [twin brothers, two born at once] in her womb [belly, the seat of life]. word study 25 The first one [born initially, coming out before the other] came out [emerged, was delivered] red [having a reddish complexion, like a hairy garment], covered with hair [having a hairy body, like an animal skin] like a fur coat [a hairy garment, clothing]; so they named [called, gave a name to] him Esau [hairy]. word study 26 After this [following that event], his brother [male sibling, close relative] came out grasping [taking hold, seizing] Esau’s [hairy, rough] heel [the back of the foot]; so he was named [designated, called] Jacob [supplanter, one who replaces]. And Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham] was sixty [a large quantity, numerous] years old [a period of time, a cycle] when the twins [two born at the same time, double birth] were born [brought forth, given birth to]. word study 27 When the boys [youths, young men] grew up, Esau [hairy, rough] became a skillful [cunning, expert] hunter [a man acquainted with wild game], a man [individual, person] of the field [outdoors, countryside], while Jacob [supplanter, deceiver] was a quiet [plain, gentle] man [person, individual] who stayed [dwelt, remained] at home [in tents, in the camp]. word study 28 Because Isaac [the son of Abraham, ‘he laughs’] had a taste [enjoyment, fondness] for wild game [venison, provisions from hunting], he loved [to have affection for] Esau [the hairy one, his son]; but Rebekah [the wife of Isaac, a key figure] loved [to have affection for, to cherish] Jacob [the son of Isaac, ‘he supplants’]. word study 29 One day, while Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] was cooking some stew [pottage, a simple meal], Esau [hairy, twin brother of Jacob] came in from the field [a flat area of land, the countryside] and was famished [faint, extremely hungry, weary]. word study 30 He [Esau, the hairy one] said to Jacob [the supplanter], “Let me eat [feed me, give me to eat] some of that red [ruddy, crimson] stew [pottage, soup], for I am [I, myself] famished [faint, weary, exhausted].” (That is why he was also called [named, known as] Edom [Red, the ruddy one]. ) word study 31 “First [at this very moment, today] sell [transfer ownership of, relinquish] me your [as the firstborn son, rightful heir to] birthright [right of the firstborn, privileges and responsibilities],” Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac and Rebekah] replied. word study 32 “Look [behold, see],” said Esau [the hairy one], “I [as for myself] am about [on the point of, at the brink of] to die [to pass away, meet my end], so what good [profit, benefit] is a birthright [right of the firstborn, privilege of inheritance] to me [for my benefit, of value to me]?” word study 33 “Swear [solemnly promise, make an oath] to me first,” Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] said. So Esau [the twin brother of Jacob] swore [to swear an oath, make a vow] to Jacob and sold [to give up ownership, transfer rights] him the birthright [the rights and privileges of the firstborn, the firstborn’s inheritance]. word study 34 Then Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] gave some bread [food, grain] and lentil stew [pottage of lentils, simple meal] to Esau [hairy, rough], who ate [devour, consume] and drank [feast, satisfy thirst] and then got up [rose, stood] and went away [walked, departed]. Thus Esau [hairy, rough] despised [held in contempt, disregarded] his birthright [rights and privileges of the firstborn, inheritance]. word study