Genesis 25

After death of Sarah Abraham take Ketura and gets children by her and children’s children verse 1 &c. he makes Isaac the sole heir of all his estates and concubines children’s he dismisseth with presents to the east country 4 Abraham age death and burial 6 Isaac is blessed after his fathers death 10 Ishmaels offspring’s age and death 12 Isaac prays to God on his wife’s behalf who conceives and bears him Esau and Jacob both their condition are set down verse 21 Esau sells his birthright or primogeniture to Jacob 29.

1. And Abraham went on to proceed and took a wife whose name was Ketura [the meaning is that after the death of his wife Sarah and the marriage of his son he did not continue widower but went on to marry again.]

2. And she bare him [though Abraham was now about an hundred and forty years old and his body was much decayed already at an hundred years above chapter 17.17 Romans 4.119 nevertheless he got children by his Ketura not as being miraculously strengthened thereunto as he was fro the begetting of Isaac but having retained much of that miraculous vigor to his age]Zimran [this man and the following wee most of them inhabitants of Arabia and some other part lying east from Canaan] and Joksan and Midian [the father and the original of the Midianites of whom see below chapter 36.35 judges 6.2 Isaiah 10:26 they were neighbors of the Moabites Numbers 22:4 and fell soon away from Abraham faith to idolatry Numbers 25:16,17,18 the country likewise is called Midian Exodus 2:16 and 1 Kings 11:18] and jiksbak and Suah [Heb. Schuah of whom it should seem that Bildad Jobs friend issued Job 2:11.]

3. And Joksan begat Seba [Heb. Jokschan] and Dedan and the sons of Dedan were Assurim and Letusim and Leummim.

4. And the sons of Midian were Epha [of Epha see Isaiah 60:6] and Epher [of which some conceive that Africa bears the name] and Hanock and Abidda and Eldaa all these were sons of Ketura [the sons and the sons or grand children being all comprehended under one name.]

5. Yet Abraham gave all he had unto Isaac [see above chapter 115.4 and 24.36.]

6. But unto the sons of the concubines [of the word concubines or by-wife see above chapter 2.24 understand hereby Abrahams concubines both Hagar and Ketura though they are likewise expressly called wives] whom Abraham had Abraham gave presents and sent them away from his sons Isaac while he was alive yet east-wards to the east country [understand the country lying east from Canaan such as are Arabia and Asia the greater &c.]

7. These now are days of the life of Abraham which he lived an hundred and seventy five years [Heb. An hundred year and seventy years and five years thus Abraham lived stranger since he came from Ur and hundred and five years and left grand children behind him of fifteen years of age viz. Jacob and Esau as may be gathered from verse 26 during all this time Abraham never fainted in his faith in Gods promise nor in patience under many advertise nor in the hope of glory to come not withstanding that he left likewise some examples of human frailty behind him he died as some do calculate in the year after creation of the world 124 and the 38 after his wife Sarah.]

8. And Abraham expired and died in a good old age [Heb. Grayness cavities according to Gods promise to him above chapter 15.15] old and satisfied satur of life [that is being wearied of the toils and troubles and longing of the rest of that to come] and he was gathered to his people [compare above chapter 15 the note on verse 15 see this phrase likewise below verse 17 and chapter 49.29 Numbers 0.24 and chapter 27.13 Judges 2:10.]

9. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpela in the field of Ephrone the son of Zahor the Hethite which over against Mamre [see above chapter 23.9, 17, 19, and 20.]

10. In the field which Abraham had bought from the sons of Heth there Abraham is buried and Sarah his wife [there also were Isaac and Jacob buried with their wives after them see below chapter 49.29, 31.]

11. And it came to pass after Abraham’s death that God blessed his son Isaac [according to the promises formerly made to Abraham above chapter 17.7, 19] and Isaac dwelt by the well Luchai-roi [se above chapter 16.14 and 4.62.]

12. These now are the births of Ishmael [that is the posterity issued from him this is related here as a confirmation to the truth of Gods promises made above chapter 16.12 and 17.20] the son of Abraham whom Hagar Sarah’s Egyptian hand maid did bear to Abraham.

13. And these are names of the sons of Ishmael with their names according to their births; [whereby they are called according to the order of their births. It is thought that these twelve sons of Ishmael inhabited the land of Nabathea between Euphrates and the Red Sea] the first-born of Ishmael, Nebajoth [see Isaiah 60:7] then Kedar [see Psalms 120:5 Canticles 1.5 Isaiah 21:16 Jeremiah 49:8 Ezekiel 27:21] and Abdeel and Mibsam, [see of another Mibsam the son of Simeon 1 Chronicles 4:25.]

14. And Misma and Duma [see Isaiah 21:11 it is the name likewise of a city in the tribe of Judah Joshua 15:21] and Massa [thus the place also called mount hereby, where the people of Israel contented with Moseh.]

15. Hagar and Theme [see Job 6:19 Jeremiah 25:23] ether nap his and Kidman.

16. And these are the sons of Ishmael and there are names in their villages and palaces princes [this is the fulfilling of the promise made above chapter 17.20] according to their nations.

17. And those are the years of life of Ishmael and hundred and seventy years and he expired and died and he was gathered to his people [see above chapter 15.15 a don this chapter on verse 8.]

18. And they dwelt from Havila off [see above chapter 2.11 and the annotations thereupon] unto Sur [see above chapter 16.7 and 20.11] which is over against Egypt as thou goest to Assur. He pitched himself down [viz. with his abode and habitation, see Numbers 34:2 Judges 7:12. Heb. he fell viz. by his lot and inheritance, Joshua 23:4 and Psalms 78:55] before the face of all his brethren [see above chapter 16.12.]

19. Those now are he births [that is issue and posterity] of Isaac the son of Abraham Abraham begat Isaac.

20. And Isaac was forty years old [Heb. A son of forty year] when he took him Rebecca to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian, out of Padan Aram [or the country of Mesopotamia called, Syria of the two rivers, above chapter 24.10, or a city or tract of that country] the sister of Laban the Syrian.

21. And Syrian earnestly entreated the Lord in the presence of his wife for she was barren [others Isaac insisted praying to the Lord in which exercise it seems Isaac held on for a long time in regard he got his two sons but in the sixth year of his age below verse 26 having been married twenty years with Rebecca verse 20 it seems to have been a solemn or set prayer which both of them together unanimously and constantly offered up to God for the obtaining of the children from him others take and understand it as if Isaac had prayed alone thus by himself for or in behalf of Rebecca as having her before him in his mind] and he Lord was entreated by him [Heb. For or on him that is the Lord was entreated for his good advantage] so that Rebecca his wife conceived.

22. And the children [Heb. sons] trussed one another in her body [viz. in an extraordinary strange and painful manner betokening the division and enmity of these two children and both their posterity Heb. In the inmost of her] then said she it is so? Why am I thus? [Heb. Why I thus or what for I this? Abrupt expression proceeding of impatience and distemper upon this strange and painful accident the meaning seems to be it is the course? What should make me wish for children? And why doth god give me any? Or what end have I conceived? Or what do I live for yet?] And she went to enquire of the Lord [viz. in some private retired place fervently to call upon the Lord in this distress or to lead and understand this meaning by some prophet Abraham himself or some other pious Patriarch yet living.]

23. And the LORD said to her [viz. either some present speech and allocation or by a vision or in a dream by an inward instinct and inspiration in either her own person or some prophet that acquainted her with it from god] two nations they are in thy belly [that is the father of two nations to wit the Demotes and the Israelites] and two sorts of people shall separate themselves asunder out of the bowels [which is fulfilled not only corporally but literally in regard of Jacob and Esau together with the Israelites and the Edomites but spiritual likewise in regard of the two church and people of God and the enemies of the same] and the people shall be stronger than the other people [meaning that the one brother shall be more mighty and powerful than the other] and the greater shall serve the less[these words declare the foregoing by the greater we are to understand Esau whom in regard of the primogeniture of strength of body and of the outward means and ability and was doubtless the greater more considerable as also his posterity having a long posses mount Seir and reigned there while the children of Israel were yet strangers and sojourners in Canaan slaves and bondmen in Egypt and despicable wandering people in the wilderness nevertheless this greater people should be made subject to and serve lesser which was fulfilled first in Jacob when having gotten the prerogative of primogeniture he became thereby Lord ver. his brother and afterwards in the posterity when they inherited the land of Canaan and made the Edomites tributaries to them see 2 Samuel 8:14 and this is likewise fulfilled in the true church who notwithstanding her small appearance of the most part in outward glory and power compared with the false one doth nevertheless keep Christ in the midst of her by his word and spirit exercising the dominion over and his and her enemies .]

24. Now when her days were filled to bring forth behold there were twins in her belly.

25. And the first came out red he was wholly like a Barry garment [the Hebrew word doth signify an upper garment such as a cloak and a coat] therefore they called his name Esau [that is made up perfected being hairy like a man full grown.]

26. And after that his brother came forth whose head was hold Esau’s heel therefore they called his name Jacob [Heb. Jacob as if one should say heel holder see below chapter 27 on verse 36] and Isaac was sixty years old [Heb. A son of sixty year as Abraham being an hundred year old and stayed thirty five for the fulfilling of Gods promise above chapter 12.4 so Isaac being now threescore he was fain of fairy twenty years for the further fulfilling of the same promise thus God knows how to try and exercise his children] when he begat them [or when she bare them the word of the text bears either signification.]

27. Now when the youths grew up Esau became a man expert in hunting [Heb. Understanding the hunting that is a good huntsman a crafty hunter] a man of the field [that is one that loved rather to be in the field than at home see above chapter 9 on verse 20] but Jacob became an upright man [see above chapter 6 on verse 9] dwelling in tents [that is he led a peaceable quiet life being not wild and ranting abroad like his brother but minding the household affairs and the herds of the stock of his father in both regards wherefore tents are requisite see above chapter 4.20 and Hebrews 11:9.]

28. And Isaac loved Esau for the venison was to his mouth or palate [that is was grateful meat to him he found a special relish in it a piece of human frailty in this good patriarch that for so vain a thing he loved him most of which he was sufficiently instructed before that God did love him least] but Rebecca loved Jacob.

29. And Jacob had boiled a boiling [the Hebrew word doth signify in general any kind of meat drest broth portage frumenty &c. but below verse 34 it is called a or dish of lentils] and Esau came forth from the fields and was weary.

30. And Esau said to Jacob let me so I pray of that red that red there [the word is doubled to shew the greediness of his appetite to his dish whose color and taste seemed to be pleasing and enticing to him or else for that it was exceedingly red so good, good is put for very good Judges 11:25 bad, bad for very bad Proverbs 20:14] for I am weary therefore they called his name Edom [that is red partly because he was red of the skin himself verse 25 and partly for being so besorted with longing for this red pottage.]

31. Then Jacob said sell me for this day thy first-birth primogeniture or being first born [that is the right and prerogative of being first born consisting 1. In the honor and lordship over his brethren above chapter 4.7 and 43.9 and 2 Chronicles 21:3 Psalms 89:28 2. In the double portion of the goods to be inherited Deuteronomy 11:17 3. In the right of the priest hood after the deceased of the father especially after the staying of the first born in Egypt until the priesthood was transferred upon the tribe of the Levi Numbers 8:16,17,18,19.]

32. And Esau said behold I am giving to die [that is I am daily abroad of hunting and in continual danger to know what shall I be the better than for all my birth-right? Some refer this answer of his to present faintness and hunger] and what for the primogeniture to me? [Thus doth Esau with an ungracious heart rejected this excellent right of primogeniture see Heb. 12 verse 16 and have below verse 34.]

33. Then said Jacob swears unto this day [Heb. As today] and he swear unto him and he sold his primogeniture to Jacob.

34. And Jacob gave bread to Esau and the oiling of the lentils and he did eat and drink and heroes up and went his way thus Esau despised his primogenitures.