Esau Selling His Birthright To Jacob And Isaac Blessing

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Genesis 25 and 27 tell the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob and Isaac blessing Jacob instead of Esau, respectively. The two passages, sandwiching a chapter detailing Isaac’s life in, and retreat from, Philistine, are a part of Genesis written likely by the Yahwist; one of the potential sources for the Pentateuch. This essay will critically examine chapters 25 and 27 of Genesis with regard to Genesis 21, as a means of understand the biblical significance of Jacob receiving Isaac’s blessing. Genesis 25:19-28 tells of the birth of Jacob and Esau. It is worthy to note that before the two are born, the LORD says to the mother, Rebekah, “the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). In lines 29 through 34 of the same chapter, …show more content…

Literary criticism will be employed to answer this question to the fullest. The two passages that deal with the story of the Esau’s birthright seemingly make Jacob out to be deceptive. He gets Esau to agree to sell his birthright merely for some bread and stew, because the latter was “famished.” Jacob then, with the help of his mother, convinces his father that he is in fact Esau. Though it is ostensibly deceitful, the LORD never comments on it. Isaac himself realizes that he has been deceived but does try in any way to reverse what has been done. He instead tells Esau that he has already given his blessing and that he is meant to serve his younger brother
It is not uncommon in the Pentateuch for the younger sibling to eventually become the leader. It happens when Sarah eventually gives birth to Isaac, leading to the eldest son of Abraham, Ishmael, being sent away in favor of the former. Isaac himself had been in a similar situation to Jacob. That is, being the younger of two siblings, but coming into the inheritance of his father. In chapter 21 of Genesis it is said that Abraham struggled with Sarah’s request to send Ishmael away and receive no inheritance. His position changed, however, when God makes it clear that Isaac is the one he wants leading Abraham’s people. This parallels Isaac wanting to give Esau his blessing, but not doing anything to take it away from

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