Did Jacob Ever See Isaac Again After Fleeing Esau

Story in the Book of Genesis

The biblical Book of Genesis speaks of the human relationship between fraternal twins Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebecca. The story focuses on Esau's loss of his birthright to Jacob and the conflict that ensued between their descendant nations because of Jacob'south deception of their aged and blind begetter, Isaac, in social club to receive Esau's birthright/blessing from Isaac.

This disharmonize was paralleled past the affection the parents had for their favored child: "Isaac, who had a sense of taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob."^[1] Even since conception, their conflict was foreshadowed: "And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If information technology be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two way of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall exist stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."^[two]

Genesis 25:26^[3] states that Esau was born before Jacob, who came out holding on to his older blood brother's heel every bit if he was trying to pull Esau back into the womb so that he could exist firstborn.^[iv] The name Jacob means he grasps the heel which is a Hebrew idiom for deceptive behavior.^[5]

Birthright [edit]

The Mess of Pottage (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)

In Genesis, Esau returned to his brother, Jacob, being famished from the fields. He begged his twin blood brother to give him some "cherry-red pottage" (paralleling his nickname, Hebrew: אדום, adom, meaning "cerise"). Jacob offered to requite Esau a bowl of stew in substitution for his birthright (the right to exist recognized every bit firstborn) and Esau agreed.^[vi]

The birthright (bekorah) has to practice with both position and inheritance. Past birthright, the firstborn son inherited the leadership of the family and the judicial potency of his father. Deuteronomy 21:17 states that he was likewise entitled to a double portion of the paternal inheritance.^[seven]

In the interpretation of Daniel J. Elazar, Esau acts impulsively: "Esau demonstrates that he does not deserve to be the one who continues Abraham's responsibilities and rewards nether God's covenant, since he does not have the steady, thoughtful qualities which are required... Jacob shows his willingness as well as his greater intelligence and forethought... What he does is not quite honorable, though non illegal. The title that he gains is at least partially valid, although he is insecure enough near it to conspire subsequently with his female parent to deceive his father so as to gain the approval for the starting time-born as well."^[8]

After, Esau marries two wives, both Hittite women, that is, locals, in violation of Abraham's (and God'due south) injunction not to have wives from among the Canaanite population. Again, one gets the sense of a headstrong person who acts impulsively, without sufficient thought.^[9] His matrimony is described as a vexation to both Rebecca and Isaac. Even his father, who has strong affection for him, is injure by his human activity. According to Daniel J. Elazar this activity alone forever rules out Esau as the bearer of patriarchal continuity. Esau could have overcome the sale of his birthright; Isaac was however prepared to give him the approval due the firstborn. Merely acquiring strange wives meant the disengagement of his children from the Abrahamic line. Despite the deception on the function of Jacob and his female parent to gain Isaac'due south patriarchal approval, Jacob'southward vocation every bit Isaac'south legitimate heir in the continued founding of the Jewish people is reaffirmed.

Elazar suggests the Bible indicates that a bright, calculating person, even if he is less than honest at times, is preferable as a founder over a barefaced, impulsive 1 who cannot make discriminating choices.^[8]

Blessing of the firstborn [edit]

Pronouncing the blessing was considered to be the act formally acknowledging the firstborn every bit the principal heir.^[10]

In Genesis 27:5–seven, Rebecca overhears Isaac tell Esau, "Bring me venison and prepare a savoury nutrient, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death." Rebecca counsels Jacob to pretend to exist Esau, in guild to obtain the approval in his blood brother'due south stead. He dressed himself in Esau's best clothes and bearded himself past covering his artillery in lamb skin so that if his bullheaded male parent touched him, he would remember Jacob his more than hirsute brother. Jacob brought Isaac a dish of goat meat prepared by Rebecca to taste like venison. Isaac then bestowed the blessing (bekhorah), which confers a prophetic wish for fertility (vv. 27–28) and dominion (v.29), on Jacob before Esau's return.

Esau is furious and vows to kill Jacob^[xi] as presently every bit their father has died. Rebecca intervenes to salve her younger son Jacob from being murdered by her elderberry son, Esau.^[12] At Rebecca's urging, Jacob flees to a afar land to work for his mother's blood brother, Laban.^[13] She explains to Isaac that she has sent Jacob to notice a married woman among her ain people.

Jacob does non immediately receive his male parent's inheritance. Jacob, having fled for his life, leaves behind the wealth of Isaac's flocks and land and tents in Esau'southward hands. Jacob is forced to sleep out on the open footing and and then work for wages as a servant in Laban's household. Jacob, who had deceived his father, is in plough deceived and cheated by his uncle Laban concerning Jacob'southward 7 years of service (lacking money for a dowry) for the hand of Laban'due south daughter Rachel, receiving his older daughter Leah instead.^[14] However, despite Laban, Jacob eventually becomes so rich equally to incite the envy of Laban and Laban's sons.

Reconciliation [edit]

Genesis 32-33^[xv] tells of Jacob and Esau's eventual meeting according to God's commandment in Genesis 31:3 and 32:10^[16] after Jacob had spent more than than 20 years staying with Laban in Padan-Aram. The two men prepare for their coming together similar warriors most to enter into battle. Jacob divides his family into two camps such that if one is taken the other might escape.^[17] Jacob sends messengers to Esau, as well equally gifts meant to appease him.^[14]

Jacob gets the name State of israel afterwards he wrestles with the Angel of God as he is traveling to Esau. His hip is knocked out of joint but he keeps on wrestling and gains the name.^[a]

Later on the encounter with the angel, Jacob crosses over the ford Jabbok and encounters Esau who seems initially pleased to meet him,^[eighteen] which attitude of favour Jacob fosters by means of his gift. Esau refuses the souvenir at first but Jacob humbles himself earlier his brother and presses him to have it, which he finally does.^[19] Still, Jacob plain does not trust his blood brother's favour to keep for long, and so he makes excuses to avoid traveling to Mountain Seir in Esau's company,^[20] and he further evades Esau'southward try to put his own men amidst Jacob's bands^[21] and finally completes the deception of his brother withal again past going to Succoth and and so to Shalem, a city of Shechem, instead of following Esau at a distance to Seir.^[22] The next time Jacob and Esau come across is at the burying of their begetter, Isaac, in Hebron.^[23]

Views of the birthright [edit]

The narrative of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob, in Genesis 25,^[24] states that Esau despised his birthright. Withal, it also alludes to Jacob being deceitful.

In Esau'southward mother and begetter'due south optics, the deception may have been deserved. Rebecca subsequently abets Jacob in receiving his father's blessing bearded as Esau. Isaac then refuses to take Jacob'southward blessing back after learning he was tricked, and does not give this blessing to Esau only, after Esau begs, gives him an inferior blessing.^[25]

References [edit]

Footnotes [edit]

1. ^ In Biblical Hebrew the proper noun "State of israel" means one who wrestles with God. Meet as well Jacob's Ladder.

Citations [edit]

1. ^ Genesis 25:28
2. ^ Genesis 25:22–23
3. ^ Genesis 25:26
4. ^ Attridge 2006, p. twoscore.
5. ^ Gen 25:26 NIV footnote a
6. ^ Duffy 1909.
7. ^ Easton 1893, p. 100.
8. ^ ^{a b} Elazar north.d.
9. ^ Genesis 26:34–35
10. ^ "Firstborn". Jewish Virtual Library.
11. ^ Genesis 27:41
12. ^ Buhl, Hirsch & Schechter 1901, pp. 206–208.
13. ^ Genesis 28:5
14. ^ ^{a b} Manns 2013.
15. ^ Genesis 32–33
16. ^ Genesis 31:3, 32:10
17. ^ Genesis 32:8–9
18. ^ Genesis 33:4
19. ^ Genesis 33:three, 33:10–xi
20. ^ Genesis 33:12–14
21. ^ Genesis 33:xv–16
22. ^ Genesis 33:sixteen–twenty
23. ^ Genesis 35:27–29
24. ^ Genesis 25
25. ^ Genesis 27:34–xl

Sources [edit]

• Attridge, Harold W. (2006). HarperCollins Written report Bible - Student Edition: Fully Revised & Updated. HarperCollins. ISBN978-0-06-078684-vii – via Order of Biblical Literature.
• Buhl, Frants; Hirsch, Emil G.; Schechter, Solomon (1901). "Esau". In Isidore Singer (ed.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 5.
• Duffy, Daniel (1909). "Esau". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Cosmic Encyclopedia. Vol. five. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Easton, Chiliad. Grand. (1893). Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper and Brothers.
• Elazar, Daniel J. (due north.d.). "Jacob and Esau and the Emergence of the Jewish People". Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs . Retrieved 11 Feb 2021.
• Manns, Frederic (2013). "Jacob and Esau: Rebecca's Children". American Catholic. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_and_Esau

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