Génesis 25

VBL · Chapter 25/50

1Abraham se casó con otra mujer. Su nombre era Quetura.

2Con ella tuvo los siguientes hijos: Zimrán, Jocsán, Medán, Madián, Isbac y Súaj.

3Jocsán fue el padre de Seba y Dedán. Los descendientes de Dedán fueron lo asureos, los letusitas y los leumitas.

4Los hijos de Madián fueron Efa, Efer, Hanoc, Abida y Eldaa. Todos estos fueron los hijos de Quetura.

5Abraham le dejó todas sus posesiones a Isaac.

6Pero mientras aún estaba con vida, le dio regalos a los hijos de sus concubinas y las envió al oriente, para que vivieran lejos de Isaac.

7Abraham vivió hasta la edad de 175 años

8cuando dio su último suspiro y murió en buena vejez, habiendo vivido suficientes años. Había vivido una vida plena y ahora se había unido a sus antepasados en la muerte.

9Sus hijos Isaac e Ismael lo sepultaron en la cueva de Macpela, cerca de Mamré, en el campo que antes había pertenecido a Efrón, hijo de Zojar, el hitita.

10Esre fue el terreno que Abraham le había comprador a los hititas. Y Abraham fue sepultado allí, junto a su esposa Sara.

11Después de la muerte de Abraham, Dios bendijo a su hijo Isaac, quien vivía cerca de Beer-lahai-roi.

12Esta es la genealogía de Ismael, hijo de Abraham: Su madre Agar fue la esclava egipcia de Sara.

13Y estos fueron los nombres de los hijos de Ismael, según su familia genealógica: Nebayot, (primogénito), Quedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

14Misma, Duma, Masá,

15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Nafis, y Quedema.

16Estos fueron los hijos de Ismael, y también fueron los nombres de los lugares donde vivieron y acamparon: Las doce familias líderes de sus tribus.

17Ismael vivió hasta la edad de 137 años. Entonces dio un último suspiro, y se unió a sus antepasados en la muerte.

18Los descendientes de Ismael habitaron la región de Havila hasta Sur, cerca de la frontera de Egipto, en dirección de Asur. Y siempre estaban peleando unos con otros.

19La siguiente es la genealogía Isaac, hijo de Abraham: Abraham fue el padre de Isaac.

20Cuando Isaac cumplió los 40 años, se casó con Rebeca, la hija de Betuel el arameo de Padán-Harán y hermana de Labán el arameo.

21Isaac oró al Señor pidiendo su ayuda en favor de su esposa porque no podía tener hijos. El Señor respondió su oración y ella quedó embarazada.

22Los dos hijos que tuvo eran gemelos y peleaban dentro de su vientre. Entonces ella le preguntó al Señor: “¿Por qué me pasa esto a mí?”

23“Tienes dentro de ti dos naciones”, respondió el Señor. “Darás a luz a dos hijos que competiránel uno contra el otro. Uno será más fuerte que el otro, y el mayor será siervo del menor”.

24Cuando llegó el momento, Rebeca tuvo dos gemelos.

25El primero en salir estaba rojo al nacer, y estaba cubierto de mucho cabello, como si fuera un cabrito. Por eso lo llamaron Esaú.

26Luego salió su hermano gemelo, quien salió de la matriz agarrando el talón de Esaú. Por eso lo llamaron Jacob. Isaac tenía 60 años cuando sus dos hijos nacieron.

27Estos dos hijos de Isaac crecieron, y Esaú se convirtió en un cazador de gran talento en el campo. Jacob era tranquilo y se quedaba en casa, en las tiendas.

28Isaac amaba a Esaú porque le preparaba comida con los animales que cazaba, mientras que Rebeca amaba a Jacob.

29Cierto día, Jacob estaba preparando un guisado cuando Esaú regresó del campo, cansado y muy hambriento.

30“Dame un poco de ese guisado rojo”, le dijo Esaú a Jacob. “¡Muero de hambre!” (Fue así como Esaú obtuvo su otro nombre: “Edom”, que significa “rojo”).

31“Primero véndeme tus derechos de primogénito”, le respondió Jacob.

32“¡Mira! ¡Me estoy muriendo! ¿De qué me sirven esos derechos de primogénito?” dijo Esaú.

33“Primero tienes que jurármelo”, exigió Jacob. Así que Esaú hizo juramento vendiéndole a Jacob sus derechos de primogénito.

34Entonces Jacob le dio a Esaú un poco de pan, y un guisado de lentejas. Esaú comió y bebió hasta que se sació y se fue. Al hacer esto, Esaú demostró cuán poco le importaban sus derechos como hijo primogénito.

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Summary

Abraham dies at 175 years old, and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael; the genealogy of Ishmael is given, and the twins Esau and Jacob are born, with Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a plate of food.

Explanation

This chapter closes the cycle of Abraham's life with dignity — he dies 'in a good old age, an old man, and full of years,' reconciled enough with his two sons that both Isaac and Ishmael join together to bury him. The narrative then turns to the next generation: the twins Esau and Jacob are born already in conflict, a tension prophesied by God even before their birth ('the elder shall serve the younger,' v. 23). The selling of the birthright for a simple plate of lentils shows Esau's contempt for a spiritual and material right of great value in exchange for immediate satisfaction, while Jacob, though manipulative in this negotiation, values what Esau discarded. Today's practical lesson is about the importance of not trading lasting blessings for fleeting gratification.

Fun facts

  • The name 'Edom' (meaning 'red'), given to Esau, is directly tied both to the color of his hair at birth and to the red lentil stew for which he sold his birthright — a name that would carry this story with him forever.
  • The rivalry between Esau (ancestor of the Edomites) and Jacob (ancestor of Israel) would echo throughout later biblical history, including conflicts between the two peoples recorded in books such as Numbers, Obadiah, and Malachi.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Génesis 25:1After Sarah’s death, Abraham marries again, a woman named Keturah — showing that his life goes on even at an advanced age.
  2. Génesis 25:2Lists the six sons Abraham has with Keturah, further expanding his offspring beyond Isaac and Ishmael.
  3. Génesis 25:3Continues the genealogy through Jokshan, one of Keturah’s sons, linking this line to more peoples of the Arabian region.
  4. Génesis 25:4Closes the list of Keturah’s sons, naming the descendants of Midian — a people who will appear much later in the story of Moses.
  5. Génesis 25:5Despite having several sons with Keturah, Abraham leaves the main inheritance entirely to Isaac — reinforcing who is the central heir of the promise.
  6. Génesis 25:6Abraham gives gifts to “the sons of the concubines” and sends them away “eastward, unto the east country,” leaving everything else to Isaac. Sons of secondary wives had some right to goods, but not to the main inheritance; sending them far away avoided future disputes over the land promised to Isaac.
  7. Génesis 25:7Records Abraham’s total age at death: 175 years, closing the life of the patriarch who began the family’s story back in chapter 12.
  8. Génesis 25:8Saying someone died “full of years” and was “gathered to his people” are two old expressions for a peaceful death at an advanced age: the first says the person lived long enough, without dying before their time; the second speaks of reuniting with ancestors who had already died.
  9. Génesis 25:9Isaac and Ishmael, Abraham’s two eldest sons, join together to bury him — despite the rivalry between the families, the two carry out this last task for their father together.
  10. Génesis 25:10Confirms that Abraham was buried in the same cave bought to bury Sarah, in chapter 23 — the couple rests together in the same land he acquired.
  11. Génesis 25:11After Abraham’s death, the blessing passes to Isaac, who continues living near the same well where Hagar had met God.
  12. Génesis 25:12Begins Ishmael’s genealogy, listing his descendants before the narrative turns fully to Isaac.
  13. Génesis 25:13Lists Ishmael’s sons by name, starting with the firstborn Nebajoth — names that will later give rise to well-known Arab tribes.
  14. Génesis 25:14Continues the list of Ishmael’s sons, three more names that complete part of this lineage.
  15. Génesis 25:15Closes the list of Ishmael’s twelve sons, fulfilling the promise made to Hagar that he would have a great offspring.
  16. Génesis 25:16Summarizes that these twelve sons of Ishmael became leaders of twelve tribes — the same number of tribes that will later also characterize Jacob’s descendants.
  17. Génesis 25:17Records Ishmael’s death at 137 years, closing his story with the same formula used to end the lives of other patriarchs.
  18. Génesis 25:18Describes the territory occupied by Ishmael’s descendants, between Egypt and Assyria — a life marked by conflict with their relatives, as had already been announced in chapter 16.
  19. Génesis 25:19Begins the section of the story devoted to Isaac, reaffirming that he is Abraham’s son before telling the events of his own life.
  20. Génesis 25:20Marks Isaac’s age at marriage to Rebekah, 40 years, and notes that she was from Abraham’s own family, in Mesopotamia — the same relatives sought out by the servant in the previous chapter.
  21. Génesis 25:21Isaac prays specifically about Rebekah’s barrenness, and God answers that prayer — the same infertility problem that had already marked the previous generation, with Sarah.
  22. Génesis 25:22Rebekah feels an unusual struggle inside her own body and seeks an answer directly from God, still not understanding the reason — the answer comes in the next verse.
  23. Génesis 25:23God tells Rebekah that, between the twin sons, “the elder shall serve the younger” — a reversal of the natural order, since at the time the older son held the privileges. This phrase anticipates both the personal rivalry between Esau and Jacob and the future of the two nations that would come from them, Edom and Israel.
  24. Génesis 25:24When the time for delivery comes, it is confirmed that Rebekah was carrying twins, exactly as God’s answer had announced in the previous verse.
  25. Génesis 25:25Esau is born “red, all over like an hairy garment,” and it is this detail that gives rise to his name, which sounds similar to “hairy” in Hebrew. It is a birth wordplay the narrative uses to introduce the character right away by his striking appearance.
  26. Génesis 25:26Jacob is born with his hand taking “hold on Esau’s heel,” and so he receives a name that sounds like “heel” in Hebrew. The wordplay anticipates the rest of the story: later, Jacob will literally take by the heel his older brother’s blessing and birthright.
  27. Génesis 25:27The two boys grow up with very different personalities: Esau becomes a hunter who loves the outdoors, and Jacob a more home-loving man, tied to the tents.
  28. Génesis 25:28Each parent has a favorite son: Isaac prefers Esau, for enjoying the game he brought home, and Rebekah prefers Jacob — a division within the family itself that will lead to conflict later on.
  29. Génesis 25:29Jacob is cooking a stew when Esau comes in from the field, famished — the scene that opens the episode of the sale of the birthright, told in the rest of the chapter.
  30. Génesis 25:30Esau asks for Jacob’s “red pottage” and, because of this, earns the nickname “Edom,” which means “red.” This same name will later name the Edomite people, his descendants — the narrative uses the wordplay to explain where the name of this neighboring nation of Israel comes from.
  31. Génesis 25:31Jacob takes advantage of his brother’s hunger to propose a bold trade: the stew in exchange for the right of the firstborn.
  32. Génesis 25:32Esau, overcome by hunger in the moment, dismisses the value of his own birthright, thinking it is worthless if he dies of hunger right there.
  33. Génesis 25:33Jacob demands a formal oath before handing over the food, making sure the trade cannot be undone later — and Esau agrees, officially selling his birthright.
  34. Génesis 25:34Esau trades the “birthright” — the right to inherit a double share of the goods and lead the family after their father — for a plate of food, just because he was hungry after hunting. The text marks this as a serious mistake on his part, not just an ordinary trade between brothers.

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