New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Genesis 25
3
Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The children of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites.
Reference
People
4
The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All of them came from Keturah.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Isaiah 60:6
6
But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. Then he sent them away from his son Isaac. He sent them to the land of the east.
Reference
7
Abraham lived a total of 175 years.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 12:4
8
He took his last breath and died when he was very old. He had lived a very long time. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died.
Reference
Good
Genesis 15:15
1 Chronicles 29:28
Judges 8:32
Parallel theme
Job 42:17
Proverbs 20:29
Acts 13:36
Job 5:26
Genesis 49:29
Spirit
Genesis 49:33
Genesis 25:17
9
Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael buried his body. They put it in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre. It was in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite.
Reference
11
After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. At that time Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.
Reference
Blessing
Genesis 22:17
Genesis 12:2
Parallel theme
Genesis 16:14
Genesis 24:62
References God
Genesis 17:19
Genesis 50:24
12
Here is the story of Abraham's son Ishmael. Hagar had Ishmael by Abraham. She was Sarah's servant from Egypt.
Reference
13
Here are the names of the sons of Ishmael. They are listed in the order they were born. Nebaioth was Ishmael's oldest son. Then came Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Reference
People
16
All of them were Ishmael's sons. They were rulers of 12 tribes. They all lived in their own settlements and camps.
Reference
17
Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined the members of his family who had already died.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 15:15
18
His children settled in the area between Havilah and Shur. It was near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. Ishmael's children weren't friendly toward any of the tribes that were related to them.
Reference
📍 Havilah 2
Parallel theme
Genesis 16:12
Genesis 20:1
Psalm 78:64
Genesis 2:11
Genesis 14:10
Genesis 10:29
Genesis 10:7
References Egypt
Genesis 13:10
Genesis 21:21
2 Kings 23:29
20
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. She was the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram. She was also the sister of Laban the Aramean.
Reference
📍 Paddan-aram
21
Rebekah couldn't have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. And the Lord answered his prayer. His wife Rebekah became pregnant.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezra 8:23
Luke 1:13
1 Chronicles 5:20
Psalm 91:15
Proverbs 10:24
Genesis 11:30
References Lord
Isaiah 58:9
2 Chronicles 33:13
1 Samuel 1:27
Isaiah 45:11
22
The babies struggled with each other inside her. She said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to ask the Lord what she should do.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 9:9
References Lord
Ezekiel 20:31
1 Samuel 10:22
1 Samuel 30:8
1 Samuel 28:6
23
The Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your body. Two tribes that are now inside you will be separated. One nation will be stronger than the other. The older son will serve the younger one."
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 27:40
Genesis 24:60
Genesis 17:16
Numbers 20:14
Genesis 25:27
Genesis 33:3
Genesis 17:4
References Lord
Genesis 27:29
2 Samuel 8:14
1 Chronicles 18:13
24
The time came for Rebekah to have her babies. There were twin boys in her body.
25
The first one to come out was red. His whole body was covered with hair. So they named him Esau.
Reference
People
26
Then his brother came out. His hand was holding onto Esau's heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah had them.
Reference
27
The boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter. He was a man who liked the open country. But Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed at home among the tents.
Reference
28
Isaac liked the meat of wild animals. So Esau was his favorite son. But Rebekah's favorite was Jacob.
Reference
29
One day Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the open country. He was very hungry.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 13:25
30
He said to Jacob, "Quick! Let me have some of that red stew! I'm very hungry!" That's why he was also named Edom.
Reference
31
Jacob replied, "First sell me the rights that belong to you as the oldest son in the family."
33
But Jacob said, "First promise me with an oath that you are selling me your rights." So Esau promised to do it. He sold Jacob all of the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son.
Reference
Summary of Genesis 25
Genesis 25 concludes the biography of Abraham and begins the narrative of the next generation. It covers a lot of ground with many details.
It begins with Abraham taking another wife named Keturah. Despite Abraham's age, he still manages to have numerous children by her. They are all listed alongside the sons of Ishmael and grandchildren of Abraham's other sons. It is the Midianite tribe that will figure in subsequent chapters of Scripture, associated with Moses.
Despite his polygamy and many children, Abraham ensures that Isaac alone inherits his covenant with God. He gives gifts to his concubine sons and sends them east of Canaan to their own land. It is the most practical solution he could think of for the legacy of both his sons. By giving everything he has to Isaac, Abraham knows he has provided well for his heir to the covenant with God as well as his other sons without leaving them anything to fight over.
Abraham dies at a ripe old age of one hundred and seventy-five, and he dies just after his hundredth birthday. The Scripture says he breathed his last and that he was old and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah, purchased by him long ago to bury Sarah. The Scripture makes special mention of Ishmael and Isaac standing at the side of the cave as sons and men.
God blessed Isaac, but the Scripture goes back to Ishmael and provides the genealogy of the twelve sons. Each of them rules over his tribe according to their settlements. The Scripture shows that God had promised Ishmael to multiply his seed, even like the dust of the earth. Ishmael died when he was one hundred and thirty-seven years old, and his sons buried him in the land of Havilah. He also lived near the border of Egypt, and the Scripture highlights that the sons of Ishmael dwelt with all their brothers in hostility.
With Abraham and Ishmael's story coming to an end, the Bible highlights Isaac's story. Isaac's wife Rebekah is barren. It is the same issue Sarah had, and it seems to become an issue for the descendants of Abraham's sons. Fortunately for Isaac, his prayers to God for Rebekah to have a child are answered, and she becomes pregnant.
Rebekah is not having an easy time during her pregnancy, and she cries out to God. During her time of suffering, the Lord tells her that there are two nations struggling in her womb, two peoples that will separate from each other, and the older one will serve the younger one. This prophecy from God indicates that the younger son will have more privilege and power than the firstborn son. The Scripture ends the prophecy by saying the younger will serve the older, which seems to contradict what God said about the older serving the younger.
When Rebekah delivers, they find out that the prophecy of God is literally the truth. Her firstborn son, Esau, is born with a red complexion and covered in hair. Then, his younger brother, Jacob, is born afterward, grabbing the heel of Esau, and so, they name him Jacob. The names Esau and Jacob are significant and seem to represent their characters. The Scripture says that Esau grew up to be a skillful hunter and a man of the open country, and Jacob is a quiet man at home. Isaac loved Esau because of his hunting skills and made a meal of wild animals while Rebekah loved Jacob.
Jacob was the more favored son of Isaac and Rebekah, and he seems to have more privilege and power than his older brother. This unfair love between Isaac and Rebekah for their sons is bound to create conflicts or bring out worst instincts to claim birthrights in Isaac's inheritance.
One day, Jacob was cooking some food when Esau came in tired and famished. He asked Jacob for some of the red stew, and the Scripture records the origin of Esau's name, Edom, from the redness of the soup. Esau said to Jacob, the firstborn son of Isaac, to sell him some birthrights. Esau does not seem to consider the value of his birthright as the firstborn son of his father.
Instead, he said to Jacob that he was about to die, but Jacob insisted and made Esau swear to it as an oath, and he sold his birthright to Jacob, his older brother. Jacob gave him some bread made of wheat and some soup of lentils. Esau ate the food and drank the soup and then got up and went away when he was done. The Scripture concludes this episode of birthright by saying how Esau despised his birthright. This final sentence says much about the nature of Esau and Jacob.
The Scripture uses a vivid story to bring out some characteristics of Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac. While Esau is a man of the wilderness, Jacob is the more cunning and devious one willing to take advantage of a person's weaknesses. Esau is willing to trade his birthright for a meal of lentils soup. It is one of the most remarkable episodes in Scripture to highlight the nature of Esau and Jacob. Chapter 25 concludes Abraham's biography and sets the scene for the next chapter: the rivalry between Jacob and Esau.
It begins with Abraham taking another wife named Keturah. Despite Abraham's age, he still manages to have numerous children by her. They are all listed alongside the sons of Ishmael and grandchildren of Abraham's other sons. It is the Midianite tribe that will figure in subsequent chapters of Scripture, associated with Moses.
Despite his polygamy and many children, Abraham ensures that Isaac alone inherits his covenant with God. He gives gifts to his concubine sons and sends them east of Canaan to their own land. It is the most practical solution he could think of for the legacy of both his sons. By giving everything he has to Isaac, Abraham knows he has provided well for his heir to the covenant with God as well as his other sons without leaving them anything to fight over.
Abraham dies at a ripe old age of one hundred and seventy-five, and he dies just after his hundredth birthday. The Scripture says he breathed his last and that he was old and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah, purchased by him long ago to bury Sarah. The Scripture makes special mention of Ishmael and Isaac standing at the side of the cave as sons and men.
God blessed Isaac, but the Scripture goes back to Ishmael and provides the genealogy of the twelve sons. Each of them rules over his tribe according to their settlements. The Scripture shows that God had promised Ishmael to multiply his seed, even like the dust of the earth. Ishmael died when he was one hundred and thirty-seven years old, and his sons buried him in the land of Havilah. He also lived near the border of Egypt, and the Scripture highlights that the sons of Ishmael dwelt with all their brothers in hostility.
With Abraham and Ishmael's story coming to an end, the Bible highlights Isaac's story. Isaac's wife Rebekah is barren. It is the same issue Sarah had, and it seems to become an issue for the descendants of Abraham's sons. Fortunately for Isaac, his prayers to God for Rebekah to have a child are answered, and she becomes pregnant.
Rebekah is not having an easy time during her pregnancy, and she cries out to God. During her time of suffering, the Lord tells her that there are two nations struggling in her womb, two peoples that will separate from each other, and the older one will serve the younger one. This prophecy from God indicates that the younger son will have more privilege and power than the firstborn son. The Scripture ends the prophecy by saying the younger will serve the older, which seems to contradict what God said about the older serving the younger.
When Rebekah delivers, they find out that the prophecy of God is literally the truth. Her firstborn son, Esau, is born with a red complexion and covered in hair. Then, his younger brother, Jacob, is born afterward, grabbing the heel of Esau, and so, they name him Jacob. The names Esau and Jacob are significant and seem to represent their characters. The Scripture says that Esau grew up to be a skillful hunter and a man of the open country, and Jacob is a quiet man at home. Isaac loved Esau because of his hunting skills and made a meal of wild animals while Rebekah loved Jacob.
Jacob was the more favored son of Isaac and Rebekah, and he seems to have more privilege and power than his older brother. This unfair love between Isaac and Rebekah for their sons is bound to create conflicts or bring out worst instincts to claim birthrights in Isaac's inheritance.
One day, Jacob was cooking some food when Esau came in tired and famished. He asked Jacob for some of the red stew, and the Scripture records the origin of Esau's name, Edom, from the redness of the soup. Esau said to Jacob, the firstborn son of Isaac, to sell him some birthrights. Esau does not seem to consider the value of his birthright as the firstborn son of his father.
Instead, he said to Jacob that he was about to die, but Jacob insisted and made Esau swear to it as an oath, and he sold his birthright to Jacob, his older brother. Jacob gave him some bread made of wheat and some soup of lentils. Esau ate the food and drank the soup and then got up and went away when he was done. The Scripture concludes this episode of birthright by saying how Esau despised his birthright. This final sentence says much about the nature of Esau and Jacob.
The Scripture uses a vivid story to bring out some characteristics of Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac. While Esau is a man of the wilderness, Jacob is the more cunning and devious one willing to take advantage of a person's weaknesses. Esau is willing to trade his birthright for a meal of lentils soup. It is one of the most remarkable episodes in Scripture to highlight the nature of Esau and Jacob. Chapter 25 concludes Abraham's biography and sets the scene for the next chapter: the rivalry between Jacob and Esau.