Category:Jacob & Esau (subject)
Jacob & Esau is a legendary narrative about the relationships between the twin children of Isaac and Rebekah.
Overview
Jacob and Esau were twins. According to the story they the fight began in their mother's womb:
- "And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:22–23)
Esau was born before Jacob, who came out holding on to his older brothers heel as if he was trying to pull Esau back into the womb so that he could be firstborn. The name Jacob means he grasps the heel which is a Hebrew idiom for deceptive behavior.
The conflict was paralleled by the affection the parents had for their favored child: "Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob." (Genesis 25:28).
One day, Esau returned to his brother, Jacob, being famished from the fields. Jacob took advantage of the situation, offering Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright (bekorah).
When Isaac was about to die, Rebecca councils Jacob to pretend to be Esau, in order to obtain the blessing in his brother's stead. He dressed himself in Esau's best clothes and disguised himself by covering his arms in lamb skin so that if his blind father touched him, he would think Jacob his more hirsute brother. Isaac then bestowed the blessing (bekhorah).
Esau was furious and vowed to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac would die (Gen 27:41).
Jacob fled and the two met again only 20 years later. Initially, they were suspicious one against the other, then they somehow reconciled, even though their ways parted again.
It is one of the stories in the ancient Jewish tradition that deal with the problems of conflicts among brothers about the birthright; see also Cain & Abel and Isaac & Ishmael.
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