Chapter 25
Genesis
1 note in this chapter
Verse 1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.✦ Verse 2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Verse 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. Verse 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. Verse 5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. Verse 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.
1Keturah: Genesis 25:1
Critical Commentary
Genesis 25:1 says Abraham took another wife, Keturah, but 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls her Abraham’s concubine. The argument notes that a wife and a concubine are not the same thing, so the two books describe her status differently.
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
Genesis 25:1
The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.
1 Chronicles 1:32
Source: see Credits and references (no. 24, p. 23).
Verse 7These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. Verse 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Verse 9Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, Verse 10the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. Verse 11After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
Verse 12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. Verse 13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Verse 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Verse 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. Verse 16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. Verse 17(These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) Verse 18They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.
Verse 19These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, Verse 20and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. Verse 21And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Verse 22The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
Verse 23And the LORD said to her,“Two nations are in your womb,and two peoples from within you shall be divided;the one shall be stronger than the other,the older shall serve the younger.”
Verse 24When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. Verse 25The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Verse 26Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Verse 27When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Verse 28Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Verse 29Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Verse 30And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Verse 31Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Verse 32Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Verse 33Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Verse 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
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