Untitled Sermon
the danger of not knowing the worth of a thing.
Birthright
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)
31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
Appetite
Abilities
Appeal
Abandonement
25:30–31 The first dialogue exchange consists of Esau’s request for food and Jacob’s proposed terms. “Quick, let me have …” translates the root lāʿaṭ, a hapax legomenon, meaning something like to devour, that is, “gulp down” (NAB, NJPS). Esau identifies the stew by its color, “some of that red stew” (min hāʾādōm hāʾādōm hazzeh) or “red stuff” (NRSV).65 He justifies his brusque request by his dire condition.