Esau is a significant figure in the Bible, mainly known from the Book of Genesis. He was Jacob's elder twin brother, with whom he had a complex and contentious relationship. Esau and Jacob were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah.
Who is Esau in the Bible?
Esau is described as a skillful hunter and his father Isaac's favorite son because of his prowess in the field, while Jacob is described as a quiet man dwelling in tents and was his mother Rebekah's favorite. One of the most famous stories involving Esau is when he sells his birthright to Jacob for a meal of bread and lentil stew. Coming in from the field famished, Esau is persuaded by Jacob to trade his birthright, which includes leadership of the family and a double portion of the inheritance, for food.
Later, Esau's blessing from Isaac, which was meant for the firstborn, is deceitfully obtained by Jacob. Jacob, with the guidance of his mother Rebekah, disguises himself as Esau and receives the blessing meant for Esau, leading to further strife and Esau's vow to kill Jacob. This conflict prompts Jacob to flee to his uncle Laban's house.
Despite their early conflicts, Esau and Jacob eventually reconcile when Jacob returns to Canaan after many years. The reunion is peaceful and emotional, showing maturity and forgiveness in Esau's character, contrasting with his earlier impulsivity.
Esau is also the progenitor of the Edomites, as he is identified with Edom (which means "red"), a name linked to the impulsive trade of his birthright for the red lentil stew. The descendants of Esau, or the Edomites, are frequently mentioned in the Bible, often in opposition to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob.
What Family Did Esau Come From?
Esau and his twin brother Jacob were the sons of Isaac. Isaac was the only legitimate son of Abraham, the father of the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Abraham, a direct descendant of Noah’s son Shem, lived in Harran (Genesis 11:27-32), but God commanded him to set out to new territory (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham settled in Canaan and had eight sons:
- Abraham’s oldest son, Ishmael, was born by Hagar, an Egyptian slave who belonged to Abraham’s wife, Sarah. At the time, Sarah apparently couldn’t conceive and suggested her husband start a family with Hagar to maintain his family line (Genesis 16). Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born (Genesis 16:16).
- Abraham’s second son, Isaac, was born by Sarah when she was 90 years old, and Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 17:17-18). Isaac’s birth accelerated a rivalry that was already happening between Sarah and Hagar, and Abraham reluctantly sent Ishmael and his mother away (Genesis 21-22).
- Abraham’s other sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, were born by Abraham’s second wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4). Sarah died at 127 years old (Genesis 23:1), so Abraham married Keturah sometime after he was 137 years old. Some of these sons founded tribes, but they didn’t inherit Abraham’s estate (Genesis 25:5-6).
Between having a large family, amassing large herds of animals, and gaining many possessions, Abraham became known as a “mighty prince” (Genesis 23:6) among the Canaanite tribes. His son Isaac married Rebekah, one of Abraham’s relatives in Harran (Genesis 24).
Like Sarah, Rebekah had difficulty conceiving (Genesis 25:21). Eventually, Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons Jacob and Esau. Esau is a Hebrew word that can mean “hairy” and refers to Esau being born with red skin and lots of hair. Easton’s Bible Dictionary observes that he was also called Edom, meaning “red.” His descendants became a nation known as the Edomites.
Why Did Esau Not Get Along with Jacob?
From Cain and Abel onward, many brothers have been rivals. However, not all brothers were rivals before they were even born. The Bible states that while Rebekah was still carrying her twin sons in her womb, they started fighting each other (Genesis 25:22). When Rebekah asked God what was going on, he informed her:
Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)
Esau’s family had a history of conventional wisdom being reversed. Abraham made his fortune by leaving his father’s land (Genesis 12:1-3), then letting his nephew Lot get the best-looking land (Genesis 13:1-7). Abraham’s oldest son was Ishmael, but his second son Isaac was the one to get the inheritance (Genesis 17:18-21). This time around, the reversal wouldn’t just involve the younger son being dominant; it would be a competition that affected nations.
When Jacob and Esau were born, Esau came out first. A moment later, Jacob came out with his hand around Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:25-26). As Jacob and Esau grew, they became very different individuals. Esau not only looked like an outdoorsman (hairy body, red skin), he had outdoorsy interests—“a skillful hunter, a man of the open country” (Genesis 25:27). Jacob preferred “to stay at home among the tents” (Genesis 25:27b)—Isaac was a herdsman, so his family and workers lived in tents and moved around to new pastures.
When Esau was an adult, he came back to the tents after a long day and saw Jacob cooking some red lentil stew. Hungry, Esau told his brother, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (Genesis 25:30). Jacob said Esau could have some stew, but only as part of a deal: the meal for Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:31).
The birthright was a big deal: Esau and Jacob were twins, but Esau was the oldest son since he left the womb first. That made him the primary inheritor of Isaac’s estate. Rather than thinking carefully about what he was losing (or what happened to his father’s six brothers who didn’t get any birthright), Esau just wanted food: “Look, I am about to die… What good is the birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:32).
Esau swore to give Jacob his birthright, and he got his meal. Not only would he live to regret the day he “despised his birthright” (i.e., treated it as worthless) (Genesis 25:34), but that mistake followed his family. Genesis 25:30 says Esau gained the name Edom (“red”) because he sold his birthright for red stew. His descendants became known as the Edomites.
Why Did Esau Try to Kill Jacob?
Sometime later, after Esau was 40 years old (Genesis 26:34-35), Jacob pulled another trick on him. Isaac was now an old man, nearly blind, and wanted to give his blessing to his oldest son before he died. Isaac asked Esau to hunt some wild game, make him his favorite food and bring it to him, then Isaac would bless Esau (Genesis 27:1-4).
Rebekah heard Isaac’s plan and wanted the blessing for the son she preferred. Jacob put on Esau’s clothes and goatskin on his hands, took some food his mother had made, and went to his father (Genesis 27:5-17). Isaac was confused that this man sounded like his son Jacob (Genesis 27:22), but the man’s arms felt hairy like his son Esau. Isaac gave Jacob a particular blessing:
May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—
an abundance of grain and new wine.May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed. (Genesis 27:28-29)
By giving this blessing, Isaac was passing along something special. The Enduring Word Commentary observes that it echoed God’s words to Abraham as he established his covenant. The references to cursing and blessing repeated God’s words to Abraham when he left Haran (Genesis 12:3). Isaac’s blessing passed on the Abrahamic covenant and determined which of his sons would be like him and which would be like Ishmael.
He was upset when Esau returned and learned his brother had taken his blessing. Isaac made it clear he had no blessings left to give, although he did have a prophecy:
Your dwelling will be
away from the earth’s richness,
away from the dew of heaven above.You will live by the sword
and you will serve your brother.But when you grow restless,
you will throw his yoke
from off your neck. (Genesis 27:39-40)
Esau decided to wait until Isaac was dead to get revenge on Jacob (Genesis 27:41). Rebekah heard about this plan and used the fact neither she nor Isaac wanted Jacob to marry a local bride as an excuse for Jacob to leave (Genesis 27:42-46).
What Happened to Esau While Jacob was Away?
Genesis 28-31 describes Jacob’s adventures in Paddan Aram, including marrying two wives and amassing his own fortune as a herdsman. After his uncle Laban became hostile, Jacob took his family and herds and returned to Canaan.
By this point, Esau had married a third wife (Genesis 28:6-9) and settled with his family in Seir (Genesis 32:3). Jacob sent him word that he was coming to see him… and Esau sent word back that he’d meet Jacob with 400 of his men (Genesis 32:6). Worried that Esau still wanted revenge, Jacob sent him a gift and split his company into two groups (Genesis 32:7-21). The night before they met, God appeared to Jacob and named him Israel, an experience that humbled Jacob but confirmed God was still with him and would carry on the covenant through Jacob (Genesis 32:22-32).
When they met, Esau made it clear he had forgiven his brother: “Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept” (Genesis 33:4). Jacob had to insist that Esau take his gifts (Genesis 33:8-11).
After they reconciled, Esau returned to Seir while Jacob settled in Sukkoth (Genesis 33:16). Jacob’s children grew and started their own families and later immigrated to Egypt to survive a famine. The story of Jacob’s son Joseph, another younger son who dominated his siblings, takes up the rest of Genesis.
While the Bible doesn’t say whether Esau was alive by the time Jacob headed off to Egypt, it makes it clear that his descendants, the Edomites, became a full-fledged nation. When Moses brought the Israelites back to Canaan, God singled out the Edomites as one Canaanite group they couldn’t exterminate (Deuteronomy 2:2-6). A fight followed when the Edomites wouldn’t let the Israelites pass through their land (Numbers 20:14-21).
Over the following centuries, the Edomites were often enemies of Israel, although not always actively fighting them. Saul fought them (1 Samuel 14:47), and David fought and ruled over them (1 Chronicles 18:13) (2 Samuel 8:13-14). God raised them up as enemies to Solomon (1 Kings 11:14), and on one occasion, the Edomites cheered as Jerusalem fell (Psalm 137:7). Several minor prophets predicted God’s judgment against the Edomites, particularly Obadiah and Jeremiah. At some point, these prophecies were fulfilled. As recently as 2021, archeologists are struggling to find evidence that the Edomites existed.
What Can We Learn from Esau?
The extent to which we can blame Esau for all his troubles is hard to say. He may not have been devout, but he can’t entirely be blamed for the fact his descendants wouldn’t follow God. He was born under a prophecy that his younger brother would dominate, so he’d have lost out on the covenantal blessing even if Jacob hadn’t used trickery.
However, we do see clear evidence that Esau was reckless and foolish. He married women who upset his parents and didn’t fully realize it until afterward (Genesis 28:6-9). He didn’t think about how a son should treat his birthright from his father, giving it away like it was nothing.
Whether or not God gives us a great calling, we can choose to do well with what we’ve been given. We still have a responsibility to follow God and live wisely. Esau’s foolhardy behavior reminds us that there are consequences when we shirk those responsibilities.
Photo Credit: Flickr/lluisribes
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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