Editing Esau (section)

==In Genesis==

The story of Esau and Jacob reflects the historical relationship between Israel and [[Edom]], aiming to explain why Israel, despite being a younger kingdom, dominated Edom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Esau |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esau |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref>

===Birth===
[[Toledot|Genesis 25]]:25 narrates Esau's birth, "Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau."<ref name="Bibleref|Genesis|25:25|NASB"/> The meaning of the word ''esau'' itself is not entirely certain.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0006_0_06072.html|title=Esau|encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library|access-date=28 August 2015}}</ref> Others have noted the similarity to {{langx|ar|عثا|ʿaṯā|hirsute}}.<ref name = "Bartlett, 26">{{cite journal |last=Bartlett |first=J.R.|date= 4 October 1977|title=The Brotherhood of Edom |journal=Journal for the Study of the Old Testament |volume=2|issue=4|page=26 |doi=10.1177/030908927700200401|s2cid=170383632}}</ref> The name ''Edom''  ({{langx|he|אדום|ʾəḏom|link=no}}) is also attributed to Esau, meaning "red";<ref name = "Harper, 40"/> the same color is used to describe the color of his hair. Genesis parallels his redness to the "red lentil [[pottage]]" that he sold his [[Jacob and Esau#Birthright|birthright]] for.<ref>{{Bibleref|Genesis|25:30|JPS}}</ref><ref name = "Easton, 236" /> Esau became the progenitor of the [[Edom]]ites in [[Mount Seir]].

===Birthright===
[[File:Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac.jpg|thumb|right|340px|Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac (painting circa 1779–1801 by [[Benjamin West]])]]
In Genesis, Esau returned to his twin brother Jacob, famished from the fields. He begs Jacob to give him some "red pottage" (a play on his nickname, ''Edom''.) This refers to his red hair.<ref name="Bibleref|Genesis|25:25|NASB"/> Jacob offers Esau a bowl of [[lentil]] stew ({{Langx|he|נְזִיד עֲדָשִׁ֔ים|nəziḏ ʿəḏāšim|link=no}}) in exchange for Esau's birthright ({{Langx|he|בְּכֹרָה|bəḵorā|link=no}}), the right to be recognized as firstborn son with authority over the family, and Esau agrees. Thus Jacob acquires Esau's birthright. This is the origin of the English phrase "to sell one's birthright for a [[mess of pottage]]".

In {{Bibleref|Genesis|27:1–40|JPS}}, Jacob uses deception, motivated by his mother [[Rebekah]], to lay claim to his blind father Isaac's blessing that was inherently due to the firstborn, Esau.

In {{Bibleref|Genesis|27:5–7|JPS}}, Rebekah is listening while Isaac speaks to his son Esau. When Esau goes to the field to hunt for venison to bring home, Rebekah says to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard thy father speak to thy brother Esau, saying: 'Bring me venison and prepare a savory food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.{{'"}} Rebekah then instructs Jacob in an elaborate deception through which Jacob pretends to be Esau, in order to steal from Esau his blessing from Isaac and his inheritance—which in theory Esau had already agreed to give to Jacob. Jacob follows through with the plan to steal his brother's birthright by bringing the meal his father Isaac requested and pretending to be Esau. Jacob pulled off his disguise by covering himself in hairy kid goat skin so that when his blind father went to touch him, his smooth skin did not give him away as an imposter of his hairy brother. Jacob successfully received his father Isaac's blessing ({{Bibleref|Genesis|27:27-29|JPS}}). As a result, Jacob became the spiritual leader of the family after Isaac's death, and the heir of the promises of Abraham ({{Bibleref|Genesis|27:37|JPS}}).

When Esau learns of his brother's thievery, he is livid and begs his father to undo the blessing. Isaac responds to his eldest son's plea by saying that he only had one blessing to give and that he could not reverse the sacred blessing. Esau is furious and vows to kill Jacob ({{Bibleref|Genesis|27:41|JPS}}). Once again Rebekah intervenes to save her younger son from being murdered by his elder twin brother, Esau.

Therefore, at Rebekah's urging, Jacob flees to a distant land, Paddan-aram (towards [[Harran]]) to work for his uncle [[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] ({{Bibleref|Genesis|28:5|JPS}}). Jacob does not immediately receive his father's inheritance after the impersonation aimed at taking it from Esau. Having fled for his life, Jacob has left the wealth of Isaac's flocks, land and tents in Esau's hands. Jacob is forced to sleep out on the open ground and then work for wages as a servant in Laban's household. Jacob, who had deceived and cheated his brother, is in turn deceived and cheated by his uncle. Jacob asks to marry Laban's daughter Rachel, whom he has met at the well, and Laban agrees, if Jacob will give him seven years of service. Jacob does so, but after the wedding finds that beneath the veil is not Rachel but Leah, Laban's elder daughter. He agrees to work another seven years and Jacob and Rachel are finally wed. However, despite Laban, Jacob eventually becomes so rich as to incite the envy of Laban and Laban's sons.

[[File:Francesco Hayez 061.jpg|thumb|[[Francesco Hayez]]: ''Esau and Jacob reconcile'' (1844)]]
{{Bibleref|Genesis|32–33|JPS}} tells of Jacob's and Esau's eventual reconciliation. Jacob sends multiple waves of gifts to Esau as they approach each other, hoping that Esau will spare his life. Esau refuses the gifts, as he is now very wealthy and does not need them. Jacob bows down before Esau and insists on his receiving the gifts. Esau shows forgiveness in spite of this bitter conflict. He then asks Jacob to follow him to the South but Jacob decides later to move to the North.

===Family===
See: [[Wives of Esau]].

{{Bibleref|Genesis|26:34–35|JPS}} describes Esau's marriage at the age of forty to two [[Canaan]]ite women: Judith, the daughter of Beeri the [[Hittites|Hittite]], and [[Basemath]] the daughter of Elon the Hittite. This arrangement grieved his parents.<ref>{{Bibleref|Genesis|26:34–35|JPS}}</ref> Upon seeing that his brother was blessed and that their father rejected Esau's union to Canaanites, Esau went to the house of his uncle [[Ishmael]] and married his cousin,<ref>Mandel. ''Ultimate Who's Who'', p. 176</ref> [[Mahalath]] the daughter of Ishmael, and sister of [[Nebaioth]]. Esau's family is again revisited in {{Bibleref|Genesis|36|JPS}}, this passage names two Canaanite wives; [[Adhah]], the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and [[Aholibamah]], the daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the [[Hivites|Hivite]], and a third: Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth. Some scholars equate the three wives mentioned in Genesis 26 and 28 with those in Genesis 36.<ref name="Phillips, 284">Phillips. ''Exploring Genesis'', p. 284</ref><ref name="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown. ''[[Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible]]''</ref> Casting his lot with the [[Ishmaelites]], he was able to drive the [[Horites]] out of Mount Seir to settle in that region.<ref name="Easton, 236" /> According to some views, Esau is considered to be the progenitor not only of the Edomites but of the [[Kenizzite]]s and the [[Amalek]]ites as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3amthoughts.com/article/people-and-places/caleb|title=Caleb|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3amthoughts.com/article/people-and-places/amalekites|title=Amalekites|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>

Esau had five sons:<ref>{{Bibleref|Genesis|36:4–5|JPS}}</ref>
* By [[Adah (wife of Esau)|Adah]]: [[Eliphaz]]
* By [[Aholibamah]]: [[Jeush son of Esau|Jeush]], [[Jaalam (son of Esau)|Jaalam]], [[Korah (son of Esau)|Korah]]
* By [[Basemath]]: [[Reuel (son of Esau)|Reuel]]

===Family tree===
{{chart top|width=100%}}
{{chart/start|align=center}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | Tra | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Tra=[[Terah]]}}
{{chart| |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | | | |}}
{{chart| Srh |y| Abm|y| Hgr | | |!| | | | | | | | Hrn | | | | |Srh=[[Sarah]]|Abm=[[Abraham]]|Hgr=[[Hagar]]|Hrn=[[Haran]]}}
{{chart| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | Nhr | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| |Nhr=[[Nahor, son of Terah|Nahor]]}}
{{chart| | | |!| | | Ish | | | | | |L|y|~| Mca | | Lot | | Isc |Ish=[[Ishmael]]|Mca=[[Milcah]]|Lot=[[Lot (biblical person)|Lot]]|Isc=[[Iscah]]}}
{{chart| | | |!| | | |!| | | | |,|-|-|^|.| | | |,|-|+|-|v|-|.| |}}
{{chart| | | |!| | | Ish | | | Sons| | Btl | | Dr1 |e| |f| Dr2 |Ish=''[[Ishmaelites]]''|Sons=7 sons<ref>{{Bibleref2|Genesis|22:21-22|niv}}: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, and Jidlaph</ref>|Btl=[[Bethuel]]|Dr1=1st daughter|Dr2=2nd daughter}}
{{chart| | | |!| | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|.| | |!| |!| |!| |!| |}}
{{chart| | Isc |y| Rbc | | | | | | | | | Lbn | | Mob | | Bmi | |Isc=[[Isaac]]|Rbc=[[Rebecca]]|Lbn=[[Laban (Bible)|Laban]]|Mob=''[[Moab]]ites''|Bmi=''[[Ammon]]ites''}}
{{chart| | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | |,|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{chart| | |!| | |Jacob|~|~|~|V|~|~|b|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| Rcl |Esau=Esau|Jacob=[[Jacob]]|Rcl=[[Rachel]]}}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |D|~|~|b|~|~|~|~|~|y|Blh  |!| | | | |Blh=[[Bilhah]]}}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |D|~|~|b|~|y|Zzp  |!| | | |!| | | | |Esau=[[Edomites]]|Zzp=[[Zilpah]]}}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |L|y| Leah|!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | |Leah=[[Leah]]}}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | }}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | Leah| | Zlp | | Blh | | Rcl | | | |Leah=1. [[Reuben (son of Jacob)|Reuben]]<br>2. [[Simeon (son of Jacob)|Simeon]]<br>3. [[Levi]]<br>4. [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]]<br>9. [[Issachar]]<br>10. [[Zebulun]]<br>11. [[Dinah]]|Zlp=7. [[Gad (son of Jacob)|Gad]]<br>8. [[Asher]]|Blh=5. [[Dan (son of Jacob)|Dan]]<br>6. [[Naphtali]]|Rcl=12. [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]]<br>13. [[Benjamin]]}}
{{chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{chart| | Esau|V|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| AD  | |Esau=Esau|AD=[[Adah (wife of Esau)|Adah]]}}
{{chart| | | | |D|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| AO  | | | | | |!| | | |AO=[[Aholibamah]]}}
{{chart| | | | |L|~|y|~| Bas | | |!| | | | | | | | |!| | | |Bas= [[Mahalath]]/ [[Basemath]]}}
{{chart| | | | | | |!| | | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | | |}}
{{chart| | | | | | RE  | | JE  | | JA  | |  CO | | EL  | | | |RE=Reuel|JE=[[Jeush son of Esau|Jeush]]|JA=[[Jaalam (son of Esau)|Jaalam]]|CO=[[Korah (son of Esau)|Korah]]|EL=[[Eliphaz]]}}
{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}