Editing Jacob and Esau (section)

==Views of the birthright==
[[File:Isaac Blessing Jacob MET DP145918.jpg|thumb|"When [Isaac] told Jacob, “Come closer that I may feel you, my son,” (Gen 27 21) Jacob urinated onto his calves, and his heart became as soft as wax, and God assigned to him two angels, one on his right and one on his left, in order to hold him up by his elbows." [[Genesis Rabbah]] 65:19<ref name="Anderson 2011 p. ">{{cite book | last=Anderson | first=John Edward | title=Jacob and the Divine Trickster | publisher=Eisenbrauns | publication-place=Winona Lake, Ind | date=2011 | isbn=978-1-57506-219-8 | oclc=742017635 | page=79}}</ref><ref>Anderson 2011 apud Zakovitch, "Inner-Biblical Interpretation," 118; on Genesis Rabbah 65 19</ref>]]

The narrative of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob, in Genesis 25,<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|25|HE}}</ref> states that Esau despised his birthright. However, it also alludes to Jacob being deceitful.

In Esau's mother and father's eyes, the deception may have been deserved. Rebecca later abets Jacob in receiving his father's blessing disguised as Esau. Isaac then refuses to take Jacob's blessing back after learning he was tricked, and does not give this blessing to Esau but, after Esau begs, gives him an inferior blessing.<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|27:34–40|HE}}</ref>

[[Justus Knecht]] comments that: "''The Wisdom of God'', which makes good come out of evil, can be learnt from this story. Almighty God had from the beginning, or rather from all eternity, chosen Jacob to be the heir of His promises. The faults of men (such as Isaac's preference for Esau, Jacob's deceit, and Esau's hatred) could not alter what He had ordained; on the contrary, they served, under the divine guidance, for the accomplishment of it. Jacob, especially, was strengthened in confidence in God, and purified by the very consequences of his deceit, his long [[exile]] and servitude. He was by them confirmed in humility and piety, and trained to be a holy man of God, and the worthy heir of the promises."<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/XV. Esau and Jacob|XV. Esau and Jacob]]|title=A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year=1910|publisher=B. Herder|first=Friedrich Justus|last=Knecht|author-link=Justus Knecht}}</ref>