Study Desk

Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting.

Esau prepared the food in the special way his father loved. He brought it to his father and said, "Father, I am your son. Get up and eat the meat from the animals that I killed for you. Then you can bless me."

When Esau heard his father's words, he became very angry and bitter. He cried out and said to his father, "Then bless me also, father!"

Esau said, "His name is Jacob. That is the right name for him. He has tricked me twice. He took away my rights as the firstborn son. And now he has taken away my blessing." Then Esau said, "Have you saved any blessing for me?"

Isaac answered, "I have already given Jacob the power to rule over you. And I said all his brothers would be his servants. I have given him the blessing for much grain and wine. There is nothing left to give you, my son."

But Esau continued to beg his father. "Do you have only one blessing, father? Bless me also, father!" Esau began to cry.

You will have to fight to live, and you will be a slave to your brother. But when you fight to be free, you will break away from his control."

So leave this place and go to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father. Laban, your mother's brother, lives there. Marry one of his daughters.

Esau learned that his father Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. He also learned that Isaac commanded Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman.

Esau learned that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and went to Paddan Aram.

Esau saw from this that his father did not want his sons to marry Canaanite women.

The sun had already set when he came to a good place to spend the night. He took a rock there and laid his head on it to sleep.

Then Jacob continued his trip. He went to the country in the East.

Then Jacob said, "How is he?" They answered, "He is well. Look, that is his daughter Rachel coming now with his sheep."

When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran to meet him. Laban hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.

That night Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob. Jacob and Leah had sexual relations together.

(Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter to be her maid.)

So Jacob did this and finished the week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

(Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.)

During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the fields and found some special flowers. He brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's flowers."