Study Desk

Now these are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. And he passed away and died, and was gathered to his people.

They settled from Havilah to Shur, which was opposite Egypt, going toward Asshur, opposite; he settled opposite all his brothers.

And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, as his wife.

And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

And the first came out red, all his body was like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau.

And afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped the heel of Esau, so his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old at their birth.

And Isaac loved Esau because he could eat of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom).

Then Jacob said, "Swear to me first." And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

When the men of the place asked concerning his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," thinking "the men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she was beautiful."

And it happened that, when he had been there a long time, Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through the window, and saw—behold—Isaac was fondling Rebekah his wife.

Then Abimelech instructed all the people, saying, "The one who touches this man or his wife shall certainly die."

And the Philistines stopped up all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father. They filled them with earth.

And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after the death of Abraham. And he gave to them the same names which his father had given them.

And he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there.

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol his army commander.

And it happened that when Isaac was old and his eyesight was weak, he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." And he said to him, "Here I am."

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to Esau his son, and when Esau went to the field to hunt wild game to bring back,

Then you must take it to your father and he will eat it so that he may bless you before his death."