Esau was one of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah in the Old Testament. He was the older twin brother of Jacob. Esau’s story is told primarily in Genesis chapters 25-36. Here is an overview of the key details about Esau from the Bible:
Esau and Jacob’s Birth
Isaac and Rebekah were married for 20 years but did not have any children. Finally Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, and she became pregnant with twins (Genesis 25:20-21). As the boys grew in Rebekah’s womb, they “struggled together within her” (Genesis 25:22). Rebekah inquired of the Lord about this, and He told her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)
When it came time for the twins to be born, the first one out was covered in red hair so they named him Esau. His brother came out grasping Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob (Genesis 25:24-26). Esau grew up to be a skillful hunter and outdoorsman, while Jacob was more mild-mannered and dwelled in tents (Genesis 25:27). Isaac favored Esau because he ate of Esau’s wild game, but Rebekah favored Jacob (Genesis 25:28).
Esau Sells His Birthright
As the elder twin, Esau had the privileged position of birthright. This meant he would inherit a double portion of his father’s estate and would become the leader of the family after Isaac died. One day while Esau was out hunting, Jacob had been cooking some stew. Esau came in famished from the field and begged his brother for some of the red stew. Jacob offered it to Esau, but only if Esau would sell him his birthright in exchange. Esau didn’t care about the birthright, so he agreed to sell it to Jacob for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-34). The Bible calls Esau a “godless” man for doing this and devaluing his inheritance rights as oldest son (Hebrews 12:16).
Esau’s Wives
In Genesis 26:34-35, we read about how Esau married two Hittite women when he was 40 years old. These wives were Judith and Basemath, and they “made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” Later, in Genesis 28:8-9, we learn that Esau realized his Canaanite wives were displeasing to his parents so he married a daughter of Ishmael named Mahalath. By taking a third wife, he was trying to please his parents but it was too late.
Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing
When Isaac was old and going blind, he decided it was time to give his elder son Esau the formal blessing that would establish him as leader of the family after Isaac died. He told Esau to go hunt some wild game and prepare a tasty meal so that he could eat it and then give Esau his blessing. Rebekah overheard this plan and conspired with Jacob to deceive Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob instead. When Esau went hunting, Rebekah and Jacob prepared a meal from goats to make it taste like wild game. Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his arms in goatskins to mimic Esau’s hairy arms. Jacob brought the meal to his blind father and lied, claiming to be Esau. Isaac gave Jacob the blessing meant for Esau (Genesis 27:1-29). When Esau returned and realized what had happened, he wept bitterly and begged for any blessing from Isaac. The only blessing Isaac had left for Esau was that he would live away from the richness of the earth and would serve his brother, but would eventually overcome him (Genesis 27:30-40). Esau was furious against Jacob and threatened to kill him once their father passed away (Genesis 27:41).
Jacob Flees from Esau’s Anger
Rebekah urged Jacob to flee at once to her brother Laban’s house to escape Esau’s wrath and to find a wife from her homeland. As Jacob fled toward Haran, Esau took his wives and went to live in the hill country of Seir (where Edom was later located). Isaac and Rebekah remained in the Negev of Canaan (Genesis 27:42-46, 28:1-9). Jacob ended up staying with Laban for 20 years before returning to face Esau again.
Jacob and Esau Reconcile
After being away for 20 years, Jacob returned toward his homeland and sent messengers to let Esau know. The messengers returned saying Esau was coming to meet Jacob with 400 men, so Jacob was terrified. He divided his people and flocks into two groups thinking that if Esau attacked one group the other could escape. Jacob also sent gifts of livestock ahead to Esau to try and appease him. When the brothers finally met, Esau ran to Jacob and embraced him and they both wept. Esau graciously accepted the gifts saying he had enough already. Esau offered to accompany Jacob but Jacob declined since the children and flocks couldn’t keep up. So Esau returned to Seir, while Jacob went on to Canaan (Genesis 32-33). God had changed Esau’s heart over the years so that the brothers were reconciled.
Genealogies of Esau
Genesis 36 records the genealogies of Esau and his descendants. Esau and his wife Adah had a son named Eliphaz. Esau and Basemath had a son named Reuel. Esau and Mahalath had a son named Jeush. These sons became chieftans and their descendants became the Edomites who inhabited the land of Edom (Genesis 36:1-19). Verses 20-43 also list the descendants of Seir the Horite which intermarried into Esau’s family. Esau’s lineage is traced for several generations to show the rising power of Edom.
Esau and Jacob Bury Isaac
When their father Isaac died at the age of 180, Esau and Jacob together buried him in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah were buried (Genesis 35:27-29). This showed they remained reconciled.
Esau’s Death
There are no details given about Esau’s death in Genesis. The genealogies simply mention that he went to live in the hill country of Seir (Genesis 36:8). Deuteronomy 2:4-5,22 indicates that the Edomites destroyed and took over the land of the Horites and lived there in their place. Joshua 24:4 states that God gave the descendants of Esau the hill country of Seir as their possession. So Esau lived out his life in Edom according to the prophecy Isaac had given him.
Lessons from Esau’s Life
There are a several key lessons that emerge from the account of Esau’s life in Scripture:
- Don’t despise or trade away your spiritual inheritance for temporary, worldly gratification
- Be wise in choosing a spouse – marry someone who shares your faith
- Guard your heart from developing a bitter, vengeful spirit when wronged
- God can change hearts – reconciliation is possible by His grace
- Worldly success and power are not as important as following God
Esau experienced the temporal consequences of trading away his birthright and losing his father’s blessing – he lost the leadership of his family. But the Bible praises Jacob’s godly focus more than Esau’s worldly successes (Hebrews 11:20). In the end, Esau listened to the Lord and made peace with his brother Jacob. He went on to settle and build wealth in Edom, but Jacob’s family became God’s chosen people through whom the Messiah would come. The spiritual inheritance was more important than material and earthly power.
Esau in the New Testament
In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews uses Esau as an example of someone unfit for inheritance in the kingdom of God. Hebrews 12:16-17 states:
that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. (Hebrews 12:16-17)
Because Esau traded his spiritual inheritance for temporary fulfillment of his fleshly appetites, he is portrayed as immoral and profane. The writer of Hebrews warns believers not to be like Esau, living only for the pleasures of the moment versus the eternal spiritual rewards God promises. Esau’s tears and regret at losing his blessing were too late – he could not go back and undo his previous choice. This stands as a sober warning to all who would live in unbelief and rebellion now at the expense of their future inheritance in God’s kingdom. Even Esau had changed by the time he reconciled with Jacob, but the damage had already been done and the consequences couldn’t be undone. True repentance involves leaving sinful paths to follow God before it is too late.
Esau’s Significance
So in summary, Esau’s life stands as an example of the severity of squandering our spiritual inheritance in Christ. His story is a warning not to live merely for fleshly appetites and worldly priorities. Although Esau was reconciled to Jacob later in life, his earlier choices still led to consequences he had to live with. However, even though Esau lacked discernment at key moments, God still used him mightily in the line of his descendants, the Edomites. And Esau’s legacy reminds us that human hearts can change direction when touched by the Lord’s mercy and grace.