Genesis 25:28

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Isaac	יִצְחָ֛ק yitz.Chak	H3327	Jitschak (or Isaac) · proper noun, a man's name
loved	וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב vai.ye.'e.Hav	H157	to have affection for (sexually or otherwise) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Esau	עֵשָׂ֖ו 'e.Sav	H6215	Esav · proper noun, a man's name
eat	בְּפִ֑יו be.Fiv	H6310	the mouth (as the means of blowing) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
venison	צַ֣יִד Tza.yid	H6718	the chase · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Rebekah	וְרִבְקָ֖ה ve.riv.Kah	H7259	Ribkah · conjunction + proper noun, a woman's name
loved	אֹהֶ֥בֶת 'o.He.vet	H157	to have affection for (sexually or otherwise) · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute
Jacob	יַעֲקֹֽב ya.'a.Ko	H3290	Jaakob · proper noun, a man's name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Genesis 27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my veni…
Genesis 27:4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
Genesis 27:31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venis…
Genesis 27:9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he lovet…
Genesis 27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did…
Genesis 27:6-7 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 25:19-28

We have here an account of the birth of Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah: their entrance into the world was (which is not usual) one of the most considerable parts of their story; nor is much related concerning Isaac but what had reference to his father while he lived and to his sons afterwards. For Isaac seems not to have been a man of action, nor much tried, but to have spent his days in quietness and silence. Now concerning Jacob and Esau we are here told, I. That they were prayed for. Their parents, after they had been long childless, obtained them by prayer, Gen 25:20, Gen 25:21. Isaac was forty years old when he was married; though he was an only son, and the person f…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 25:28

The parents were divided in their affection; and while the grounds, at least of the father's partiality, were weak, the distinction made between the children led, as such conduct always does, to unhappy consequences.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 25:28

Isaac loved Esau - but Rebekah loved Jacob - This is an early proof of unwarrantable parental attachment to one child in preference to another. Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob; and in consequence of this the interests of the family were divided, and the house set in opposition to itself. The fruits of this unreasonable and foolish attachment were afterwards seen in a long catalogue of both natural and moral evils among the descendants of both families.

John Gill on Genesis 25:28

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison,.... Better than Jacob, not only because he was his firstborn, but because he brought him of the flesh of creatures, which he took in hunting, and being dressed, were savoury food to him: it is in the original, "because venison (or what he hunted) was in his mouth" (h), into which he put it, and was very grateful to his taste: but Rebekah loved Jacob; more than Esau, being more at home with her, and of a milder disposition; and more especially being a good man, a partaker of the grace of God, and to whom she knew by the oracle the blessing and promise belonged. (h) "quia venatio in ore ejus", Pagninus, Montanus.

The Church Fathers

However, even parents should not be excused for abandoning us, because they have preferred a younger son to an older one. At the same time, care must be taken that no one, while following their example, has an unfair judgment between their children; so that they think one should be loved, the other should be disregarded. For from this fraternal hatred is aroused, and a crime of parricide is made from the despicable gain of money. The same measure of piety should nourish offspring. Nevertheless, let it be that one may seize something more for himself in regard to a more charming or similar affection, an equal form of justice should be around all. It is more advantageous to the beloved one to whom the love of brothers is sought; but it is more taken away from the one who is burdened by unjust preeminence with envy. Esau was threatening to kill his brother, not being called back by brotherly kinship or the reverence of his parents from his murderous intent; and he was grieved that the blessing had been snatched away from him, which he must certainly prove himself worthy of by gentleness, not by wickedness.
— Ambrose of Milan, On Jacob and the Blessed Life, Book 2, Chapter II, Section 5

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Alliances — On the first establishment of the Hebrews in Palestine no connections were formed between them and the surrounding nations. But with the extension of their power under the kings alliances became…
Rebekah — A noose, the daughter of Bethuel, and the wife of Isaac (Gen. 22:23; 24:67). The circumstances under which Abraham’s “steward” found her at the “city of Nahor,” in Padan-aram, are narrated in Gen.…
Esau · A hunter — A hunter
First Born, The · Objects of special love — Objects of special love
Parents · . — .
Rebekah (Rebecca) · Mother of Esau and Jacob — Mother of Esau and Jacob

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 25:28

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 25:19-28

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 25:28

Adam Clarke on Genesis 25:28

John Gill on Genesis 25:28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 25:28

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 25:19-28

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 25:28

Adam Clarke on Genesis 25:28

John Gill on Genesis 25:28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 25:28

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 25:27-28

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 25:28

Rashi on Genesis 25:26