Jo’s Place

​ Edomites: Descendants of Esau This is the account of the descendants of Esau (who was  also known as Edom) .  Esau married two young women from Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite.  He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth.  Adah gave birth to a son named Eliphaz for Esau. Basemath gave birth to a son named Reuel.  Oholibamah gave birth to sons named Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. All these sons were born to Esau in the land of Canaan.  Esau took his wives, his children, and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle—all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan—and moved away from his brother, Jacob.  There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired.  So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir.  … The descendants of Reuel ...

Jacob and Esau Make Peace Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men.  So he divided his children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.  He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.  Then Jacob went on ahead.  As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.  Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.  And they both wept.  Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”  “These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied.  Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him.  Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him.  Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.  “And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked....

God’s Camp As Jacob started on his way again  (after making his covenant with Laban) , angels of God came to meet him.  When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is God’s camp!”  So he named the place Mahanaim.  Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom.  He told them, “Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob.  Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban, and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women.  I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.’ ”  After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!”  Jacob was terrified at the news.  He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels...

Jacob Flees to Paddan-Aram From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing  (when Jacob deceived their father, Isaac) .  And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death… Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”  But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans  (and she loved Jacob).  So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you.  So listen carefully, my son.  Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran.  Stay there with him until your brother cools off.  When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back.  Why should I lose both of you in one day?”  Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women!  I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”  So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women.  ...

​ Esau is cursed by Isaac As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt.  Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father.  Then Esau said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.”  But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”  Esau replied, “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau.”  Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served me wild game?  I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came.  And yes, that blessing must stand!”  When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry.  “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.  But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me.  He has taken away your blessing.”  Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob  (always trying to take what is rightfully mine by treachery)  …and now he ha...

The Birth of Esau and Jacob This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham.  When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.  Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children.  The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.  But the two children struggled with each other in her womb.  So she asked the Lord about it.  “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.  And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations.  From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.  One nation will be stronger than the other; but your older son will serve your younger son.”  And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins!  The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat.  So t...