STUDY STORAGE
25.1-34
Genesis

Abraham takes another wife, Ketura (v1), and has six more sons (v2). Two of the sons have more children (vv3-4), and one of those (Dedan) begat a fourth generation (v3), of which three sons are named. This possibly indicates tribes of peoples who became known in the region. Because of Abraham's advanced age at Sarah's death (137) and that he lived for 38 more years (v7), speculation is understandable about whether Abraham married Ketura or fathered sons with other concubines (v6) before Sarah's death. But Isaac would have been age 75 and Ishmael 88 when they buried their father Abraham, and there is no need to speculate about whether Abraham or God intended Isaac to be the blessed heir. Abraham sent away all other sons while he was still living (v6), and after Abraham's death, God blessed Isaac (v11). The seven verses that follow Abraham's death list the twelve sons and tribes of Ishmael (vv12-18). This closes out Ishmael's record in Scripture. As verse 19 begins, "Now these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son," no genealogy follows. This marks the opening of Isaac's sole prominence in the Biblical account of history. Isaac's generations comes in the narrative leading to all future generations of the line of Christ. Isaac may seem to have the shortest written history of the Patriarchs, but Isaac is a part of this history from the beginning with Abraham. God refers to Isaac in His first conversation with Abraham (12:2), and even by name (17:19), seventy-six years before he becomes the second Patriarch.
CHAPTER 25
The Death of Abraham
1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
2 And she bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.
3 Now Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac;
6 but to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.
7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, 175 years.
8 And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of days; and he was gathered to his people.
9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre,
10 the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.
11 Now it happened after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.
The Generations of Ishmael
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant-woman, bore to Abraham;
13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam
14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,
15 Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes.
17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, 137 years; and he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in the face of all his brothers.
The Generations of Isaac
19 Now these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac;
20 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, to be his wife.
21 And Isaac entreated Yahweh on behalf of his wife because she was barren; and Yahweh was moved by his entreaty. So Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of Yahweh.
23 And Yahweh said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.”
24 And her days to give birth were fulfilled, and behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.
26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 And the boys grew up; Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.
28 Isaac loved Esau because he had an appetite for hunted game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 And Jacob had cooked stew. And Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
30 Then Esau said to Jacob, “Please give me a swallow from the red stuff—this red stuff, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 And Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?”
33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.
34 So Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank and rose and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.