the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New King James Version
Genesis 25:22
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The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the Lord .
And the sons struggled together inside her. And she said, If it is so, why is this happening to me? And she went to inquire of Yahweh.
While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside her. She asked, "Why is this happening to me?" Then she went to get an answer from the Lord .
But the children struggled inside her, and she said, "If it is going to be like this, I'm not so sure I want to be pregnant!" So she asked the Lord ,
And the children struggled together within her: and she said, If [it is] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of Yahweh.
But the children struggled together within her [kicking and shoving one another]; and she said, "If it is so [that the LORD has heard our prayer], why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD [praying for an answer].
But the litle children weren hurtlid togidre in hir wombe; and sche seide, If it was so to comynge to me, what nede was it to conseyue? And sche yede and axide counsel of the Lord,
and the children struggle together within her, and she saith, `If [it is] right -- why [am] I thus?' and she goeth to seek Jehovah.
But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD,
Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, "Why is this happening to me?" Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting,
The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai ,
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.
And the children were fighting together inside her, and she said, If it is to be so, why am I like this? So she went to put her question to the Lord.
And the childre stroue together within her wombe: therfore she said, if [it be] so, why am I thus? wherefore she went to aske the Lorde.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.
While Rebekah was pregnant, the babies inside her struggled with one another. She prayed to the Lord and said, "What is happening to me?"
And the children struggled together within her; and she said: 'If it be so, wherefore do I live?' And she went to inquire of the LORD.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? and shee went to enquire of the LORD.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord .
But the babies within her fought together. And she said, "If this is so, why am I like this?" She went to ask the Lord why.
The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So she went to inquire of the Lord .
And the sons within her struggled together, so she said - If so, wherefore now am, I, thus ? And she went to seek Yahweh.
But the children stroue together within her: therefore shee sayde, Seeing it is so, why am I thus? wherefore she went to aske the Lord.
And the children struggled together within her womb; and she said, If it is to be like this, why do I live? So she went to enquire of the LORD.
She was going to have twins, and before they were born, they struggled against each other in her womb. She said, "Why should something like this happen to me?" So she went to ask the Lord for an answer.
But the children struggled in her womb, and she said: If it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to consult the Lord.
The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is thus, why do I live?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
And the babes leaped within her; and she said, If it will be so with me, why is this to me? And she went to enquire of the Lord.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of the LORD.
And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, "If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant?" And she went to inquire of Yahweh.
And the sons struggled together within her. And she said, If this is right, why am I this way? And she went to ask Jehovah.
And the children stroue totogether in her wombe. Then sayde she: Yf it shulde go so with me, why am I then wt childe? And she wente for to axe the LORDE.
But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why am I in this condition?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked.
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 the LORD.
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.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
am 2168, bc 1836
inquire: 1 Samuel 9:9, 1 Samuel 10:22, 1 Samuel 22:15, 1 Samuel 28:6, 1 Samuel 30:8, Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 36:37
Reciprocal: Genesis 27:29 - be lord Judges 6:13 - if the Lord Luke 1:41 - the babe John 1:13 - nor of the will of the Romans 9:12 - The elder
Cross-References
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD answered, "There he is, hidden among the equipment."
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much."
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.
So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.
"Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And the children struggled together within her,.... When she was quick with child: this was some time before her delivery, and was not a common and ordinary motion felt by women in such circumstances, but an extraordinary one; the two children in her strove with each other, as if it was for mastery, or who should get out first before the proper time; which not only gave her great uneasiness of mind, but pain of body: this was an emblem of the future difference between those two children, Esau and Jacob, and of the contentions that would be between their respective offspring, and of the enmity and war between good and bad men in all ages, and of the conflict between flesh and spirit in all good men:
and she said, if [it be] so, why [am] I thus? that is, either if it be so with me as is not with others in the like condition; for, as Aben Ezra suggests, she had inquired of other women, whether it had ever been so with them, and they replied, no: then, says she, how comes it to pass that it should be different with me from others? or, if those children by struggling should kill one another, or be abortive and kill me, why should I have been so desirous of conception? or prayed for it, as Jarchi observes? or, if so it is, and this will be the case, "why am I thus" c? this unhappy woman, to be in such circumstances, to endure so much pain, and to no purpose? why have I conceived and carried my burden so long, and at last cannot be delivered, or bring forth a live child? all my prayers and pains have been in vain:
and she went to inquire of the Lord; to the school of Shem the great, say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, and so Jarchi: the Arabic writers say d, she inquired of Melchizedek; and, according to Aben Ezra, of some prophet, or of Abraham, who lived fifteen years after this event: and indeed, if she inquired of any particular person of note for religion, and as a prophet, there is none so likely as he, who was the friend of God, and had great intimacy with him, and to whom he revealed his secrets. But perhaps no more is meant by it, than that she went either to some proper and private place, and prayed unto the Lord that he would show her the reason of what had happened unto her; or to some public place of worship, and where prayer was wont to be made, and where she inquired by means of such as were engaged therein concerning this matter; see Psalms 73:17.
c ××× ×× ×× ×× "eur ego hoc?" Tigurine version, Montanus, Fagius. d Patricides, apud Hottinger, Smegma Oriental. p. 335. Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 15.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- LIII. Birth of Esau and Jacob
20. פ×× padaÌn, Paddan, âplowed field;â related: âcut, plow.â
25. עש×× âeÌsÌaÌv, âEsaw, âhairy, or made.â
26. ××¢×§× yaâaÌqoÌb, Jaâaqob, âhe shall take the heel.â
27. ×ª× taÌm, âperfect, peaceful, plain.â The epithet refers to disposition, and contrasts the comparatively civilized character of Jacob with the rude temper of Esau.
30. ×××× 'eÌdoÌm, Edom, âred.â
The ninth document here begins with the usual phrase, and continues to the end of the thirty-fifth chapter. It contains the history of the second of the three patriarchs, or rather, indeed, as the opening phrase intimates, of the generations of Isaac; that is, of his son Jacob. Isaac himself makes little figure in the sacred history. Born when his mother was ninety, and his father a hundred years of age, he is of a sedate, contemplative, and yielding disposition. Consenting to be laid on the altar as a sacrifice to God, he had the stamp of submission early and deeply impressed on his soul. His life corresponds with these antecedents. Hence, in the spiritual aspect of his character he was the man of patience, of acquiescence, of susceptibility, of obedience. His qualities were those of the son, as Abrahamâs were those of the father. He carried out, but did not initiate; he followed, but did not lead; he continued, but did not commence. Accordingly, the docile and patient side of the saintly character is now to be presented to our view.
Genesis 25:19-26
The birth of Esau and Jacob. âThe son of forty years.â Hence, we learn that Isaac was married the third year after his motherâs death, when Abraham was in his hundred and fortieth year. âBethuel the Aramaean.â As Bethuel was a descendant of Arpakshad, not of Aram, he is here designated, not by his descent, but by his adopted country Aram. By descent he was a Kasdi or Kaldee. Sarah was barren for at least thirty years; Rebekah for nineteen years. This drew forth the prayer of Isaac in regard to his wife. The heir of promise was to be a child of prayer, and accordingly when the prayer ascended the fruit of the womb was given. Rebekah had unwonted sensations connected with her pregnancy. She said to herself, âIf it be so,â if I have conceived seed, âwhy am I thus,â why this strange struggle within me? In the artlessness of her faith she goes to the Lord for an explanation. We are not informed in what way she consulted God, or how he replied. The expression, âshe went to inquire of the Lord,â implies that there was some place of worship and communion with God by prayer. We are not to suppose that she went to Abraham, or any other prophet, if such were then at hand, when we have no intimation of this in the text. Her communication with the Lord seems to have been direct. This passage conveys to us the intimation that there was now a fixed mode and perhaps place of inquiring at the Lord. The Lord answers the mother of the promised seed. Two children are in her womb, the parents of two nations, differing in their dispositions and destinies. The one is to be stronger than the other. The order of nature is to be reversed in them; for the older will serve the younger. Their struggles in the womb are a prelude to their future history.
Genesis 25:24-26
The twins are born in due time. The difference is manifest in the outward appearance. The first is red and hairy. These qualities indicate a passionate and precocious nature. He is called âEsau the hairy,â or âthe made up,â the prematurely developed. His brother is like other children. An act takes place in the very birth foreshadowing their future history. The second has a hold of his brotherâs heel, as if he would trip him up from his very birth. Hence, he is called âJacob the wrestler,â who takes hold by the heel.
Genesis 25:27-34
The brothers prove to be different in disposition and habit. The rough fiery Esau takes to the field, and becomes skilled in all modes of catching game. Jacob is of a homely, peaceful, orderly turn, dwelling in tents and gathering round him the means and appliances of a quiet social life. The children please their parents according as they supply what is lacking in themselves. Isaac, himself so sedate, loves the wild, wandering hunter, because he supplies him with pleasures which his own quiet habits do not reach. Rebekah becomes attached to the gentle, industrious shepherd, who satisfies those social and spiritual tendencies in which she is more dependent than Isaac. Esau is destructive of game; Jacob is constructive of cattle.
Genesis 25:29-34
A characteristic incident in their early life is attended with very important consequences. âJacob sod pottage.â He has become a sage in the practical comforts of life. Esau leaves the field for the tent, exhausted with fatigue. The sight and smell of Jacobâs savory dish of lentile soup are very tempting to a hungry man. âLet me feed now on that red, red broth.â He does not know how to name it. The lentile is common in the country, and forms a cheap and palatable dish of a reddish brown color, with which bread seems to have been eaten. The two brothers were not congenial. They would therefore act each independently of the other, and provide each for himself. Esau was no doubt occasionally rude and hasty. Hence, a selfish habit would grow up and gather strength. He was probably accustomed to supply himself with such fare as suited his palate, and might have done so on this occasion without any delay. But the free flavor and high color of the mess, which Jacob was preparing for himself, takes his fancy, and nothing will do but the red red. Jacob obviously regarded this as a rude and selfish intrusion on his privacy and property, in keeping with similar encounters that may have taken place between the brothers.
It is here added, âtherefore was his name called Edom,â that is, âRed.â The origin of surnames, or second names for the same person or place, is a matter of some moment in the fair interpretation of an ancient document. It is sometimes hastily assumed that the same name can only owe its application to one occasion; and hence a record of a second occasion on which it was applied is regarded as a discrepancy. But the error lies in the interpreter, not in the author. The propriety of a particular name may be marked by two or more totally different circumstances, and its application renewed on each of these occasions. Even an imaginary cause may be assigned for a name, and may serve to originate or renew its application. The two brothers now before us afford very striking illustrations of the general principle. It is pretty certain that Esau would receive the secondary name of Edom, which ultimately became primary in point of use, from the red complexion of skin, even from his birth. But the exclamation âthat red red,â uttered on the occasion of a very important crisis in his history, renewed the name, and perhaps tended to make it take the place of Esau in the history of his race. Jacob, too, the holder of the heel, received this name from a circumstance occurring at his birth. But the buying of the birthright and the gaining of the blessing, were two occasions in his subsequent life on which he merited the title of the supplanter or the holder by the heel Genesis 27:36. These instances prepare us to expect other examples of the same name being applied to the same object, for different reasons on different occasions.
âSell me this day thy birthright.â This brings to light a new cause of variance between the brothers. Jacob was no doubt aware of the prediction communicated to his mother, that the older should serve the younger. A quiet man like him would not otherwise have thought of reversing the order of nature and custom. In after times the right of primogeniture consisted in a double portion of the fatherâs goods Deuteronomy 21:17, and a certain rank as the patriarch and priest of the house on the death of the father. But in the case of Isaac there was the far higher dignity of chief of the chosen family and heir of the promised blessing, with all the immediate and ultimate temporal and eternal benefits therein included. Knowing all this, Jacob is willing to purchase the birthright, as the most peaceful way of bringing about that supremacy which was destined for him. He is therefore cautious and prudent, even conciliating in his proposal.
He availed himself of a weak moment to accomplish by consent what was to come. Yet he lays no necessity on Esau, but leaves him to his own free choice. We must therefore beware of blaming him for endeavoring to win his brotherâs concurrence in a thing that was already settled in the purpose of God. His chief error lay in attempting to anticipate the arrangements of Providence. Esau is strangely ready to dispose of his birthright for a trivial present gratification. He might have obtained other means of recruiting nature equally suitable, but he will sacrifice anything for the desire of the moment. Any higher import of the right he was prepared to sell so cheap seems to have escaped his view, if it had ever occurred to his mind. Jacob, however, is deeply in earnest. He will bring this matter within the range of heavenly influence. He will have God solemnly invoked as a witness of the transfer. Even this does not startle Esau. There is not a word about the price. It is plain that Esauâs thoughts were altogether on âthe morsel of meat.â He swears unto Jacob. He then ate and drank, and rose up and went his way, as the sacred writer graphically describes his reckless course. Most truly did he despise his birthright. His mind did not rise to higher or further things. Such was the boyhood of these wondrous twins.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 25:22. The children struggled together — ××ª×¨×¦×¦× yithrotsatsu, they dashed against or bruised each other, there was a violent agitation, so that the mother was apprehensive both of her own and her children's safety; and, supposing this was an uncommon case, she went to inquire of the Lord, as the good women in the present day would go to consult a surgeon or physician; for intercourse with God is not so common now, as it was in those times of great primitive simplicity. There are different opinions concerning the manner in which Rebekah inquired of the Lord. Some think it was by faith and prayer simply; others, that she went to Shem or Melchizedek; but Shem is supposed to have been dead ten years before this time; but as Abraham was yet alive, she might have gone to him, and consulted the Lord through his means. It is most likely that a prophet or priest was applied to on this occasion. It appears she was in considerable perplexity, hence that imperfect speech, If so, why am I thus? the simple meaning of which is probably this; if I must suffer such things, why did I ever wish to have a child? A speech not uncommon to mothers in their first pregnancy.
