Antiquities Book 1, Chapter 18
Concerning The Sons Of Isaac, Esau And Jacob; Of Their Nativity And Education.
1. Now Isaac's wife proved with child, after the death of Abraham; 30
and when her belly was greatly burdened, Isaac was very anxious, and
inquired of God; who answered, that Rebeka should bear twins; and that
two nations should take the names of those sons; and that he who
appeared the second should excel the elder. Accordingly she, in a little
time, as God had foretold, bare twins; the elder of whom, from his head
to his feet, was very rough and hairy; but the younger took hold of his
heel as they were in the birth. Now the father loved the elder, who was
called Esau, a name agreeable to his roughness, for the Hebrews call
such a hairy roughness [Esau, 31 or] Seir; but Jacob the younger was
best beloved by his mother.
2. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go into Egypt,
the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as God commanded him.
Here Abimelech the king received him, because Abraham had formerly lived
with him, and had been his friend. And as in the beginning he treated
him exceeding kindly, so he was hindered from continuing in the same
disposition to the end, by his envy at him; for when he saw that God was
with Isaac, and took such great care of him, he drove him away from him.
But Isaac, when he saw how envy had changed the temper of Abimelech
retired to a place called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as he was
digging a well, the shepherds fell upon him, and began to fight, in
order to hinder the work; and because he did not desire to contend, the
shepherds seemed to get the him, so he still retired, and dug another
and when certain other shepherds of Abimelech began to offer him
violence, he left that also, still retired, thus purchasing security to
himself a rational and prudent conduct. At length they gave him leave to
dig a well without disturbance. He named this well Rehoboth, which
denotes a large space; but of the former wells, one was called Escon,
which denotes strife, the other Sitenna, name signifies enmity.
3. It was now that Isaac's affairs increased, and in a flourishing
condition; and this his great riches. But Abimelech, thinking in
opposition to him, while their living made them suspicious of each
other, and retiring showing a secret enmity also, he afraid that his
former friendship with Isaac would not secure him, if Isaac should
endeavor the injuries he had formerly offered him; he therefore renewed
his friendship with him, Philoc, one of his generals. And when he had
obtained every thing he desired, by reason of Isaac's good nature, who
preferred the earlier friendship Abimelech had shown to himself and his
father to his later wrath against him, he returned home.
4. Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father principally
loved, was now come to the age of forty years, he married Adah, the
daughter of Helon, and Aholibamah, the daughter of Esebeon; which Helon
and Esebeon were great lords among the Canaanites: thereby taking upon
himself the authority, and pretending to have dominion over his own
marriages, without so much as asking the advice of his father; for had
Isaac been the arbitrator, he had not given him leave to marry thus, for
he was not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of that
country; but not caring to be uneasy to his son by commanding him to put
away these wives, he resolved to be silent.
5. But when he was old, and could not see at all, he called Esau to him,
and told him, that besides his blindness, and the disorder of his eyes,
his very old age hindered him from his worship of God [by sacrifice]; he
bid him therefore to go out a hunting, and when he had caught as much
venison as he could, to prepare him a supper 32 that after this he might
make supplication to God, to be to him a supporter and an assister
during the whole time of his life; saying, that it was uncertain when he
should die, and that he was desirous, by prayers for him, to procure,
beforehand, God to be merciful to him.
6. Accordingly, Esau went out a hunting. But Rebeka 33 thinking it
proper to have the supplication made for obtaining the favor of God to
Jacob, and that without the consent of Isaac, bid him kill kids of the
goats, and prepare a supper. So Jacob obeyed his mother, according to
all her instructions. Now when the supper was got ready, he took a
goat's skin, and put it about his arm, that by reason of its hairy
roughness, he might by his father be believed to be Esau; for they being
twins, and in all things else alike, differed only in this thing. This
was done out of his fear, that before his father had made his
supplications, he should be caught in his evil practice, and lest he
should, on the contrary, provoke his father to curse him. So he brought
in the supper to his father. Isaac perceivest to be Esau. So suspecting
no deceit, he ate the supper, and betook himself to his prayers and
intercessions with God; and said, "O Lord of all ages, and Creator of
all substance; for it was thou that didst propose to my father great
plenty of good things, and hast vouchsafed to bestow on me what I have;
and hast promised to my posterity to be their kind supporter, and to
bestow on them still greater blessings; do thou therefore confirm these
thy promises, and do not overlook me, because of my present weak
condition, on account of which I most earnestly pray to thee. Be
gracious to this my son; and preserve him and keep him from every thing
that is evil. Give him a happy life, and the possession of as many good
things as thy power is able to bestow. Make him terrible to his enemies,
and honorable and beloved among his friends."
7. Thus did Isaac pray to God, thinking his prayers had been made for
Esau. He had but just finished them, when Esau came in from hunting. And
when Isaac perceived his mistake, he was silent: but Esau required that
he might be made partaker of the like blessing from his father that his
brother had partook of; but his father refused it, because all his
prayers had been spent upon Jacob: so Esau lamented the mistake.
However, his father being grieved at his weeping, said, that "he should
excel in hunting and strength of body, in arms, and all such sorts of
work; and should obtain glory for ever on those accounts, he and his
posterity after him; but still should serve his brother."
8. Now the mother delivered Jacob, when she was afraid that his brother
would inflict some punishment upon him because of the mistake about the
prayers of Isaac; for she persuaded her husband to take a wife for Jacob
out of Mesopotamia, of her own kindred, Esau having married already
Basemmath, the daughter of Ismael, without his father's consent; for
Isaac did not like the Canaanites, so that he disapproved of Esau's
former marriages, which made him take Basemmath to wife, in order to
please him; and indeed he had a great affection for her.
and when her belly was greatly burdened, Isaac was very anxious, and
inquired of God; who answered, that Rebeka should bear twins; and that
two nations should take the names of those sons; and that he who
appeared the second should excel the elder. Accordingly she, in a little
time, as God had foretold, bare twins; the elder of whom, from his head
to his feet, was very rough and hairy; but the younger took hold of his
heel as they were in the birth. Now the father loved the elder, who was
called Esau, a name agreeable to his roughness, for the Hebrews call
such a hairy roughness [Esau, 31 or] Seir; but Jacob the younger was
best beloved by his mother.
2. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go into Egypt,
the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as God commanded him.
Here Abimelech the king received him, because Abraham had formerly lived
with him, and had been his friend. And as in the beginning he treated
him exceeding kindly, so he was hindered from continuing in the same
disposition to the end, by his envy at him; for when he saw that God was
with Isaac, and took such great care of him, he drove him away from him.
But Isaac, when he saw how envy had changed the temper of Abimelech
retired to a place called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as he was
digging a well, the shepherds fell upon him, and began to fight, in
order to hinder the work; and because he did not desire to contend, the
shepherds seemed to get the him, so he still retired, and dug another
and when certain other shepherds of Abimelech began to offer him
violence, he left that also, still retired, thus purchasing security to
himself a rational and prudent conduct. At length they gave him leave to
dig a well without disturbance. He named this well Rehoboth, which
denotes a large space; but of the former wells, one was called Escon,
which denotes strife, the other Sitenna, name signifies enmity.
3. It was now that Isaac's affairs increased, and in a flourishing
condition; and this his great riches. But Abimelech, thinking in
opposition to him, while their living made them suspicious of each
other, and retiring showing a secret enmity also, he afraid that his
former friendship with Isaac would not secure him, if Isaac should
endeavor the injuries he had formerly offered him; he therefore renewed
his friendship with him, Philoc, one of his generals. And when he had
obtained every thing he desired, by reason of Isaac's good nature, who
preferred the earlier friendship Abimelech had shown to himself and his
father to his later wrath against him, he returned home.
4. Now when Esau, one of the sons of Isaac, whom the father principally
loved, was now come to the age of forty years, he married Adah, the
daughter of Helon, and Aholibamah, the daughter of Esebeon; which Helon
and Esebeon were great lords among the Canaanites: thereby taking upon
himself the authority, and pretending to have dominion over his own
marriages, without so much as asking the advice of his father; for had
Isaac been the arbitrator, he had not given him leave to marry thus, for
he was not pleased with contracting any alliance with the people of that
country; but not caring to be uneasy to his son by commanding him to put
away these wives, he resolved to be silent.
5. But when he was old, and could not see at all, he called Esau to him,
and told him, that besides his blindness, and the disorder of his eyes,
his very old age hindered him from his worship of God [by sacrifice]; he
bid him therefore to go out a hunting, and when he had caught as much
venison as he could, to prepare him a supper 32 that after this he might
make supplication to God, to be to him a supporter and an assister
during the whole time of his life; saying, that it was uncertain when he
should die, and that he was desirous, by prayers for him, to procure,
beforehand, God to be merciful to him.
6. Accordingly, Esau went out a hunting. But Rebeka 33 thinking it
proper to have the supplication made for obtaining the favor of God to
Jacob, and that without the consent of Isaac, bid him kill kids of the
goats, and prepare a supper. So Jacob obeyed his mother, according to
all her instructions. Now when the supper was got ready, he took a
goat's skin, and put it about his arm, that by reason of its hairy
roughness, he might by his father be believed to be Esau; for they being
twins, and in all things else alike, differed only in this thing. This
was done out of his fear, that before his father had made his
supplications, he should be caught in his evil practice, and lest he
should, on the contrary, provoke his father to curse him. So he brought
in the supper to his father. Isaac perceivest to be Esau. So suspecting
no deceit, he ate the supper, and betook himself to his prayers and
intercessions with God; and said, "O Lord of all ages, and Creator of
all substance; for it was thou that didst propose to my father great
plenty of good things, and hast vouchsafed to bestow on me what I have;
and hast promised to my posterity to be their kind supporter, and to
bestow on them still greater blessings; do thou therefore confirm these
thy promises, and do not overlook me, because of my present weak
condition, on account of which I most earnestly pray to thee. Be
gracious to this my son; and preserve him and keep him from every thing
that is evil. Give him a happy life, and the possession of as many good
things as thy power is able to bestow. Make him terrible to his enemies,
and honorable and beloved among his friends."
7. Thus did Isaac pray to God, thinking his prayers had been made for
Esau. He had but just finished them, when Esau came in from hunting. And
when Isaac perceived his mistake, he was silent: but Esau required that
he might be made partaker of the like blessing from his father that his
brother had partook of; but his father refused it, because all his
prayers had been spent upon Jacob: so Esau lamented the mistake.
However, his father being grieved at his weeping, said, that "he should
excel in hunting and strength of body, in arms, and all such sorts of
work; and should obtain glory for ever on those accounts, he and his
posterity after him; but still should serve his brother."
8. Now the mother delivered Jacob, when she was afraid that his brother
would inflict some punishment upon him because of the mistake about the
prayers of Isaac; for she persuaded her husband to take a wife for Jacob
out of Mesopotamia, of her own kindred, Esau having married already
Basemmath, the daughter of Ismael, without his father's consent; for
Isaac did not like the Canaanites, so that he disapproved of Esau's
former marriages, which made him take Basemmath to wife, in order to
please him; and indeed he had a great affection for her.