Esau in the Bible

Esau was the older twin son of Isaac and Rebekah, the brother of Jacob, a skillful hunter, and the ancestor associated with Edom. Genesis portrays both his costly short-term choices and his later wealth, family, settlement in Seir, and peaceful reunion with Jacob.

Esau is commonly associated with being hairy or rough because Genesis describes him at birth as covered like a hairy garment. The exact etymology is not completely certain, so the description and the proposed meaning should not be treated as identical facts.

Genesis 25:30 connects the name Edom with Esau asking for the red food Jacob had prepared. Edom is related to the Hebrew word for red, while Esau is the personal name given at his birth.

Esau’s parents were Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac favored Esau because he enjoyed the game Esau hunted, while Genesis says Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau’s twin brother was Jacob, later named Israel. Esau was born first, and Jacob came afterward holding Esau’s heel.

Genesis 36 presents three wives in its family summary: Adah, Oholibamah, and Basemath. Genesis 26 and 28 use a partly different set of names, and the Bible does not explicitly explain whether these are alternate names or additional women. A precise total across every passage therefore depends on interpretation.

Genesis 36 names five sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. It also mentions daughters without naming or numbering them.

Genesis traces Esau’s descendants through his sons and grandsons and identifies him with Edom. Named descendants include Teman, Amalek, and several clan chiefs connected with the land of Seir.

At birth Esau was described as red and covered with hair like a garment. As an adult he was recognizable by his hairy skin and became a skillful hunter, but the Bible does not provide details such as his height, eye color, or exact hair color.

Genesis calls the newborn Esau red, but it does not explicitly say he had red hair. The description may concern his complexion or overall appearance, so portraying him as definitively red-headed goes beyond the text.

The Bible does not record Esau’s cause of death, the circumstances of his death, or his burial. Later stories and traditions should not be presented as statements from Genesis.

The Bible never states Esau’s age at death. Genesis says he was forty when he married Judith and Basemath, but it gives no final lifespan for him.

In Malachi 1:2–4, God answers Israel’s question about his love by contrasting Jacob with Esau and describing judgment on Edom, Esau’s descendants. Romans 9:10–16 quotes Malachi while discussing God’s choice before the twins had done good or evil. Christian traditions differ over the full meaning of election here; the passages concern God’s choice, mercy, and judgment, not a simple judgment of the twins’ personalities.

Hebrews 12:16 calls Esau profane (WEB and KJV; godless in some other translations), pointing to his sale of the birthright for one meal. Genesis 27 also records his plan to kill Jacob. Those are serious criticisms. Genesis 33 later shows him welcoming Jacob with an embrace, so a full account includes both his wrongdoing and their peaceful reunion.