Genesis 25:31

And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. Which had many privileges annexed to it, as honour and authority in the family next to parents; a double portion of inheritance; some say the exercise

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. Jacob said, Sell me ... thy birth-right - i:e., the rights and privileges of the first-born, which were very important.

1805 i.e. Speedily, without delay. So this Hebrew word is used 9:13,27 . The birthright then had divers singular privileges; as, 1. Dignity and authority over his brethren, 27:29,37 49:3. 2. A double portion, . 3. A special blessing from his father, . 4. The priesthood and chief government of the affairs of the church in his father’ s absence, or sickness, and after his death, ,17, &c. 5. The first-born was a special type, both of Christ, who was to be a first-born; and of the church, which is called God’ s first-born, as ; and of the great privileges of the church, particularly of adoption and eternal life. See . And therefore he is justly called profane, , for slighting so sacred and glorious a privilege. Quest. 1. Could the birthright be lost? Answ. Yes. See . 2. Did Jacob well in this matter? Answ. No; because he tempted his brother to an act of profaneness and folly, and so was guilty of his sin. And though God had designed and promised this privilege to him, yet he should have waited till God had executed his promise in his own way, as David did till God gave him possession of Saul’ s kingdom; and not have anticipated God, and snatched it by an irregular act of his own, as Jeroboam did the kingdom from Rehoboam.

Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.Ver. 31. Sell me this day thy birthright.] Which he knew, by the instruction of his mother, to be his by God’ s appointment; and therefore takes this opportunity to get it. A well chosen season is the greatest advantage of any action.

THE TΤLDΤTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac—The Tτldτth in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his descent to Shem, and showing thereby that the right of primogeniture belonged to him; but the inspired historian uses only so much of this as is necessary for tracing the development of the Divine plan of human redemption. The Syrian.—Really, the Aramean, or descendant of Aram. (See Genesis 10:22-23.) The name of the district also correctly is “Paddan-Ararn,” and so far from being identical with Aram-Naharaim, in Genesis 24:10, it is strictly the designation of the region immediately in the neighbourhood of Charran. The assertion of Gesenius that it meant “Mesopotamia, with the desert to the west of the Euphrates, in opposition to the mountainous district towards the Mediterranean,” is devoid of proof. (See Chwolsohn, Die Ssabier, 1, p. 304.) In Syriac, the language of Charran, padana means a plough (1 Samuel 13:20), or a yoke of oxen ( 1 Samuel 11:7); and this also suggests that it was the cultivated district close to the town. In Hosea 12:12 it is said that “Jacob fled to the field of Aram;” but this is a very general description of the country in which he found refuge, and affords no basis for the assertion that Padan-aram was the level region. Finally, the assertion that it is an ancient name used by the Jehovist is an assertion only. It is the name of a special district, and the knowledge of it was the result of Jacob’s long-continued stay there. Chwolsohn says that traces of the name still remain in Faddβn and Tel Faddβn, two places close to Charran, mentioned by Yacut, the Arabian geographer, who flourished in the thirteenth century. Isaac intreated the Lord.—This barrenness lasted twenty years (Genesis 25:26), and must have greatly troubled Isaac; but it would also compel him to dwell much in thought upon the purpose for which he had been given to Abraham, and afterwards rescued from death upon the mount Jehovah-Jireh. And when offspring came, in answer to his earnest pleading of the promise, the delay would serve to impress upon both parents the religious significance of their existence as a separate race and family, and the necessity of training their children worthily. The derivation of the verb to intreat, from a noun signifying incense, is uncertain, but rendered probable by the natural connection of the idea of the ascending fragrance, and that of the prayer mounting heavenward (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:4). The children struggled together.—Two dissimilar nations sprang from Abraham, but from mothers totally unlike; so, too, from the peaceful Isaac two distinct races of men were to take their origin, but from the same mother, and the contest began while they were yet unborn. And Rebekah, apparently unaware that she was pregnant with twins, but harassed with the pain of strange jostlings and thrusts, grew despondent, and exclaimed— If it be so, why am I thus?—Literally, If so, why am I this?

Verse 31. Sell me this day thy birthright.] What the בחרה bechorah or birthright was, has greatly divided both ancient and modern commentators. It is generally supposed that the following rights were attached to the primogeniture: 1. Authority and superiority over the rest of the family. 2. A double portion of the paternal inheritance. 3. The peculiar benediction of the father. 4. The priesthood, previous to its establishment in the family of Aaron. Calmet controverts most of these rights, and with apparent reason, and seems to think that the double portion of the paternal inheritance was the only incontestable right which the first-born possessed; the others were such as were rather conceded to the first-born, than fixed by any law in the family. However this may be, it appears, 1. That the first-born were peculiarly consecrated to God, Exodus 22:29. 2. Were next in honour to their parents, Genesis 49:3. 3. Had a double portion of their father's goods, Deuteronomy 21:17. 4. Succeeded him in the government of the family or kingdom, 2 Chronicles 21:3. 5. Had the sole right of conducting the service of God, both at the tabernacle and temple; and hence the tribe of Levi, which was taken in lieu of the first-born, had the sole right of administration in the service of God, Numbers 8:14-18; and hence we may presume, had originally a right to the priesthood previous to the giving of the law; but however this might have been, afterwards the priesthood is never reckoned among the privileges of the first-born. That the birthright was a matter of very great importance, there can be no room to doubt; and that it was a transferable property, the transaction here sufficiently proves.

31. this day] Rather, as R.V. marg., first of all. So also in Genesis 25:33. See 1 Samuel 2:16, “they will surely burn the fat presently,” where “presently” = Heb. “this day,” i.e. “first of all.” The same idiom explains 1 Kings 22:5, where “to-day” should be rendered “first of all.” Jacob seizes his opportunity: Esau is too faint to question or oppose: the coveted privilege may be won at once by a bold bid. thy birthright] i.e. the rights and privileges of the firstborn. What these were is not defined. In 27 the blessing of the firstborn is chiefly regarded as a religious privilege rather than as a transfer of property. But it is clear from Genesis 43:33, Genesis 48:13-19, that the firstborn was regarded as entitled to a more honourable position and to a larger share of the inheritance than his brethren (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17). Jacob’s action on this occasion is recorded without disapproval. There is probably a touch of humour in the tradition, that by a stroke of cleverness Jacob, the younger, deprived his elder brother Esau of the advantage of the birthright; and, hence, Israel obtained a richer and more fertile land than Edom. The carelessness of Esau rather than the meanness of Jacob seems to meet with the contempt of the narrator.

31. Sell me this day thy birthright — “This birthright not only embraced the authority and honour of the patriarchal headship of the chosen family, but made its possessor heir to the Abrahamic