Jacob, Esau, and Stew

[Sleeping in EQ]

Setting aside the textual issues...

Esau always gets the brunt end of the stew story. I am amazed that few people remark that Jacob comes out of this story seeming like a slimy character.

Sure, Esau was foolish to trade his birthright for stew. But what does it say about Jacob that he would try to weedle his brother out of a birthright like this?

Nothing good. And don't even get me started on Rebekah's favoritism and the ole' switcheroo on the blind Isaac in Genesis 27.

The soap opera quality does make for interesting reading, though.

Genesis 25:29-34 (NRSV):

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." 32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" 33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yes, it is a bizarre story. I always felt that Jacob and his mother were pretty creepy in this whole affair.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Setting aside the textual issues...

Esau always gets the brunt end of the stew story. I am amazed that few people remark that Jacob comes out of this story seeming like a slimy character.

Sure, Esau was foolish to trade his birthright for stew. But what does it say about Jacob that he would try to weedle his brother out of a birthright like this?

Nothing good. And don't even get me started on Rebekah's favoritism and the ole' switcheroo on the blind Isaac in Genesis 27.

The soap opera quality does make for interesting reading, though.

Genesis 25:29-34 (NRSV):

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." 32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" 33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

I too have always been disturbed by this one. And I read a midrash that suggested, Esau was extremely famished, and they lived in the desert where Esau couldn't see the value of his birthright so Jacob deceived into selling it. There are several narratives like this one which are quite disturbing.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Setting aside the textual issues...

Esau always gets the brunt end of the stew story. I am amazed that few people remark that Jacob comes out of this story seeming like a slimy character.

Sure, Esau was foolish to trade his birthright for stew. But what does it say about Jacob that he would try to weedle his brother out of a birthright like this?

Nothing good. And don't even get me started on Rebekah's favoritism and the ole' switcheroo on the blind Isaac in Genesis 27.



The soap opera quality does make for interesting reading, though.

Genesis 25:29-34 (NRSV):

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." 32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" 33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

It is a very fitting story for how people perceive it is like to have business dealing with a Jew or for that matter mormons.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Yes, it is a bizarre story. I always felt that Jacob and his mother were pretty creepy in this whole affair.

I agree, it's an odd story.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Originally Posted by BYU71

It is a very fitting story for how people perceive it is like to have business dealing with a Jew or for that matter mormons.

Perhaps it's the beginning of the sterotype.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Perhaps it's the beginning of the sterotype.

Or perhaps that is what the "birthright" meant. The right to take advantage of people.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by Sleeping in EQ

Setting aside the textual issues...

Esau always gets the brunt end of the stew story. I am amazed that few people remark that Jacob comes out of this story seeming like a slimy character.

Sure, Esau was foolish to trade his birthright for stew. But what does it say about Jacob that he would try to weedle his brother out of a birthright like this?

Nothing good. And don't even get me started on Rebekah's favoritism and the ole' switcheroo on the blind Isaac in Genesis 27.

The soap opera quality does make for interesting reading, though.

Gary Rendsburg (http://jewishstudies.rutgers.edu/faculty/grendsburg/) explained in a recent lecture I attended that Jacob having to work 14 years for Rachel was his comeuppance for ripping off Esau. There's a parallelism based on age seniority that Jacob circumvented with Esau, and then tried to circumvent with Laban. Consequently, Laban tricked Jacob with a similar deception. Easy come, easy go, Jake.

I've also thought that Esau is vilified in LDS lesson manuals because he marries a Canaanite, http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.js...ontentLocale=0

but he never gets credit for forgiving his brother. After years apart, Jacob was afraid to meet him (Gen. 32.7) but Esau ran to meet his brother and embraced him (33.4). It's a great story.

[il Padrino Ute]

Any guy who would trade his birthright for a bowl of soup doesn't deserve the birthright.

[Indy Coug]

I bet Esau was everyone's favorite owner in their fantasy league.