1
Προσθέμενος δὲ Αβρααμ ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα ᾗ ὄνομα Χεττουρα.
And Abraham again took a wife, whose name was Keturah.
The Hebraizing participial construction Προσθέμενος … ἔλαβεν calques Hebrew וַיֹּסֶף … וַיִּקַּח, the idiom 'he added and took' meaning 'he took again.' The particle δέ marks a new episode within the Abraham narrative, following the conclusion of the Rebekah marriage in chapter 24. The verse is the only reference to Keturah in Genesis proper; 1 Chr 1:32 LXX calls her a concubine (παλλακή), raising a tension the LXX here does not resolve.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
Προσθέμενοςproceeding / againAor Mid Part Nom Sg Masc · προστίθημιattendant-circumstance participle (Hebraistic resumptive idiom)→ constative aorist (single additional resumptive action)προστίθημι: 'add / proceed to'; as a participial Hebraism Προσθέμενος + finite verb = 'he did X again / additionally,' calquing Hebrew וַיֹּסֶף (wayyōsep, hiphil of יָסַף). The LXX consistently uses this construction for the resumptive Hebrew idiom (cf. Gen 4:2; 8:12; 38:5). The form signals that Abraham's reproductive story was not exhausted with Sarah's death.
δὲandmild adversative / narrative particle (marking new episode)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: LXX transliteration of אַבְרָהָם (ʾAbrāhām = 'father of a multitude'), the name given at 17:5; indeclinable in Greek. His taking of Keturah is surprising after Sarah's death (23:2) and the solemnity of the burial chapter; the narrator presents it without comment.
ἔλαβενtookAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λαμβάνωmain verb→ constative aorist (single completed act of taking a wife)λαμβάνω: 'take'; in the matrimonial formula λαμβάνω + γυναῖκα renders Hebrew לָקַח אִשָּׁה (lāqaḥ ʾiššāh), the standard idiom for taking a wife (cf. 11:29; 24:3, 67).
γυναῖκαa wifeAccusativedirect object (anarthrous: new character introduced)→ object specificationγυνή: 'woman / wife'; the LXX uses γυναῖκα (wife) where 1 Chr 1:32 uses παλλακή (concubine) for Keturah; the honorific term may reflect the translator's exegetical preference or a different Vorlage tradition.
ᾗwhoseDativerelative pronoun, dative of possession ('to whom there was a name')→ participant reference or interestᾗ: meaning 'whose'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as relative pronoun, dative of possession ('to whom there was a name').
ὄνομαnameNominativesubject of implied copula (ᾗ ὄνομα X = 'whose name was X')→ participant prominenceὄνομα: 'name'; the idiom ᾗ ὄνομα + predicate calques Hebrew וּשְׁמָהּ X, the Hebraistic formula for introducing a character's name (cf. 16:1: ᾗ ὄνομα Αγαρ).
ΧεττουραKeturahpredicate nominative (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΧεττουρα: LXX transliteration of קְטוּרָה (Qeṭûrāh), probably related to Hebrew קְטֹרֶת ('incense / fragrance'), evoking the aromatic trade goods of her Arabian descendants; indeclinable in Greek. She appears only here and at 1 Chr 1:32–33.
2
ἔτεκεν δὲ αὐτῷ τὸν Ζεμβραν καὶ τὸν Ιεξαν καὶ τὸν Μαδαν καὶ τὸν Μαδιαμ καὶ τὸν Ιεσβοκ καὶ τὸν Σουε.
And she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Isbak and Shuah.
Paratactic καί-list renders the Hebrew name-sequence verbatim. The six sons correspond to Arabian ethnic groups east and south of Canaan; Μαδιαμ (Midian) is the most prominent, appearing as an Israelite trading partner and antagonist throughout the Pentateuch and Judges.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
ἔτεκενboreAor Act Indic 3 Sg · τίκτωmain verb→ constative aorist (collective bearing of six sons)τίκτω: 'bear / give birth'; the standard maternal genealogical verb; the subject is Keturah, carried from v.1.
δὲandcontinuative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
αὐτῷto himDativedative of advantage (indirect object: to/for Abraham)→ participant reference or interestαὐτῷ: meaning 'to him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative of advantage (indirect object: to/for Abraham).
τὸν ΖεμβρανZimranAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name; first of six)→ object specificationΖεμβραν: LXX for זִמְרָן (Zimrān); possibly related to Hebrew זֶמֶר ('song / music'); location unknown.
τὸν ΙεξανJokshanAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΙεξαν: LXX for יָקְשָׁן (Yāqešān); his sons Sheba and Dedan are listed in v.3, placing him in the south-Arabian sphere.
τὸν ΜαδανMedanAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΜαδαν: LXX for מְדָן (Medān); a group often identified with the Midianites or adjacent tribes.
τὸν ΜαδιαμMidianAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΜαδιαμ: LXX for מִדְיָן (Midyān); eponymous ancestor of the Midianites; Moses' father-in-law Jethro is a Midianite priest (Exod 3:1 LXX), and the Midianites reappear as antagonists in Numbers 22–25 and Judges 6–8.
τὸν ΙεσβοκIsbakAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΙεσβοκ: LXX for יִשְׁבָּק (Yišbāq); unattested outside this genealogy.
τὸν ΣουεShuahAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name; last of six)→ object specificationΣουε: LXX for שׁוּחַ (Šûaḥ); the father of Bildad the Shuhite (Job 2:11 LXX: Βαλδαδ ὁ Σαυχίτης), connecting this Abrahamic genealogy to the wisdom tradition.
3
Ιεξαν δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σαβα καὶ τὸν Δαιδαν. υἱοὶ δὲ Δαιδαν ἐγένοντο Ραγουηλ καὶ Ναβδεηλ καὶ Ασσουριιμ καὶ Λατουσιιμ καὶ Λαομιιμ.
And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Raguel and Nabdeel and Asourim and Latousin and Laomiin.
The genealogy extends one generation into Jokshan's line. Σαβα and Δαιδαν denote the major south-Arabian peoples of Sheba and Dedan; the Queen of Sheba is the most famous representative (1 Kgs 10). Dedan's five sons are unknown outside this list; the pluralized forms Ασσουριιμ, Λατουσιιμ, Λαομιιμ suggest tribal groupings (gentilic plurals) rather than named individuals.
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
ΙεξανJokshansubject (indeclinable proper name, from v.2)→ participant identificationΙεξαν: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name, from v.2).
δὲandcontinuative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐγέννησενfatheredAor Act Indic 3 Sg · γεννάωmain verb (genealogical begetting)→ constative aoristγεννάω: 'beget / father'; the standard LXX paternal genealogical verb, rendering Hebrew יָלַד in the hiphil; distinct from the maternal τίκτω of v.2.
τὸν ΣαβαShebaAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΣαβα: LXX for שְׁבָא (Šeḇāʾ); the Sabaean kingdom of south Arabia, famous for spices, gold, and trade (cf. 1 Kgs 10:1–13 LXX: βασίλισσα Σαβα).
τὸν ΔαιδανDedanAccusativedirect object (article + indeclinable name)→ object specificationΔαιδαν: LXX for דְּדָן (Dedān); a north-Arabian trading people mentioned in Ezek 27:15, 20 and Jer 25:23 LXX; his five sons below are otherwise obscure.
υἱοὶsonsNominativesubject (predicate nominative construction for second clause)→ participant prominenceυἱοὶ: meaning 'sons'; it serves as subject (predicate nominative construction for second clause).
δὲandcontinuative particle (introducing second clause)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
Δαιδανof DedanGenitivegenitive of relationship (indeclinable, treated as genitive by position)→ participant identificationΔαιδαν: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of relationship (indeclinable, treated as genitive by position).
ἐγένοντοwereAor Mid Indic 3 Pl · γίνομαιmain verb (existential enumeration: 'there were')→ constative aorist (collective listing of offspring)γίνομαι: 'become / be'; υἱοὶ δὲ Δαιδαν ἐγένοντο X renders Hebrew וּבְנֵי דְּדָן הָיוּ X, the standard genealogical predication formula.
ΡαγουηλRaguelpredicate nominative (indeclinable name; first of five)→ participant identificationΡαγουηλ: LXX for רַעְוֵאל (Raʿwēʾl = 'friend of God'); the same name as Moses' father-in-law in Num 10:29 LXX.
ΝαβδεηλNabdeelpredicate nominative (indeclinable name)→ participant identificationΝαβδεηλ: LXX for נַבְדְּאֵל; otherwise unattested.
ΑσσουριιμAsourimpredicate nominative (indeclinable gentilic plural = tribal group)→ participant identificationΑσσουριιμ: LXX for אַשּׁוּרִים; a nomadic tribal name, not to be confused with Assyria (Ἀσσύριοι).
ΛατουσιιμLatousinpredicate nominative (indeclinable gentilic plural)→ participant identificationΛατουσιιμ: LXX for לְטוּשִׁם; location unknown.
ΛαομιιμLaomiinpredicate nominative (indeclinable plural; last of five)→ participant identificationΛαομιιμ: LXX for לְאֻמִּים; the Hebrew term may mean simply 'peoples / clans' (a common noun), but the LXX treats it as a proper name in this genealogical list.
4
υἱοὶ δὲ Μαδιαμ· Γεφαρ καὶ Αφερ καὶ Ενωχ καὶ Αβιδα καὶ Ελδαγα. πάντες οὗτοι ἦσαν υἱοὶ Χεττουρας.
And the sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Enoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah.
The Midianite sons close the Keturah genealogy; the summary πάντες οὗτοι ἦσαν υἱοὶ Χεττουρας gathers all the branching lines of vv.1–4 back to their common ancestress. The Midianite sons reappear at Isa 60:6 (Μαδιαν and Γαιφα / Εφα) in the eschatological vision of the nations bringing tribute to Zion.
Word-by-word analysis· 13 words
υἱοὶsonsNominativesubject (predicate nominative construction)→ participant prominenceυἱοὶ: meaning 'sons'; it serves as subject (predicate nominative construction).
δὲandcontinuative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
Μαδιαμof MidianGenitivegenitive of relationship (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΜαδιαμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of relationship (indeclinable proper name).
ΓεφαρEphahpredicate nominative (indeclinable name; first of five)→ participant identificationΓεφαρ: LXX for עֵיפָה (ʿÊpāh); Isa 60:6 MT names Midian and Ephah together as bearers of tribute to Zion in the eschatological pilgrimage.
ΑφερEpherpredicate nominative (indeclinable name)→ participant identificationΑφερ: LXX for עֵפֶר (ʿÊper); possibly related to Hebrew עֹפֶר ('fawn').
ΕνωχEnochpredicate nominative (indeclinable name)→ participant identificationΕνωχ: LXX for חֲנֹוךְ (Ḥănōk); the same name as the famous Enoch of Gen 5:18–24 (who walked with God), but a distinct figure here.
ΑβιδαAbidapredicate nominative (indeclinable name)→ participant identificationΑβιδα: LXX for אֲבִידָע (ʾAḇîdāʿ = 'my father knows').
ΕλδαγαEldaahpredicate nominative (indeclinable name; last of five)→ participant identificationΕλδαγα: LXX for אֶלְדָּעָה (ʾEldāʿāh = 'God has known').
πάντεςallNominativeadjective substantive (subject of summary close)→ participant prominenceπᾶς: 'all'; πάντες οὗτοι ('all these') functions as a resumptive summary gathering all the Keturah descendant-lines of vv.2–4 under a single maternal heading.
οὗτοιtheseNominativedemonstrative pronoun subject (resumptive, referring to vv.2–4 list)→ participant referenceοὗτοι: meaning 'these'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as demonstrative pronoun subject (resumptive, referring to vv.2–4 list).
ἦσανwereImpf Act Indic 3 Pl · εἰμίcopula (summary predication)→ descriptive imperfect (standing genealogical relationship)εἰμί: 'be'; the imperfect ἦσαν with the perfect participle ἠτιμασμένοι forms a periphrastic pluperfect-like construction ('had been / were in a state of being dishonored'), stressing the men's continuing condition of shame.
υἱοὶsonsNominativepredicate nominative→ participant prominenceυἱοὶ: meaning 'sons'; it serves as predicate nominative.
Χεττουραςof KeturahGenitivegenitive of relationship (indeclinable proper name treated as genitive by context)→ participant identificationΧεττουρας: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of relationship (indeclinable proper name treated as genitive by context).
5
Ἔδωκεν δὲ Αβρααμ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ Ισαακ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ·
And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac his son.
The δέ-clause pivots from genealogy to legal settlement. The phrase πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ('all the possessions / all that belongs') is the LXX's standard rendering of the Hebrew כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ, marking a total transfer. Isaac is named as the exclusive heir in fulfillment of the covenant promise (21:10–12).
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
ἜδωκενgaveAor Act Indic 3 Sg · δίδωμιmain verb→ constative aorist (single completed act of transfer)δίδωμι: 'give'; renders Hebrew נָתַן (nātan); the estate-transfer verb signals formal legal disposition of property, not merely informal gifting.
δὲandnarrative particle (transitional)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name).
πάνταallAccusativeadjective substantive (direct object modifier: 'all things')→ attributive qualificationπᾶς: 'all / everything'; πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα = 'all the possessions / all that belonged'; the emphatic πάντα underlines the totality of the bequest to Isaac and the corresponding exclusion of the other sons.
τὰ ὑπάρχονταthe possessionsPres Act Part Acc Pl Neut · ὑπάρχωsubstantival participle (direct object: 'things that belong / possessions')→ progressive (ongoing possession up to the moment of transfer)ὑπάρχω: 'belong to / exist'; τὰ ὑπάρχοντα as a substantive = 'one's property / what one has'; a standard legal-administrative term in LXX and NT (cf. Luke 12:15; Acts 4:32).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (referring to Abraham)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (referring to Abraham).
Ισαακto Isaacindirect object (indeclinable proper name, dative by context)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: LXX transliteration of יִצְחָק (Yiṣḥāq = 'he laughs'); indeclinable; designated as sole heir in fulfillment of 17:19–21 and the restriction of the promise-seed to the Isaanic line (cf. 21:12; Rom 9:7).
τῷtheDativearticle (attributive with υἱῷ αὐτοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτῷ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
υἱῷsonDativeappositive to Ισαακ in the dative (identifying Isaac as his son)→ sphere or referenceυἱῷ: meaning 'son'; it serves as appositive to Ισαακ in the dative (identifying Isaac as his son).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of relationship (modifying υἱῷ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of relationship (modifying υἱῷ).
6
καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν παλλακῶν αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν Αβρααμ δόματα καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ Ισαακ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς εἰς γῆν ἀνατολῶν.
But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son while he was still alive, eastward to the land of the east.
The καί here is mildly adversative by context: Isaac receives πάντα (v.5), the concubines' sons receive only δόματα ('gifts'). The eastward dispatch mirrors the expulsion of Ishmael (21:14) and establishes a narrative geography in which the promise-people occupy Canaan while Abrahamic-but-non-Isaanic peoples are relegated to the east. The genitive absolute ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ ('while he was still alive') makes clear this was deliberate ante-mortem settlement, not post-mortem testamentary arrangement.
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
καὶand / butadversative-coordinate conjunction (contrasting with v.5's total bequest)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
τοῖς υἱοῖςto the sonsDativedative of advantage (indirect object)→ sphere or referenceτοῖς υἱοῖς: meaning 'to the sons'; it serves as dative of advantage (indirect object).
τῶν παλλακῶνof the concubinesGenitivegenitive of relationship (modifying υἱοῖς)→ relational specificationπαλλακή: 'concubine'; renders Hebrew פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîlegeš); the plural reflects both Hagar (cf. 16:3; 21:9–14) and Keturah (who, despite the γυναῖκα of v.1, is effectively reclassified here as a concubine, matching 1 Chr 1:32).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (referring to Abraham)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (referring to Abraham).
ἔδωκενgaveAor Act Indic 3 Sg · δίδωμιmain verb (first of two actions in the verse)→ constative aorist (completed act of gifting)δίδωμι: 'give'; renders נָתַן; in the idiom ἔδωκεν ἐν χειρί ('gave into the hand of') it denotes the formal transfer of command authority to Abishai.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject (indeclinable proper name, post-verbal for emphasis)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name, post-verbal for emphasis).
δόματαgiftsAccusativedirect object→ object specificationδόμα: 'gift / present'; renders Hebrew מַתָּנֹות (mattānôt); the term δόματα (plural) contrasts with the single comprehensive πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα of v.5 — the concubines' sons receive plural portions, but not the inheritance.
καὶandnarrative conjunction (joining the two verbs)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐξαπέστειλενsent awayAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐξαποστέλλωmain verb (second action: formal dismissal)→ constative aorist (single completed dispatch)ἐξαποστέλλω: 'send away / dispatch'; a compound that intensifies the separation; the same verb (or its simplex ἀποστέλλω) is used of Hagar's expulsion (21:14), creating a narrative parallel: both Hagar and the concubines' sons are sent east, away from the promise-son.
αὐτοὺςthemAccusativedirect object (the concubines' sons)→ participant referenceαὐτοὺς: meaning 'them'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object (the concubines' sons).
ἀπὸ Ισαακfrom Isaacprepositional phrase (ablative: separation from the heir)→ spatial or relational framingThe phrase ἀπὸ Ισαακ underlines the purpose: the other sons are removed from proximity to the heir, preventing any future competition for the inheritance.
ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦwhile he was still livingPres Act Part Gen Sg Masc · ζάωgenitive absolute (temporal: contemporaneous with the main action)→ progressive (ongoing life at the time of the dispatch)ζάω: 'live'; the genitive absolute ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ ('while he was still living') emphasizes that Abraham acted deliberately and with full legal capacity — this was no deathbed arrangement but a considered ante-mortem settlement.
πρὸς ἀνατολάςto the eastprepositional phrase (directional: eastward)→ spatial or relational framingἀνατολή: 'east / rising (of the sun)'; the east is the direction of non-promise territories in Genesis — Cain (4:16), the tower-builders (11:2), and Lot (13:11) all move eastward; here it spatially enacts the theological boundary of the covenant.
εἰς γῆν ἀνατολῶνinto the land of the eastprepositional phrase (destination; parallel to πρὸς ἀνατολάς)→ spatial or relational framingγῆ ἀνατολῶν: 'land of the east'; renders Hebrew אֶרֶץ קֶדֶם (ʾereṣ qedem), the designation for the desert and steppe regions east of Canaan inhabited by nomadic Arabian peoples — the territory now occupied by Keturah's descendants.
7
Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ἔτη ἡμερῶν ζωῆς Αβρααμ, ὅσα ἔζησεν· ἑκατὸν ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε ἔτη.
Now these are the years of the days of Abraham's life, as many as he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years.
The formulaic lifespan notice τὰ ἔτη ἡμερῶν ζωῆς X ('the years of the days of X's life') is the standard toledoth obituary construction (cf. 5:3–31; 11:10–32). The tautological genitive chain ἔτη ἡμερῶν ζωῆς ('years of days of life') is a Hebraism calquing שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי X ('the years of the life of X'). Abraham's 175 years = 100 (his age at Isaac's birth, 21:5) + 75 more years.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
Ταῦταnow theseNominativedemonstrative pronoun subject (anticipating the noun phrase)→ participant referenceΤαῦτα: meaning 'now these'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as demonstrative pronoun subject (anticipating the noun phrase).
δὲand / nowcontinuative particle (narrative transition to death-notice)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
τὰ ἔτηthe yearsNominativepredicate nominative (in apposition to Ταῦτα)→ participant prominenceἔτος: 'year'; the triple genitive chain ἔτη ἡμερῶν ζωῆς is a Hebraism for the total number of years constituting a life.
ἡμερῶνof the daysGenitivegenitive of content (appositional: 'years that are days')→ relational specificationἡμερῶν: meaning 'of the days'; it serves as genitive of content (appositional: 'years that are days').
ζωῆςof lifeGenitivegenitive of quality (characterizing the days as living days)→ relational specificationζωή: 'life'; the genitive chain ἔτη ἡμερῶν ζωῆς renders שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי X, a formulaic obituary phrase appearing throughout Gen 5 for the antediluvian patriarchs.
Αβρααμof AbrahamGenitivegenitive of possession (the subject of the lifespan notice)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of possession (the subject of the lifespan notice).
ὅσαas many asAccusativerelative pronoun (accusative of extent: 'all the years that he lived')→ participant referenceὅσος: 'as many / as much as'; here as a relative pronoun introducing the total count of years actually lived; the phrase ὅσα ἔζησεν is explanatory, underscoring that the following number is the full life total.
ἔζησενhe livedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ζάωverb in relative clause→ constative aorist (life as a completed whole)ζάω (aor. ἔζησεν): 'live / come to life'; renders חָיָה; the ingressive aorist marks the dead man's revival upon contact with the bones.
ἑκατὸν ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε ἔτηone hundred and seventy-five yearsAccusativeaccusative of extent of time (the lifespan figure)→ object specification175 years: Abraham enters Canaan at 75 (12:4), Isaac is born at 100 (21:5), so he lives 75 more years after Isaac's birth. The number is the same in MT (175) and LXX. Contrast his father Terah at 205 (11:32 LXX) and his grandfather Nahor at 148 (11:25 LXX).
8
ἐκλιπὼν δὲ Αβρααμ ἀπέθανεν ἐν γήρει καλῷ πρεσβύτης καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.
And Abraham expired and died in a good old age, an old man and full of days, and was gathered to his people.
Three formulaic death-verbs accumulate to mark Abraham's passing: ἐκλιπών ('having expired'), ἀπέθανεν ('died'), and προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ('was gathered to his people') — the last being a euphemism for ancestral reunion after death, used of the patriarchs (cf. 15:15; 35:29; 49:33). The doublet πρεσβύτης καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν ('old and full of days') is the classical LXX formula for a life of divinely granted completeness; it recurs at Job 42:17 LXX and underlies Luke 2:29 (Simeon's departure in peace after seeing what he lived to see).
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
ἐκλιπὼνhaving expiredAor Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ἐκλείπωattendant-circumstance participle (preceding the main verb ἀπέθανεν)→ constative aorist (breath ceasing as the moment of death)ἐκλείπω: 'fail / give out / expire'; renders Hebrew וַיִּגְוַע (wayyiḡwaʿ, 'he breathed his last'); a physical description of the cessation of breath at death, used with the same force at Gen 35:29 and 49:33 for Isaac and Jacob respectively.
δὲandnarrative particle (transitional)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name).
ἀπέθανενdiedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀποθνῄσκωmain verb→ constative aorist (death as a single completed event)ἀποθνῄσκω: 'die'; renders Hebrew וַיָּמָת (wayyāmāt), the standard narrative death verb; together with ἐκλιπών and προσετέθη it forms the triple obituary formula standard for patriarchs.
ἐν γήρει καλῷin a good old ageDativeprepositional phrase (circumstantial dative of manner/condition)→ spatial or relational framingγῆρας: 'old age'; καλός ('good / fine') renders Hebrew טוֹב ('good'); the phrase ἐν γήρει καλῷ echoes God's promise to Abraham at 15:15 (σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, τραφεὶς ἐν γήρει καλῷ), marking the death as fulfillment of that promise.
πρεσβύτηςan old manNominativepredicate nominative (in apposition to Αβρααμ, describing his state at death)→ participant prominenceπρεσβύτης: 'old man / elder'; the word evokes both advanced age and honored status; the noun is used of Zechariah at Luke 1:18 (ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι πρεσβύτης) in a context that echoes the Abrahamic infertility-and-promise pattern.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (linking the two appositive epithets)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
πλήρης ἡμερῶνfull of daysNominativepredicate nominative (second epithet in the doublet)→ participant prominenceπλήρης: 'full / complete'; πλήρης ἡμερῶν renders Hebrew שְׂבַע יָמִים ('sated with days'), conveying a life lived to completion and satisfaction — the opposite of untimely death. The doublet πρεσβύτης καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν recurs at Job 42:17 LXX for the death of Job, the other great patriarch of the wisdom tradition.
καὶandnarrative conjunction (connecting the third death-formula)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
προσετέθηwas gatheredAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · προστίθημιsecond main verb (completing the death formula)→ constative aorist (single completed transition at death)προστίθημι: 'add / gather'; the passive προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ('was added / gathered to his people') renders Hebrew וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו, an idiom for death construed as ancestral reunion. The divine passive implies God as the agent of the gathering; the phrase reappears at the deaths of Ishmael (v.17), Isaac (35:29), and Jacob (49:33).
πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦto his peopleprepositional phrase (goal of the gathering: reunion with ancestral dead)→ spatial or relational framingλαός: 'people'; the phrase πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ is a euphemism for death as reunion with ancestors, carrying an implicit sense of post-mortem existence; contrast the bareness of merely 'dying' (ἀποθνῄσκω).
9
καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν Ισαακ καὶ Ισμαηλ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ διπλοῦν εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν Εφρων τοῦ Σααρ τοῦ Χετταίου, ὅ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι Μαμβρη,
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the double cave, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, which is opposite Mamre,
The surprising subject — Ισαακ καὶ Ισμαηλ, the two estranged sons together — is the theological center of the burial notice. The expulsion of Ishmael (21:14) is silently bridged: the two sons are reunited over their father's body without narrative explanation. The cave purchased in chapter 23 at great length now receives its proper occupant. The verse ends with a dependent relative clause (ὅ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι Μαμβρη), continued in v.10.
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction (Hebraizing καί-parataxis)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἔθαψανburiedAor Act Indic 3 Pl · θάπτωmain verb→ constative aorist (single completed burial)θάπτω: 'bury'; renders Hebrew וַיִּקְבְּרוּ (wayyiqbeʾrû); the plural subject — both Ισαακ and Ισμαηλ — is the narrative's silent reconciliation of the two brothers over their father's grave.
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object (Abraham)→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object (Abraham).
ΙσαακIsaacsubject (co-agent, first-named; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (co-agent, first-named; indeclinable).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (joining the two subjects)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙσμαηλIshmaelsubject (co-agent, second-named; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙσμαηλ: LXX for יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yišmāʿēʾl = 'God hears'); his appearance here is his only post-expulsion cameo in the Genesis narrative; the two brothers cooperate in burial without the conflict of their lifetimes being narrated.
οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦhis sonsNominativeappositive to Ισαακ καὶ Ισμαηλ (identifying them as Abraham's sons)→ participant prominenceοἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his sons'; it serves as appositive to Ισαακ καὶ Ισμαηλ (identifying them as Abraham's sons).
εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ διπλοῦνin the double caveAccusativeprepositional phrase (goal of burial: the Machpelah cave)→ spatial or relational framingσπήλαιον: 'cave'; τὸ διπλοῦν ('the double') renders Hebrew הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (hammakpēlāh), which may mean 'the double (cave)' — the LXX translates rather than transliterates, making the cave's unusual character visible to Greek readers. The cave was purchased in Gen 23.
εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν Εφρωνin the field of EphronAccusativeprepositional phrase (location specifying the field's owner)→ spatial or relational framingΕφρων: LXX for עֶפְרוֹן (ʿEprôn); the Hittite from whom Abraham purchased the field (23:8–17).
τοῦ Σααρ τοῦ Χετταίουson of Zohar the HittiteGenitivegenitive of relationship (patronymic + ethnic identification)→ relational specificationΣααρ: LXX for צֹחַר (Ṣōḥar); Χετταῖος renders חִתִּי (Ḥittî, 'Hittite').
ὅ ἐστιν ἀπέναντι Μαμβρηwhich is opposite Mamrerelative clause (geographical locator)→ clausal contributionΜαμβρη: LXX for מַמְרֵא (Mamrēʾ); the oak grove of Mamre near Hebron where Abraham encamped (13:18; 18:1); the landmark identifies the precise location of Machpelah.
10
τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ τὸ σπήλαιον, ὃ ἐκτήσατο Αβρααμ παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Χετ· ἐκεῖ ἔθαψαν Αβρααμ καὶ Σαρραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ.
the field and the cave that Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth — there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife.
The verse continues the geographical specification of v.9 (asyndeton, as the sentence flows from v.9's relative clause), then closes with the burial summary. The anaphoric ἐκεῖ ('there') closes the geographical description with a formal burial record. The inclusion of Σαρραν marks Abraham's reunion with his wife in the tomb he purchased for her (23:19).
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ τὸ σπήλαιονthe field and the caveAccusativedirect object of ἐκτήσατο (resuming and specifying what was purchased)→ object specificationThe pair τὸν ἀγρὸν καὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ('the field and the cave') matches the purchase language of 23:17–20, formally closing the land-acquisition story by confirming its use.
ὃwhichAccusativerelative pronoun (introducing the purchase clause; neuter singular summarizing the whole property)→ participant referenceὃ: meaning 'which'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as relative pronoun (introducing the purchase clause; neuter singular summarizing the whole property).
ἐκτήσατοhad purchasedAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · κτάομαιverb in relative clause→ constative aorist (referring back to the purchase of Gen 23)κτάομαι: 'acquire / purchase'; renders Hebrew קָנָה (qānāh), the commercial term for the Machpelah purchase (23:18); the middle voice emphasizes the personal acquisition for Abraham's own use.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject of ἐκτήσατο (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject of ἐκτήσατο (indeclinable).
παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Χετfrom the sons of HethGenitiveprepositional phrase (ablative: source of the purchase)→ spatial or relational framingυἱοὶ Χετ: 'sons of Heth' = the Hittites of Hebron; Χετ is LXX for חֵת (Ḥēt), eponymous ancestor of the Hittites. The purchase from them in Gen 23 was Abraham's only land-holding in Canaan, making the burial site his only legal foothold in the promised land.
ἐκεῖthereadverb of place (anaphoric: resuming the location of v.9)→ adverbial qualificationἐκεῖ: meaning 'there'; it shapes time, manner, location, or discourse flow in the clause.
ἔθαψανthey buriedAor Act Indic 3 Pl · θάπτωmain verb (formal burial summary)→ constative aorist (completed burial)θάπτω: 'bury'; renders קָבַר; the men of Jabesh buried Saul, an act of ḥesed that David honors in vv. 5–7; the verb recurs (ἐθάψατε, v. 5; θάπτουσιν, v. 32) as a structural keyword of the chapter.
ΑβρααμAbrahamdirect object (first of the two named burials; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as direct object (first of the two named burials; indeclinable).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΣαρρανSarahAccusativedirect object (second of the two named burials; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΣαρρα: LXX transliteration of שָׂרָה (Śārāh = 'princess'); her burial in this cave was narrated in 23:19; her mention here closes the couple's story with a final juxtaposition — Abraham joins Sarah in the cave he purchased for her.
τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦhis wifeAccusativeappositive to Σαρραν (identifying her relationship to Abraham)→ object specificationτὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his wife'; it serves as appositive to Σαρραν (identifying her relationship to Abraham).
11
Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Αβρααμ εὐλόγησεν ὁ θεὸς Ισαακ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ κατῴκησεν Ισαακ παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως.
And it came to pass after Abraham died that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by the Well of the Vision.
The Hebraizing formula Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Αβρααμ ('it came to pass after the death of Abraham') marks a narrative pivot: the Abrahamic era closes and the Isaanic era begins. The divine blessing (εὐλόγησεν ὁ θεός) transfers down the covenant line. The φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως ('Well of the Vision' = Beer-lahai-roi) echoes Hagar's encounter with the angel in 16:14, the well associated with divine seeing — Isaac occupies Hagar's well, a quiet narrative irony.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
Ἐγένετοit came to passAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · γίνομαιframing verb (Hebraizing narrative opener καὶ ἐγένετο / ἐγένετο δέ)→ constative aorist (inaugurating new narrative phase)γίνομαι: the formula Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ + articular infinitive calques Hebrew וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי + infinitive, the standard narrative transition after a major character's death (cf. Josh 1:1; 2 Sam 1:1 LXX).
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖνafter the dyingAor Act Inf · ἀποθνῄσκωprepositional phrase with articular infinitive (temporal: 'after Abraham died')→ constative aorist (the death as a single event in the past)μετὰ τὸ + infinitive: the standard LXX construction for temporal 'after X happened'; the articular infinitive τὸ ἀποθανεῖν renders the Hebrew infinitive construct אַחֲרֵי מוֹת.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject of infinitive (in accusative function by attraction)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject of infinitive (in accusative function by attraction).
εὐλόγησενblessedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · εὐλογέωmain verb (apodosis of the temporal construction)→ constative aorist (completed act of blessing)εὐλογέω: 'bless'; renders Hebrew בֵּרַךְ (bērak); the direct transmission of the covenant blessing from Abraham to Isaac (cf. 17:19; 26:3–4); the subject ὁ θεός is placed after the verb, a Hebrew-style subject-verb-object order.
ὁ θεὸςGodNominativesubject (post-verbal: Hebrew word-order retained)→ participant prominenceθεός: here without the article κύριος; the LXX alternates between θεός and κύριος for the divine name depending on the underlying Hebrew text (here אֱלֹהִים).
ΙσαακIsaacdirect object (indeclinable; the recipient of the covenant blessing)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as direct object (indeclinable; the recipient of the covenant blessing).
τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦhis sonAccusativeappositive to Ισαακ (identifying him as Abraham's son)→ object specificationτὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his son'; it serves as appositive to Ισαακ (identifying him as Abraham's son).
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
κατῴκησενdweltAor Act Indic 3 Sg · κατοικέωmain verb (second clause: Isaac's place of settlement)→ ingressive aorist (beginning of his dwelling at the well)κατοικέω: 'dwell / settle'; renders Hebrew וַיֵּשֶׁב; Isaac settles at the Beer-lahai-roi, the well of Hagar's theophany (16:7–14) — a detail mentioned also at 24:62.
ΙσαακIsaacsubject (indeclinable; named again for clarity after the narrative transition)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable; named again for clarity after the narrative transition).
παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεωςby the Well of the VisionAccusativeprepositional phrase (locative: beside the well)→ spatial or relational framingφρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως: LXX translation of Hebrew בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי (Beʾēr laḥay rōʾî = 'Well of the Living One who sees me'), the site of Hagar's theophany (16:14; 24:62). The LXX renders rather than transliterates, making the well's name theologically transparent: the 'Well of the Vision' (ὅρασις = divine vision/appearance).
12
Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Ισμαηλ τοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμ, ὃν ἔτεκεν Αγαρ ἡ Αἰγυπτία ἡ παιδίσκη Σαρρας τῷ Αβρααμ.
Now these are the generations of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, the handmaid of Sarah, bore to Abraham.
The formula Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις X ('now these are the generations/descendants of X') is the standard LXX rendering of אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדֹת X, the toledoth formula that structures the book of Genesis. This toledoth covers Ishmael's descendants (vv.13–18); a corresponding Isaanic toledoth opens at v.19. The verse is carefully constructed to identify Ishmael by both paternity (Αβρααμ) and maternity (Αγαρ ἡ Αἰγυπτία ἡ παιδίσκη Σαρρας), underscoring the ambiguity of his status: son of Abraham, but of a slave woman.
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
ΑὗταιtheseNominativedemonstrative pronoun subject (anticipating αἱ γενέσεις)→ participant referenceΑὗται: meaning 'these'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as demonstrative pronoun subject (anticipating αἱ γενέσεις).
δὲnowcontinuative particle (marking a new toledoth section)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'now'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
αἱ γενέσειςthe generationsNominativepredicate nominative (the toledoth formula noun)→ participant prominenceγένεσις: 'origin / generation / genealogy'; αἱ γενέσεις renders Hebrew תֹּלְדֹת (tōledōt), the genealogical-narrative heading formula that structures Genesis. The toledoth is both a genealogical list and a narrative introduction to the descendants' story.
Ισμαηλof IshmaelGenitivegenitive of relationship (the subject of the toledoth; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙσμαηλ: LXX for יִשְׁמָעֵאל ('God hears'); his twelve-son genealogy structurally mirrors the Jacobite twelve of ch.49, completing the picture of Abraham's two great national lines.
τοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμson of AbrahamGenitivegenitive of relationship (appositive patronymic)→ relational specificationτοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμ: meaning 'son of Abraham'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
ὃν ἔτεκενwhom boreAor Act Indic 3 Sg · τίκτωverb in relative clause (identifying Ishmael's mother)→ constative aoristτίκτω: meaning 'whom bore'; it carries the action, process, or state of the clause; here it functions as verb in relative clause (identifying Ishmael's mother).
ΑγαρHagarsubject of ἔτεκεν (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΑγαρ: LXX for הָגָר (Hāgār); the Egyptian slave-woman given to Abraham as a concubine (16:3); her expulsion in 21:9–14 and reappearance here as Ishmael's mother provide the biographical frame for the genealogy.
ἡ Αἰγυπτίαthe EgyptianNominativeappositive (ethnic identification)→ participant prominenceΑἰγυπτία: 'Egyptian woman'; renders Hebrew הַמִּצְרִית (hammiṣrît); the ethnic designation marks Hagar's foreignness and slave-origin, placing Ishmael's descent partly outside the Israelite genealogical sphere.
ἡ παιδίσκη Σαρραςthe handmaid of SarahNominativeappositive (social-status identification)→ participant prominenceπαιδίσκη: 'young slave-woman / handmaid'; renders Hebrew שִׁפְחָה (šipḥāh); the term underscores Hagar's social status and hence Ishmael's birth-status. Paul uses this exact term — παιδίσκη — in his Galatians 4 allegory (Gal 4:22–23, 30–31).
τῷ Αβρααμto AbrahamDativedative of advantage (borne for/to Abraham)→ sphere or referenceτῷ Αβρααμ: meaning 'to Abraham'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
13
καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ισμαηλ κατ᾿ ὄνομα τῶν γενεῶν αὐτοῦ· πρωτότοκος Ισμαηλ Ναβαιωθ καὶ Κηδαρ καὶ Ναβδεηλ καὶ Μασσαμ
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by name according to their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar and Nabdeel and Massam,
The heading formula καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα ('and these are the names') introduces the twelve Ishmael sons. The phrase κατ᾿ ὄνομα τῶν γενεῶν αὐτοῦ ('by name according to their generations') emphasizes that these are the eponymous ancestors of living tribal communities. The list runs across vv.13–15, with the summary in v.16. Πρωτότοκος ('firstborn') marks Ναβαιωθ's seniority, paralleling the firstborn markings in genealogies of Israel.
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματαthese are the namesNominativesubject phrase (predicate nominative formula)→ participant prominenceὄνομα: 'name'; ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα renders Hebrew וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת, the name-list introduction formula (cf. Exod 1:1: ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ).
τῶν υἱῶν Ισμαηλof the sons of IshmaelGenitivegenitive of possession (the names belong to Ishmael's sons)→ relational specificationτῶν υἱῶν Ισμαηλ: meaning 'of the sons of Ishmael'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
κατ᾿ ὄνομα τῶν γενεῶν αὐτοῦby name according to their genealogiesadverbial phrase (manner and scope of the list)→ clausal contributionγενεά: 'generation / genealogical descent'; κατ᾿ ὄνομα τῶν γενεῶν = Hebrew לְשִׁמֹתָם לְתֹולְדֹתָם, 'by their names according to their generations' — indicating that each name heads a tribal lineage.
πρωτότοκοςfirstbornNominativepredicate / appositive to Ναβαιωθ (marking seniority)→ participant prominenceπρωτότοκος: 'firstborn'; renders Hebrew בְּכֹר (bekōr); the same key word as πρωτοτόκια ('birthright') in vv.31–34, the major theme of the chapter's second half.
Ισμαηλof IshmaelGenitivegenitive of relationship (identifying whose firstborn)→ participant identificationΙσμαηλ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of relationship (identifying whose firstborn).
ΝαβαιωθNebaiothsubject (first son, indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΝαβαιωθ: LXX for נְבָיֹות (Nebāyôt); associated with the Nabataean Arabs in later tradition; mentioned with Kedar at Isa 60:7 in the eschatological pilgrimage of the nations to Zion.
ΚηδαρKedarnext name in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΚηδαρ: LXX for קֵדָר (Qēdār); the most prominent Ishmaelite tribe; the 'tents of Kedar' appear in the Psalms (Ps 119:5 LXX) and Kedar features in Isaiah (21:16–17; 42:11; 60:7) as a symbol of the distant peoples.
ΝαβδεηλNabdeelnext name in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΝαβδεηλ: LXX for אַדְבְּאֵל (ʾAdbĕʾēl); a tribe of north Arabia.
ΜασσαμMassamnext name in list (indeclinable; last of this verse)→ participant identificationΜασσαμ: LXX for מִבְשָׂם (Miḇśām); possibly related to Hebrew בֶּשֶׂם ('spice / balsam'), evoking the Arabian spice trade.
14
καὶ Μασμα καὶ Ιδουμα καὶ Μασση
and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,
Three more Ishmael sons, the middle of the twelve. Ιδουμα (Dumah) is notable: the Hebrew דּוּמָה also means 'silence,' and the oracle of Dumah in Isa 21:11 may pun on the name. These verses maintain the paratactic καί-chain throughout.
Word-by-word analysis· 3 words
ΜασμαMishmaname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΜασμα: LXX for מִשְׁמָע (Mišmāʿ); possibly related to Hebrew שָׁמַע ('hear'), and perhaps echoing the ישמעאל name-root.
ΙδουμαDumahname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙδουμα: LXX for דּוּמָה (Dûmāh = 'silence'); associated with an oasis in north Arabia; Isa 21:11 preserves a brief oracle addressed to Dumah.
ΜασσηMassaname in list (indeclinable; last of this verse)→ participant identificationΜασση: LXX for מַשָּׂא (Maśśāʾ); a tribe of north Arabia; cf. Prov 30:1 and 31:1, where the superscriptions mention a king of Massa (Hebrew מַשָּׂא), associating the name with a wisdom tradition outside Israel.
15
καὶ Χοδδαδ καὶ Θαιμαν καὶ Ιεττουρ καὶ Ναφες καὶ Κεδμα.
and Hadad and Tema and Jetur and Naphish and Kedemah.
The final five Ishmael sons complete the twelve. Θαιμαν (Tema) is the oasis city of north-western Arabia, a landmark in the wisdom and prophetic traditions (Job 2:11; Isa 21:14; Jer 25:23 LXX). Ιεττουρ and Ναφες reappear at 1 Chr 5:19–20 as tribes defeated by the Transjordanian tribes of Israel.
Word-by-word analysis· 5 words
ΧοδδαδHadadname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΧοδδαδ: LXX for חֲדַד (Ḥadad); cf. Edomite kings named Hadad in Gen 36:35–36; the name is also the storm-god of Aram.
ΘαιμανTemaname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΘαιμαν: LXX for תֵּימָא (Têmāʾ); the oasis city of Taymaʾ in NW Arabia; Job's friend Eliphaz is a Temanite (Job 2:11 LXX), linking this Abrahamic descendant to the wisdom tradition.
ΙεττουρJeturname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙεττουρ: LXX for יְטוּר (Yĕṭûr); the ancestor of the Itureans, a people of the Hauran and Lebanon region who appear in 1 Chr 5:19–20 and in the NT (Luke 3:1: Ιτουραίας).
ΝαφεςNaphishname in list (indeclinable)→ participant identificationΝαφες: LXX for נָפִישׁ (Nāpîš); alongside Jetur at 1 Chr 5:19.
ΚεδμαKedemahname in list (indeclinable; twelfth and last son)→ participant identificationΚεδμα: LXX for קֵדְמָה (Qedmāh = 'eastward / eastern'); the twelfth and last son, completing the Ishmaelite twelve.
16
οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισμαηλ καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσιν αὐτῶν· δώδεκα ἄρχοντες κατὰ ἔθνη αὐτῶν.
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names in their tents and in their encampments: twelve princes according to their nations.
The double resumptive summary οὗτοί εἰσιν … καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα mirrors the structure of the Jacob-tribe summaries. The phrase ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσιν αὐτῶν ('in their tents and in their encampments') describes nomadic dwelling — the Ishmaelites as pastoral/semi-nomadic people. The climactic δώδεκα ἄρχοντες ('twelve princes/chiefs') fulfills God's promise at 17:20 that Ishmael would beget twelve princes and become a great nation.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
οὗτοί εἰσινthese arePres Act Indic 3 Pl · εἰμίcopular summary formula→ gnomic present (standing identity statement)εἰμί: meaning 'these are'; it carries the action, process, or state of the clause; here it functions as copular summary formula.
οἱ υἱοὶ Ισμαηλthe sons of IshmaelNominativepredicate nominative (identifying the twelve names as Ishmael's sons)→ participant prominenceοἱ υἱοὶ Ισμαηλ: meaning 'the sons of Ishmael'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶνthese are their namesNominativesecond predicate clause (resuming the name-list formula of v.13)→ participant prominenceταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν: meaning 'these are their names'; it serves as second predicate clause (resuming the name-list formula of v.13).
ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσιν αὐτῶνin their tents and in their encampmentsDativeprepositional phrases (circumstantial: the social context in which the names are known)→ spatial or relational framingσκηνή: 'tent'; ἔπαυλις: 'enclosure / encampment'; the pair renders Hebrew אֹהֳלֵיהֶם וּבְטִירֹתָם ('their tents and their encampments'), designating nomadic or semi-settled pastoral life. The Ishmaelite peoples are defined by their mobility, contrasting with the settled Canaanite and later Israelite culture.
δώδεκα ἄρχοντεςtwelve princesNominativepredicate nominative (climactic identification fulfilling 17:20)→ participant prominenceἄρχων: 'ruler / prince / chief'; renders Hebrew נְשִׂיאִם (nĕśîʾîm = 'princes / chiefs'); δώδεκα ἄρχοντες fulfills the promise of Gen 17:20 (δώδεκα ἔθνη γεννήσει αὐτόν) word for word. The structural parallel with Jacob's twelve sons is deliberate: both sons of Abraham generate a complete nation of twelve.
κατὰ ἔθνη αὐτῶνaccording to their nationsAccusativeprepositional phrase (distributive: each prince rules his own people-group)→ spatial or relational framingἔθνος: 'nation / people-group'; the phrase κατὰ ἔθνη αὐτῶν renders Hebrew לְאֻמֹּתָם ('by their peoples'); the same term ἔθνη will appear in the oracle of v.23 (Δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν), where it denotes the two nations in Rebekah's womb.
17
καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς Ισμαηλ· ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἑπτὰ ἔτη· καὶ ἐκλιπὼν ἀπέθανεν καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ.
And these are the years of Ishmael's life: one hundred and thirty-seven years. And he expired and died and was gathered to his kindred.
Ishmael's death notice parallels Abraham's in v.8, with the same three-verb formula ἐκλιπών … ἀπέθανεν … προσετέθη. One variation: where Abraham is gathered 'to his people' (πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ), Ishmael is gathered 'to his kindred' (πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ), perhaps a subtle distinction placing Ishmael's community slightly apart from the covenant people. Ishmael dies at 137; Abraham dies at 175; Isaac will die at 180 (35:28).
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ταῦτα τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς Ισμαηλthese are the years of Ishmael's lifeNominativelifespan formula (parallel to v.7 for Abraham)→ participant prominenceτὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς: 'the years of the life'; same formula as v.7 but slightly shortened (without ἡμερῶν); the formula signals the official obituary close of the Ishmael sub-narrative.
ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἑπτὰ ἔτηone hundred and thirty-seven yearsAccusativeaccusative of extent of time (lifespan figure)→ object specification137 years: shorter than Abraham (175) and Isaac (180), but still a patriarchal lifespan; the MT and LXX agree on the figure.
ἐκλιπὼνhaving expiredAor Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ἐκλείπωattendant-circumstance participle (preceding ἀπέθανεν)→ constative aorist (breath ceasing)ἐκλείπω: same death-formula verb as in v.8 for Abraham (ἐκλιπών … ἀπέθανεν); the verbal echo assimilates Ishmael's death to his father's.
ἀπέθανενdiedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀποθνῄσκωmain verb→ constative aoristἀποθνῄσκω: 'die'; see v. 7.
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
προσετέθηwas gatheredAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · προστίθημιsecond main verb (death-euphemism completing the formula)→ constative aoristπροστίθημι: same euphemism as v.8; the slight variation — πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ ('to his kindred') vs. πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ('to his people') — is worth noting: γένος ('kindred / clan') is a broader ethnic term, perhaps suggesting Ishmael's half-Abrahamic, half-Egyptian heritage.
πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦto his kindredAccusativeprepositional phrase (goal of the gathering)→ spatial or relational framingγένος: 'family / kindred / race'; cf. v.8's πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ; the substitution of γένος for λαός may indicate that Ishmael's 'people' is his mixed-lineage clan rather than the covenant community per se.
18
κατῴκησεν δὲ ἀπὸ Ευιλα ἕως Σουρ, ἥ ἐστιν κατὰ πρόσωπον Αἰγύπτου ἕως ἐλθεῖν πρὸς Ἀσσυρίους· κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατῴκησεν.
And he dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt until you come to the Assyrians; over against all his brothers he dwelt.
The territorial summary closes the Ishmael section. The range 'from Havilah to Shur' defines the Ishmaelite territory as the north Arabian/Sinai region between Egypt and Assyria. The closing phrase κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ('over against all his brothers') echoes the oracle of 16:12 — ἀπέναντι πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατοικήσει — and formally closes the Ishmael narrative by fulfilling that prophecy. The Ishmael section (vv.12–18) is now complete; the Jacob–Esau section opens at v.19.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
κατῴκησενdweltAor Act Indic 3 Sg · κατοικέωmain verb→ constative aorist (summary of Ishmael's settled territory)κατοικέω: 'dwell / settle'; renders Hebrew שָׁכַן (šākan); the same verb appeared in v.11 for Isaac, placing the two half-brothers' territorial settlements in implicit juxtaposition.
δὲandcontinuative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἀπὸ Ευιλα ἕως Σουρfrom Havilah to Shurprepositional phrase (territorial extent: from … to …)→ spatial or relational framingΕυιλα: LXX for חֲוִילָה (Ḥăwîlāh), the region of north Arabia (also named in Gen 2:11 as the land watered by the Pishon). Σουρ: LXX for שׁוּר (Šûr), the wilderness east of Egypt toward the Sinai; Hagar fled this direction (16:7). The range thus spans from the Arabian interior to the Egyptian frontier.
ἥ ἐστιν κατὰ πρόσωπον Αἰγύπτουwhich is opposite EgyptNominativerelative clause (locating Shur geographically opposite Egypt)→ participant prominenceκατὰ πρόσωπον: 'in front of / opposite'; a Hebraism for geographical proximity and facing-orientation, rendering Hebrew עַל־פְּנֵי.
ἕως ἐλθεῖν πρὸς Ἀσσυρίουςuntil coming to the AssyriansAor Act Inf · ἔρχομαιprepositional phrase with infinitive (terminal boundary: 'as far as Assyria')→ constative aorist (the territorial limit)Ἀσσύριοι: 'Assyrians'; identifies the northeastern limit of the Ishmaelite range; the territory thus stretches from north Arabia to the Egyptian border and toward Mesopotamia — a vast nomadic sphere.
κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατῴκησενover against all his brothers he dweltAor Act Indic 3 Sg · κατοικέωclosing verb (echoing and fulfilling the oracle of 16:12)→ constative aorist (summary of the fulfilled oracle)κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ: 'in front of all his brothers'; the phrase directly echoes the angel's word at 16:12 (ἀπέναντι πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατοικήσει), formally closing the fulfillment of Ishmael's birth-oracle. The Ishmael sub-narrative is complete.
19
Καὶ αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Ισαακ τοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμ. Αβρααμ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ισαακ.
And these are the generations of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac.
The second toledoth of the chapter opens the main narrative arc: the Jacob–Esau story runs from here to the end of chapter 36. The addition of the confirmatory sentence Αβρααμ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ισαακ ('Abraham fathered Isaac') is unusual — the toledoth formula normally presupposes the paternity without restating it. It may emphasize continuity with the Abrahamic promise precisely as the narrative moves to a generation of conflict.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
Καὶandnarrative conjunction (introducing the new toledoth section)→ discourse linkage or contrastΚαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
αὗται αἱ γενέσειςthese are the generationsNominativetoledoth formula (subject)→ participant prominenceγένεσις: 'generation / origin'; αἱ γενέσεις Ισαακ opens the second of the chapter's two toledoth sections; this one will encompass the entire Jacob–Esau narrative through ch.36.
Ισαακof IsaacGenitivegenitive of relationship (the subject of the toledoth; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as genitive of relationship (the subject of the toledoth; indeclinable).
τοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμson of AbrahamGenitivegenitive of relationship (appositive patronymic)→ relational specificationThe patronymic τοῦ υἱοῦ Αβρααμ links Isaac to the Abrahamic covenant and situates the toledoth within the broader promise-history.
ΑβρααμAbrahamsubject (indeclinable; of the confirmatory paternity sentence)→ participant identificationΑβρααμ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable; of the confirmatory paternity sentence).
ἐγέννησενfatheredAor Act Indic 3 Sg · γεννάωmain verb (confirmatory paternity statement)→ constative aoristγεννάω: 'beget'; the restatement Αβρααμ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ισαακ bridges the Ishmael toledoth back to the Isaanic line; the same verbal form opens the Matthean genealogy (Matt 1:2: Ἀβραὰμ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰσαάκ), which draws directly on this LXX formula.
τὸν ΙσαακIsaacAccusativedirect object (indeclinable proper name with article)→ object specificationτὸν Ισαακ: meaning 'Isaac'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
20
ἦν δὲ Ισαακ ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὅτε ἔλαβεν τὴν Ρεβεκκαν θυγατέρα Βαθουηλ τοῦ Σύρου ἐκ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας, ἀδελφὴν Λαβαν τοῦ Σύρου, ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκα.
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Syrian from Mesopotamia, sister of Laban the Syrian, as his wife.
The age-at-marriage formula ἦν … ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὅτε ἔλαβεν … γυναῖκα recaps the marriage already narrated in ch.24, providing the biographical anchor for the pregnancy that will follow. Rebekah is identified by three relational markers: daughter of Βαθουηλ, origin from Μεσοποταμία, and sister of Λαβαν — the same Laban who will figure prominently in chs.29–31.
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
ἦνwasImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίcopula (framing the age clause)→ descriptive imperfect (Isaac's state at the time)εἰμί (impf. ἦν): the copula of the name-gloss.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙσαακIsaacsubject (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name).
ἐτῶν τεσσαράκονταforty years oldGenitivegenitive of time / age (genitive of characteristic: 'being of forty years')→ relational specificationἔτος: 'year'; the genitive of age construction ἦν ἐτῶν X ('was of X years') is the standard LXX formula for noting patriarchal age at a life-event; forty is a round number of maturity.
ὅτε ἔλαβενwhen he tookAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λαμβάνωtemporal clause (verb: the moment of marriage)→ constative aoristλαμβάνω: 'take'; the matrimonial formula λαμβάνω + γυναῖκα recurs from v.1; the same verb was used of Abraham's taking of Keturah, bookending the chapter's two marriages.
τὴν ΡεβεκκανRebekahAccusativedirect object (indeclinable proper name with article)→ object specificationΡεβεκκα: LXX transliteration of רִבְקָה (Riḇqāh); her etymology is uncertain; she was chosen by Abraham's servant in ch.24 as Isaac's wife. NT: Paul names her at Rom 9:10 (Ρεβέκκα ἐξ ἑνὸς κοίτην ἔχουσα, Ισαακ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν) as the mother to whom the election oracle was given.
θυγατέρα Βαθουηλ τοῦ Σύρουdaughter of Bethuel the SyrianAccusativeaccusative appositive (paternal identification of Rebekah)→ object specificationΒαθουηλ: LXX for בְּתוּאֵל (Bĕtûʾēl); Rebekah's father, Abraham's nephew (22:22–23); Σύρου: 'Syrian' renders Hebrew הָאֲרַמִּי (the Aramean); LXX uses Σύρος for Aram throughout.
ἐκ τῆς Μεσοποταμίαςfrom MesopotamiaGenitiveprepositional phrase (geographical origin)→ spatial or relational framingΜεσοποταμία: 'land between the rivers'; LXX rendering of Hebrew פַּדַּן אֲרָם (Paddan-Aram), the region of upper Mesopotamia around Harran; the name is a Greek geographic description ('between-rivers') adopted by the LXX translators.
ἀδελφὴν Λαβαν τοῦ Σύρουsister of Laban the SyrianAccusativeaccusative appositive (fraternal identification of Rebekah)→ object specificationΛαβαν: LXX for לָבָן (Lāḇān = 'white'); Rebekah's brother who will appear as Jacob's father-in-law in chs.29–31; his mention here foreshadows that narrative.
ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκαas his own wifeDativedative of advantage with accusative predicate (the matrimonial purpose)→ sphere or referenceἑαυτοῦ: reflexive pronoun emphasizing that Isaac took her for himself (not on behalf of another); γυναῖκα is the matrimonial accusative.
21
ἐδεήθη δὲ Ισαακ κυρίου περὶ Ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι στεῖρα ἦν· ἐπήκουσεν δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ θεός, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐν γαστρὶ Ρεβεκκα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ.
And Isaac prayed to the LORD concerning Rebekah his wife, because she was barren; and God heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Isaac's prayer for Rebekah's barrenness places him in the line of interceding patriarchs (Abraham prayed for Hagar, 20:17; later Jacob will wrestle for blessing). The alternation of divine names — κύριος (the LORD, v.21a, rendering YHWH) and ὁ θεός (God, v.21b, rendering Elohim) — follows the Hebrew Vorlage. The pattern of barrenness overcome by divine intervention recurs throughout the ancestral narratives (Sarah, Rachel, Hannah), each time marking the birth as divinely purposed.
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
ἐδεήθηprayed / entreatedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · δέομαιmain verb→ constative aorist (single act of intercession)δέομαι: 'ask / beseech / pray'; renders Hebrew וַיֶּעְתַּר (wayyeʿtar, 'he entreated'); the deponent passive form; in the LXX δέομαι can denote urgent petitionary prayer addressed to God (cf. Ps 30:9 LXX; Acts 8:22).
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙσαακIsaacsubject (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (indeclinable proper name).
κυρίουto the LORDGenitivegenitive object of δέομαι (the deity petitioned)→ relational specificationκύριος: LXX rendering of יהוה (YHWH); the covenant name used for the God of Israel; δέομαι governs a genitive object in LXX Greek.
περὶ Ρεβεκκαςconcerning RebekahGenitiveprepositional phrase (the subject of the petition)→ spatial or relational framingπερὶ Ρεβεκκας: meaning 'concerning Rebekah'; here it marks the relation signaled by prepositional phrase (the subject of the petition).
τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦhis wifeGenitivegenitive appositive to Ρεβεκκας→ relational specificationτῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his wife'; it serves as genitive appositive to Ρεβεκκας.
ὅτι στεῖρα ἦνbecause she was barrenImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίcausal clause (grounds for the intercession)→ descriptive imperfect (ongoing condition of barrenness)στεῖρα: 'barren woman'; renders Hebrew עֲקָרָה (ʿăqārāh); the condition that drives prayer and sets up divine intervention; Sarah (11:30), Rebekah, and Rachel (29:31) are all described as barren — each birth is thereby marked as miraculous.
ἐπήκουσενheardAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐπακούωmain verb (divine response)→ constative aorist (single completed act of hearing / granting)ἐπακούω: 'hear in response to / hearken to'; the compound ἐπ- implies favorable hearing (= granting), not merely perception; renders Hebrew וַיֵּעָתֶר (niphal of עָתַר, 'be entreated'). The same word marks Ishmael's naming-etymology (16:11 LXX: ἐπήκουσεν κύριος τῇ ταπεινώσει σου) and the verb of the boy's cry in 21:17.
δὲandnarrative particle (connecting prayer to answer)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
αὐτοῦhimGenitivegenitive object of ἐπήκουσεν (the one heard)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive object of ἐπήκουσεν (the one heard).
ὁ θεόςGodNominativesubject (post-verbal: Hebraizing word order)→ participant prominenceθεός: here rendering Elohim (אֱלֹהִים), not YHWH; the switch from κύριος (v.21a) to ὁ θεός (v.21b) follows the Hebrew Vorlage alternation.
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἔλαβεν ἐν γαστρὶconceivedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λαμβάνωmain verb (with idiomatic phrase: the result of the answered prayer)→ ingressive aorist (onset of pregnancy)λαμβάνω ἐν γαστρί: 'take in the womb / conceive'; idiomatic for conception, rendering Hebrew הַר (hārar) or more commonly the phrase מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֶי; in the LXX the standard idiom for 'she conceived' is ἔλαβεν / ἔσχεν ἐν γαστρί (cf. 16:4; Matt 1:23 quoting Isa 7:14).
Ρεβεκκα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦRebekah his wifeNominativesubject (named again to close the answered-prayer unit)→ participant identificationΡεβεκκα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (named again to close the answered-prayer unit).
22
ἐσκίρτων δὲ τὰ παιδία ἐν αὐτῇ· εἶπεν δέ· Εἰ οὕτως μοι μέλλει γίνεσθαι, ἵνα τί μοι τοῦτο; ἐπορεύθη δὲ πυθέσθαι παρὰ κυρίου.
Now the children leapt within her; and she said, 'If it is to be this way for me, why is this happening to me?' And she went to inquire of the LORD.
The dramatic ἐσκίρτων ('the children were leaping') employs σκιρτάω, the same verb Luke uses at Luke 1:41 for the infant John leaping in Elizabeth's womb at Mary's greeting — Luke deliberately echoes this LXX passage to frame John's recognition of the incarnate Word as a prophetic womb-movement. Rebekah's exclamation is a cry of distress at the violent in-utero conflict; the question ἵνα τί μοι τοῦτο ('why is this to me?') is a Hebrew lament-idiom (לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי). The resolution is sought not from a physician but from the LORD — a model of theological inquiry in crisis.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
ἐσκίρτωνwere leapingImpf Act Indic 3 Pl · σκιρτάωmain verb→ descriptive imperfect (repeated / ongoing movement within the womb)σκιρτάω: 'leap / spring / skip'; renders Hebrew וַיִּתְרֹצְצוּ (wayyitrōṣeṣû, 'they crushed / struggled against each other'); the LXX renders the violent jostling with the livelier σκιρτάω, the same verb used at Luke 1:41 (ἐσκίρτησεν τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτῆς) when John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth's womb at Mary's greeting. Luke's choice is a deliberate allusion to Gen 25:22 LXX, framing John's recognition as a prophetic in-womb response parallel to the election of Jacob. NT echo: Luke 1:41.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
τὰ παιδίαthe childrenNominativesubject→ participant prominenceπαιδίον: 'child / infant'; refers to the twin fetuses still in the womb; the plural τὰ παιδία confirms twin pregnancy before the birth is described in v.24.
ἐν αὐτῇwithin herDativeprepositional phrase (locative: within Rebekah's womb)→ spatial or relational framingἐν αὐτῇ: meaning 'within her'; here it marks the relation signaled by prepositional phrase (locative: within Rebekah's womb).
εἶπενshe saidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (speech introduction)→ constative aorist (single utterance)εἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
δέandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
Εἰ οὕτως μοι μέλλει γίνεσθαιif it is going to be this way for mePres Act Indic 3 Sg · μέλλωconditional clause (protasis of an implicit condition expressing distress)→ futuristic present (an expected / imminent state)μέλλω: 'be about to / intend to'; the phrase Εἰ οὕτως μοι μέλλει γίνεσθαι renders Hebrew אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי, a lament; the εἰ here is not a genuine conditional but an exclamatory or deliberative particle ('if this is how it is for me…') expressing Rebekah's bewilderment and distress.
ἵνα τί μοι τοῦτοwhy is this to meinterrogative exclamation (lament: 'why should this be happening to me?')→ clausal contributionἵνα τί: 'why / to what end?'; a Hebraism for לָמָּה ('why'), the interrogative used in laments; renders a rhetorical cry of distress rather than a genuine inquiry about purpose.
ἐπορεύθηshe wentAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · πορεύομαιmain verb (narrative action: the response to distress)→ ingressive aorist (she set out)πορεύομαι: 'go / travel'; deponent; renders Hebrew וַתֵּלֶךְ; her destination is an oracle-site, described as παρὰ κυρίου ('from the LORD') — she goes to seek a theophanic oracle, possibly at a sanctuary or through a mediator.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
πυθέσθαιto inquireAor Mid Inf · πυνθάνομαιinfinitive of purpose (goal of the journey)→ constative aorist (single act of inquiry)πυνθάνομαι: 'inquire / ask'; renders Hebrew לִדְרֹשׁ (liḏrôš, 'to seek / inquire'); the oracular inquiry formula; the same verb is used of Saul inquiring of Samuel (1 Sam 28:6 LXX).
παρὰ κυρίουfrom the LORDGenitiveprepositional phrase (the source of the oracle sought)→ spatial or relational framingκύριος: 'the LORD' (YHWH); παρὰ κυρίου = 'from / at the LORD' — seeking a divine oracle from the covenant God directly; the oracle she receives in v.23 is the chapter's theological summit.
23
εἶπεν δὲ κύριος αὐτῇ· Δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται· καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.
And the LORD said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from your belly; and one people will surpass the other, and the greater shall serve the lesser.'
The oracle is the theological summit of Genesis 25 and one of the most consequential in the Pentateuch. Four parallel lines of synonymous parallelism announce: (1) two nations are in the womb; (2) two peoples will be separated at birth; (3) one will surpass the other; (4) the greater shall serve the lesser. The reversal — elder serving younger — is the great election-of-the-younger theme of Genesis (Abel over Cain in type; Isaac over Ishmael; Jacob over Esau; Joseph over his brothers). The last clause — καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι — is quoted verbatim at Romans 9:12 (ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι) as Paul's proof-text that divine election operates before birth, apart from any works. NT echo: Romans 9:10–13 (prominent — flag).
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (divine speech formula)→ constative aorist (single oracle event)εἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
κύριοςthe LORDNominativesubject→ participant prominenceκύριος: YHWH; the divine name marks this as a theophanic oracle of the highest authority — not a prophetic mediation but direct divine speech.
αὐτῇto herDativeindirect object (Rebekah is the recipient of the oracle)→ participant reference or interestαὐτῇ: meaning 'to her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as indirect object (Rebekah is the recipient of the oracle).
Δύο ἔθνηtwo nationsNominativesubject of the oracle's first clause→ participant prominenceἔθνος: 'nation / people-group'; the plural ἔθνη is precisely the word that will govern the Ishmael list summary (v.16: κατὰ ἔθνη αὐτῶν); the oracle announces that the twins will each become a full nation — Jacob = Israel, Esau = Edom.
ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσινare in your wombPres Act Indic 3 Pl · εἰμίmain clause (first line of the oracle)→ gnomic present (declaration of existing fact)γαστήρ: 'womb / belly'; ἐν τῇ γαστρί is the standard LXX phrase for 'in the womb' (cf. v.21: ἔλαβεν ἐν γαστρί), providing verbal continuity from the conception notice.
καὶ δύο λαοὶand two peoplesNominativesubject of second clause (parallel to Δύο ἔθνη)→ participant prominenceλαός: 'people / nation'; the synonymous pair ἔθνη / λαοί is a characteristic LXX parallelism reflecting Hebrew גֹּויִם / לְאֻמִּים; the two terms reinforce each other: both twins represent full people-entities.
ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σουfrom your bellyGenitiveprepositional phrase (origin: birth from the womb)→ spatial or relational framingκοιλία: 'belly / womb'; synonymous with γαστήρ; the variation ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας / ἐν τῇ γαστρί reflects Hebrew בֶּטֶן / בֶּטֶן or רֶחֶם parallelism in the oracle.
διασταλήσονταιwill be separatedFut Pass Indic 3 Pl · διαστέλλωmain verb (second oracle line: the moment of separation at birth)→ predictive future (this will happen)διαστέλλω: 'separate / divide'; renders Hebrew יִפָּרֵדוּ (yippārēḏû, niphal of פָּרַד, 'be separated'); the verb used of the separation of peoples at Babel (Gen 10:5, 32). The separation at birth (physical) anticipates the national separation (political) that will define Edomite and Israelite history.
καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξειand one people will surpass the otherFut Act Indic 3 Sg · ὑπερέχωthird oracle line (declaring superiority of one over the other)→ predictive futureὑπερέχω: 'surpass / be superior to / have pre-eminence over'; renders Hebrew יֶאֱמָץ (yeʾĕmaṣ, 'will be stronger'); λαὸς λαοῦ = 'one people over the other people' (Hebrew construction of comparison). The asymmetry is stated before the specific identification of which people.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (introducing the climactic reversal)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ὁ μείζωνthe greaterNominativesubject (comparative adjective substantive: the elder / greater one = Esau)→ participant prominenceμείζων: comparative of μέγας ('great'), 'the greater / elder'; renders Hebrew הַגָּדֹל ('the greater / older'); in context = Esau, the firstborn. Paul quotes this exact form at Rom 9:12: ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.
δουλεύσειshall serveFut Act Indic 3 Sg · δουλεύωmain verb (the oracle's climactic reversal — the great NT crux)→ predictive future (the sovereign decree that will govern Jacob–Esau / Israel–Edom relations)δουλεύω: 'serve as a slave / be subject to'; renders Hebrew יַעֲבֹד (yaʿăḇōḏ); the verb is the primary crux: it denotes enslaved subjection (δοῦλος-service), the complete political subordination of the elder to the younger. NT anchor: Paul cites ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι at Rom 9:12 to demonstrate that election does not depend on works or birth order but on the one who calls (ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος), making this verse the exegetical center of Rom 9:10–13 and the foundation of Paul's argument for sovereign, unconditioned election. NT echo: Romans 9:12 — VERBATIM CITATION.
τῷ ἐλάσσονιthe lesserDativedative object of δουλεύσει (the one served = the younger / lesser = Jacob)→ sphere or referenceἐλάσσων: comparative of μικρός ('small'), 'the lesser / younger'; renders Hebrew הַקָּטֹן ('the smaller / younger'); = Jacob. The theological shock: the elder serves the younger. This reversal — already seen in Isaac over Ishmael — is the structural pattern of Genesis election theology, developed most extensively in Paul's meditation on Israel in Romans 9–11.
24
καὶ ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν, καὶ τῇδε ἦν δίδυμα ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ αὐτῆς.
And the days for her to give birth were fulfilled, and behold, there were twins in her womb.
The idiom ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ('the days were fulfilled') renders Hebrew וַיִּמְלְאוּ יָמֶיהָ, the standard birth-completion formula. The confirmatory τῇδε ἦν δίδυμα ('and behold, there were twins') carries the narrative's ἰδού-force, formally confirming the oracle of v.23. The term δίδυμα ('twins') makes explicit what has been presupposed since v.22.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐπληρώθησανwere fulfilledAor Pass Indic 3 Pl · πληρόωmain verb (fulfillment formula for the gestational period)→ constative aorist (the completion of the nine-month term)πληρόω: 'fill / fulfill / complete'; renders Hebrew מָלֵא (māleʾ); the passive ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ('the days were fulfilled') is the standard LXX idiom for the completion of a term of pregnancy (cf. Luke 2:6: ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν — Luke borrows this formula directly from LXX birth-narratives for Mary's delivery).
αἱ ἡμέραιthe daysNominativesubject (the gestational period personified as completing themselves)→ participant prominenceαἱ ἡμέραι: meaning 'the days'; it serves as subject (the gestational period personified as completing themselves).
τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήνfor her to give birthAor Act Inf · τίκτωarticular genitive infinitive (purpose/content specifying the days)→ constative aoristτίκτω: 'bear / give birth'; the articular genitive infinitive τοῦ τεκεῖν + accusative subject αὐτήν renders Hebrew לָלֶדֶת; the formula recurs at Luke 1:57 (Ἐλισάβετ … ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρόνος τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν), another Lucan echo of the LXX birth-formula.
καὶand / beholdnarrative conjunction (with implicit ἰδού force: 'and behold')→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
τῇδεhere / thereDativedeictic adverb (pointing to the revelation of twins)→ sphere or referenceτῇδε: 'here / this'; a deictic particle used in LXX narrative to introduce a surprising disclosure; renders Hebrew וְהִנֵּה (wehinnēh = 'and behold'); the LXX uses τῇδε or ἰδού interchangeably for this Hebraism.
ἦν δίδυμαthere were twinsImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (existential: 'there were twins')→ descriptive imperfect (the state of the womb all along — now confirmed)δίδυμος: 'twin'; the Greek word is the same one used for Thomas/Didymus (John 11:16: Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος); its use here in the neuter plural δίδυμα treats the pair as a unified pair before their individual identities are distinguished in v.25–26.
ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ αὐτῆςin her wombDativeprepositional phrase (locative: specifying where the twins were)→ spatial or relational framingγαστήρ: 'womb'; repeated from v.22 (ἐν αὐτῇ) and v.23 (ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού), creating lexical coherence across the womb-movement / oracle / birth sequence.
25
ἐξῆλθεν δὲ ὁ πρῶτος πυρράκης, ὅλος ὡσεὶ δορὰ δασεῖα· ἐπωνόμασεν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα Ησαυ.
And the first came out ruddy, all like a hairy skin; and they called his name Esau.
The description of Esau's birth concentrates on two physical features: πυρράκης ('ruddy / red') and δορὰ δασεῖα ('like a hairy skin'). The redness (πυρρός) will reappear in v.30 as the trigger for the Εδωμ name-etymology; the hairiness (δασύς) underlies the Ησαυ name (possibly related to עָשָׂו = 'hairy'). The LXX ἐπωνόμασεν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα (lit. 'they surnamed him, his name') is a Hebraism for formal name-giving.
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
ἐξῆλθενcame outAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐξέρχομαιmain verb (the birth of the first twin)→ constative aorist (single completed birth event)ἐξέρχομαι: 'come out / emerge'; renders Hebrew יָצָא (yāṣāʾ); the birth of both twins is described with ἐξῆλθεν (v.25) / ἐξῆλθεν (v.26), using the same verb — the two births are formally parallel.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ὁ πρῶτοςthe firstNominativesubject (the firstborn; ordinal adjective substantive)→ participant prominenceπρῶτος: 'first'; renders Hebrew הָרִאשׁוֹן; the designation ὁ πρῶτος = 'the firstborn' is soon to be at the center of the πρωτοτόκια dispute (vv.31–34).
πυρράκηςruddy / redNominativepredicate nominative (describing Esau's complexion at birth)→ participant prominenceπυρράκης: 'ruddy / red-haired'; renders Hebrew אַדְמוֹנִי (ʾaḏmônî = 'ruddy / reddish'); the color links forward to the ἑψήματος τοῦ πυρροῦ ('the red pottage', v.30) and the name Εδωμ (אֱדֹם = 'red'). The redness at birth anticipates the red-stew scene that defines Esau's character.
ὅλοςall overNominativepredicate adjective (emphatic: 'entirely like a hairy skin')→ participant prominenceὅλος: 'whole / all'; renders Hebrew כֻּלּוֹ ('all of him'); the emphatic 'all over' underscores the total hairiness — he was covered completely.
ὡσεὶ δορὰ δασεῖαlike a hairy skinNominativecomparative predicate (simile for Esau's appearance at birth)→ participant prominenceδορά: 'hide / skin (of an animal)'; δασύς: 'thick / hairy / rough'; renders Hebrew אַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר ('a cloak of hair / a hairy mantle'); the LXX uses the simile ὡσεὶ δορὰ δασεῖα ('like a hairy skin') to describe the entire body-surface as if wearing an animal pelt — this extreme hairiness will be recalled in Gen 27:11–16 when Jacob deceives Isaac.
ἐπωνόμασενnamed / calledAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐπονομάζωmain verb (formal name-giving)→ constative aorist (the single act of naming)ἐπονομάζω: 'give a name / surname'; renders Hebrew וַיִּקְרָאוּ (wayyiqreʾû, 'they called'); the subject is indefinite plural ('they' = the parents / bystanders), rendered as singular in LXX.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομαhis nameAccusativedirect object (idiomatic Hebraistic name-giving formula: τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ = 'his name')→ object specificationαὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα: meaning 'his name'; it serves as direct object (idiomatic Hebraistic name-giving formula: τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ = 'his name').
ΗσαυEsaupredicate / name given (indeclinable proper name)→ participant identificationΗσαυ: LXX for עֵשָׂו (ʿÊśāw); the etymology is debated — possibly related to עָשָׂה ('make / do') or to Arabic roots meaning 'hairy'; the LXX does not gloss the name but the context makes the hairy connection clear. Esau becomes the eponymous ancestor of Edom (v.30).
26
καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ἐπειλημμένη τῆς πτέρνης Ησαυ· καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ιακωβ. Ισαακ δὲ ἦν ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα ὅτε ἔτεκεν αὐτοὺς Ρεβεκκα.
And after this his brother came out, with his hand grasping the heel of Esau; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah bore them.
The birth of Jacob is narrated with the dramatic detail of the hand gripping Esau's heel (πτέρνα), the concrete basis for the name Ιακωβ. The Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ) is a word-play on עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ = 'heel') and the verb עָקַב ('follow at the heel / supplant'). The LXX retains the πτέρνα motif without etymologizing, leaving it to context. The heel-grasping is not merely physical but symbolic: Jacob enters the world already contending for position. The age notice (Isaac at sixty) provides the chronological anchor.
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
μετὰ τοῦτοafter thisAccusativetemporal adverbial phrase (immediately following the first birth)→ object specificationμετὰ τοῦτο: meaning 'after this'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
ἐξῆλθενcame outAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐξέρχομαιmain verb (the birth of the second twin)→ constative aoristἐξέρχομαι: same verb as v.25 for Esau; the parallel birth-verb creates formal symmetry between the two births.
ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦhis brotherNominativesubject (Jacob introduced as Esau's brother before being named)→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; Jacob is introduced in relation to Esau — the narrative will define him throughout by this relationship.
καὶandnarrative conjunction (introducing the dramatic detail)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦhis handNominativesubject of the participial clause→ participant prominenceχείρ: 'hand'; the hand holding the heel is the narrative detail from which Jacob's name is derived and his character is prefigured — he reaches for what is his brother's from the very moment of birth.
ἐπειλημμένηgrasping / holdingPf Pass Part Nom Sg Fem · ἐπιλαμβάνομαιpredicative participle (describing the hand's action at birth)→ intensive perfect (the hand was and remained in a gripping position)ἐπιλαμβάνομαι: 'seize / grasp'; renders Hebrew אֹחֶזֶת (ʾōḥezeṯ, 'holding / grasping'); the perfect participle ἐπειλημμένη emphasizes the completed and sustained action of gripping — the hand had seized and maintained its grip.
τῆς πτέρνης Ησαυthe heel of EsauGenitivegenitive object of ἐπειλημμένη (what the hand grasped)→ relational specificationπτέρνη: 'heel'; renders Hebrew עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ = 'heel'), the word from which the name Ιακωβ is derived. LXX does not gloss the etymology (contrast Gen 27:36 where the pun is explicit). The πτέρνα motif: Hosea 12:4 LXX recalls 'he tripped his brother by the heel' (ἐπτέρνισεν); Paul's quotation of the oracle in Rom 9:12 assumes the reader knows the heel-story behind the names.
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐκλήθηwas calledAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · καλέωmain verb (name-giving in passive)→ constative aoristκαλέω: 'call / name'; the passive ἐκλήθη ('was called') renders Hebrew וַיִּקְרָא; the divine passive is possible — the name-giving may be viewed as providentially ordained.
τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦhis nameNominativesubject of ἐκλήθη (Hebraistic name-formula)→ participant prominenceτὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his name'; it serves as subject of ἐκλήθη (Hebraistic name-formula).
ΙακωβJacobpredicate nominative (the name given; indeclinable)→ participant identificationΙακωβ: LXX for יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ); a word-play on עָקֵב ('heel') meaning 'heel-grasper' or, by extension, 'supplanter / one who follows at the heel'; the name encodes both the physical detail at birth and Jacob's later character (27:36; Hos 12:3–4). The patriarch whose name will be changed to Israel (32:29 LXX).
Ισαακ δὲ ἦν ἐτῶν ἑξήκονταand Isaac was sixty years oldImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίparenthetical age notice (providing the chronological anchor for the birth)→ descriptive imperfectThe age formula ἦν ἐτῶν X ὅτε recurs from v.20 (marriage at 40); 60 − 40 = 20 years of barren marriage before the twins' birth, which parallels the long wait of Abraham and Sarah.
ὅτε ἔτεκεν αὐτοὺς Ρεβεκκαwhen Rebekah bore themAor Act Indic 3 Sg · τίκτωtemporal clause (specifying the moment of the age notice)→ constative aorist (the completed birth)τίκτω: 'bear / give birth'; Ρεβεκκα is named as the mother to close the birth unit; αὐτοὺς ('them') refers to both twins together.
27
ηὔξησαν δὲ οἱ νεανίσκοι· καὶ ἦν Ησαυ ἄνθρωπος εἰδὼς κυνηγεῖν ἄγριος, Ιακωβ δὲ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἄπλαστος οἰκῶν οἰκίαν.
And the young men grew up; and Esau was a man who knew how to hunt, a man of the field, and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in a tent.
The compressed character portrait sets up the entire subsequent Jacob–Esau drama. Esau = ἄνθρωπος εἰδὼς κυνηγεῖν ἄγριος ('a man who knew hunting, a wild/outdoor man'); Jacob = ἄνθρωπος ἄπλαστος οἰκῶν οἰκίαν ('a guileless / simple man dwelling in a tent'). The LXX renders Hebrew תָּם (tām = 'blameless / complete / plain') with ἄπλαστος ('unfeigned / guileless'), a Greek term meaning literally 'unformed / unmoulded' — without cunning; ironically Jacob's subsequent actions are anything but guileless, a tension the narrator may intend.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
ηὔξησανgrew upAor Act Indic 3 Pl · αὐξάνωmain verb (summary of growth to adulthood)→ constative aorist (the entire period of growing up summarized)αὐξάνω: 'grow / increase'; renders Hebrew וַיִּגְדְּלוּ (wayyiḡdelû); the same verb appears of the child Jesus in Luke 2:40 (τὸ δὲ παιδίον ηὔξανεν).
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
οἱ νεανίσκοιthe young menNominativesubject→ participant prominenceνεανίσκος: 'young man'; renders Hebrew הַנְּעָרִים ('the lads'); the transition from birth (vv.25–26) to adulthood summary is instantaneous in the narrative, a genealogical compression.
καὶandnarrative conjunction (introducing the character portraits)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἦν Ησαυ ἄνθρωποςEsau was a manImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίcopular description (Esau's character)→ descriptive imperfect (ongoing characteristic)εἰμί: meaning 'Esau was a man'; it carries the action, process, or state of the clause; here it functions as copular description (Esau's character).
εἰδὼς κυνηγεῖνwho knew how to huntPf Act Part Nom Sg Masc · οἶδαparticipial modifier of ἄνθρωπος (characterizing Esau's skill)→ intensive perfect (a settled, acquired expertise)οἶδα: 'know'; εἰδώς = 'knowing / skilled in'; κυνηγεῖν: 'hunting'; the phrase renders Hebrew יֹדֵעַ צַיִד ('knowing game / skilled hunter'); Esau's identity is defined by his outdoors vocation.
ἄγριοςwild / a man of the fieldNominativepredicate adjective (second epithet describing Esau)→ participant prominenceἄγριος: 'wild / of the field'; renders Hebrew אִישׁ שָׂדֶה ('a man of the field / field-dweller'); the adjective connotes untamed, outdoor, pastoral wildness — the opposite of the cultivated household world of Jacob.
Ιακωβ δὲ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἄπλαστοςbut Jacob was a plain manImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίcopular description (Jacob's character, contrastive with Esau)→ descriptive imperfectἄπλαστος: 'unmoulded / guileless / plain'; renders Hebrew תָּם (tām = 'blameless / complete / simple / plain'); a rare word in LXX; it connotes simplicity, guilelessness, or lack of artifice — ironic in the light of Jacob's subsequent deceptions (27:19, 36; 30:37–43). The Heb תָּם is the same word used of Job (Job 1:1: ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, alethes).
οἰκῶν οἰκίανdwelling in a tent / housePres Act Part Nom Sg Masc · οἰκέωparticipial modifier of ἄνθρωπος (characterizing Jacob's habitat)→ progressive (habitual dwelling)οἰκέω: 'dwell / inhabit'; οἰκῶν οἰκίαν renders Hebrew יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים ('dwelling in tents'); the LXX uses οἰκία ('house') rather than σκηνή ('tent'), perhaps reflecting a Greek preference for settled habitation language, though the semantic range of אֹהֶל includes the domestic sphere.
28
ἠγάπησεν δὲ Ισαακ τὸν Ησαυ, ὅτι ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῷ· Ρεβεκκα δὲ ἠγάπα τὸν Ιακωβ.
And Isaac loved Esau, because his game was food to him; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
The divided parental love is presented starkly and without moral comment. Isaac loves Esau for a material reason (ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῷ — 'his game was food to him'), while Rebekah loves Jacob apparently unconditionally (no reason given). The asymmetry is narratively significant: Isaac's love for Esau is contingent on food, while Rebekah's for Jacob is simply stated. This division will fuel the deception of chapter 27, where food (goat stew and bread, v.34) will again be the medium of the sons' transactions with their parents.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
ἠγάπησενlovedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀγαπάωmain verb (Isaac's love for Esau)→ constative aorist (the settled disposition of love, summarized as a single state)ἀγαπάω: 'love'; renders Hebrew אָהַב (ʾāhab); used for both Isaac's and Rebekah's love, with the same verb, making the contrast of objects (Ησαυ / Ιακωβ) all the sharper. The LXX's use of ἀγαπάω (rather than the erotic φιλέω) suggests family affection and covenant-loyalty love.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙσαακIsaacsubject→ participant identificationΙσαακ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
τὸν ΗσαυEsauAccusativedirect object→ object specificationτὸν Ησαυ: meaning 'Esau'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
ὅτι ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῷbecause his game was food to himcausal clause (the material basis of Isaac's love for Esau)→ clausal contributionθήρα: 'hunt / game (hunted food)'; βρῶσις: 'food / eating'; the idiom ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῷ renders Hebrew כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו ('because game [was] in his mouth') — Isaac loves Esau because Esau feeds him. The material conditionality of Isaac's love is theologically notable in contrast to God's unconditioned election of Jacob in v.23.
Ρεβεκκα δὲbut Rebekahcontrastive subject (δέ marking the contrast)→ participant identificationΡεβεκκα δὲ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as contrastive subject (δέ marking the contrast).
ἠγάπαlovedImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀγαπάωmain verb (Rebekah's love for Jacob)→ descriptive imperfect (habitual, ongoing love — contrasting with Isaac's summarized aorist)ἀγαπάω: the imperfect ἠγάπα (vs. Isaac's aorist ἠγάπησεν) subtly contrasts an habitual, durative love (Rebekah's) with a summarized disposition (Isaac's); the difference may be stylistic, but it reinforces Rebekah's active, ongoing advocacy for Jacob in the narrative.
τὸν ΙακωβJacobAccusativedirect object→ object specificationτὸν Ιακωβ: meaning 'Jacob'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
29
Ἥψησεν δὲ Ιακωβ ἕψεμα· ἦλθεν δὲ Ησαυ ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου ἐκλελυμένος.
Now Jacob was boiling stew; and Esau came in from the field exhausted.
The scene is set economically: Jacob is cooking (ἕψεμα = stew/pottage), Esau arrives famished (ἐκλελυμένος = worn out / faint). The contrast — the domestic Jacob at the pot versus the field-man Esau reduced to helplessness — sets the power dynamic for the transaction that follows. The term ἕψεμα ('boiled dish') appears only here and in v.30 in the LXX, linking the two verses as cause and demand.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
Ἥψησενwas boilingAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἕψωmain verb→ ingressive aorist (Jacob had begun or was in the process of boiling)ἕψω: 'boil / cook'; renders Hebrew וַיָּזֶד (wayyāzed, from זִיד, 'boil / seethe'); the word is related to the Hebrew root that the LXX translates as ἕψεμα ('pottage / stew'); Jacob the homebody (v.27) is portrayed in his domestic environment.
δὲnownarrative particle (scene-setting)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'now'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙακωβJacobsubject→ participant identificationΙακωβ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
ἕψεμαstew / pottageAccusativedirect object→ object specificationἕψεμα: 'boiled food / stew / pottage'; a rare word, from ἕψω; renders Hebrew נְזִיד (nāzîd, 'boiled dish'); the specific content (lentils) is given in v.34. The term recurs as τοῦ ἑψήματος in v.30 and ἕψεμα φακῆς ('lentil stew') in v.34.
ἦλθενcameAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἔρχομαιmain verb (Esau's arrival)→ constative aorist (Esau's return from the hunt)ἔρχομαι: 'come / arrive'; renders Hebrew וַיָּבֹא (wayyāḇōʾ).
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΗσαυEsausubject→ participant identificationΗσαυ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
ἐκ τοῦ πεδίουfrom the fieldGenitiveprepositional phrase (origin: the hunting ground)→ spatial or relational framingπεδίον: 'plain / field'; renders Hebrew מִן הַשָּׂדֶה ('from the field'); the same open outdoor space of Esau's description in v.27 (ἄγριος = 'wild / man of the field').
ἐκλελυμένοςexhausted / faintPf Pass Part Nom Sg Masc · ἐκλύωpredicative participle (Esau's physical state at arrival)→ intensive perfect (completely worn out — a settled condition of exhaustion)ἐκλύω: 'loosen / exhaust / faint'; renders Hebrew עָיֵף (ʿāyēp, 'weary / faint'); the perfect participle ἐκλελυμένος ('utterly exhausted') depicts Esau as at the limit of his strength — a state he immediately uses to justify his reckless oath. NT: ἐκλύω / ἐκλύεσθαι appears in Heb 12:3 (μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν), ironically just before the Esau warning in Heb 12:16.
30
καὶ εἶπεν Ησαυ τῷ Ιακωβ· Γέμισόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑψήματος τοῦ πυρροῦ τούτου, ὅτι ἐκλελυμένος εἰμί· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Εδωμ.
And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted.' Therefore his name was called Edom.
Esau's demand contains the second name-etymology of the passage: he asks for 'the red one' (τοῦ πυρροῦ τούτου = 'of this red thing'), and the narrator immediately notes that therefore he was named Εδωμ. The Hebrew אֱדֹם (ʾEdôm = 'red') is directly derived from the redness (אָדֹם, ʾādom). The LXX renders the Hebrew root consistently: Esau at birth was πυρράκης (v.25), the stew is τοῦ πυρροῦ ('the red one', v.30), and the name Εδωμ is given. Three different Greek words carry the redness motif: πυρράκης (v.25) / πυρρός (v.30) / Εδωμ (v.30) — all from the same semantic field. The word γέμισον ('fill me up') is notably crude — a demand for satiation, not a polite request.
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (speech introduction)→ constative aoristεἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
ΗσαυEsausubject→ participant identificationΗσαυ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
τῷ Ιακωβto JacobDativeindirect object (dative with εἶπεν)→ sphere or referenceτῷ Ιακωβ: meaning 'to Jacob'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
Γέμισόν μεfill me upAor Act Impv 2 Sg · γεμίζωimperative (Esau's urgent demand)→ constative aorist imperative (immediate single request)γεμίζω: 'fill up / stuff'; renders Hebrew הַלְעִיטֵנִי (halʿîṭēnî, 'let me gulp down / stuff me') — a uniquely crude verb meaning to stuff the mouth of an animal; the LXX slightly softens this with γεμίζω ('fill'), but the demand still conveys Esau's fixation on immediate physical gratification over all else.
ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑψήματος τοῦ πυρροῦ τούτουfrom that red stewGenitiveprepositional phrase (the content requested: the red pottage)→ spatial or relational framingἕψημα: see v.29; πυρρός: 'red / flame-colored'; τοῦ πυρροῦ τούτου ('this red one') renders Hebrew הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה ('this red, red thing') — a doubled adjective in Hebrew for emphatic redness. The LXX uses πυρρός ('fire-red') rather than ἐρυθρός ('blood-red'), evoking the color of fire or flame. This is the word that triggers the Εδωμ etymology.
ὅτι ἐκλελυμένος εἰμίfor I am exhaustedPres Act Indic 1 Sg · εἰμίcausal clause (Esau's stated justification)→ descriptive present (current state)ἐκλελυμένος: see v.29; the same perfect participle repeated — Esau identifies himself by his exhaustion, using it as the moral ground for demanding the stew. His self-identification with physical weakness will become the basis of his fatalistic reasoning in v.32.
διὰ τοῦτοthereforecausal connective (introducing the name-etymology)→ discourse linkage or contrastδιὰ τοῦτο: meaning 'therefore'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐκλήθηwas calledAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · καλέωmain verb (narrator's name-etymology note)→ constative aoristκαλέω: 'call / name'; the narrator intrudes with an etymology note (cf. Gen 19:22; 21:31); the passive ἐκλήθη may carry divine passive force — the name was divinely ordained.
τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦhis nameNominativesubject of ἐκλήθη→ participant prominenceτὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ: meaning 'his name'; it serves as subject of ἐκλήθη.
ΕδωμEdompredicate nominative (the name derived from the red stew)→ participant identificationΕδωμ: LXX transliteration of אֱדֹם (ʾEdôm = 'red'); the eponymous name of the Edomite nation east of the Jordan; the etymology tracks from Esau's πυρράκης appearance at birth (v.25) → his demand for the πυρρός stew (v.30) → the name Εδωμ. In prophetic texts Edom becomes a symbol of hostility to Israel (Isa 34; Obad; Mal 1:2–3 LXX — where Paul finds the 'Jacob I loved, Esau I hated' of Rom 9:13).
31
εἶπεν δὲ Ιακωβ τῷ Ησαυ· Ἀπόδος μοι σήμερον τὰ πρωτοτόκιά σου ἐμοί.
And Jacob said to Esau: 'Sell me today your birthright.'
Jacob's response to Esau's demand is a single sharp counter-demand: ἀπόδος μοι σήμερον τὰ πρωτοτόκιά σου ἐμοί ('give over to me today your birthright to me'). The word πρωτοτόκια ('birthright / rights of the firstborn') is the chapter's theologically loaded term — the entire inheritance structure of v.5 depends on it. The emphatic σήμερον ('today') exploits Esau's immediate need, and the double object (μοι … ἐμοί) is an intensifying Hebraism. NT: Heb 12:16 uses πρωτοτόκια for the rights Esau sold.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (speech introduction)→ constative aoristεἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙακωβJacobsubject→ participant identificationΙακωβ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
τῷ Ησαυto EsauDativeindirect object→ sphere or referenceτῷ Ησαυ: meaning 'to Esau'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
Ἀπόδοςgive over / sellAor Act Impv 2 Sg · ἀποδίδωμιimperative (the birthright demand)→ constative aorist imperative (single, immediate demand)ἀποδίδωμι: 'give back / render / sell'; renders Hebrew מִכְרָה ('sell!') from מָכַר (mākar); the LXX chooses ἀποδίδωμι ('give over / hand over') rather than πωλέω ('sell'), which slightly blurs the commercial sense; but the transaction is clearly a sale, confirmed by ἀπέδοτο ('sold') in v.33.
μοιto meDativeindirect object (dative of advantage / recipient)→ participant reference or interestμοι: meaning 'to me'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as indirect object (dative of advantage / recipient).
σήμερονtodaytemporal adverb (exploiting Esau's immediate need)→ clausal contributionσήμερον: 'today'; renders Hebrew כַּיֹּום ('today / this day'); the insistence on σήμερον turns Esau's present distress into a legal deadline — Jacob will not wait.
τὰ πρωτοτόκιά σουyour birthrightAccusativedirect object (the rights being demanded)→ object specificationπρωτοτόκια: 'birthright / rights of the firstborn'; renders Hebrew בְּכֹרָה (bekōrāh, 'birthright'); the plural form (τὰ πρωτοτόκια) is the technical legal term for the bundle of privileges belonging to the firstborn: double inheritance-share, family leadership, and priestly or covenantal standing. NT: Heb 12:16 — μή τις … βέβηλος ὡς Ησαυ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ.
ἐμοίto meDativedative of possession (emphatic reiteration of μοι: 'sell them to me')→ participant reference or interestThe doubling μοι … ἐμοί is a Hebraism for emphasis (cf. לִי … לִי); Jacob insists that the transfer is specifically to himself, establishing the legal character of the demand.
32
εἶπεν δὲ Ησαυ· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πορεύομαι τελευτᾶν, καὶ ἵνα τί μοι ταῦτα τὰ πρωτοτόκια;
And Esau said: 'Look, I am about to die — and why should these birthrights matter to me?'
Esau's reply is the chapter's moral nadir: he treats his physical hunger as an existential crisis ('I am about to die') and dismisses the birthright as worthless under those conditions. The exclamation Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πορεύομαι τελευτᾶν ('Look, I am going to die') is dramatic hyperbole, but the underlying logic is consistent with his character as a man of immediate physical gratification. The question ἵνα τί μοι ταῦτα τὰ πρωτοτόκια ('why are these birthrights anything to me?') echoes Rebekah's lament in v.22 (ἵνα τί μοι τοῦτο), linking the two rhetorical questions and showing that Esau's response to crisis is dismissal rather than inquiry.
Word-by-word analysis· 10 words
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (speech introduction)→ constative aoristεἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΗσαυEsausubject→ participant identificationΗσαυ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
ἸδοὺLook / Beholdinterjection (drawing attention to the following claim)→ participant identificationἰδού: 'look / behold'; renders Hebrew הִנֵּה (hinnēh), the attention-marker; here introduces Esau's self-dramatizing claim of imminent death.
ἐγὼINominativesubject (emphatic first-person pronoun)→ participant referenceἐγὼ: meaning 'I'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as subject (emphatic first-person pronoun).
πορεύομαι τελευτᾶνam going / about to diePres Mid Indic 1 Sg · πορεύομαιperiphrastic construction (main verb + complementary infinitive: 'I am going to die')→ futuristic present (imminent death asserted as a present trajectory)πορεύομαι: 'go / proceed'; τελευτᾶν: 'to die / to come to an end'; the combination πορεύομαι τελευτᾶν renders Hebrew הֹלֵךְ לָמוּת ('I am going to die'), a dramatic idiom for being close to death. Esau's hyperbole treats temporary hunger as a death sentence — a moral judgment embedded in his hyperbole.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (linking the existential claim to the dismissal)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἵνα τίwhy / to what endinterrogative adverbial phrase (rhetorical: dismissing the birthright as useless)→ clausal contributionἵνα τί: 'why / for what purpose'; Hebraism for לָמָּה; the same phrase used in Rebekah's distress cry (v.22); its repetition here is ironic: Rebekah asked 'why is this to me?' and went to God for an answer; Esau asks 'why should this matter to me?' and dismisses the sacred for the carnal.
μοιto meDativedative of reference ('of what use to me')→ participant reference or interestμοι: meaning 'to me'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative of reference ('of what use to me').
ταῦτα τὰ πρωτοτόκιαthese birthrightsNominativesubject of implied verb (predicate: 'what are these birthrights to me?')→ participant prominenceπρωτοτόκια: see v.31; Esau dismisses the πρωτοτόκια as of no practical value when he is hungry — the profane-man logic of Heb 12:16: βέβηλος ὡς Ησαυ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ ('profane like Esau, who for a single meal sold his own birthright').
33
εἶπεν δὲ Ιακωβ· Ὄμοσόν μοι σήμερον· καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἀπέδοτο Ησαυ τὰ πρωτοτόκια τῷ Ιακωβ.
And Jacob said: 'Swear to me today.' And he swore to him; and Esau sold his birthright to Jacob.
Jacob seals the transaction with an oath (ὤμοσεν), making it legally irrevocable (cf. 27:36 where Esau acknowledges he cannot undo it). The oath-demand Ὄμοσόν μοι σήμερον echoes and completes the σήμερον ('today') of v.31: Jacob ensures that the transaction is both immediate and binding. The narrator's summary ἀπέδοτο Ησαυ τὰ πρωτοτόκια τῷ Ιακωβ ('Esau sold his birthright to Jacob') uses the commercial aorist ἀπέδοτο ('sold / transferred'), confirming the full legal character of the exchange. The brevity of the transaction — three short clauses — mirrors its moral shallowness on Esau's side.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb→ constative aoristεἶπεν: verbal form rendered 'said' here; its aspect and clause role are specified by the parse and syntax fields.
δὲandnarrative particle→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ΙακωβJacobsubject→ participant identificationΙακωβ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject.
Ὄμοσόν μοι σήμερονSwear to me todayAor Act Impv 2 Sg · ὀμνύωimperative (binding legal demand for an oath)→ constative aorist imperative (immediate, single act of swearing demanded)ὀμνύω: 'swear (an oath)'; renders Hebrew הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי (hiššābeʿāh lî, 'swear to me'); the oath transforms the transaction from a casual exchange into a legally irrevocable covenant-oath. σήμερον echoes v.31: the insistence on today removes any possibility of Esau later claiming he was not in his right mind or had not formally agreed.
καὶandnarrative conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ὤμοσενsworeAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ὀμνύωmain verb (Esau complies with the oath demand)→ constative aorist (completed oath)ὀμνύω: the same verb as the imperative above; the echoing of the root (Ὄμοσόν / ὤμοσεν) is a figure of etymological emphasis typical of LXX narrative. The oath makes the birthright sale legally binding under biblical law — Gen 27:36 confirms it cannot be undone.
αὐτῷto himDativeindirect object (Jacob as the one to whom the oath was sworn)→ participant reference or interestαὐτῷ: meaning 'to him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as indirect object (Jacob as the one to whom the oath was sworn).
καὶandnarrative conjunction (introducing the legal summary)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἀπέδοτοsoldAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἀποδίδωμιmain verb (narrator's legal summary of the completed transaction)→ constative aorist (the completed sale)ἀποδίδωμι: 'give over / sell / hand over'; the middle voice ἀπέδοτο emphasizes the self-involving, self-dispossessing character of the act — Esau sold what was properly his. NT: Heb 12:16 uses ἀπέδετο (the same verbal form) for Esau selling τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ, confirming the LXX of Gen 25:33 as the scriptural source.
ΗσαυEsausubject of ἀπέδοτο→ participant identificationΗσαυ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject of ἀπέδοτο.
τὰ πρωτοτόκιαthe birthrightAccusativedirect object (the legal object of the sale)→ object specificationπρωτοτόκια: see vv.31–32; the article τὰ now treats the birthright as a specific, known, definite entity — no longer Esau's personal possession but the object of a completed transaction.
τῷ Ιακωβto JacobDativeindirect object (the legal recipient of the birthright)→ sphere or referenceτῷ Ιακωβ: meaning 'to Jacob'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
34
Ιακωβ δὲ ἔδωκεν τῷ Ησαυ ἄρτον καὶ ἕψεμα φακῆς· καὶ ἔφαγεν καὶ ἔπιεν καὶ ἀναστὰς ᾤχετο· καὶ ἐφαύλισεν Ησαυ τὰ πρωτοτόκια.
And Jacob gave Esau bread and a dish of lentil stew; and he ate and drank and rose and went away. And Esau despised the birthright.
The verse completes the transaction and delivers the narrator's theological verdict in a single devastating word: ἐφαύλισεν ('he despised / treated as worthless'). Five rapid aorists (ἔφαγεν, ἔπιεν, ἀναστὰς, ᾤχετο, ἐφαύλισεν) carry the narrative at speed — Esau eats, drinks, rises, goes: all over in a moment. The rhythm enacts the casualness of his action. The final ἐφαύλισεν stands alone as the narrator's lapidary judgment, the theological counterpart to the oracle of v.23 and the prologue to Hebrews 12:16's portrait of Esau as βέβηλος. The stew is identified specifically as φακῆς ('lentil'), the only identification of the dish in the chapter, carrying the note of bathos: the greatest inheritance ever traded, exchanged for a bowl of lentils.
Word-by-word analysis· 15 words
ΙακωβJacobsubject (fronted for contrast and continuity from v.33)→ participant identificationΙακωβ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (fronted for contrast and continuity from v.33).
δὲandnarrative particle (continuing the transaction to its fulfilment)→ discourse linkage or contrastδὲ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἔδωκενgaveAor Act Indic 3 Sg · δίδωμιmain verb (Jacob's delivery of the agreed payment)→ constative aorist (the completed act of giving)δίδωμι: 'give'; renders Hebrew וַיִּתֵּן (wayyitten); Jacob performs his part of the exchange; the birthright has been sworn over, and now the food is delivered — the sequence is: oath first (v.33), payment second (v.34), a deliberate ordering that seals the legal transaction before the physical exchange.
τῷ Ησαυto EsauDativeindirect object→ sphere or referenceτῷ Ησαυ: meaning 'to Esau'; it shapes the local clause or phrase relation in this passage.
ἄρτονbreadAccusativedirect object (first food item)→ object specificationἄρτος: 'bread / loaf'; renders Hebrew לֶחֶם (leḥem); added to the stew, suggesting a full modest meal (bread + stew); the bread element was not mentioned in Esau's demand — Jacob gives more than asked, but the price paid by Esau was infinitely more.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἕψεμα φακῆςlentil stewAccusativedirect object (second food item — the stew identified by content)→ object specificationφακή: 'lentil'; renders Hebrew עֲדָשִׁים (ʿădāšîm, 'lentils'); the specific identification of the stew as lentil stew appears only here, at the conclusion of the episode — the bathos is deliberate: this is what the birthright cost. The lentil stew is the price of Israel's covenant inheritance.
καὶ ἔφαγενand he ateAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐσθίωmain verb (first of the rapid-fire aorists describing Esau's actions)→ constative aoristἐσθίω: 'eat'; the four verbs ἔφαγεν, ἔπιεν, ἀναστὰς, ᾤχετο in quick succession create a rhythm of heedless speed — Esau eats, drinks, rises, and leaves without hesitation or regret.
καὶ ἔπιενand drankAor Act Indic 3 Sg · πίνωmain verb (second rapid-fire aorist)→ constative aoristπίνω: 'drink'; the pairing ἔφαγεν καὶ ἔπιεν ('ate and drank') is the LXX idiom for fully consuming a meal; cf. the Passover narrative (Exod 12 LXX); here it marks the consummation of the transaction — Esau has received what he traded his birthright for.
καὶ ἀναστὰςand having risenAor Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ἀνίστημιattendant-circumstance participle (third action: rising from the meal)→ constative aorist (getting up as a single movement)ἀνίστημι: 'rise / stand up'; renders Hebrew וַיָּקָם (wayyāqām); the participle ἀναστάς is the idiomatic 'having arisen' that precedes a departure in biblical narrative.
ᾤχετοwent awayImpf Mid Indic 3 Sg · οἴχομαιmain verb (fourth action: Esau's departure without looking back)→ ingressive imperfect (setting off / departing)οἴχομαι: 'go away / depart'; a verb of departure often implying finality; renders Hebrew וַיֵּלֶךְ (wayyēlek); the ingressive imperfect ᾤχετο ('he went off / was gone') conveys that Esau simply left — no regret, no second thought, no acknowledgment of what he had given up.
καὶandnarrative conjunction (introducing the closing verdict)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐφαύλισενdespisedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · φαυλίζωmain verb (the narrator's closing theological verdict)→ constative aorist (a single, decisive act of contempt that defines Esau's character)φαυλίζω: 'despise / treat as worthless / hold in contempt'; renders Hebrew וַיִּבֶז (wayyiḇez, from בָּזָה, 'despise / hold in contempt'); the verb conveys not merely indifference but active devaluation — Esau treated the sacred as trivial. The narrator's verdict ἐφαύλισεν stands alone as the last word of the chapter, serving as the moral epitaph of the episode. NT echo: Heb 12:16 identifies Esau as βέβηλος ('profane / unholy') — one who treated the holy as common — because ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ ('for a single meal he sold his own birthright'); the semantic root of βέβηλος (treating the sacred as if it had no value) exactly captures ἐφαύλισεν. The word is the chapter's theological summary in a single verb.
ΗσαυEsausubject (named emphatically at the close: the verdict falls on Esau by name)→ participant identificationΗσαυ: transliterated proper name rendered in Greek letters; here it functions as subject (named emphatically at the close: the verdict falls on Esau by name).
τὰ πρωτοτόκιαthe birthrightAccusativedirect object of ἐφαύλισεν (the sacred inheritance treated as worthless)→ object specificationπρωτοτόκια: the chapter's key term, appearing three times (vv.31, 32, 33) and now for the fourth and final time as the object of Esau's contempt; the definite article τὰ marks it as the fully known, fully specific inheritance that was discussed, sworn, and exchanged — and now despised.