Genesis 25:26
New International Version
After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

New Living Translation
Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

English Standard Version
Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Berean Standard Bible
After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

King James Bible
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

New King James Version
Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

New American Standard Bible
Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

NASB 1995
Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

NASB 1977
And afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

Amplified Bible
Afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob (one who grabs by the heel, supplanter). Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Christian Standard Bible
After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

American Standard Version
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And after him his brother went out, and his hand was holding on the heel of Esau, and he called his name Yaquuv, and Isaac was a son of sixty years when she gave birth to them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And after this came forth his brother, and his hand took hold of the heel of Esau; and she called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when Rebecca bore them.

Contemporary English Version
The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him.

English Revised Version
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Afterwards, his brother was born with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, and so he was named Jacob [Heel]. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

Good News Translation
The second one was born holding on tightly to the heel of Esau, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

International Standard Version
After that, his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau's heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.

Literal Standard Version
and afterward his brother has come out, and his hand is taking hold on Esau’s heel, and one calls his name Jacob; and Isaac [is] a son of sixty years in her bearing them.

Majority Standard Bible
After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

New American Bible
Next his brother came out, gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

NET Bible
When his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau's heel, they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

New Revised Standard Version
Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

New Heart English Bible
After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And after that his brother was born, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

World English Bible
After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Young's Literal Translation
and afterwards hath his brother come out, and his hand is taking hold on Esau's heel, and one calleth his name Jacob; and Isaac is a son of sixty years in her bearing them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob and Esau
25The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. 26After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. 27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.…

Cross References
Acts 7:8
Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Genesis 25:20
and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

Genesis 27:36
So Esau declared, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing." Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?"

Genesis 35:28
And Isaac lived 180 years.

Joshua 24:4
and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

1 Chronicles 1:34
Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

Hosea 12:3
In the womb he grasped his brother's heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.


Treasury of Scripture

And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was three score years old when she bore them.

And after.

Genesis 38:28-30
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first…

took.

Hosea 12:3
He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:

Jacob.

Genesis 27:36
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Isaac was.

Genesis 25:20
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

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Afterward Afterwards Bare Bearing Birth Bore Born Esau's Forth Gripping Hand Heel Hold Holding Isaac Jacob Rebekah Sixty Threescore
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Afterward Afterwards Bare Bearing Birth Bore Born Esau's Forth Gripping Hand Heel Hold Holding Isaac Jacob Rebekah Sixty Threescore
Genesis 25
1. The sons of Abraham by Keturah.
5. The division of his goods.
7. His age, death, and burial.
11. God blesses Isaac.
12. The generations of Ishmael.
17. His age and death.
19. Isaac prays for Rebekah, being barren.
22. The children strive in her womb.
24. The birth of Esau and Jacob.
27. Their different characters and pursuits.
29. Esau sells his birthright.














(26) His hand took hold on Esau's heel.--Usually there is a considerable interval--an hour or more--between the birth of twins; but here Jacob appeared without delay, following immediately upon his brother. This is expressed by the metaphorical phrase that his hand had hold on Esau's heel--that is, there was absolutely no interval between them. Though very rare, yet similar cases have been chronicled from time to time.

His name was called Jacob.--The name signifies one who follows at another's heels. It was Esau who first put upon it a bad meaning (Genesis 27:36), and this bad sense has been riveted to it by Jacob's own unworthy conduct. It is constantly so used even in the Bible. Thus in Hosea 12:3--a passage quoted in defence of a literal explanation of the metaphor in this verse by those who are acquainted only with the English Version--the Hebrew has, he Jacobed, literally, heeled--that is, oJeremiah 9:4 and elsewhere; but it is not well rendered by our word supplant, which contains a different metaphor, the planta being the sole of the foot; whereas to be at a person's heel is to be his determined pursuer, and one who on overtaking throws him down.

Verse 26. - And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel. The inf. constr, standing for the finite verb (Ewald's 'Hebrews Synt.,' 304). Not simply followed close upon the heels of Esau (Kalisch), but seized Esau's heel, as if he would trip him up (Keil, Murphy). It has been contended (De Wette, Schumann, Knobel) that such an act was impossible, a work on obstetrics by Busch maintaining that an hour commonly intervenes between the birth of twins; but practitioners of eminence who have been consulted declare the act to be distinctly possible, and indeed it is well known that "a multitude of surprising phenomena are connected with births" (Havernick), some of which are not greatly dissimilar to that which is here recorded. Delitzsch interprets the language as meaning only that the hand of Jacob reached out in the direction of his brother's heel, as if to grasp it; but Hosea 12:3 explicitly asserts that he had his brother's heel by the hand while yet in his mother's womb. And his name was called - literally, and he (i.e. one) called his name; καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ (LXX.); id circo appellavit eum (Vulgate; cf. Genesis 16:14; Genesis 27:36) - Jacob. Not "Successor," like the Latin secundus, from sequor (Knobel, Kalisch); but "Heel-catcher" (Rosenmüller, Gesenius, Keil, Lange, Murphy), hence Supplanter (cf. Genesis 37:36). And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. Literally, in the bearing of them, the inf. constr, taking the case of its verb (vide Gesenius, § 133) - when she (the mother) bare them; ὄτε ἔτεκεν αὐτοὺς Ῥεβέκκα (LXX.); quum nati sunt parvuli (Vulgate); though, as Rebekah's name does not occur in the immediate context, and ילד is applied to the father (Genesis 4:18; Genesis 10:8, 13) as well as to the mother, the clause may be rendered when he (Isaac) begat them (Kalisch, Afford).

CHAPTER 25:27-34

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After
וְאַֽחֲרֵי־ (wə·’a·ḥă·rê-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

this,
כֵ֞ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

his brother
אָחִ֗יו (’ā·ḥîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

came out
יָצָ֣א (yā·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

grasping
אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ (’ō·ḥe·zeṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

Esau’s
עֵשָׂ֔ו (‘ê·śāw)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6215: Esau -- oldest son of Isaac

heel;
בַּעֲקֵ֣ב (ba·‘ă·qêḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6119: Heel, footprint, hind part

so he was named
וַיִּקְרָ֥א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

Jacob.
יַעֲקֹ֑ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

And Isaac
וְיִצְחָ֛ק (wə·yiṣ·ḥāq)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

was sixty
שִׁשִּׁ֥ים (šiš·šîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 8346: Sixty

years old
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

when [the twins] were born.
בְּלֶ֥דֶת (bə·le·ḏeṯ)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage


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OT Law: Genesis 25:26 After that his brother came out (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 25:25
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