change Isaac’s mind, causing him to retract the blessing that he had pronounced upon Jacob. Likely Isaac recognized Jehovah’s leading in the matter. He then proceeded to say to Esau: “Behold, away from the fertile soils of the earth your dwelling will be found, and away from the dew of the heavens above. And by the sword you will live, and your brother you will serve. But it will certainly occur that, when you grow restless, you will indeed break his yoke off your neck.”—Gen. 27:30-40; Heb. 12:17.

Esau knew that Jacob had not procured the blessing merely on the basis of deception. Jacob was entitled to the blessing because he had legally acquired the birthright. (Archaeological testimony confirms that among ancient peoples of the Near East the practice existed of exchanging a birthright for something material. For example, a text from Nuzi tells of one brother’s receiving three sheep in exchange for his share of the inheritance.) But Esau, like Cain, harbored animosity toward his brother Jacob and was waiting for an opportunity to put him to death. Therefore, Rebekah, on learning of this, advised Jacob to run away to her brother Laban at Haran; and in order to gain Isaac’s consent in this matter, she kindly chose not to reveal to Isaac Esau’s murderous intention but voiced her feelings as to how she would be affected if Jacob ever took a wife like the daughters of Heth. Isaac then called Jacob, blessed him and directed him to go to Paddan-aram to Rebekah’s relatives to obtain a wife. When Esau saw this, he was prompted to take a third wife, Mahalath (Basemath?) the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael.—Gen. 27:41–28:9; 36:3; see BASEMATH No.2.

LATER EVENTS

Sometime during the twenty years that Jacob was away, Esau began to establish interests in Seir, the field of Edom. (Gen. 32:3; Josh. 24:4) It appears that it was years later that he made the complete move, taking his family and all his possessions to Seir. (Gen. 36:6-8) When Jacob returned to Canaan, he became quite alarmed upon receiving word from the messengers he had sent that Esau, along with 400 men was on his way to meet him. Esau’s reason for coming with a band of 400 men, may have been to impress his brother with his superior strength, or possibly to show that he was a mighty chieftain. Jacob, after praying to Jehovah, sent ahead a magnificent gift of more than 550 head of livestock. On seeing Esau, Jacob, in humility, “proceeded to bow down to the earth seven times until he got near to his brother.” Esau then went running to meet him, embraced Jacob, fell upon his neck and kissed him. Both of them burst into tears. Esau was apparently quite prosperous materially at the time, for he at first refused to accept Jacob’s gift of livestock, saying: “I have a great many, my brother. Let continue yours what is yours.” However, at Jacob’s urging Esau finally accepted the gift. He then offered to accompany Jacob, but his brother tactfully declined this as well as Esau’s later proposal to place some of his men at Jacob’s disposal, likely for protection. Esau and his men then departed and returned to Seir. The Bible record mentions that, about twenty-three years later, at the death of Isaac, Esau and Jacob buried their father.—Gen. 32:6, 7, 10-15; 33:1-3, 8, 9, 11-16; 35:29.

DIVINE PRINCIPLES ILLUSTRATED

The personality of Esau clearly shows that the choosing of Jacob as a forefather of the promised seed was no arbitary choice or unreasonable favoritism on the part of Jehovah God. Esau’s lack of appreciation for spiritual things, coupled with his strong tendency toward satisfying fleshly desires, made Esau unfit to be in the direct line of the promised seed. Hence, Jehovah’s words, through his prophet Malachi: “But I loved Jacob, and Esau I have hated.” Esau is excluded from among the faithful cloud of witnesses listed in Hebrews, chapter 11, when Paul says: “By faith Abraham . . . dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the very same promise.”—Mal. 1:2, 3; Heb. 11:8, 9; 12:1.

Jehovah’s selection of Jacob over Esau shows that God’s choosing does not depend on man’s dictates. The apostle Paul uses this incident as an illustration of the fact that the true children of Abraham are not necessarily those of fleshly descent, nor those who depend on their own works, but those of the faith of Abraham.—Rom. 9:6-12.

Esau is set forth as a warning example to Christians so that they will not be guilty, as was Esau the materialist, of lack of appreciation for sacred or spiritual things.—Heb. 12:16; see EDOM.

ESDRAELON

See JEZREEL, JEZREELITE.

ESEK

(Eʹsek) [contention, strife].

A well of fresh water dug by Isaac’s servants in the torrent valley of Gerar. (Gen. 26:20) The Philistine shepherds of that area, however, claimed the well as theirs and the resultant “quarreling” between the two parties gave the site its name. (Gen. 26:12-20) Its exact location is today unknown.

ESHAN

(Eʹshan) [support].

A city in the mountainous region of Judah. (Josh. 15:20, 48, 52) Though its exact location is unknown, the Greek Septuagint rendering of “Soma” has led some geographers to identify it with Khirbet Samʽa, a little less than ten miles (16.1 kilometers) S-SW of Jerusalem.

ESHBAAL

See ISH-BOSHETH.

ESHBAN

(Eshʹban) [man of understanding].

The second-named son of Sheik Dishon; a descendant of Seir the Horite. The Horites were the inhabitants of the land of Seir before the sons of Esau dispossessed and annihilated them.—Gen. 36:20, 26; 1 Chron. 1:38, 41; Deut. 2:12.

ESHCOL

(Eshʹcol) [cluster].

1. A brother of Aner and Mamre the Amorite. (Gen. 14:13) Eshcol and his brothers were confederates of Abraham in defeating a league of Eastern kings.—Gen. 14:14, 24; see ANER No. 1.

2. A wadi or torrent valley, probably located a short distance N of Hebron. It was from this valley that the Israelite spies carried off a large cluster of grapes, and the vineyards in this area are still noted for the high quality of their grapes. (Num. 13:23, 24; 32:9; Deut. 1:24) The name possibly resulted from this event during the spying trip.

ESHEK

(Eʹshek) [violence, oppression].

A descendant of King Saul. The Scriptural record mentions that this Benjamite had three sons and that the sons of his firstborn, Ulam, “came to be valiant, mighty men, bending the bow, and having many sons and grandsons, a hundred and fifty.”—1 Chron. 8:1, 33, 39, 40.

ESHTAOL

(Eshʹta·ol).

A city in the Shephelah, assigned to Judah (Josh. 15:20, 33), and later listed as a town on Dan’s border. (Josh. 19:40, 41) Judge Samson was first impelled by Jehovah’s spirit in this vicinity, and upon his death was buried there. (Judg. 13:25; 16:31) The five Danites spying out Laish and the 600 who subsequently captured it, departed from Eshtaol and Zorah.—Judg. 18:1, 2, 7, 11, 27.

Geographers generally identify Eshtaol with the partially occupied modern-day site of Eshwaʽ. It stands on a platform of rock a little more than thirteen miles (20.9 kilometers) due W of Jerusalem.

ESHTAOLITES

(Eshʹta·ol·ites)

The Judean inhabitants of Eshtaol who sprang from Shobal through the families of Kiriath-jearim.—1 Chron. 2:53.