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Genesis

About this book

Abraham's Other Descendants and Death

Chapter 25

1 Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. 7 Abraham lived a total of 175 years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life.⁠ He joined his ancestors. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

Ishmael's Descendants

12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps—twelve princes according to their clans. 17 Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. 18 His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next to Egypt all the way to Asshur. They settled away from all their relatives.

The Birth of Jacob and Esau

19 This is the account of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 But the children struggled inside her,⁠ and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she asked the Lord, 23 and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from within you. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”⁠ 24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, there were twins in her womb.⁠ 25 The first came out reddish all over, like a hairy garment, so they named him Esau.⁠ 26 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.

Esau Sells His Birthright

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents.⁠ 28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished.⁠ 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed me some of the red stuff—yes, this red stuff—because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 But Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” So Esau swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. So Esau despised his birthright.

Texts in conversation

Compare Genesis 25:7 and Psalm 90:8 and Jubilees 23:8

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions

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Summary

Jubilees reshapes the Genesis story of Abraham’s death by introducing a structured view of history based on cycles of seven and also influenced by Psalm 90. This transforms the short ending into a reflection on time governed by law and order.

Passages

Genesis 25:7

Hebrew Bible
7 Abraham lived a total of 175 years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. He joined his ancestors. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Genesis

Psalm 90:8

Hebrew Bible
8 You are aware of our sins; you even know about our hidden sins. 9 Yes, throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 10 The days of our lives add up to 70 years, or 80, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away. 11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? Your raging fury causes people to fear you.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Jubilees 23:8

Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions
8 And he lived three jubilees and four weeks of years, one hundred and seventy-five years, and completed the days of his life, being old and having lived a full life. 9 For the lifespans of the ancestors were nineteen jubilees; and after the Flood they began to grow less than nineteen jubilees, and to decrease in jubilees, and to grow old quickly, and to be full of their days because of many troubles and the wickedness of their ways, with the exception of Abraham. 10 For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all the days of his life; and look, he did not complete four jubilees in his life, when he had grown old because of the wickedness, and was at the end of his life. 11 And all the generations which shall arise from this time until the day of the great judgment shall grow old quickly, before they complete two jubilees, and their knowledge shall leave them because of their old age [and all their knowledge shall disappear].
170–125 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jubilees

References

"... An example of the way in which existing traditum was used to form new traditio in Jubilees can be found in the exceptionally layered text of Jubilees 23:8–32. In this chapter the report on Abraham’s death in Genesis 25:7–11 is used to present a viewpoint on ‘the theological meaning of Israel’s history between creation and Moses’ receiving of the law at Sinai’ (Venter 2007:479). History is interpreted in terms of a heptadic jubilee system. In this scheme ‘everything is ordered according to the directions of the law on Sabbaths and festival days’ (Venter 2007:479). In Psalm 90 longevity is understood in terms of declining followed by inclining in human age. It is also interpreted according to the traditional Deuteronomistic retributive scheme of sin-punishment-repentance-salvation. Finally the author superimposed an eschatological-apocalyptic expectation on this intertextual creation. It is expected that in the last days everybody will obey the law of God. ..."
Pieter M. Venter, “Canon, Jubilees 23 and Psalm 90,” HvTSt 70.1 (2014): 1–10.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Genesis 25:7 and Psalm 90:8 and Jubilees 23:8

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