Genesis 25:33 Commentary and Bible Study

Jacob says, ‘Well, make an oath to that effect. State it clearly. Say, in effect, ‘I am an unbeliever. I think this is total nonsense. I have no faith in a birthright, future prophecies of God, or any of those things.’ So short on any respect or reverence is Esau that he says, ‘Fine: you want the oath, I make the oath. What is the purpose of this world?’ Well, don't you see, Rebekah is going to tell Isaac. ‘My lord,’ she is going to say – the women treated their husbands of eminence with very great respect, and Isaac had great eminence and he deserved it – ‘today something quite awful happened. Esau even swore an oath to his unbelief and his indifference to the prophecy of God.’ If she did, Esau would have raised his hand: No, no; you have said enough and Rebekah would have withdrawn. Isaac thought very deeply about this. He would have been shocked. It is my speculation that at the end of the day, he would have thought, ‘Well, men do say things they don't really mean; they do overreach themselves. It is surely Esau with his gifts and his initiatives, and his distinctive character, and the firstborn anyway, who must be the head of his family, even if Jacob is to have the blessing of the seed royal in his offspring.’ Jacob does not trust his brother’s bare word in such a great matter and extorts an oath. Whether he really believes that his unbelieving brother can be held even to an oath is not clear, but it sets a seal on the matter as far as he is concerned. ‘Swear to me today’. Not tomorrow but today, because tomorrow you may well plead forgetfulness. Esau is ready to go even this far for what he wants and, yes, sells his birthright to Jacob with an oath.