A selection of verses telling us about Esau:
Esau is the elder twin brother of Jacob. There is rivalry between them throughout most of their lives:
22 The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is like this, why do I live?” She went to enquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb.
Two peoples will be separated from your body.
The one people will be stronger than the other people.
The elder will serve the younger.”
24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.
Esau is an outdoor man and loved by his father:
27 The boys grew. Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau sells his birthright to Jacob because he is not interested in God’s promises:
32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Nevertheless he plans to kill his brother after Jacob tricks his father Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau:
41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
The writer to the Hebrews gives the divine assessment of Esau:
16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.
Esau's children become the Edomite people who live in Mount Seir:
6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn’t bear them because of their livestock. 8 Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.
9 This is the history of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir:
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