Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights Esau's absolute indifference as he eats, drinks, and simply "went his way." This mundane action underscores the profound contempt he held for his birthright, treating a divinely ordained inheritance as less significant than immediate physical satisfaction.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The story just before this verse details a hungry Esau returning from the field and encountering Jacob, who is preparing a pot of lentil stew. Jacob seizes this opportunity to demand Esau's birthright in exchange for food, a transaction Esau readily agrees to after being forced to swear an oath. This immediate preceding narrative sets up Esau's willingness to trade a significant spiritual and familial inheritance for temporary physical relief.
What would you give up for a meal? Esau traded something eternal for something temporary. Let's look at what he lost.
Esau's decision wasn't just about giving up a family inheritance; it was about forfeiting spiritual promises.
Beyond the Physical
The birthright carried significant spiritual weight. It included:
Esau, blinded by immediate hunger, saw only the temporary relief. He declared, 'What good is the birthright to me?' This reveals a profound disconnect from the spiritual realities it represented.
Jacob's actions were undeniably manipulative. But how does God's plan unfold amidst human flaws?
While Esau's disregard for his birthright is clear, Jacob's method of acquiring it is also problematic.
A Flawed Acquisition
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Jacob, described as a 'plain man, dwelling in tents,' used cunning to get what he wanted. He exploited his brother's desperate hunger, demanding the birthright in exchange for food.
This raises questions:
Even with Jacob's questionable tactics, the birthright's destiny was set by God's sovereign plan. As the prophecy stated, 'the elder shall serve the younger.' God's purposes stand, even when human actions are imperfect.
Understand the original words
bazah · Hebrew Verb
To regard as worthless, hold in contempt, or treat with disdain. Biblically, it denotes a profound lack of respect or valuation for something that God or tradition has deemed precious or holy.
Esau's impulsive trade highlights how easily immediate physical needs can overshadow eternal spiritual blessings, a pattern the New Testament warns against.
~1800 BC
Abraham lives and dies
Abraham, the patriarch of the covenant, lives and dies, passing his inheritance and spiritual promises to his son Isaac.
~1800 BC
Isaac marries Rebekah
Isaac, Abraham's son and heir, marries Rebekah, who is initially barren.
~1799 BC
Rebekah conceives twins
After Isaac prays, Rebekah conceives twin sons, Esau and Jacob. She receives a prophecy that the older will serve the younger.
~1779 BC— this verse
Jacob buys Esau's birthright
Esau, returning famished from hunting, trades his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.
c. 1753 BC
Isaac blesses Jacob
Deceived by Rebekah and Jacob, a blind Isaac blesses Jacob, intending it for Esau, thus confirming Jacob's inheritance and the covenant promises.
c. 1753 BC
Jacob flees Esau
Fearing Esau's wrath, Jacob flees to Paddan-aram, where he later marries Leah and Rachel.
This passage directly references Esau's sale of his birthright, calling him a 'profane person' for despising such a sacred inheritance for a temporary meal, highlighting the eternal consequences of devaluing spiritual blessings.
Genesis 27:36Here, Esau laments that Jacob has supplanted him twice, once selling his birthright and now taking the blessing. This shows the ongoing ramifications of his initial act of despising his birthright and reveals his deep regret when the true value became apparent.
Romans 9:13Quoting Genesis 25:23 ('The elder shall serve the younger'), this verse underscores God's sovereign choice in selecting Jacob, not based on merit but on His own purpose. This contrasts with Esau's seemingly casual disposal of what God had ordained.
Galatians 5:19-21These verses describe the 'works of the flesh' which include greed and gluttony, directly mirroring Esau's impulsive, appetite-driven decision. It illustrates how prioritizing immediate physical desires over eternal values leads to spiritual ruin.
clarkeGenesis 25:34: "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
Pottage of lentils - See note Genesis 25:29 . Thus Esau despised his birthright - On this account the apostle, Hebrews 12:16, calls Esau a profane person, because he had, by this act, alienated from himself and family those spiritual offices connected with the rights of primogeniture. While we condemn Esau for this bad action, (for he s…
ellicottGenesis 25:34: "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
(34) He did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. —These words graphically describe Esau’s complete indifference to the spiritual privileges of which he had denuded himself. There is no regret, no sad feeling that he had prolonged his life at too high a cost. And if Jacob is cunning, and mean in the advantage he took of his brot…
The verse highlights Esau's absolute indifference as he eats, drinks, and simply "went his way." This mundane action underscores the profound contempt he held for his birthright, treating a divinely ordained inheritance as less significant than immediate physical satisfaction.
The story just before this verse details a hungry Esau returning from the field and encountering Jacob, who is preparing a pot of lentil stew. Jacob seizes this opportunity to demand Esau's birthright in exchange for food, a transaction Esau readily agrees to after being forced to swear an oath. This immediate preceding narrative sets up Esau's willingness to trade a significant spiritual and familial inheritance for temporary physical relief.
The story just before this verse details a hungry Esau returning from the field and encountering Jacob, who is preparing a pot of lentil stew. Jacob seizes this opportunity to demand Esau's birthright in exchange for food, a transaction Esau readily agrees to after being forced to swear an oath. This immediate preceding narrative sets up Esau's willingness to trade a significant spiritual and familial inheritance for temporary physical relief.
"Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright." — The verse highlights Esau's absolute indifference as he eats, drinks, and simply "went his way." This mundane action underscores the profound contempt he held for his birthright, treating a divinely…
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Last reviewed October 2026