1 Abraham married another wife; her name was Keturah. 2 She had the following sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Keturah. 5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them to live in the east, well away from Isaac. 7 Abraham lived to be 175 8 when he breathed his last and died at a good old age. He had lived a full life, and now he joined his forefathers in death. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field that had belonged to Ephron, son of Zohar, the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who was living near Beer-lahai-roi. 12 This is the genealogy of Abraham's son Ishmael. His mother Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian slave. 13 These were the names of the sons of Ishmael according to their family genealogy: Nebaioth (firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these became the names of the places where they lived and camped—the twelve family rulers of their tribes. 17 Ishmael lived to be 137. Then he breathed his last and died, and joined his forefathers in death. 18 Ishmael's descendants inhabited the region from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. They were forever fighting with one other. 19 The following is the genealogy of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20 When Isaac was 40 he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for help on behalf of his wife because she couldn't have children. The Lord answered his prayer and she became pregnant. 22 The twin babies inside her struggled with each other. So she asked the Lord, “Why is this happening to me?” 23 “You have two nations inside you,” the Lord replied. “You're going to give birth to two peoples who will compete against each other. One will be stronger than the other; the older one will be the servant of the younger one.” 24 When the time came she gave birth to twins. 25 The first baby to be born was red, and covered with hair like a coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then his twin brother was born, holding on to Esau's heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 when they were born. 27 The boys grew up and Esau became a skilled hunter, at home in the countryside. Jacob was quiet and liked to stay at home in the tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he brought him tasty wild game to eat, while Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 One day Jacob was cooking some stew when Esau got back from the countryside, tired out and starving hungry. 30 “Give me some of that red stew,” Esau told Jacob. “I'm absolutely starving!” (That's how Esau got his other name, “Edom,” meaning “red.”) 31 “First sell me your rights as the firstborn son,” Jacob replied. 32 “Look! I'm dying here! What use are the rights of the firstborn to me?” Esau declared. 33 “First you have to swear to me,” Jacob demanded. So Esau swore an oath selling his rights of the firstborn to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then he got up and left. By doing this Esau showed how little he cared for his rights as the firstborn son.
Genesis 25 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abida
One of the five sons of Midian, descendants of Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Adbeel
One of the twelve sons of Ishmael, listed among the princes of his people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:13
Dedan
A son of Jokshan, grandson of Abraham and Keturah; the Asshurites, Letushites and Leummites are listed as his sons.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:3; 1 Chronicles 1:32
Dumah
A son of Ishmael whose name is also attached to a place in Arabia.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:14
Eldaah
The last-named of the five sons of Midian, descendants of Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33
Ephah
The first-named of the five sons of Midian, descendants of Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33
Epher
One of the five sons of Midian, descendants of Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33
Ephron
A Hittite at Hebron, son of Zohar, who sold Abraham the field and cave of Machpelah for four hundred shekels of silver, where Abraham buried Sarah and was himself buried.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 23:8–10; Genesis 23:16; Genesis 25:9
Esau
Isaac's elder son, who traded his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–27; 36
Hadad
A son of Ishmael numbered among the twelve princes of his people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:15
Hanoch
One of the five sons of Midian, descendants of Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33
Isaac
The long-promised son, nearly offered on Moriah, through whom the covenant continued.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 21–27
Ishbak
A son of Abraham by Keturah who fathered an Arabian people of the east.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2
Ishmael
Abraham's son by Hagar, blessed by God to become a great nation.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 16; 17:20; 21; 25:12–18
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Jetur
One of Ishmael's twelve sons, later linked to the Itureans.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:15
Jokshan
A son of Abraham by Keturah and father of the trading peoples Sheba and Dedan.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2-3
Kedar
Second son of Ishmael whose name marks a prominent northern Arabian tribe.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:13
Kedemah
The last-named of Ishmael's twelve sons in the genealogy.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:15
Keturah
The wife Abraham took after Sarah's death, mother of six more sons.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:1-6
Laban
Bethuel's son and Rebekah's brother, who welcomed Abraham's servant, later became Jacob's uncle and father-in-law, deceived him by giving him Leah, and pursued him to Gilead when…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 24:29; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 29:13
Massa
One of the twelve sons of Ishmael listed among his tribal princes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:14
Medan
A son of Abraham by Keturah who fathered a people of the Arabian east.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2
Mibsam
A son of Ishmael counted among the twelve princes of his descendants.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:13
Midian
A son of Abraham by Keturah and ancestor of the Midianites of the northwestern Arabian desert.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2
Mishma
One of Ishmael's twelve sons, named among the tribal princes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:14
Naphish
A son of Ishmael counted among the twelve tribal princes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:15
Nebaioth
Ishmael's firstborn son and one of the twelve princes God promised him.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:13
Rebekah
Wife of Isaac and mother of the twins Jacob and Esau.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 24-27
Sheba
A son of Jokshan, grandson of Abraham and Keturah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:3; 1 Chronicles 1:32
Shuah
The youngest son of Abraham by Keturah and ancestor of an eastern desert people.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2
Tema
A son of Ishmael whose name marks an oasis and tribe of the desert.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25:15
Zimran
A son of Abraham by Keturah, the wife he took after Sarah's death.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 25:2
Zohar
A Hittite named only as the father of Ephron, from whom Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 23:8; Genesis 25:9
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Chronicles 1:32–33; Genesis 28:1; Genesis 23:1–2
- 2 1 Chronicles 1:32–33; Numbers 31:8; Genesis 37:36; Numbers 25:17–18; Numbers 31:2
- 3 Ezekiel 25:13; 1 Kings 10:1; Ezekiel 27:6; Jeremiah 49:8; Job 6:19
- 4 Isaiah 60:6
- 5 Genesis 24:36; Galatians 3:29; Hebrews 1:2; Matthew 11:27; Romans 8:32
- 6 Genesis 21:14; Judges 6:3; Acts 14:17; Matthew 5:45; Judges 19:1–2
- 7 Genesis 12:4
- 8 Genesis 35:28–29; Genesis 15:15; 1 Chronicles 29:28; Genesis 49:33; Job 5:26
- 9 Genesis 50:13; Genesis 35:29; Genesis 49:29–30; Genesis 21:9–10; Genesis 23:9–20
- 10 Genesis 23:16; Genesis 49:31
- 11 Genesis 16:14; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 24:62; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 17:19
- 12 Psalm 83:6; Genesis 17:20; Genesis 21:13; Genesis 16:10–15
- 13 1 Chronicles 1:29–31; Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 42:11; Psalm 120:5; Song of Songs 1:5
- 14 Isaiah 21:16; Isaiah 21:11
- 15 1 Chronicles 5:19; Job 2:11
- 16 Genesis 17:20; Genesis 17:23
- 17 Genesis 15:15; Genesis 25:7–8
- 18 Genesis 16:12; Genesis 20:1; Genesis 21:21; 2 Kings 23:29; Psalm 78:64
- 19 Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:34; Acts 7:8; 1 Chronicles 1:32
- 20 Genesis 24:29; Genesis 24:67; Genesis 22:23; Deuteronomy 26:5; Genesis 31:24
- 21 2 Chronicles 33:13; Ezra 8:23; Luke 1:13; Isaiah 58:9; 1 Chronicles 5:20
- 22 1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Samuel 28:6; 1 Samuel 30:8; 1 Samuel 10:22; Ezekiel 20:31
- 23 Romans 9:10–13; Genesis 27:40; Genesis 27:29; 2 Samuel 8:14; Malachi 1:2–5
- 25 Genesis 27:11; Genesis 27:23; Genesis 27:16
- 26 Genesis 27:36; Hosea 12:3; Genesis 38:28–30
- 27 Hebrews 11:9; Genesis 21:20; Genesis 28:10–11; Genesis 6:9; Genesis 10:9
- 28 Genesis 27:19; Genesis 27:31; Genesis 27:4; Genesis 27:9; Genesis 27:25
- 29 Isaiah 40:30–31; Proverbs 13:25; 1 Samuel 14:28; Judges 8:4–5; 1 Samuel 14:31
- 30 Numbers 20:14–21; Genesis 36:43; Genesis 36:1; Deuteronomy 23:7; Exodus 15:15
- 32 Job 34:9; Job 22:17; Job 21:15; Malachi 3:14; Exodus 22:9
- 33 Hebrews 12:16; Genesis 27:36; Hebrews 6:16; Genesis 24:3; Genesis 36:6–7
- 34 Hebrews 12:16–17; Philippians 3:18–19; Matthew 26:15; Isaiah 22:13; 1 Corinthians 15:32
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth, it was said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people are in thy body; and the one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger." From which it is evident, that not only [were there] prophecies of the patriarchs, but …
I know, too, that Esau was deceived by a longing for lentiles, and that David took blame to himself for desiring water, and that our King was tempted not by flesh but bread.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Thus, in the first place, at his birth, since he laid hold on his brother's heel, he was called Jacob, that is, the supplanter--one who holds, but is not held; binding the feet, but not being bound; striving and conquering; grasping in his hand his adversary's heel, that is, victory.
… her handmaid, after Abraham had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." And of Keturah, whom he took after Sarah's departure, we read, "Then again Abraham took a wife, whose name was Keturah." Lo!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
But unto the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from his son Isaac, (while he yet lived,) eastward, unto the east country." Therefore the sons of the concubines, that is, the heretics and the carnal Jews, have some gifts, but do not attain the promised kingdom; "For they which are the children of the flesh, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)