Genesis 25:25

And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) Red.—Heb., admoni, a secondary reason for the name Edom. (See Genesis 25:30,)

All over like an hairy garment.—Heb., all of him—that is, completely—like a garment of hair: words rendered “a rough garment” in Zechariah 13:4, where it is used of the jacket of sheepskin worn by the prophets. It appears, therefore, that Esau’s body was entirely covered with red down, which developed in time into hair as coarse as that of a kid (Genesis 27:16), and betokened a strong and vigorous, but sensual nature.

Esau.—The Jewish commentators form this name from the verb to make, and render it well-made; but the usual explanation is hairy, from a word now extant only in Arabic.

Benson Commentary

Genesis 25:25. Red, like a hairy garment — With red hair all over his body, as if he had been already a grown man, whence he had his name, Esau, made, reared already. This was an indication of a very strong constitution, and gave cause to expect that he would be a very robust, daring, active man. But Jacob was smooth and tender, as other children.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

25:19-26 Isaac seems not to have been much tried, but to have spent his days in quietness. Jacob and Esau were prayed for; their parents, after being long childless, obtained them by prayer. The fulfilment of God's promise is always sure, yet it is often slow. The faith of believers is tried, their patience exercised, and mercies long waited for are more welcome when they come. Isaac and Rebekah kept in view the promise of all nations being blessed in their posterity, therefore were not only desirous of children, but anxious concerning every thing which seemed to mark their future character. In all our doubts we should inquire of the Lord by prayer. In many of our conflicts with sin and temptation, we may adopt Rebekah's words, If it be so, why am I thus? If a child of God, why so careless or carnal? If not a child of God, why so afraid of, or so burdened with sin?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The twins are born in due time. The difference is manifest in the outward appearance. The first is red and hairy. These qualities indicate a passionate and precocious nature. He is called "Esau the hairy," or "the made up," the prematurely developed. His brother is like other children. An act takes place in the very birth foreshadowing their future history. The second has a hold of his brother's heel, as if he would trip him up from his very birth. Hence, he is called "Jacob the wrestler," who takes hold by the heel.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife—Though tried in a similar way to his father, he did not follow the same crooked policy. Twenty years he continued unblessed with offspring, whose seed was to be "as the stars" [Ge 26:4]. But in answer to their mutual prayers (1Pe 3:7), Rebekah was divinely informed that she was to be the mother of twins, who should be the progenitors of two independent nations; that the descendants of the younger should be the more powerful and subdue those of the other (Ro 9:12; 2Ch 21:8).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Red; with red hair upon all the parts of his body. From him the Red Sea is supposed to receive its name, it being so called, as the heathen writers tell us, from one who reigned in those parts, and was called Erythras, or Erythrus, which signifies red, the same with Edom or Esau.

Esau, i.e. made or perfect; not properly a child, but rather a man as soon as he was born, having that hair upon him which in others was an evidence of manhood.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the first came out red,.... Either his body, or rather the hair it was covered with, red; which was a sign, as Jarchi observes, that he would be a shedder of blood, fierce and cruel as were he and his posterity:

all over like an hairy garment; his body was all over full of hair, which stood as thick as a garment made of hair, and was a sign of the roughness of his disposition, as well as of the strength of his body:

and they called his name Esau; his parents, and those present at his birth, all that saw him thus covered with hair; for he had his name not from the colour of his body or hair; for the word does not signify "red", but comes from a word which signifies "to make", he being a "maker": that made his way out before his brother, or an active man as afterwards, or because of his hair was "made" or born more like a man than a child; and so the Targum adds,"because he was wholly perfect, with the hair of his head and beard, and with his teeth and grinders:''but chiefly because of his hairiness, for Esau in the Arabic language signifies "covered" (f), as he was with hair: some say, a word in that language signifies a hairy garment made of camel's hair (g).

(f) "texit", "operuit", Castel. col. 2930. (g) Vid. Stockium. p. 923.

Geneva Study Bible

And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. red] R.V. marg. ruddy. The adjective refers to the skin rather than to the hair, as in the case of David (1 Samuel 16:12). The Heb. for “red,” admoni, is intended as a play on the word “Edom,” as if the Edomites were known as “the Reds,” or “Redskins,” on account of their warm complexion.

like an hairy garment] Cf. the description in Genesis 27:11-12; Genesis 27:16; Genesis 27:23. The word for “hairy” (sê‘ar) contains a play on the word “Seir,” the country of the Edomites.

Esau] The origin of the name is uncertain, but it may possibly be connected with an Arabic word meaning “thick-haired.” More doubtful is the suggested identification with Οὐσῶος, a hunter in Phoenician mythology. Esau appears as the poetical name for Edom. See Jeremiah 49:8-10; Obadiah 1:6; Obadiah 1:8 ff.; Malachi 1:2-3.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - And the first came out red, - Adhoni, πυῥῤάκης (LXX.), rufus (Vulgate), red-haired (Gesenius), of a reddish color (Lange), containing an allusion to Adham, the red earth - all over like an hairy garment. Literally, all of him as a cloak of hair (not, as the LXX., Vulgate, et alii, all of him hairy, like a cloak); the fur cloak, or hair mantle, forming one notion (Gesenius). The appearance of the child's body, covered with an unusual quantity of red hair, was "a sign of excessive sensual vigor and wildness" (Keil), "a foreboding of the animal violence of his character" (Kalisch), "the indication of a passionate and precocious nature" (Murphy). And they called his name Esau - "the hairy one," from an unused root signifying to be covered with hair (Gesenius). Genesis 25:25

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

When she was delivered, there were twins; the first-born was reddish, i.e., of a reddish-brown colour (1 Samuel 16:12; 1 Samuel 17:42), and "all over like a hairy cloak," i.e., his whole body as if covered with a fur, with an unusual quantity of hair (hypertrichosis), which is sometimes the case with new-born infants, but was a sign in this instance of excessive sensual vigour and wildness. The second had laid hold of the heel of the first, i.e., he came into the world with his hand projected and holding the heel of the first-born, a sign of his future attitude towards his brother. From these accidental circumstances the children received their names. The elder they called Esau, the hairy one; the younger Jacob, heel-holder: יעקב from עקב (denom. of עקב heel, Hosea 12:3), to hold the heel, then to outwit (Genesis 27:36), just as in wrestling an attempt may be made to throw the opponent by grasping the heel.