Genesis 25:28
New International Version
Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

New Living Translation
Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

English Standard Version
Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Berean Standard Bible
Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

King James Bible
And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

New King James Version
And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

New American Standard Bible
Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

NASB 1995
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

NASB 1977
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Legacy Standard Bible
Isaac loved Esau because he had an appetite for hunted game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Amplified Bible
Now Isaac loved [and favored] Esau, because he enjoyed eating his game, but Rebekah loved [and favored] Jacob.

Christian Standard Bible
Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

American Standard Version
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob.

Contemporary English Version
Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.

English Revised Version
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Because Isaac liked to eat the meat of wild animals, he loved Esau. However, Rebekah loved Jacob.

Good News Translation
Isaac preferred Esau, because he enjoyed eating the animals Esau killed, but Rebecca preferred Jacob.

International Standard Version
Isaac loved Esau, because he loved to hunt, while Rebekah loved Jacob.

Majority Standard Bible
Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

NET Bible
Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

New Heart English Bible
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for wild animals, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

World English Bible
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Isaac loves Esau, for [his] game [is] in his mouth; and Rebekah is loving Jacob.

Young's Literal Translation
and Isaac loveth Esau, for his hunting is in his mouth; and Rebekah is loving Jacob.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Isaak will love Esau for the chase in his mouth: and Rebekah loved Jacob.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca loved Jacob.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Isaac was fond of Esau, because he was fed from his hunting; and Rebekah loved Jacob.

New American Bible
Isaac preferred Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah preferred Jacob.

New Revised Standard Version
Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Isaac was fond of Esau, because he ate of Esau's game; but Rebekah was fond of Jacob.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Isaaq loved Esau because he ate his game, and Raphqa loved Yaquuv.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; and Rebekah loved Jacob.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Isaac loved Esau, because his venison was his food, but Rebecca loved Jacob.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob and Esau
27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Cross References
Genesis 27:1-29
When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied. / “Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know the day of my death. / Take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out into the field to hunt some game for me. ...

Genesis 37:3-4
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. / When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Malachi 1:2-3
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved, / but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Romans 9:10-13
Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. / Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, / not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ...

Hebrews 12:16-17
See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright. / For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.

Genesis 29:30
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

Genesis 48:17-19
When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. / “Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” / But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”

Deuteronomy 21:15-17
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, / when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. / Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

1 Samuel 1:4-5
And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. / But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

1 Samuel 16:6-13
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” / But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” / Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” ...

2 Samuel 13:21
When King David heard all this, he was furious.

1 Kings 11:1-3
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.

Proverbs 28:21
To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. / The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. / After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

he did eat of his venison.

Genesis 27:4,19,25,31
And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die…

Rebekah.

Genesis 27:6
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

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Ate Eat Esau Esau's Game Greatly Hunting Isaac Isaac's Jacob Loved Loving Meat Mouth Rebecca Rebekah Taste Venison Wild
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Ate Eat Esau Esau's Game Greatly Hunting Isaac Isaac's Jacob Loved Loving Meat Mouth Rebecca Rebekah Taste Venison Wild
Genesis 25
1. The sons of Abraham by Keturah.
5. The division of his goods.
7. His age, death, and burial.
11. God blesses Isaac.
12. The generations of Ishmael.
17. His age and death.
19. Isaac prays for Rebekah, being barren.
22. The children strive in her womb.
24. The birth of Esau and Jacob.
27. Their different characters and pursuits.
29. Esau sells his birthright.














Because Isaac had a taste for wild game
The phrase highlights Isaac's personal preference, which is rooted in the Hebrew word "אָהַב" (ahav), meaning "to love" or "to have affection for." This suggests a deep-seated inclination that goes beyond mere taste, indicating a bond formed through shared experiences and pleasures. In the ancient Near Eastern context, hunting was not only a means of sustenance but also a demonstration of skill and prowess. Isaac's preference for wild game reflects a cultural appreciation for the hunter's lifestyle, which Esau embodied. This preference sets the stage for familial dynamics that will have significant implications for the narrative of the patriarchs.

he loved Esau
The Hebrew word for "loved" here is also "אָהַב" (ahav), emphasizing a strong emotional connection. Isaac's love for Esau is portrayed as conditional, based on Esau's ability to provide the wild game that Isaac favored. This conditional love contrasts with the unconditional love that God often demonstrates in Scripture. The favoritism shown by Isaac towards Esau introduces a theme of partiality that recurs throughout the Bible, often leading to conflict and division within families. This favoritism foreshadows the future struggles between Esau and Jacob, highlighting the human tendency to allow personal preferences to influence relationships.

but Rebekah loved Jacob
In contrast to Isaac's conditional love, Rebekah's love for Jacob is presented without qualification. The Hebrew word "אָהַב" (ahav) is used again, but the context suggests a more profound, perhaps intuitive, connection. Rebekah's love for Jacob is significant in the unfolding of God's covenantal promises. Historically, the role of women in the patriarchal narratives often involves pivotal decisions that align with divine purposes. Rebekah's preference for Jacob aligns with God's sovereign choice, as revealed later in the narrative. This maternal favoritism sets the stage for the fulfillment of God's plan through Jacob, despite the cultural norms that favored the firstborn, Esau.

(28) Because he did eat of his venison.--Literally, because the venison--that is, the produce of Esau's hunting--was in his mouth; in our phrase, was to his taste--was what he liked. The diet of an Arab sheik is very simple (see Note on Genesis 18:6); and Isaac, a man wanting in physical vigour and adventurousness--as is usually the case with the children of people far advanced in years--both admired the energy which Esau had inherited from Rebekah, and relished the fruits of it.

Verse 28. - And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: - literally, because his hunting (i.e. its produce) was in his mouth; ὁτι ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῳ (LXX.); not perhaps the sole reason for Isaac's preference of Esau, though mentioned here because of its connection with the ensuing narrative. Persons of quiet and retiring disposition, like Isaac, are often fascinated by those of more sparkling and energetic temperament, such as Esau; mothers, on the other hand, are mostly drawn towards children that are gentle in disposition and home-keeping in habit. Accordingly it is added - but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Isaac
יִצְחָ֛ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

had a taste
בְּפִ֑יו (bə·p̄îw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

for wild game,
צַ֣יִד (ṣa·yiḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6718: The chase, game, lunch

he loved
וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב (way·ye·’ĕ·haḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

Esau;
עֵשָׂ֖ו (‘ê·śāw)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6215: Esau -- oldest son of Isaac

but Rebekah
וְרִבְקָ֖ה (wə·riḇ·qāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7259: Rebekah -- wife of Isaac

loved
אֹהֶ֥בֶת (’ō·he·ḇeṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

Jacob.
יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc


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OT Law: Genesis 25:28 Now Isaac loved Esau because he ate (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 25:27
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