Scripture Helps

Genesis 24–33

The Lord prepared a way for Isaac and Rebekah to marry within the covenant. They eventually had twins, Jacob and Esau. As Esau grew, he did not prioritize receiving the birthright or his eternal blessings. Jacob received the birthright and traveled to his mother’s homeland to find a wife. While journeying, he had a vision that led him to enter into the Abrahamic covenant with God. Jacob went to great effort to marry in the covenant. God commanded him to return to his homeland. On his journey, Jacob wrestled to receive a blessing from God. The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Jacob and Esau reconciled.

Resources

• Background and Context

• Learn More

• Media

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

Background and Context

Genesis 24:2–9

Why did Abraham not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite?

The Canaanites of Abraham’s time worshipped idols and engaged in other practices that were contrary to the worship of Jehovah. Had Isaac married a Canaanite, he would not have been able to enter the Lord’s covenant of marriage and receive the Lord’s promised blessings associated with the Abrahamic covenant. The Old Testament includes strong warnings about marrying those who worship other gods.

For Latter-day Saints, covenant marriage takes place in the house of the Lord. As we keep these covenants, we qualify for the same blessings that were promised to Abraham. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “A marriage covenant made in the temple is tied directly to that Abrahamic covenant. In the temple a couple is introduced to all the blessings reserved for the faithful posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Genesis 25:6

What is a concubine?

In ancient times, a concubine was a woman within a household who was legally married to a man but had a lower legal and social status than a wife. The practice of marrying concubines was not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern culture—particularly in cases when a man’s first wife could not bear children. Abraham’s known concubines were Hagar and Keturah. Jacob received Bilhah and Zilpah as concubines from his wives Leah and Rachel. Latter-day revelation affirms that the Lord approved of these marriages.

For more information, see “Genesis 16:1–3. Why did Sarah give Hagar to Abraham as a wife?”

Genesis 25:29

What is pottage?

The Hebrew word for “pottage” means “boiled food.” In Old Testament times, pottage was usually a stew made by boiling vegetables, and sometimes meat, in water. Jacob’s pottage was made of lentils, which are small, pea-like legumes.

Genesis 25:32

What is a birthright?

In the Old Testament, the father was responsible for the temporal and spiritual welfare of his family. When the father died, a son—generally the oldest—would inherit the father’s responsibility for the family. These spiritual and temporal responsibilities were known as the birthright. The oldest son also often inherited a double portion of the father’s possessions, which he was expected to use to help care for the physical needs of the family.

Genesis 25:29–34

Why did Esau sell his birthright?

The account of Esau selling his birthright for pottage concludes with the phrase “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” The Hebrew word translated as “despise” can also mean “disregard.” Esau’s actions suggest that his immediate bodily needs may have been more important to him than the blessings and responsibilities of his birthright. Additional examples of Esau’s disregard for his birthright are his marriages to Canaanite women outside of the covenant.

President Dallin H. Oaks explained: “Jacob valued the spiritual, while Esau sought the things of this world. When he was hungry, Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. … Many Esaus have given up something of eternal value in order to satisfy a momentary hunger for the things of the world.”

Esau Sells His Birthright, by Glen S. Hopkinson

Genesis 27:1–33

Why did Jacob pretend to be Esau?

Rebekah had learned by revelation that Jacob would be blessed above Esau. It is possible that the actions of Rebekah and Jacob recorded in Genesis 27 were overzealous, imperfect attempts to help Jacob receive blessings the Lord had already promised to give him. This account may also be lacking details that could help us more clearly understand the actions and intentions of Rebekah and Jacob.

After Isaac learned that he had unknowingly bestowed the blessing on Jacob, he could have revoked the blessing and bestowed it upon Esau. However, he chose not to. Isaac thus confirmed that the blessing was given to the person the Lord intended.

Genesis 28:10–15

What is the significance of Jacob’s dream about a ladder?

President Marion G. Romney taught:

“When Jacob traveled from Beersheba toward Haran, he had a dream in which he saw himself on the earth at the foot of a ladder that reached to heaven where the Lord stood above it. He beheld angels ascending and descending thereon, and Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord.

“Because he had met the Lord and entered into covenants with him there, Jacob considered the site so sacred that he named the place Bethel, a contraction of Beth-Elohim, which means literally ‘the House of the Lord.’ He said of it: ‘… this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’ (Gen. 28:17). …

“Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob.”

Jacob at Bethel, by James Smetham

Genesis 29:23–28

Why are there plural marriages in the Old Testament?

See “Genesis 16:1–3. Why did Sarah give Hagar to Abraham as a wife?”

Genesis 29:30–33

Was Leah hated by Jacob?

After seven years of labor to marry Rachel, Jacob was deceived by Laban and ended up married instead to Rachel’s older sister, Leah. Jacob honored his marriage to Leah and agreed to work an additional seven years to also marry Rachel. Though we have no reason to assume that Jacob treated Leah poorly, the King James Bible states that “the Lord saw that Leah was hated.” Other translations use the words “not loved” and “unloved” instead of “hated.” Regardless of the translation, the text indicates that Jacob preferred Rachel.

Similar to Hagar’s experience, God showed His tender love and care for Leah in her difficult circumstances by blessing her with children. The names Leah gave some of her sons reflected how she felt about God in her trials.

Genesis 30:14–16

What are mandrakes?

The Hebrew word translated as “mandrake” “denotes ‘love fruit.’ The fruit had a pleasant taste and odor and was supposed to ensure conception.” The mandrake plant has flesh-colored roots that can sometimes resemble small human figures, which may have inspired superstitions that mandrakes helped with fertility.

Genesis 30:37–43

What was the purpose of the techniques Jacob used with his herds?

Laban made an agreement that Jacob could keep all the animals in his flock that had irregular-colored coats. So to increase his flock, Jacob placed striped and speckled branches in front of the animals while they mated. There was a superstition that what an animal looked at while it mated would affect the appearance of its offspring. The effectiveness of this technique is never questioned in the account, but later Jacob gives all the credit for the miracle to the Lord.

Genesis 31:19, 30–35

Why did Rachel steal from her father?

The “images” that Rachel stole from her father, Laban, were small statues that people in the ancient Near East used as idols in their homes. This same Hebrew word is also used in the Old Testament to refer to objects used for divination or fortune-telling.

Although the text does not explain why Rachel took her father’s idols, many theories exist. Some theories include that Rachel was trying to stop her father’s idolatry or planned to use the objects as a ransom in case Laban captured Leah and Rachel. Another theory is that the statues were tied to legal rights of inheritance. Rachel may have been trying to secure for her family the inheritance she and Leah felt their father owed them.

Genesis 32:24–32

What is the significance of Jacob’s wrestle?

When Jacob had left his homeland for Haran, Esau wanted to kill him because of their disputes over the birthright. After Jacob worked for Laban for 20 years in Haran, the Lord instructed Jacob to return to Canaan, promising, “I will be with thee.” Although Jacob obeyed, he feared what Esau might do to him and his family.

Before reuniting with Esau, Jacob sought solitude and divine assistance. At this point, the account says that Jacob wrestled all night with a man. It is unclear who the man was. Some think he was an angel, while others suggest he was a mortal messenger sent from God. The Hebrew word used for the man in these verses supports both possibilities and could even refer to God Himself.

What is apparent is that Jacob desperately desired a blessing. This wrestle was how he obtained it. After Jacob’s experience, he declared, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” The experience confirmed for Jacob the Lord’s promises and helped prepare him to meet his brother.

Genesis 32:28

Why was Jacob’s name changed to Israel?

Jacob means “supplanter.” In Hebrew the name can be associated with the idea of replacing another by deception. Esau saw Jacob in this way when Jacob secured both the birthright and the blessing that were supposed to belong by right to Esau, the oldest son.

But after Jacob’s night wrestle, the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Of this experience, President Russell M. Nelson taught: “For a moment, let us recall a crucial turning point in the life of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. At the place Jacob named Peniel (which means ‘the face of God’), Jacob wrestled with a serious challenge. His agency was tested. Through this wrestle, Jacob proved what was most important to him. He demonstrated that he was willing to let God prevail in his life. In response, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, meaning ‘let God prevail.’ God then promised Israel that all the blessings that had been pronounced upon Abraham’s head would also be his.”

Jacob’s name changing to Israel represented Jacob’s personal transformation. “Israel” also became the name of the nation that would descend from him. From his 12 sons came the twelve tribes of Israel, and the name Israel became synonymous with the people chosen by God to carry out His covenant.

Learn More

Eternal marriage

• D. Todd Christofferson, “Why Marriage, Why Family,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 50–53

• Julie B. Beck, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Family,” Ensign, Mar. 2011, 12–17

Birthright

• Bradley R. Wilcox, “O Youth of the Noble Birthright,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 93–96

Making covenants with God

• Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 4–11

Media

Images

Illustration of Rebekah, by Dilleen Marsh

Rebekah at the Well, by Michael Deas

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel, by J. Ken Spencer

Jacob and Esau Embrace, by Robert T. Barrett

Notes

1. See Exodus 34:11–16; Deuteronomy 7:3–4.

2. See Doctrine and Covenants 84:20–22, 38–40; 131:1–4.

3. “The Abrahamic Covenant,” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2024), Gospel Library.

4. See Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints (2009), 64. See also Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), “Concubine,” 175.

5. See Camille Fronk Olson, Women of the Old Testament (2009), 37–39; Rodney Turner, “Morality and Marriage in the Book of Mormon,” in The Book of Mormon: Jacob through Words of Mormon, To Learn with Joy, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (1990), 280–81.

6. See Genesis 16:1–3; 25:1; 1 Chronicles 1:32. Through Keturah’s line, Moses received the Melchizedek Priesthood from his father-in-law, Jethro (see Exodus 3:1; Doctrine and Covenants 84:6).

7. See Genesis 30:3–4, 9. Only Bilhah is specifically called a concubine in Genesis 35:22.

8. See Doctrine and Covenants 132:37.

9. Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 5138, page 990.

10. See J. D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2011), 773.

11. See Genesis 25:34. See also Douglas and Tenney, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 764.

12. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Firstborn,” Gospel Library.

13. See Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 62.

14. See Deuteronomy 21:17; see also Bradley R. Wilcox, “O Youth of the Noble Birthright,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 94; Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 62.

15. Genesis 25:34.

16. See Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, “Despise,” 225. See also Aaron P. Schade, “Isaac and Jacob: Succession Narratives, Birthrights, and Blessings,” in From Creation to Sinai: The Old Testament through the Lens of the Restoration, ed. Daniel L. Belnap and Aaron P. Schade (2021), 355‒59. Other examples of the word despise used in this way include Numbers 15:31; 2 Samuel 12:9; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Ezekiel 22:8; and Malachi 1:6.

17. See Genesis 26:34–35.

18. Dallin H. Oaks, “Spirituality,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 61.

19. See Genesis 25:23.

20. See Schade, “Isaac and Jacob,” in From Creation to Sinai, ed. Belnap and Schade, 355‒59.

21. See Genesis 27:33. Later, when Jacob was preparing to leave for Padan-aram to escape Esau’s wrath, Isaac clearly gave him the blessing of Abraham (see Genesis 28:3–4).

22. Marion G. Romney, “Temples—The Gates to Heaven,” Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16.

23. See Genesis 29:26–28.

24. Genesis 29:31.

25. See Genesis 29:31 (New International Version); Genesis 29:31 (New Revised Standard Version).

26. See Genesis 29:31.

27. See Genesis 29:32–35. See also Camille Fronk Olson, “The Matriarchs: Administrators of God’s Covenantal Blessings,” in Belnap and Schade, From Creation to Sinai, 405–12.

28. Bible Dictionary, “Mandrake.”

29. See Olson, Women of the Old Testament, 71.

30. See Genesis 30:31–34.

31. See Genesis 30:37–41.

32. See Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. (2014), 58, 59, notes on Genesis 30:35–42 and 31:4–13.

33. See Genesis 31:9.

34. See Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 8655, page 1035; David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 3 (1992), “Idol, idolatry,” 378–79.

35. See Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2.

36. See Olson, “The Matriarchs,” 409–10.

37. See D. Guthrie and J. A. Motyer, eds., The New Bible Commentary, rev. ed. (1970), 104–5.

38. See Genesis 31:14–16.

39. See Genesis 27:41–44.

40. See Genesis 31:41.

41. Genesis 31:3.

42. See Genesis 32:6–7, 11–12.

43. See Genesis 32:24, 26.

44. See Genesis 32:24.

45. See Andrew C. Skinner, “Jacob in the Presence of God” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (2005), 124.

46. See Genesis 32:26.

47. Genesis 32:30.

48. See Genesis 31:3.

49. Bible Dictionary, “Jacob.”

50. The name Jacob (ya’aqob) is similar to “supplanter” or “heel catcher” (‘āqab) in Hebrew (see Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 6117, page 1003).

51. See Genesis 27:36.

52. See Genesis 32:24–28.

53. Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 92.

54. One way Israel demonstrated his transformation was by reconciling with Esau (see Genesis 33:1–4).

55. See Bible Dictionary, “Israel.”

56. See Genesis 49:1–28.

57. See Bible Dictionary, “Abraham, covenant of.”