Genesis 25:23

God said to Rebekah, “There are 2 babies inside you. They will grow up and have kids, and their kids will become 2 nations. Right from the start, those 2 nations will fight against each other. One of those nations will be stronger than the other nation. Yes, the younger son’s nation will be stronger, and his nation will be boss over the older son’s nation.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

In Context

22But while those babies were still inside her, they started to fight with each other. Rebekah felt them moving inside her, and she was worried about it. So she said to God, “Why is this happening to me?”

24Later on, the time came for Rebekah to have her babies, and 2 boys were born.

Read all of Genesis 25

Cross References

Genesis 17:4“I promise that I will do this for you. I will give you a big family. Lots of people will be born into your family, so that you will be the father of lots of nations.

Genesis 24:60Then Rebekah’s family asked God to be good to Rebekah. They said to her, “We are asking God to give you lots of kids and grand-kids, so that your family will become a really big mob of people. And we are asking God to make them strong, so that when other people fight against your mob, your mob will win, and then your mob will take the towns that belonged to those other people.”

Genesis 27:29I’m asking God to make you boss over other nations, so that those other nations will work for you and show you respect. I’m asking God to make you boss over your relatives, so that they will show you respect. If anyone makes trouble for you, I’m asking God to curse them, but if anyone is good to you, I’m asking God to be good to them.”

Genesis 27:40Your tribe will always fight and steal from other people to get their food. Your brother’s tribe will be boss over your tribe. But one day, your tribe will fight back, and then your brother’s tribe will not be boss over your tribe any more.”

Genesis 48:19But Jacob didn’t move his hand. He said, “No, my son. I know for sure that I’m doing the right thing. Listen, your older son will have a big family, and they will become an important tribe. But your younger son will be more important than your older son. He will have a really big family, and later on, his tribe will be really big and really important.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 25:20-29

Birth of Esau and Jacob. ( b. c. 1837.) 19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 25:23