Esau

Esau is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the twin brother of Jacob. Though he is the older brother, he does not receive the blessing of the first-born. Esau is the forefather of the Edomites, with whom the Israelites were regularly in conflict.

Esau is also called “Edom”. Both names mean “red”. This meaning is explained in two ways in the stories about Esau. He has red hair and when he is born, he is completely covered in hair (Genesis 25:25). There is also a connection made with the red lentil soup which he received from Jacob in exchange for his birthright (Genesis 25:31).
Esau is the darling of his father Isaac, because he regularly brings home freshly killed game. His mother Rebecca prefers his younger twin brother Jacob, who likes to stay in the tents. Esau marries various Canaanite women, although his parents are against the idea.

Esau exchanges his birthright as first-born son with his younger brother Jacob, for a bowl of lentil soup and some bread (Genesis 25:29-34). He also loses the blessing of the first-born to Jacob, because Jacob cheats his blind father. Jacob pretends to be Esau with the result that his father Jacob blesses him instead of Esau.
Esau is so angry about this that he wants to kill Jacob. Jacob flees to his uncle, Laban, in Haran. When Jacob returns to Canaan years later, the two brothers are reconciled with each other (Genesis 33:4).

Esau is the forefather of the Edomites. According to Genesis 36:6-7 he settles with his family and all his possessions in the hill country of Seir. This hilly region on the other side of the Jordan is known for its red mountains. It is therefore also called Edom.
The Edomites and the Israelites were regularly in conflict with each other. God clearly favoured the one nation over the other and this can be seen in the prophecies which refer to Edom. In Malachi 1:2-3 we read, for example, “Esau and Jacob were brothers, but I have loved Jacob and his descendants, and have hated Esau and his descendants.”