Genesis 25:26

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 25:26 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau`s heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau`s heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
Genesis 25:26 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 25

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
26And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau`s heel. And his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And after that came his brother out, etc.] Out of his mother’s womb, either by his own strength, or by the help of the midwife: and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; to pluck him back and get out first; and this was not casual, but was so ordered in Providence, and had a meaning and mystery in it: and his name was called Jacob; by his parents and others, and that for the above reason, because he took his brother by the heel, which his name has the signification of, and Esau has respect to in (<012736>Genesis 27:36): and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them; and so it was twenty years after he had been married to her; so long was his faith tried and exercised about the…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“25:26 The name Jacob (Hebrew ya‘aqob, from Hebrew ‘aqeb, “heel, footprint”) was originally positive, meaning “protect” (like a rear guard), but it took on the negative meaning of “heel grabber” or “deceiver” in the context of Jacob’s deceptive, grasping, usurping character (see 27:36).”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification