In the course of events in the home of I'saac and Re-bek'ah, and in the strained relations between their twin sons, a small thing gave rise to circumstances which clearly foretold the separate character and destiny of each son.
E'sau, the wild, roving lover of outdoor life, had just returned from a long, hard day of pursuing game in the forest and fields. He was very tired and hungry, and for the moment his ravenous appetite outweighed all other thoughts. His brother Ja'cob, whose quiet, domestic habits had given him practical experience in home comforts, had just prepared a bowl of red pottage made of different grains and lentils beaten in a mortar and boiled into a gruel. This was a favorite dish among the Oriental people of that day, and its odor brought the pangs of hunger in the exhausted, fainting E'sau to the breaking point.
He begged his brother Ja'cob to give this bowl of pottage to him. Under the circumstances such a kindness would have been a natural expression of brotherly sympathy and love, but Ja'cob refused the request. Taking advantage of his brother's great hunger, and of his weakness at that moment, Ja'cob offered to give him the food which he requested in exchange for his birthright. It was really a cruel, unworthy thing to ask, even though Ja'cob may have had just reasons for believing that he was entitled to the rights and privileges of the firstborn.
Ja'cob's conduct was also irreverent and sacrilegious, for the birthright dealt with religious privileges which should not have been sought by driving a hard bargain, or by any kind of trickery or scheming. To think of the birthright as something which could be bought or sold was altogether wrong, and to offer a mess of pottage for it was a shameful act.
The rights of the firstborn included a double share in the property left by the father, leadership of the family, and the right to act as priest in family worship. In the case of Ja'cob and E'sau it also gave the honor of being the head of the chosen people who were later known as the children of Is'ra-el, and the right to occupy the land of Ca'naan.
