Genesis 25:27
New International Version
The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

New Living Translation
As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home.

English Standard Version
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Berean Standard Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

King James Bible
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

New King James Version
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

New American Standard Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a civilized man, living in tents.

NASB 1995
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

NASB 1977
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the boys grew up; Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

Amplified Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau was an able and skilled hunter, a man of the outdoors, but Jacob was a quiet and peaceful man, living in tents.

Christian Standard Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

American Standard Version
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the boys grew, and Esau was a man knowing hunting, a man of the wilderness, and Yaquuv was a harmless man and dwelling in a tent.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the lads grew, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, dwelling in the country, and Jacob a simple man, dwelling in a house.

Contemporary English Version
As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they were grown up, Esau became a skillful hunter, and a husbandman, but Jacob a plain man dwelt in tents.

English Revised Version
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob remained a quiet man, staying around the tents.

Good News Translation
The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilled hunter, a man who loved the outdoors, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

International Standard Version
As the boys were growing up, Esau became skilled at hunting and was a man of the outdoors, but Jacob was the quiet type who tended to stay indoors.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Literal Standard Version
And the youths grew, and Esau is a man acquainted [with] hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob [is] a plain man, inhabiting tents;

Majority Standard Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.

New American Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country; whereas Jacob was a simple man, who stayed among the tents.

NET Bible
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents.

New Revised Standard Version
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

New Heart English Bible
The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents.

World English Bible
The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

Young's Literal Translation
And the youths grew, and Esau is a man acquainted with hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob is a plain man, inhabiting tents;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob and Esau
26After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. 27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:9
By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD."

Jeremiah 35:7
Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.'


Treasury of Scripture

And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

a cunning.

Genesis 10:9
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

Genesis 21:20
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

Genesis 27:3-5,40
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; …

a plain main.

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 28:10,11
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran…

Genesis 31:39-41
That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night…

dwelling.

Hebrews 11:9
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Jump to Previous
Acquainted Boys Country Cunning Dwelling Esau Expert Field Full Grew Growth Hunter Hunting Inhabiting Jacob Open Peaceful Plain Quiet Skilful Skilled Skillful Staying Tents Youths
Jump to Next
Acquainted Boys Country Cunning Dwelling Esau Expert Field Full Grew Growth Hunter Hunting Inhabiting Jacob Open Peaceful Plain Quiet Skilful Skilled Skillful Staying Tents Youths
Genesis 25
1. The sons of Abraham by Keturah.
5. The division of his goods.
7. His age, death, and burial.
11. God blesses Isaac.
12. The generations of Ishmael.
17. His age and death.
19. Isaac prays for Rebekah, being barren.
22. The children strive in her womb.
24. The birth of Esau and Jacob.
27. Their different characters and pursuits.
29. Esau sells his birthright.














DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHARACTERS OF ESAU AND JACOB. ESATU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT.

(27) The "boys grew.--With advancing years came also the formation of their characters. Esau became a skilful hunter, a "man of the field": not a husbandman, but one who roamed over the open uncultivated wilderness (see Genesis 4:8) in search of game; but "Jacob was a plain man." This is a most inadequate rendering of a word translated perfect in Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Psalm 37:37, &c, though this rendering is as much too strong as that in this verse is too weak. On Genesis 6:9, we have shown that the word conveys no idea of perfection or blamelessness, but only of general integrity. Both the word there and in Genesis 17:1, and the slightly different form of it used here, should in all places be translated upright. . . .

Verse 27. - And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, - literally, skilled in hunting; εἰδὼς κυνηγεῖν (LXX.); gnarus venandi (Vulgate); a sportsman - a man of the field; - not a husbandman, homo agricola (Vulgate), who is differently denominated - ish haadhamah (Genesis 9:20); but one addicted to roaming through the fields in search of sport - ἀγροικὸς (LXX.); an indication of the rough, fiery nature and wild, adventurous life of the elder of the two brothers - and Jacob was a plain man, - תָּם = ἄπλαστος (LXX.); simplex (Vulgate); integer, i.e. mitis, of mild and gentle manners (Rosenmüller); blameless, as a shepherd (Knobel); pious (Luther); righteous (Kalisch); obviously intended to describe Jacob as, both in character and life, the antithesis of Esau - dwelling in tents - i.e. loving to stay at home, as opposed to Esau, who loved to wander afield; preferring a quiet, peaceable, domestic, and pious manner of existence to a life of "excitement, adventure, and danger," such as captivated Esau.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the boys
הַנְּעָרִ֔ים (han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

grew up,
וַֽיִּגְדְּלוּ֙ (way·yiḡ·də·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

Esau
עֵשָׂ֗ו (‘ê·śāw)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6215: Esau -- oldest son of Isaac

became
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a skillful
יֹדֵ֥עַ (yō·ḏê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

hunter,
צַ֖יִד (ṣa·yiḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6718: The chase, game, lunch

a man
אִ֛ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of the field,
שָׂדֶ֑ה (śā·ḏeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

but Jacob
וְיַעֲקֹב֙ (wə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

was a quiet
תָּ֔ם (tām)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8535: Complete, pious, gentle, dear

man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who stayed
יֹשֵׁ֖ב (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

at home.
אֹהָלִֽים׃ (’ō·hā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 168: A tent


Links
Genesis 25:27 NIV
Genesis 25:27 NLT
Genesis 25:27 ESV
Genesis 25:27 NASB
Genesis 25:27 KJV

Genesis 25:27 BibleApps.com
Genesis 25:27 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 25:27 Chinese Bible
Genesis 25:27 French Bible
Genesis 25:27 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 25:27 The boys grew (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 25:26
Top of Page
Top of Page