Genesis 25:23

Geneva Bible (1560)

And the Lord sayd to her, Two nations are in thy wombe, and two maner of people shalbe diuided out of thy bowels, and the one people shall be mightier then the other, and the elder shall serue the yonger.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה לָ֗הּ שְׁנֵ֤י *גיים **גוֹיִם֙ בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ וּשְׁנֵ֣י לְאֻמִּ֔ים מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ יִפָּרֵ֑דוּ וּלְאֹם֙ מִלְאֹ֣ם יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץ וְרַ֖ב יַעֲבֹ֥ד צָעִֽיר׃

Transliteration

wə-yōʾmer yhwh lāh šənê gôyim bə-ḇiṭnēḵ û-šənê ləʾummîm mi-mēʿayiḵ yippārēḏû û-ləʾōm mi-ləʾōm yeʾĕmāṣ wə-raḇ yaʿăḇōḏ ṣāʿîr

Grammar Details

• *wə-yōʾmer*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and said
• *yhwh*: divine name - YHWH
• *lāh*: preposition + 3rd feminine singular suffix - to her
• *šənê*: numeral, masculine dual construct - two of
• *gôyim*: noun, masculine plural - nations
• *bə-ḇiṭnēḵ*: preposition + noun, feminine singular + 2nd feminine singular suffix - in your womb
• *û-šənê*: waw conjunction + numeral, masculine dual construct - and two of
• *ləʾummîm*: noun, masculine plural - peoples
• *mi-mēʿayiḵ*: preposition + noun, masculine plural + 2nd feminine singular suffix - from your bowels
• *yippārēḏû*: Niphal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - will be separated
• *û-ləʾōm*: waw conjunction + noun, masculine singular - and people
• *mi-ləʾōm*: preposition + noun, masculine singular - than people
• *yeʾĕmāṣ*: Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - will be stronger
• *wə-raḇ*: waw conjunction + adjective, masculine singular - and greater
• *yaʿăḇōḏ*: Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - will serve
• *ṣāʿîr*: adjective, masculine singular - younger

Word Meanings

• *gôyim*: nations/peoples/gentiles
• *ləʾummîm*: peoples/nations/tribes
• *yippārēḏû*: will be separated/will be divided/will part
• *yeʾĕmāṣ*: will be stronger/will prevail/will overpower
• *wə-raḇ* *yaʿăḇōḏ* *ṣāʿîr*: and the older will serve the younger/and the greater will serve the lesser

Referenced Verses

• Gen 27:29 : 29 Let people bee thy seruantes, and nations bowe vnto thee: be Lorde ouer thy brethren, and let thy mothers children honour thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
• Gen 27:40 : 40 And by thy sword shalt thou liue, and shalt be thy brothers seruant. But it shall come to passe, when thou shalt get the masterie, that thou shalt breake his yoke from thy necke.
• 2 Sam 8:14 : 14 And he put a garison in Edom: throughout all Edom put he souldiers, and all they of Edom became Dauids seruants: and the Lord kept Dauid whithersoeuer he went.
• Gen 17:16 : 16 And I will blesse her, & will also giue thee a sonne of her, yea, I will blesse her, and she shall be the mother of nations: Kings also of people shall come of her.
• Gen 24:60 : 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and sayde vnto her, Thou art our sister, growe into thousande thousands, and thy seede possesse the gate of his enemies.
• Num 20:14 : 14 Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh vnto the king of Edom, saying, Thus sayth thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the trauaile that we haue had,
• Mal 1:2-5 : 2 I haue loued you, sayth the Lorde: yet yee say, Wherein hast thou loued vs? Was not Esau Iaakobs brother, saith the Lord? yet I loued Iaakob, 3 And I hated Esau, and made his mountaines wast, & his heritage a wildernes for dragons. 4 Though Edom say, wee are impouerished, but we will returne and build the desolate places, yet sayeth the Lorde of hostes, they shall builde, but I will destroy it, and they shall call them, The border of wickednes, and the people, with whome the Lord is angrie for euer. 5 And your eyes shall see it, and yee shall say, The Lorde will be magnified vpon the border of Israel.
• Rom 9:10-13 : 10 Neither he onely felt this, but also Rebecca when shee had conceiued by one, euen by our father Isaac. 11 For yer the children were borne, and when they had neither done good, nor euill (that the purpose of God might remaine according to election, not by workes, but by him that calleth) 12 It was said vnto her, The elder shal serue the yonger. 13 As it is written, I haue loued Iacob, and haue hated Esau.
• Gen 17:4 : 4 Beholde, I make my couenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations,
• Gen 25:27 : 27 And the boyes grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter, and liued in the fields: but Iaakob was a plaine man, and dwelt in tentes.
• Gen 32:6 : 6 So ye messengers came againe to Iaakob, saying, We came vnto thy brother Esau, and hee also commeth against thee and foure hundreth men with him.
• Gen 33:3 : 3 So he went before them and bowed him selfe to the ground seuen times, vntill he came neere to his brother.
• Gen 36:31 : 31 And these are the Kings that reigned in the lande of Edom, before there reigned any King ouer the children of Israel.
• 1 Kgs 22:47 : 47 There was then no King in Edom: the deputie was King.
• 1 Chr 18:13 : 13 And he put a garison in Edom, and all the Edomites became Dauids seruantes: and the Lord preserued Dauid wheresoeuer he went.
• 2 Chr 25:11-12 : 11 Then Amaziah was encouraged, and led forth his people, and went to the salt valley, and smote of the children of Seir, ten thousand. 12 And other ten thousand did the children of Iudah take aliue, and caryed them to the top of a rocke, and cast them downe from the top of the rocke, and they all burst to pieces.
• Ps 60:8-9 : 8 Moab shalbe my wash pot: ouer Edom will I cast out my shoe: Palestina shew thy selfe ioyfull for me. 9 Who will leade me into the strong citie? who will bring me vnto Edom?
• Ps 83:5-9 : 5 For they haue consulted together in heart, and haue made a league against thee: 6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Agarims: 7 Gebal and Ammon, and Amalech, the Philistims with the inhabitants of Tyrus: 8 Asshur also is ioyned with them: they haue bene an arme to the children of Lot. Selah. 9 Doe thou to them as vnto the Midianites: as to Sisera and as to Iabin at the riuer of Kishon. 10 They perished at En-dor, and were dung for the earth. 11 Make them, euen their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes like Zebah and like Zalmuna. 12 Which haue said, Let vs take for our possession the habitations of God. 13 O my God, make them like vnto a wheele, and as the stubble before the winde. 14 As the fire burneth the forest, and as the flame setteth the mountaines on fire: 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraide with thy storme.
• Isa 34:1-9 : 1 Come neere, ye nations and heare, and hearken, ye people: let the earth heare and all that is therein, the world & al that proceedeth thereof. 2 For the indignation of the Lord is vpon all nations, and his wrath vpon all their armies: hee hath destroyed them and deliuered them to the slaughter. 3 And their slaine shalbe cast out, and their stincke shall come vp out of their bodies, and the mountaines shalbe melted with their blood. 4 And all the hoste of heauen shalbe dissolued, and the heauens shall be folden like a booke: and all their hostes shall fall as the leafe falleth from the vine, and as it falleth from the figtree. 5 For my sword shalbe drunken in the heauen: beholde, it shall come downe vpon Edom, euen vpo the people of my curse to iudgement. 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood: it is made fat with the fat & with the blood of the lambes & the goates, with the fat of the kidneis of the rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 And the vnicorne shall come downe with them and the heiffers with the bulles, and their lande shalbe drunken with blood, and their dust made fat with fatnesse. 8 For it is the day of the Lordes vengeance, and the yeere of recompence for the iudgement of Zion. 9 And the riuers thereof shall be turned into pitche, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shalbe burning pitch. 10 It shal not be quenched night nor day: the smoke thereof shall goe vp euermore: it shall be desolate from generation to generation: none shall passe through it for euer. 11 But the pelicane and the hedgehog shall possesse it, and the great owle, and the rauen shall dwel in it, and he shall stretch out vpon it the line of vanitie, and the stones of emptinesse. 12 The nobles thereof shal call to the kingdome, and there shalbe none, and all the princes thereof shalbe as nothing. 13 And it shall bring foorth thornes in the palaces thereof, nettles and thistles in the strong holdes thereof, and it shall be an habitation for dragons, and a court for ostriches. 14 There shall meete also Ziim and Iim, and the Satyre shall cry to his fellow, and the shricheowle shall rest there, and shall finde for her selfe a quiet dwelling. 15 There shall the owle make her nest, and laye, and hatche, and gather them vnder her shadowe: there shall the vultures also bee gathered, euery one with her make. 16 Seeke in the booke of the Lord, and reade: none of these shall fayle, none shall want her make: for his mouth hath commaunded, and his very Spirit hath gathered them. 17 And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath deuided it vnto them by line: they shal possesse it for euer: from generation to generation shall they dwell in it.
• Isa 63:1-6 : 1 Who is this that commeth from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? hee is glorious in his apparel and walketh in his great strength: I speake in righteousnesse, and am mightie to saue. 2 Wherefore is thine apparel red, and thy garments like him that treadeth in ye wine presse? 3 I haue troden the wine presse alone, and of all people there was none with mee: for I will treade them in mine anger, and tread them vnder foote in my wrath, and their blood shalbe sprinkled vpon my garments, and I will staine all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the yeere of my redeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to helpe, and I wondered that there was none to vpholde: therefore mine owne arme helped me, and my wrath it selfe sustained me. 6 Therefore I wil tread downe the people in my wrath, and make them drunken in mine indignation, and wil bring downe their strength to the earth.
• Jer 49:7-9 : 7 To Edom thus sayeth the Lord of hostes: Is wisdome no more in Teman? is counsel perished fro their children? is their wisdome vanished? 8 Flee, ye inhabitants of Dedan ( they are turned backe, and haue consulted to dwell) for I haue brought the destruction of Esau vpon him, and the time of his visitation. 9 If the grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leaue some grapes? if theeues come by night, they will destroy till they haue ynough. 10 For I haue discouered Esau: I haue vncouered his secrets, and he shall not be able to hide himselfe: his seede is wasted, and his brethren and his neighbours, and there shall be none to say, 11 Leaue thy fathers children, and I will preserue them aliue, and let thy widowes trust in me. 12 For thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cuppe, haue assuredly drunken, and art thou he that shall escape free? thou shalt not goe free, but thou shalt surely drinke of it. 13 For I haue sworne by my selfe, sayeth the Lord, that Bozrah shall be waste, and for a reproche, and a desolation, and a curse, and all the cities thereof shall be perpetuall desolations. 14 I haue heard a rumour from the Lord, & an ambassadour is sent vnto the heathen, saying, Gather you together, & come against her, and rise vp to the battell. 15 For loe, I will make thee but small among the heathen, and despised among men. 16 Thy feare, and ye pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee, thou that dwellest in the cleftes of the rocke, and keepest the height of ye hil: though thou shouldest make thy nest as hie as the egle, I wil bring thee downe from thece, sayth the Lord. 17 Also Edom shall be desolate: euery one that goeth by it, shall be astonished, and shal hisse at all the plagues thereof, 18 As in the ouerthrowe of Sodom, and of Gomorah, and the places thereof neere about, saieth the Lord: no man shall dwell there, neither shall the sonnes of men remaine in it. 19 Beholde, hee shall come vp like a lyon from the swelling of Iorden vnto the strong dwelling place: for I will make Israel to rest, euen I will make him to haste away from her, and who is a chosen man that I may appoynt against her? for who is like mee? and who will appoint me the time? and who is the shepheard that will stande before me? 20 Therefore heare the counsell of the Lorde that hee hath deuised against Edom, and his purpose that hee hath conceiued against the inhabitants of Teman: surely the least of the flocke shall drawe them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them. 21 The earth is mooued at the noyse of their fall: the crie of their voice is heard in the red Sea. 22 Behold, he shall come vp, and flie as the Egle, and spreade his wings ouer Bozrah, and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edome be as the heart of a woman in trauaile.
• Ezek 25:12-14 : 12 Thus sayth the Lorde God, Because that Edom hath done euill by taking vengeance vpon the house of Iudah, and hath committed great offence, and reuenged himselfe vpon them, 13 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God, I will also stretch out mine hand vpon Edom, and destroy man and beast out of it, and I will make it desolate from Teman, and they of Dedan shall fall by the sworde. 14 And I will execute my vengeance vpon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall doe in Edom according to mine anger, and according to mine indignation, & they shall know my vengeance, sayth the Lord God.
• Ezek 35:1-9 : 1 Moreouer the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, Set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesie against it, 3 And say vnto it, Thus sayth the Lord God, Behold, O mount Seir, I come against thee, and I wil stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee desolate and waste. 4 I wil lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, & thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord. 5 Because thou hast had a perpetuall hatred and hast put the children of Israel to flight by the force of the sword in the time of their calamitie, when their iniquitie had an ende, 6 Therefore as I liue, sayth the Lorde God, I wil prepare thee vnto blood, and blood shal pursue thee: except thou hate blood, euen blood shal pursue thee. 7 Thus will I make mount Seir desolate and waste, and cut off from it him that passeth out & him that returneth. 8 And I will fill his mountaines with his slayne men: in thine hilles, and in thy valleys and in all thy riuers shal they fall, that are slayne with the sworde. 9 I wil make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not returne, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord. 10 Because thou hast said, These two nations, and these two countreys shalbe mine, and we wil possesse them (seeing the Lord was there) 11 Therefore as I liue, sayth the Lorde God, I wil euen do according to thy wrath, and according to thine indignation which thou hast vsed in thine hatred against them: & I wil make my selfe knowen among them whe I haue iudged thee. 12 And thou shalt know, that I the Lord haue heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountaines of Israel, saying, They lye waste, they are giuen vs to be deuoured. 13 Thus with your mouthes ye haue boasted against me, & haue multiplied your words against me: I haue heard them. 14 Thus sayth the Lorde God, So shall all the world reioyce when I shal make thee desolate. 15 As thou diddest reioyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I doe vnto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea wholly, & they shall know, that I am the Lord.
• Amos 1:11-12 : 11 Thus sayeth the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for foure, I will not turne to it, because hee did pursue his brother with the sworde, and did cast off all pitie, and his anger spoyled him euermore, and his wrath watched him alway. 12 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah.
• Obad 1:1-9 : 1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lorde God against Edom, We haue heard a rumor fro the Lorde, and an ambassadour is sent among the heathen: arise, & let vs rise vp against her to battel. 2 Beholde, I haue made thee smal among the heathen: thou art vtterly despised. 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee: thou that dwellest in the cleftes of the rockes, whose habitatio is hie, that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me downe to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thy selfe as the egle, and make thy nest among the starres, thence will I bring thee downe, sayth the Lord. 5 Came theeues to thee or robbers by night? howe wast thou brought to silence? woulde they not haue stolen, til they had ynough? if the grape gatherers came to thee, woulde they not leaue some grapes? 6 Howe are the things of Esau sought vp, and his treasures searched? 7 All the men of thy confederacie haue driuen thee to ye borders: the men that were at peace with thee, haue deceiued thee, and preuailed against thee: they that eate thy bread, haue laid a wound vnder thee: there is none vnderstanding in him. 8 Shall not I in that day, saith the Lorde, euen destroy the wise men out of Edom, and vnderstanding from the mount of Esau? 9 And thy strong men, O Teman, shall bee afraide, because euery one of the mount of Esau shalbe cut off by slaughter. 10 For thy crueltie against thy brother Iaakob, shame shal couer thee, and thou shalt be cut off for euer. 11 When thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers caried away his substance, and straungers entred into his gates, and cast lots vpon Ierusalem, euen thou wast as one of them. 12 But thou shouldest not haue beholden the day of thy brother, in the day that hee was made a stranger, neither shouldest thou haue reioyced ouer the children of Iudah, in the day of their destruction: thou shouldest not haue spoken proudly in the day of affliction. 13 Thou shouldest not haue entred into the gate of my people, in the day of their destruction, neither shouldest thou haue once looked on their affliction in the day of their destruction, nor haue layde hands on their substance in the day of their destruction. 14 Neyther shouldest thou haue stande in the crosse wayes to cut off them, that shoulde escape, neither shouldest thou haue shut vp the remnant thereof in the day of affliction. 15 For the day of the Lorde is neere, vpon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall bee done to thee: thy reward shall returne vpon thine head. 16 For as yee haue drunke vpon mine holy Mountaine, so shall all the heathen drinke continually: yea, they shall drinke and swallow vp, and they shalbe as though they had not bene.