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WHO IS ESAU IN THE BIBLE? ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Updated: Jul 25, 2023



The topic today is Esau. What we will be looking at today is, who is Esau? What does he look like? And was Esau the Caucasian man?


These are some of the most popular questions that are asked.


There are a number of different groups that claim that Esau is the white man. We will be looking at this using scriptures. We’ll also use scripture to see who Esau is today, and who he could be.


So first let’s start with…


Who Is Esau?


Esau was the son of Isaac and Rebecca. Rebecca had two sons Esau and Jacob, later on Esau sold his birthright to Jacob because he was hungry.


This caused a lot of resentment between the two, specifically on the side of Esau (Genesis 27:41) who sold his Birthright. So, who is Esau to Jacob? They were twin brother.


Jacob receive the blessings which belonged to the first born Esau. Although, it should be noted, the Most High always intended for Jacob to receive the spiritual blessing of a covenant with him.


We are told this in Genesis 25:23


Genesis 25:23

23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Here they’re told the ‘older shall serve the younger‘ before the two brothers were born. Jacob came out after Esau, which made him the younger brother.


The story of Esau can be found in Genesis chapter 25

When Rebecca gave birth to Esau and Jacob the Most High told Rebecca two nations would be inside her womb.


This tells us that Esau became a nation of people within his own right, separate from Jacob and the 12 tribes of Israel.


Who Is Esau’s wife?


Genesis 26:34, Genesis 10:6-20


Genesis 26:34

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

Esau married two wives, both from the hamitic (Genesis 10:6-20) family (Who are black people from africa, but not Negroes).


The first was called Beeri, and the second Bashmath. He was 40 years old when he married his wive’s.


The Hittites were part of the Hamitic families, in Genesis 10:6-20


Genesis 15:18-21

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Who Is Esau The Father Of?


Esau is the father of the Edomites. Their land was referred to as “Idumea”, and Edomites as Edom in biblical prophecy.


Amos 9:12

12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.

Now we have a brief background about who Esau is let’s look at what Esau looks like…


What Did Esau Look Like?


The reason for discussing this is because there’s a misconception that Esau is the white man or a Caucasian man.


So let’s look at what the scriptures actually say about Esau and what he looked like.

In Genesis 25:24-25


Genesis 25:24-25

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

We’re told that Esau came out red and Hairy so his name was called Esau, because Esau means hairy.


We are also told that Esau was compared to red lentil pottage, which is Edom, so his name was also called “Edom”


Genesis 25:30

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

Then we’re told, after this, Jacob came out, (A side note, Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca) Isaac was 60 years old when Rebecca gave birth to Esau and Jacob.

These scriptures clearly tell us that Esau was red in colour and hairy.


Later on, Esau sold his birthright for red Lentil pottage in (Genesis 25:34)


Genesis 25:29-34

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

We’re told that after Esau came back from hunting he was faint and had no energy, and at the point of death. At which point he said to Jacob, he would sell his birthright to him for some Lentil pottage,


Hebrews 12:16

16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

This showed that he had a careless disregard for his birthright inheritance and this also fulfilled prophecy.


Jacob accepted and made Esau swear that his birthright would go to him.


The Hebrew Word For Ruddy Or Red


“Edom”, “Adam”


Which means “Ruddy” or “Red”


Hebrew concordance #119.


The same adjective is used to describe the color of David later on in 1 Samuel 16:12


1 Samuel 16:12

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

David himself was an Israelite. A descendant of Jacob..


This immediately rules out the notion that Esau was of a different color to Jacob.

So now let’s move onto the final question.


Is Esau The White Or Caucasian People?


Some say that the European, white man also known as Caucasian, is Esau…


The reasoning I’ve heard is that when the white or Caucasian man gets hot he reddens especially in the sun, which makes his completion turn red.


At this point we have to look at the birth of the two brothers. There was no mention of the sun reddening them when either of the twins were born, and certainly not when Esau was born.

When we read the scriptures, we see that the scriptures have no problems identifying when somebody was white in skin complexion.


Which would have been a complexion that looked like the Caucasian, white or European complexion.


When we look at one of the curses that the Most High placed on Miriam (this is not to say being white is a curse), the sister of Moses in:


Numbers 12:9-10

9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Miriam was made leprous white for speaking against Moses.


This leprous is called “as snow” referring to complexion. And we know snow is “white”.


This is the Hebrew word

“Shalag”, (as snow)


which means “as snow” Hebrew concordance #7949


This is a description of what Miriam looked like when leprous was put on her. It shows that the bible had no trouble describing people as white.


Another word which, actually means “white” in the Hebrew is


“Laban”, (white)


which means “White” concordance #3836


This word can be found in Daniel 12:10


Daniel 12:10

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Which talks about true believers being purified and made “white” because of their faith in the Most High and he’s commandments.


So it’s important to understand where the word white is used (when referring to the complexion of a person scriptures have no problem doing this) there’s no ambiguity as to what it means.


Also, later on, when Jacob Fathers the 12 tribes of Israel and Moses brings them up out of Egypt, they are told by Moses from the Most High that if they were to disobey his commandments, which they did (Daniel 9:11).


Daniel 9:11

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

That they would go into bondage “Again”, similar to the bondage they were in Egypt.


Deuteronomy 28:49


49 The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

What is essential to note here is that the Most High said he would send a nation against the Israelites, “a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand”.


These prophecies began to take place when Israel sinned and the kingdoms were spilt into two.


Daniel prophecies these empires and confirms the outpouring of the these curse on Israel, which was around 538BC,


Daniel 9:11

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

This should provide you some context…


You can see an explanation of the kingdoms Daniel prophesied from the time the curses begun to be poured out on Israel until the coming of the Messiah again to establish the Kingdom of the Most High on earth here.


So after the Assyian & Babylonian kingdoms was the Medes and Persian then the Greeks and Romans entered Israel in 300BC, we know the Greeks & Romans were white Caucasian Europeans…


And in the modern time the so called Transatlantic slave trade and the continuous subjugation of Negroes, Native Americans and Hispanics (Who are the true Israel) that we see today, all of which are the culmination of the Deuteronomy 28 curses laid out by the Most High to Moses.

I bring these historic moments up because if Esau was the white Caucasians, Jacob would have known there language in 300 BC.


It’s a fact that Edomites were living side by side Israel at that time and could communicate, so Esau can’t have been Caucasian.


Herod was an Edomite Jew (Jew because he kept the religion of the Israelites (wrongly called Jews)) Roman ruler, put in power by European Romans ruling Israelite territories when the Messiah arrived.


This proves that some Edomites were keeping the faith of Israel even beyond 300BC.


Who Is Esau Today?


The scripture tell us that Esau was hated from the very beginning. This is important, because later on we are told that some of the Remnant of Edom will be called and ruled over by Israel in the future (Amos 9:11-12)


There is conflict between Esau and Jacob throughout the scriptures. The prophecies tell us that Esau would be no more (Obadiah 1:18)


This explains why the nation of Edom is not spoken of as a nation after the temple in jerusalem is destroyed for the second time.


Clearly, Edom as a nation still exist because the prophesy says a remnant would be ruled over by Israel when the Most High’s Kingdom is set up on earth.


Amos 9:11-12

11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.

So, who are Edom today? Herod was an Edomite, and he was part of the Roman empire appointed by European Romans to Rule in Israel.


Herod’s father was by descent an Edomite, whose ancestors had converted to Judaism (Israelite religion). Herod was raised as a Jew, which made his sons and grandsons Edomites too…


So it’s safe to say there were other Edomites within the Roman Empire. So Edom can easily be mixed in with the Roman (Italian) European nations now, but they were certainly not white Europeans originally.


Esau had wives that were Hamitic (Genesis 36:2), so Edom will also be a part of the Hamitic African families of the world. The scriptures show us that Edom had no problem mixing their seed with other nations.


Because of this it would be hard to pinpoint them to one place. But what is certain is that they exist amongst many nations. And find favour amongst the nations they dwell with (2 Esdras 6:9).


2 Esdras 6:9

For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth.

Conclusion


So in conclusion, Esau was, the twin brother of Jacob, who was hairy in appearance, more so than Jacob.


He showed no regard for his birthright and sold it to Jacob, just because he was weak and hungry.


The name Esau became his name because he was “hairy” he was also called Edom because he ate “red” lentils.


Genesis 25:34

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

And Edom means red…


It comes from the Hebrew word


“Adom”, Hebrew concordance #122


“Edom” (Hebrew Concordance #123) is used in Genesis 25:25 when referring to Esau.


When we look at the color of red lentils below, they look like a Brownish colour…

Which is only natural because brown looks like red.


Esau is a character that plays a significant role in the scriptures and the world, but it’s clear to see that he was not White nor was he European, although he clearly has had and does have influence on Europeans according to scriptures.


Shalom! And share this with somebody that needs it.



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