Has there ever been two more mortal of enemies who came from the same womb on the same day than Jacob and Esau? They truly are the man of the spirit and the man of the flesh. In Torah we can hardly see the lifetime of antagonism that existed between Jacob and Esau. In fact, most translations portray Esau as the better man; the man who was “mistreated” by his twin brother Jacob. Who sounds like the better man in this picture?
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. (Gen 25:27)
Now read what Yasher says about Jacob and Esau when they are 15 years old.
Yasher 26:17 And the boys grew up to their fifteenth year, and they came amongst the society of men. Esau was a designing and deceitful man, and an expert hunter in the field, and Jacob was a man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks and learning the instructions of Yehovah and the commands of his father and mother.
Because the translators of Torah lack spiritual eyes, as do we their readers, the wealth of what is actually being said in Gen 25:27 is lost. The two links above will help you understand the rare kind of spiritual man Jacob actually was. He alone is our example of how a man is to live on the earth.
Also in the fifteenth year of the life of Jacob and Esau, Abraham died.
Yasher 26: 28 And Isaac answered his father and said unto him, That which my Master has commanded that will I do, and I will not depart from the commands of Yehovah my Elohim (my lawmaker and Judge), I will keep all that he commanded me; and Abraham blessed his son Isaac, and also his sons; and Abraham taught Jacob the instruction of Yehovah and his ways.
29 And it was at that time that Abraham died, in the fifteenth year of the life of Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac, and all the days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and he died and was gathered to his people in good old age, old and satisfied with days, and Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him.
Here is a timeline for the lives of Jacob and Esau, just like the one I made for the life of Abraham. I hope you find it helpful as you contrast these two very different men.
Jacob and Esau Timeline
0 – Birth prophecy – the older shall serve the younger – Isaac is 60 (Yasher 26:12-15 & Gen_25:23-26)
15 – Boys become men – Jacob is “perfect and wise” who dwelt in heaven; while Esau is a “designing and deceitful” man (Gen_25:27 & Yasher 26:17); Abraham dies (Gen_25:17 & Yasher 26:29)
16 – Esau kills Nimrod & sells Jacob his birthright (Gen_25:29-34 & Yasher 27)
17 – Famine in the Land – Isaac goes to Gerar “for a full year (Gen_26:1-12 & Yasher 28:1-13)
18 – Salah, son of Arphaxad dies – Isaac sends Jacob to Shem and Eber’s house to learn Yehovah’s ways (32 years). Esau was not willing to go. (Yasher 28:17-18)
18 – Esau “hunted after the hearts of men and Inveigled them” (Yasher 28:20)
40 – Esau marries Jehudith, daughter of Beeri (Yasher 28:23)
50 – Shem dies (600) – Jacob come back to Isaac’s (110) house after 32 years (Yasher 28:24)
56 – The twins are born – Leah and Rachel to Laban (Yasher 28:26-28)
63 – Jacob gets Isaac’s blessing – Isaac is 123 (Gen_27:1-40 & Yasher 28: 1-10)
63 – Escapes to Eber’s house (Yasher 29:11)
63 – Esau marries Adah – aka Bosmath, daughter of Elon (Yasher 29:12)
64 – Ishmael dies at 137 (Yasher 29:18)
65 – Adah births Eliphaz (Yasher 29:17)
77 – Jacob returns home – 14 years later. Isaac is 137 (Yasher 29:20)
77 – Jacob leaves for Haran (Gen_28:5 & Yasher ?)
77 – Esau marries Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael (Yasher 29:43 & Gen_28:8-9)
77 – Yehovah’s promise to Jacob and he begins 1st 7 years (Jasher 30:14)
79 – Eber dies – 460 years old(Jasher 30:15)
80 – Reuel (Esau’s son) is born to either Mahalath or Basemath (See note on Gen_36:4)
81 – Laban has 3 sons and increases greatly on account of Jacob (Jasher 30:18-19)
83 – Esau marries Ahlibamah (Yasher 30:23-25)
84 – Jacob takes Leah and then Rachel – 28 years old (Jasher 31)
85 – Eliphaz is born through Basemath (aka – Adah) (Yasher 29:17)
91 – Finishes 2nd 7 years & Rachel has Joseph (Gen_ 29 – 30 & Yasher 31)
97 – leaves Haran with 11 sons & great wealth (Gen 31)
97 – Esau again tries to kill Jacob & Jacob named Israel (Gen_32)
97 – Jacob stays in Shechem for 1 1/2 years (Yasher 33:4)
99 – Dinah taken by Shechem (8)(Yasher 33 & Gen_34:1-)
99 – Simeon (12) and Levi (11) destroy Shechem – Dinah (8)(Yasher 33 & Gen_34:1-)
99 – Canaanites come to Jacob (Yasher 35)
99 – Jacob goes back to Bethel for 6 months (Genesis 35 & Yasher 36:3)
99 – Rebecca dies at 133 Deborah also (Yasher 36:4-5)
100 – Jacob named Israel & Rachel conceives (Yasher 36:8 & Gen_35:10)
100 – Rachel dies at 45 & Benjamin is born (Yasher 36:11 & Gen_35:16-18)
101? – Jacob & sons go to Hebron (Yasher 36:19)
105 – Jacob & sons return to Shechem (Yasher 37)
105 – 10 Sons (all in their teens) battle 7 cities and sue for peace in all of Canaan (Yasher chapters 37 – 40)
106 – Leah dies at 51 years old (Yasher 41:2)
106 – Joseph gets a coat of many colors – He is about 15 years old. (Yasher 41:6)
107 – Joseph sold into slavery at 17 (Gen 37 & Jasher 41)
120 – Isaac dies (Gen_35:28 & Yasher 47:10)
130 – Jacob comes to Egypt (Gen_47:8-9)
147 – Jacob dies (Gen_47:28 & Yasher 56:1-2)
147 – Esau dies (Yasher 57)
[Note: This timeline is formatted so it can be added to an E-Sword study note or made into a topic note; the links in Torah will be live and take you directly to the selected passage.]
Also read “Esau killed Nimrod And Then Sold The Birthright“
2G32 Genesis 26 & Yasher 27
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