Picture description: Esau and Jacob presented to Isaac.
Picture copyright: Benjamin West / public domain
In today’s context, a birthright means an inborn privilege.
A birthright is a Jewish tradition which entitles the eldest son of the family to inherit two times more property than the younger brothers. This kind of right is called such because this is an in-born privilege to the eldest son.
When Rebekeh, the wife of Isaac gave birth to a pair of twin sons – Jacob and Esau, the two babies jostled with each other within the mother’s womb. In the end, it was Esau who was born first, and then came his brother, Jacob. Yet the battle between the two brothers did not end here. Jacob, who came out later, tried to win the birthright that was endowed upon the eldest brother. One day, when Esau came back from hunting, he asked Jacob to give him some red stew. Jacob’s chance came – he asked Esau to sell his birthright for the red stew. Feeling extremely hungry, Esau complied.
birthright Esau inborn Isaac Jacob privilege
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Chinese Bible (???)
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!