Forbid
Jacob, fearing his brother Esau’s wrath, flees to the house of Eber and hides for 14 years, devoting himself to learning the ways of the Lord. Meanwhile, Esau, enraged over losing his blessing, abandons his parents, marries a Hittite woman, and returns to vex his family with his pagan ways. Rebecca, heartbroken by Esau’s choices, warns Jacob to avoid the daughters of Canaan and seeks a righteous lineage through him. Jacob pledges to honor his mother’s wishes, and Rebecca, filled with divine inspiration, blesses Jacob with a prophetic vision of his future descendants, who will multiply and inherit the promised land. Amid these family struggles, the death of Ishmael brings a somber moment of reflection for Isaac, as new generations continue to be born, furthering the complex saga of their lineage.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
15%
JASHER
26%
JUBILEES
59%
Exposition
J: 45 | Y: 2172 | Jacob stays with Eber for 14 years
Jasher 29:11
Esau moves to Seir
Jasher 29:12a
Esau marries Adah (Bosmath), his 2nd wife
Genesis 36:2a, Jasher 29:12b
Esau dwells in the land of Seir and then moves to Hebron
Jasher 29:13-15
Rising Action
Rebekah worries about Jacob’s potential choice of a wife
Genesis 27:46, Jasher 29:16, Jubilees 27:8
Climax
Rebekah tells Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman
Jubilees 25:1-10
Falling Action
Rebekah blesses Jacob
Jubilees 25:11-22
Resolution
Y: 2173 | Ishmael died
Genesis 25:17-18, Jasher 29:18-19
Y: 2174 | Eliphaz born
Genesis 36:4a, 10a, Jasher 29:17, 36:22a
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2172
Jacob stays with Eber for 14 years
Jasher 29:11
11 And Jacob was very much afraid of his brother Esau, and he rose up and fled to the house of Eber the son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother, and Jacob was sixty-three years old when he went forth from the land of Canaan from Hebron, and Jacob was concealed in Eber’s house fourteen years on account of his brother Esau, and he there continued to learn the ways of the Lord and his commandments.
Esau moves to Seir
Jasher 29:12a
12a And when Esau saw that Jacob had fled and escaped from him, and that Jacob had cunningly obtained the blessing, then Esau grieved exceedingly, and he was also vexed at his father and mother; and he also rose up and took his wife and went away from his father and mother to the land of Seir, and he dwelt there;
Esau marries Adah (Bosmath), his 2nd wife
Genesis 36:2a
2a Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite,
Jasher 29:12b
12b and Esau saw there a woman from amongst the daughters of Heth whose name was Bosmath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and he took her for a wife in addition to his first wife, and Esau called her name Adah, saying the blessing had in that time passed from him.
Esau dwells in the land of Seir and then moves to Hebron
Jasher 29:13-15
13 And Esau dwelt in the land of Seir six months without seeing his father and mother, and afterward Esau took his wives and rose up and returned to the land of Canaan, and Esau placed his two wives in his father’s house in Hebron.
14 And the wives of Esau vexed and provoked Isaac and Rebecca with their works, for they walked not in the ways of the Lord, but served their father’s gods of wood and stone as their father had taught them, and they were more wicked than their father.
15 And they went according to the evil desires of their hearts, and they sacrificed and burnt incense to the Baalim, and Isaac and Rebecca became weary of them.
Rebekah worries about Jacob’s potential choice of a wife
Genesis 27:46
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
Jasher 29:16
16 And Rebecca said, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good then is life unto me?
Jubilees 27:8
8 And Rebecca went in and said to Isaac: ‘I loathe my life because of the two daughters of Heth, whom Esau has taken him as wives; and if Jacob take a wife from among the daughters of the land such as these, for what purpose do I further live, for the daughters of Canaan are evil.’
Rebekah tells Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman
Jubilees 25:1-10
1 And in the second year of this week in this jubilee, Rebecca called Jacob her son, and spake unto [2109 A.M.] him, saying: ‘My son, do not take thee a wife of the daughters of Canaan, as Esau, thy brother, who took him two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and lust, and there is no righteousness with them, for (their deeds) are evil.
2 And I, my son, love thee exceedingly, and my heart and my affection bless thee every hour of the day and watch of the night.
3 And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and do the will of thy mother, and do not take thee a wife of the daughters of this land, but only of the house of my father, and of my father’s kindred. Thou shalt take thee a wife of the house of my father, and the Most High God will bless thee, and thy children shall be a righteous generation and a holy seed.’
4 And then spake Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said unto her: ‘Behold, mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor have I betrothed myself to any, nor even think of taking me a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
5 For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a wife from the seed of my father’s house and from my kindred.
6 I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, thy brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a wife from amongst them.
7 And for this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to lust and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands.
8 And, despite all that he has commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother has striven with me, and spoken frequently to me and said: ‘My brother, take to wife a sister of my two wives’; but I refuse to do as he has done.
9 I swear before thee, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a wife from the daughters of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother has done.
10 Fear not, mother; be assured that I shall do thy will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways for ever.’
Rebekah blesses Jacob
Jubilees 25:11-22
11 And thereupon she lifted up her face to heaven and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High God, who had created the heaven and the earth, and she gave Him thanks and praise.
12 And she said: ‘Blessed be the Lord God, and may His holy name be blessed for ever and ever, who has given me Jacob as a pure son and a holy seed; for he is Thine, and Thine shall his seed be continually and throughout all the generations for evermore.
13 Bless him, O Lord, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.’
14 And at that hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Jacob, and said:
15 Blessed art thou, Lord of righteousness and God of the ages And may He bless thee beyond all the generations of men. May He give thee, my Son, the path of righteousness, And reveal righteousness to thy seed.
16 And may He make thy sons many during thy life, And may they arise according to the number of the months of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of heaven, And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea.
17 And may He give them this goodly land -as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his seed after him alway- And may they hold it as a possession for ever.
18 And may I see (born) unto thee, my son, blessed children during my life, And a blessed and holy seed may all thy seed be.
19 And as thou hast refreshed thy mother’s spirit during her life, The womb of her that bare thee blesses thee thus, [My affection] and my breasts bless thee And my mouth and my tongue praise thee greatly. Increase and spread over the earth, And may thy seed be perfect in the joy of heaven and earth for ever; And may thy seed rejoice, And on the great day of peace may it have peace.
20 And may thy name and thy seed endure to all the ages, And may the Most High God be their God, And may the God of righteousness dwell with them, And by them may His sanctuary be built unto all the ages.
21 Blessed be he that blesseth thee, And all flesh that curseth thee falsely, may it be cursed.’
22 And she kissed him, and said to him; ‘May the Lord of the world love thee As the heart of thy mother and her affection rejoice in thee and bless thee.’ And she ceased from blessing.
Year: 2173
Ishmael diedi
Genesis 25:17-18
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
Jasher 29:18-19
18 And Ishmael the son of Abraham died in those days, in the sixty-fourth year of the life of Jacob, and all the days that Ishmael lived were one hundred and thirty-seven years and he died.
19 And when Isaac heard that Ishmael was dead he mourned for him, and Isaac lamented over him many days.
Year: 2174
Eliphaz born
Genesis 36:4a
4a And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz;
Genesis 36:10a
10a These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau,
Jasher 29:17
17 And in those days Adah the wife of Esau conceived and bare him a son, and Esau called the name of the son that was born unto him Eliphaz, and Esau was sixty-five years old when she bare him.
Jasher 36:22a
22a And Adah bare to Esau his first born Eliphaz,
i. Jasher 29:18 says Jacob was 64 years old, but he was more than likely 63.
Exposition
J: 45 | Y: 2172 | Jacob stays with Eber for 14 years
Jasher 29:11
And Jacob was very much afraid of his brother Esau, and he rose up and fled to the house of Eber the son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother, and Jacob was 63 years old when he went forth from the land of Canaan from Hebron, and Jacob was concealed in Eber’s house 14 years on account of his brother Esau, and he there continued to learn the ways of the Lord and his commandments.
Esau moves to Seir
Jasher 29:12a
And when Esau saw that Jacob had fled and escaped from him, and that Jacob had cunningly obtained the blessing, then Esau grieved exceedingly, and he was also vexed at his father and mother; and he also rose up and took his wife and went away from his father and mother to the land of Seir, and he dwelt there.
Esau marries Adah (Bosmath), his 2nd wife
Genesis 36:2a, Jasher 29:12b
And Esau saw there a woman from among the daughters of Heth whose name was Bosmath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and he took her for a wife in addition to his 1st wife, and Esau called her name Adah, saying the blessing had in that time passed from him.
Esau dwells in the land of Seir and then moves to Hebron
Jasher 29:13-15
And Esau dwelt in the land of Seir 6 months without seeing his father and mother, and afterward Esau took his wives and rose up and returned to the land of Canaan, and Esau placed his 2 wives in his father’s house in Hebron.
And the wives of Esau vexed and provoked Isaac and Rebecca with their works, for they walked not in the ways of the Lord, but served their father’s gods of wood and stone as their father had taught them, and they were more wicked than their father. And they went according to the evil desires of their hearts, and they sacrificed and burnt incense to the Baalim, and Isaac and Rebecca became weary of them.
Rising Action
Rebekah worries about Jacob’s potential choice of a wife
Genesis 27:46, Jasher 29:16, Jubilees 27:8
And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because Esau has taken wives of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me, for the daughters of Canaan are evil?”
Climax
Rebekah tells Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman
Jubilees 25:1-10
And in the 2nd year of this week in this jubilee, Rebecca called Jacob her son, and spoke to him, saying: “My son, do not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, as Esau, your brother, who took him 2 wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and lust, and there is no righteousness with them, for their deeds are evil. And I, my son, love you exceedingly, and my heart and my affection bless you every hour of the day and watch of the night. And now, my son, listen to my voice, and do the will of your mother, and do not take a wife of the daughters of this land, but only of the house of my father, and of my father’s kindred. You will take a wife of the house of my father, and the Most High God will bless you, and your children will be a righteous generation and a holy seed.”
And then spoke Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said to her: “Behold, mother, I am 63 years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor have I betrothed myself to any, nor even think of taking me a wife of the daughters of Canaan. For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a wife from the seed of my father’s house and from my kindred. I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, your brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a wife from among them. And for this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to lust and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands. And, despite all that he has commanded me, these 22 years my brother has striven with me, and spoken frequently to me and said: ‘My brother, take to wife a sister of my 2 wives’; but I refuse to do as he has done. I swear before you, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a wife from the daughters of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother has done. Fear not, mother; be assured that I will do your will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways for ever.”
Falling Action
Rebekah blesses Jacob
Jubilees 25:11-22
And thereupon she lifted up her face to heaven and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High God, who had created the heaven and the earth, and she gave Him thanks and praise. And she said: “Blessed be the Lord God, and may His holy name be blessed for ever and ever, who has given me Jacob as a pure son and a holy seed; for he is Yours, and Yours will his seed be continually and throughout all the generations for evermore. Bless him, O Lord, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.”
And at that hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Jacob, and said: “Blessed are you, Lord of righteousness and God of the ages And may He bless you beyond all the generations of men. May He give you, my Son, the path of righteousness, and reveal righteousness to your seed. And may He make your sons many during your life, and may they arise according to the number of the months of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of heaven, And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea. And may He give them this goodly land as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his seed after him always. And may they hold it as a possession for ever. And may I see born to you, my son, blessed children during my life, and a blessed and holy seed may all your seed be. And as you have refreshed your mother’s spirit during her life, the womb of her that bore you blesses you thus, My affection and my breasts bless you and my mouth and my tongue praise you greatly. Increase and spread over the earth, and may your seed be perfect in the joy of heaven and earth for ever; and may your seed rejoice, and on the great day of peace may it have peace. And may your name and your seed endure to all the ages, And may the Most High God be their God, and may the God of righteousness dwell with them, and by them may His sanctuary be built to all the ages. Blessed be he that blesses you, and all flesh that curses you falsely, may it be cursed.”
And she kissed him, and said to him; “May the Lord of the world love you as the heart of your mother and her affection rejoice in you and bless you.’
And she ceased from blessing.
Resolution
Y: 2173 | Ishmael died
Genesis 25:17-18, Jasher 29:18-19
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, 137 years: and he gave up the ghost and died in the 64th year of the life of Jacob; and was gathered to his people. And they dwelled from Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren. And when Isaac heard that Ishmael was dead he mourned for him, and Isaac lamented over him many days.
Y: 2174 | Eliphaz born
Genesis 36:4a, 10a, Jasher 29:17, 36:22a
And in those days Adah the wife of Esau conceived and bore him a son, and Esau called the name of the son that was born to him Eliphaz, and Esau was 65 years old when she bore him.
This chart shows who was alive in years 2172-2184.
Years with question marks are estimates.