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
Watch an explainer video for the Forbid chapter:
Genesis
15%
Jasher
26%
Jubilees
59%
Exposition
Jubilee: 45
Year: 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
Year: 2173
Ishmael died
Genesis 25:17-18
Jasher 29:18-19
Year: 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 died i
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, 10a
4a And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz;
10a These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau,
Jasher 29:17, 36:22a
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.
22a And Adah bare to Esau his first born Eliphaz,
Notes
i
Jasher 29:18 says Jacob was 64 years old, but he was more than likely 63.
Exposition
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2172
Jacob stays with Eber for 14 years
Jasher 29:11
Jacob was very afraid of his brother Esau, so he got up and fled to the house of Eber, the son of Shem, and stayed hidden there because of Esau. Jacob was 63 years old when he left Hebron in the land of Canaan. He remained hidden in Eber’s house for 14 years because of his brother Esau, and during that time, he continued learning the ways and commandments of the Lord.
Esau moves to Seir
Jasher 29:12a
When Esau realized that Jacob had fled and escaped from him, and that Jacob had cleverly taken the blessing, he became deeply grieved and angry—not only at Jacob but also at his father and mother. So he got up, took his wife, and moved away from his parents to the land of Seir, where he settled.
Esau marries Adah (Bosmath), his 2nd wife
Genesis 36:2a
Jasher 29:12b
While in Seir, Esau saw a woman from the daughters of Heth named Bosmath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. He took her as a second wife, in addition to his first. Esau renamed her Adah, saying that the blessing had now passed from him.
Esau dwells in the land of Seir and then moves to Hebron
Jasher 29:13-15
Esau lived in the land of Seir for 6 months without seeing his parents. Then he took his wives and returned to the land of Canaan, placing both wives in his father’s house in Hebron.
Esau’s wives upset Isaac and Rebekah with their actions. They did not follow the ways of the Lord but instead served their father’s gods—idols of wood and stone—just as he had taught them. They were even more wicked than their father, following their own evil desires. They offered sacrifices and burned incense to the Baalim. Isaac and Rebekah grew weary because of them.
Rising Action
Rebekah worries about Jacob’s potential choice of a wife
Genesis 27:46
Jasher 29:16
Jubilees 27:8
Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m tired of living because Esau has married daughters of Heth. If Jacob also marries a woman from the daughters of Heth, like these Canaanite women, what’s the point of my life? The daughters of Canaan are evil.”
Climax
Rebekah tells Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman
Jubilees 25:1-10
In the 2nd year of this week, during this jubilee, Rebekah called Jacob and said to him:
“My son, don’t marry any of the daughters of Canaan like your brother Esau, who took 2 wives from them. They have made my life bitter with their filthy behavior. Everything they do is sinful and lustful, and there’s no righteousness in them—their actions are evil. My son, I love you deeply, and I bless you constantly, day and night. Please listen to me and do what I ask. Don’t take a wife from the daughters of this land, but instead marry someone from my father’s household, from among his relatives. If you do, the Most High God will bless you, and your children will be righteous and holy.”
Jacob replied to his mother:
“Look, Mother, I’m 63 years old and I’ve never touched a woman, been betrothed, or even thought of marrying a Canaanite. I remember what Abraham, our father, said—he commanded me not to marry a Canaanite, but to marry someone from our own family. I’ve heard that daughters were born to Laban, your brother, and I’ve set my heart on choosing a wife from among them. That’s why I’ve guarded myself all these years and haven’t sinned or corrupted myself. When it comes to lust and fornication, Abraham gave me many instructions. But for 22 years now, my brother has pressured me, telling me to marry one of his wives’ sisters—but I’ve refused to follow his example. I swear before you, Mother, that I’ll never marry a daughter from the seed of Canaan or act wickedly like Esau. Don’t worry, I will do as you ask, live righteously, and never stray from the right path.”
Falling Action
Rebekah blesses Jacob
Jubilees 25:11-22
Then Rebekah looked up to heaven, lifted her hands, opened her mouth, and praised the Most High God, the Creator of heaven and earth. She said:
“Blessed be the Lord God, and may His holy name be praised forever. He has given me Jacob, a pure son and a holy seed. He belongs to You, Lord, and his children will belong to You through all generations. Bless him, Lord, and give me words of righteousness so I can bless him.”
At that moment, the spirit of righteousness came over her, and she placed both hands on Jacob’s head and said:
“Blessed are You, Lord of righteousness and eternal God. May You bless my son above all men. May You guide him in the path of righteousness and show his descendants what righteousness is. May his children increase during his lifetime—one for every month of the year. May they grow in number greater than the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore. May You give them this beautiful land, just as You promised Abraham and his descendants forever. May they possess it always. May I live to see your blessed children, my son, and may all your descendants be holy and blessed. As you have given life and joy to your mother, the one who bore you now blesses you. My love, my body, and my mouth all bless and praise you. May your family grow and spread across the earth, and may your children live in the joy of heaven and earth forever. May your name and your descendants last forever, and may the Most High God be their God. May the God of righteousness live among them, and may His sanctuary be built through them for all time. Blessed be those who bless you, and may anyone who falsely curses you be cursed.”
She kissed Jacob and said, “May the Lord of the world love you, just as your mother’s heart loves you. May my love rejoice in you and bless you.”
Then she finished blessing him.
Resolution
Year: 2173
Ishmael died
Genesis 25:17-18
Jasher 29:18-19
These are the years of Ishmael, son of Abraham—137 years. He passed away and died in the 64th year of Jacob’s life and was gathered to his people. His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt as you go toward Assyria. Ishmael died in the presence of all his brothers. When Isaac heard of Ishmael’s death, he mourned and lamented for him for many days.
Year: 2174
Eliphaz born
Genesis 36:4a, 10a
Jasher 29:17, 36:22a
During this time, Adah, Esau’s wife, became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Esau named him Eliphaz. Esau was 65 years old when Eliphaz was born.