Esau /ˈi(ˌ)sɔ/
 以掃


 Esau
      n : (Old Testament) the eldest son of Isaac who would have
          inherited the Covenant that God made with Abraham and
          that Abraham passed on to Isaac; he traded his birthright
          to his twin brother Jacob for a mess of pottage


 Esau
    hairy, Rebekah's first-born twin son (Gen. 25:25). The name of
    Edom, "red", was also given to him from his conduct in
    connection with the red lentil "pottage" for which he sold his
    birthright (30, 31). The circumstances connected with his birth
    foreshadowed the enmity which afterwards subsisted between the
    twin brothers and the nations they founded (25:22, 23, 26). In
    process of time Jacob, following his natural bent, became a
    shepherd; while Esau, a "son of the desert," devoted himself to
    the perilous and toilsome life of a huntsman. On a certain
    occasion, on returning from the chase, urged by the cravings of
    hunger, Esau sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, who
    thereby obtained the covenant blessing (Gen. 27:28, 29, 36; Heb.
    12:16, 17). He afterwards tried to regain what he had so
    recklessly parted with, but was defeated in his attempts through
    the stealth of his brother (Gen. 27:4, 34, 38).

      At the age of forty years, to the great grief of his parents,
    he married (Gen. 26:34, 35) two Canaanitish maidens, Judith, the
    daughter of Beeri, and Bashemath, the daughter of Elon. When
    Jacob was sent away to Padan-aram, Esau tried to conciliate his
    parents (Gen. 28:8, 9) by marrying his cousin Mahalath, the
    daughter of Ishmael. This led him to cast in his lot with the
    Ishmaelite tribes; and driving the Horites out of Mount Seir, he
    settled in that region. After some thirty years' sojourn in
    Padan-aram Jacob returned to Canaan, and was reconciled to Esau,
    who went forth to meet him (33:4). Twenty years after this,
    Isaac their father died, when the two brothers met, probably for
    the last time, beside his grave (35:29). Esau now permanently
    left Canaan, and established himself as a powerful and wealthy
    chief in the land of Edom (q.v.).

      Long after this, when the descendants of Jacob came out of
    Egypt, the Edomites remembered the old quarrel between the
    brothers, and with fierce hatred they warred against Israel.



 Esau, he that acts or finishes