Genesis 19:31

19:31 Later the older daughter said ¹  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ²  to have sexual relations with us, ³  according to the way of all the world.

Genesis 19:35

19:35 So they made their father drunk ⁴  that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. ⁵  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁶ 

Genesis 19:38

19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. ⁷  He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.

Genesis 25:23

25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ⁸  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

¹ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

² tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.

³ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

⁴ tn Heb “drink wine.”

⁵ tn Heb “lied down with him.”

⁶ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

⁷ sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.

¹⁰ sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.