Genesis 25:5-6

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ¹  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ² 

Genesis 25:32

25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ³ 

Genesis 25:34

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁴  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁵ 

[25:6]  ¹ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ² tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:32]  ³ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:34]  ⁴ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁵ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.