The somewhat ominous name of Jacob —usually taken to mean "supplanter" or "deceiver" (cf. Gen. 27:36)—indicates something of the unpromising background which the patriarch had to overcome before being hailed as Israel.
Esau and Jacob were twin sons of the patriarch Isaac and his wife, Rebekah. Esau was considered the elder of the two and hence the heir, the recipient of the coveted birthright. He was described as "a cunning hunter, a man of the field"; whereas Jacob was called "a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Gen. 25:27). Since the Hebrew term tamim (plain) is sometimes translated "perfect," this may well foreshadow something of the noble characteristics later attributed to Jacob.
The Bible records two incidents in which Jacob succeeded in obtaining the blessing and rights of the firstborn. According to Genesis 25:33,34, Esau "sold his birthright unto Jacob. . . . Thus Esau despised his birthright." Chapter 27 relates that Jacob later obtained his father's blessing by deceit, much to the discomfiture of Isaac and to the anger of Esau.
