Genesis 25-35
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- Subpages: Chapter 25b • 25c-28 • 29-31 • 32-35
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Contents
Summary
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Relationship to Genesis. The relationship of Chapters 25b-35 to the rest of Genesis is discussed at Genesis.
Story. Chapters 25b-35 consist of the Jacob cycle, the third of the four major sections of Genesis. Chapters 25b-35 tell how Jacob obtained his father Isaac's birthright blessing through trickery and how God himself confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant with Jacob. This cycle of stories consists of six major sections:
- Chapter 25b: Descendants of Ishmael. A genealogical list of Ishmael's descendants.
- Chapter 25c-26: Father Isaac in Canaan.
- Chapter 27-28: Jacob and Esau in conflict.
- Chapter 29-31: Jacob and Laban.
- Chapter 32-33: Jacob and Esau reconciled.
- Chapter 34-35: Father Jacob in Canaan.
Outline. An outline of the complete book of Genesis, including Chapters 25b-35, is found at Genesis: Outline and page map.
Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapters 25b-35 include:
Discussion
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- Outline. The Jacob cycle can be outlined as follows:
- • Book 8: "Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son ..." (25:12)
- ● Descendants of Ishmael (Chapter 25b)
- • Book 9: "And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son ..." (25:19)
- A. Father Isaac in Canaan (Chapter 25c-26)
- A. Father Jacob in Canaan (Chapter 34-35)
Outline and page map
This section contains an outline for Genesis 25b-35. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of the text. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
The outline below is summarized on this handout and is used here with the King James text
III. Jacob cycle (25b-35)
• Book 8: "Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son ..." (25:12)
● Descendants of Ishmael (Chapter 25b)
- Genealogical list (25:12-18)
- Genealogical list (25:12-18)
• Book 9: "And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son ..." (25:19)
III-A. Jacob in Canaan (25c-28)
A. Isaac's two sons: Jacob and Esau (25c)
- B. Isaac deals humbly with Canaanites, treaty of peace (26) (26:1-33)
- C. Jacob and Esau in conflict (27-28)
- • Jacob obtains Isaac’s favored blessing by trick, flees (26:34-28:9)
- • Abrahamic covenant given to Jacob (Jacob's ladder) (28:10-22)
- C. Jacob and Esau in conflict (27-28)
- D. Laban tricks Jacob re wife after first 7 years (29a) (29:1-30)
- E. Jacob blessed with children during second 7 years (29b-30a) (29:31-30:24)
- E'. Jacob blessed with flocks during final 6 years (30b) (30:25-43)
- D'. Jacob flees Laban and then is reconciled with Laban (31) (31:1-55)
- D. Laban tricks Jacob re wife after first 7 years (29a) (29:1-30)
III-A'. Jacob back in Canaan (32-35)
A'. Jacob's sons, deaths of Rachel and Isaac (35b)
Unanswered questions
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Prompts for life application
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Prompts for further study
This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
Resources
This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →
- LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, Vol. 1 (PDF version): Chapter 7/28: Gen 24-36. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.
Notes
Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.
- Subpages: Chapters 25b • 25c-28 • 29-31 • 32-35
