Joshua 24:4 kjv
And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
Joshua 24:4 nkjv
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
Joshua 24:4 niv
and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.
Joshua 24:4 esv
And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
Joshua 24:4 nlt
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
Joshua 24 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Promise of land to Abraham's descendants. |
| Gen 13:15 | For all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. | Reinforces land promise. |
| Gen 25:23 | And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb...the older shall serve the younger." | Divine election of Jacob over Esau. |
| Gen 26:3 | Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands and will fulfill the oath which I swore to your father | Covenant to Isaac, reiterating land. |
| Gen 36:8 | So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom. | Esau's direct settlement in Seir. |
| Gen 46:3-7 | Then He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt... I will go down with you to Egypt..." | God's leading Jacob's family into Egypt. |
| Gen 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result..." | God's sovereign purpose in going to Egypt. |
| Exod 1:7 | But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. | Growth in Egypt for nation formation. |
| Deut 2:4-5 | "...You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir... for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession." | God's giving Seir to Edom. |
| Deut 32:8 | When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance... He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. | God's sovereign division of nations and lands. |
| 1 Sam 2:7 | The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low, He also exalts. | God's control over human circumstances. |
| Ps 24:1 | The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. | God's ultimate ownership of all land. |
| Ps 115:16 | The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. | God's gracious giving of the earth to humanity. |
| Isa 43:1 | "...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine." | God's choosing and forming Israel. |
| Jer 27:5 | "I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are on the face of the earth by My great power... and I give it to whomsoever it seemeth meet unto Me." | God's sovereign right to distribute lands. |
| Amos 9:7 | "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the Lord. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and Aram | God's sovereignty over other nations' movements. |
| Mal 1:2-3 | "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the Lord. "Yet I have loved Jacob; but Esau I have hated..." | Divine preference and national destiny. |
| Rom 9:11-13 | (for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand...) Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. | Paul's theological exposition of election. |
| Acts 7:15 | "So Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died." | Stephen's account, referencing the descent. |
| Heb 11:9 | By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign country... | Jacob's status as a sojourner, though of promise. |
Joshua 24 verses
Joshua 24 4 Meaning
Joshua 24:4 concisely outlines a significant phase of God's redemptive history concerning the patriarchs. It recounts God's sovereign distribution of destinies and inheritances, specifically that He granted Isaac both Jacob and Esau. It further details that Esau and his descendants received Mount Seir as their permanent possession by divine decree, while Jacob and his children were led by God's plan into a temporary sojourn in Egypt, which was a preparatory step for their formation as a nation. The verse emphasizes God's active and guiding hand in the divergent paths of these twin brothers, directly influencing the establishment of separate nations.
Joshua 24 4 Context
Joshua chapter 24 records Joshua's final address to the Israelites at Shechem, where he gathered all the tribes. This event functions as a covenant renewal ceremony. Joshua, speaking on behalf of God, provides a sweeping historical overview of God's faithfulness, starting from Abraham (v. 2) and continuing through the patriarchal period, the sojourn in Egypt, the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and their conquest of Canaan. Verse 4 falls within this historical prologue, reminding the people of God's specific actions regarding their progenitors, Jacob and Esau. By detailing how God assigned lands and guided paths even before Israel became a nation, Joshua underscores God's absolute sovereignty and purposeful hand in their unique national formation, preparing them for a renewed commitment to Him. This recollection sets the stage for Joshua's crucial call for Israel to "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve" (v. 15).
Joshua 24 4 Word analysis
- And I gave (וָאֶתֵּן, va'etten / נָתַתִּי, natatti - from root נָתַן, nathan, "to give, put, place"): This recurring phrase throughout Joshua 24 highlights God as the active, sovereign giver. It emphasizes divine initiative and power. It's not about human earning or taking, but God's gracious and authoritative bestowal. This term underscores God's ultimate ownership and control over all things, including the destinies and territories of nations.
- to Isaac (לְיִצְחָק, l'Yitzchaq): Isaac, the son of promise, stands as a pivot point in the covenant line, connecting Abraham to Jacob. God's specific mention of giving to Isaac implies a direct fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham regarding his lineage.
- Jacob and Esau (יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו, Ya'aqov v'Esav): These twin brothers represent a pivotal point in the divine election. God's choice of Jacob over Esau, despite the natural custom of primogeniture, demonstrates that His plans are not bound by human conventions but by His sovereign will and purpose. They became the progenitors of two distinct peoples, Israel and Edom.
- and I gave (וָאֶתֵּן, va'etten): Repeats for emphasis, affirming God's continued direct involvement and precision in separating their paths.
- to Esau (לְעֵשָׂו, l'Esav): Explicitly naming Esau here separates his path from Jacob's and demonstrates God's dealings with all of Abraham's descendants, not just the elect line of Jacob.
- mount Seir (הַר שֵׂעִיר, har Se'ir): This geographical designation is key. It signifies the rugged, mountainous region that became the dwelling place and territory of Esau's descendants, the Edomites. This land was given to them permanently.
- to possess it (לָרֶשֶׁת אֹתוֹ, lareshet oto): From the root יָרַשׁ, yarash, meaning "to inherit, take possession." This denotes a secure and enduring ownership. God gave Esau permanent possession of Mount Seir, setting boundaries for other nations (like Israel in Deut. 2:5).
- but Jacob (וְיַעֲקֹב, v'Ya'aqov): The conjunction "but" (vav as contrast) marks a deliberate distinction in the destiny between the two brothers, setting Jacob on a different, divinely orchestrated trajectory.
- and his children (וּבָנָיו, uvanav): Highlights that Jacob's family unit, which would become the twelve tribes of Israel, was involved in this particular stage of God's plan.
- went down (וַיֵּרֶד, vayyered): From the root יָרַד, yarad, "to go down, descend." This verb aptly describes the literal descent into Egypt's lower Nile valley. Theologically, it signifies a movement of humbling, dependence, and preparation—not a journey to claim possession, but a sojourn, setting the stage for national formation and the monumental Exodus event.
- into Egypt (מִצְרָיְמָה, Mitzraymah): The specific destination. This was a temporary, divinely ordained sojourn where the family of Jacob would multiply into a numerous nation, a necessary step before their return to inherit the promised land of Canaan.
Words-group Analysis:
- "And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau mount Seir, to possess it;": This phrase powerfully contrasts God's differentiated provisions. While both twins came through Isaac, God uniquely directed Esau's destiny to a permanent, out-of-Canaan possession. This emphasizes God's comprehensive sovereignty not just over Israel's inheritance but over the division of all peoples and their lands. It is a polemic against any notion that Israel somehow "earned" their land, showing that even others receive land as a divine grant.
- "but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.": This sets up the unique and critical experience of Israel. Unlike Esau who received immediate, permanent possession of land, Jacob's line endured a temporary, challenging period of "going down" and foreign sojourn. This 'descent' was not abandonment, but a purposeful act of God, a forge for shaping a people into a distinct nation through hardship and eventual deliverance, fulfilling the prophecy of Gen 15:13. It foreshadows the Exodus as the defining moment of Israel's national birth.
Joshua 24 4 Bonus section
The mention of Esau settling in Mount Seir to possess it serves as a powerful theological distinction. It illustrates that God had provided everyone an inheritance, not just Israel. However, the quality and nature of the inheritance differed significantly. Esau received his territory directly and permanently as an immediate, earthly possession. Jacob's inheritance was delayed and conditional, requiring a period of hardship and ultimately God's mighty acts of deliverance, signifying a spiritual dimension beyond mere territorial occupation. This nuance implies that God's covenant with Israel and the land promised to them (Canaan) carried a unique purpose and depth that was distinct from the general land grants to other nations like Edom.
Joshua 24 4 Commentary
Joshua 24:4 serves as a potent reminder of God's meticulously planned and sovereignly executed history for His people. It reveals that before Israel ever set foot in Canaan as a nation, God had already been working behind the scenes for generations. The contrasting destinies of Jacob and Esau highlight God's elective purpose, where His choice (Jacob's line for the covenant of promise) overrides natural birth order and human expectation. While Esau receives his distinct and lasting inheritance outside Canaan in Mount Seir—demonstrating God's sovereign hand over all nations—Jacob's descendants are led into Egypt. This "going down" to Egypt was not a punitive detour but a divine catalyst, an essential phase where the family could multiply into a numerous nation before the grand redemption of the Exodus. Thus, this verse reinforces the fundamental truth that Israel's entire existence, their land, and their liberation are entirely a product of God's unwavering faithfulness and active intervention, leaving no room for human merit or chance. It sets the stage for Joshua's urgent appeal: since God has done all this, the only reasonable response is exclusive loyalty to Him.