Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 25:27

"And the boys grew. And Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field. And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents." — Genesis 25:27 (ASV)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHARACTERS OF ESAU AND JACOB. ESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHT.

The boys grew. —With advancing years came also the formation of their characters. Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field: not a farmer, but one who roamed over the open uncultivated wilderness in search of game; but Jacob was a plain man.

This is a most inadequate rendering of a word translated perfect in Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Psalms 37:37, etc., though this rendering is as much too strong as that in this verse is too weak. On Genesis 6:9, we have shown that the word conveys no idea of perfection or blamelessness, but only of general integrity. Both the word there and in Genesis 17:1, and the slightly different form of it used here, should in all places be translated upright.

Dwelling in tents. —Esau equally had a tent for his home, but Jacob stayed at home, following domestic occupations, and tending to the flocks and cattle. Therefore, he was his mother’s darling, while Isaac preferred his more enterprising son. Thus, the struggle between the twins also led to a divergence of feeling on the part of the parents. Throughout his history, Jacob maintains this character and appears as a man whose interests and happiness were centered in his home.