King James Version

Genesis 25:23

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֜הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).לָ֗הּlahtoלָ֗הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to”toשְׁנֵ֤יshenetwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, construct — “two”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.גייםgyymGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.גוֹיִם֙goyimGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְbevitnekhein bodyבֶּטֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “in body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH990the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anythingbelly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb.וּשְׁנֵ֣יusheneand twoשְׁנַיִםconjunction, adjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, construct — “and two”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.לְאֻמִּ֔יםleumimnationלְאֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “nation”, the ordinary formH3816a communitynation, people.מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְmimeayikhfrom bellyמֵעֶהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “from belly”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4578used only in plural the intestines, or (collectively) the abdomen, figuratively, sympathy; by implication, a vest; by extension the stomach, the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively)belly, bowels, [idiom] heart, womb.יִפָּרֵ֑דוּyiparedvseparateפָּרַדverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “separate”, an unfinished actionH6504to break through, i.e. spread or separate (oneself)disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.וּלְאֹם֙uleomand nationלְאֹםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and nation”, the ordinary formH3816a communitynation, people.מִלְאֹ֣םmilomfrom nationלְאֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from nation”, the ordinary formH3816a communitynation, people.יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץyeematsbe courageousאָמַץverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be courageous”, an unfinished actionH553to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage)confirm, be courageous (of good courage, stedfastly minded, strong, stronger), establish, fortify, harden, increase, prevail, strengthen (self), make strong (obstinate, speed).וְרַ֖בveravand aboundרַבconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and abound”, the ordinary formH7227abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude),…יַעֲבֹ֥דyaavodkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “keep in bondage”, an unfinished actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…צָעִֽירtsairlittleצָעִירadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “little”, the ordinary formH6810little; (in number) few; (in age) young, (in value) ignobleleast, little (one), small (one), [phrase] young(-er, -est).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels: And the one people shall be stronger than the other people; And the elder shall serve the younger.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah saith to her, 'Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two peoples from thy bowels are parted; and the [one] people than the [other] people is stronger; and the elder doth serve the younger.'

World English Bible

Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.”

Darby Translation

And Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; And one people shall be stronger than the other people, And the elder shall serve the younger.

Douay-Rheims

And he answering said: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Lord said to her, There are two nations in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy belly, and one people shall excel the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος αὐτῇ, δύο ἔθνη ἐν γαστρί σου εἰσὶ, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται· καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.

Quoted in

Romans 9:12 Romans 9:12 · King James VersionIt was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.Romans 9:12 · King James VersionOpen the Source
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

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The King James Version (1769) is in the public domain in the United States.