Esau und Jakob: Familien und Figuren im Wandel?

Summary The two protagonists of the Jacob narrative (Genesis 25–49), Jacob and Esau, and their respective families constitute the topic of the present article. Using the method of narrative exegesis of Old Testament stories, it examines the way these two figures are characterised. The focus of research is on the principal characters; a subsidiary issue is the way in which families are portrayed in the Jacob narrative. This issue is indissolubly associated with the characterisation of the two principal participants, since such portrayal gives clues about the norms and values which the narrative intends to communicate. The central thesis of this article is that the blessing which flows from Jacob’s family is not directly dependant on his character or transformation. Instead, the narrative communicates that God blesses whatever the circumstances. To be a source of blessing is thus a matter of election, not of human evaluation, ability or competence.