Isaac Meeting Rebekah and Esau Selling his Birthright

Thomas Dalziel

Date uncertain: 1863 –1880

Proof wood engraving cut by the Dalziel Brothers, printed on India paper

The double image: 9½ x 7 inches at widest point

Illustration in Dalziels’ Bible Gallery, Plate 13

Another pairing. In the first, Dalziel presents his take on Isaac’s meeting with Rebekah (Genesis 19: 64–65), as the bride-to-be arrives, wearing her veil, and Isaac sees her for the first time. Dalziel stresses the romantic element, endowing Isaac with a gesture of surprise and delight as he raises his arms. The second is in an entirely different register of feeling, with Esau trading his ‘birthright’ for a bowl of lentil soup prepared by Jacob (25: 29–35), prioritising immediate gain over long-term status. [Commentary continues below.]