This chapter offers an exhaustive genealogical record of Esau's family. It emphasizes that Esau is the father of the Edomites, drawing a distinction between the Israelite and Edomite lineages. We're introduced to Esau's wives, sons, and grandsons. The list also encompasses the chiefs and kings that come from his line. This comprehensive account serves as a fulfillment of God's earlier promise that Esau would father a great nation.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn with the introduction of Joseph, one of Jacob's youngest sons and clearly his favorite. This favoritism, marked by a special robe given to Joseph, stirs jealousy and resentment among his older brothers. The situation intensifies when Joseph shares two dreams suggesting his familial supremacy, further alienating his siblings. Seizing an opportunity when Joseph is sent by Jacob to check on them, the brothers initially plot to kill him. Reuben, the eldest, suggests they throw him into a pit instead, secretly intending to rescue him later. However, before he can act, Judah proposes they sell Joseph to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites bound for Egypt. They agree, and subsequently deceive Jacob by dipping Joseph's robe in goat's blood, leading him to believe his beloved son has been killed by a wild animal.