“gulp down.” The Hebrew for “gulp down” is not any of the regular words for eat, such as appears in Genesis 25:34, but rather laat (#03938 לָעַט), which is to gulp down, swallow greedily, devour. It is used in later Hebrew of the way animals eat. “Gulp down” seems to catch the meaning and intensity very well (cp. CJB; NAB), especially in comparison to translations such as “let me eat,” or “feed me,” which don’t seem to properly catch the desperation that Esau was feeling, and that Jacob picked up on and thus asked such a high price for a meal.

“that red stuff, that red stuff.” Esau’s desperation is easily seen in the desperate and emphatic way he expresses himself, and also in his willingness to sell his birthright. The Hebrew for “that red stuff” is one word in the Hebrew text repeated two times with the same meaning, making this the figure of speech epizeuxis, repetition for emphasis. We might say the same kind of thing if we came home from work very hungry and said to a family member: “I’m starving; starving!”

“exhausted and hungry.” See commentary on Genesis 25:29.

“Edom.” “Edom” means “red.”