Physical appearances of Esau and King David
King David
Scripture’s descriptions of David’s appearance are brief but clear:
1 Samuel 16:12 calls him “ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to” (KJV), which also appears as “ruddy… with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance” in other translations.
1 Samuel 17:42 says Goliath “disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance,” emphasizing both his youth and attractive look.
1 Samuel 16:18 adds he was “a comely person,” rounding out the picture of a handsome, well-favored young man.
What does “ruddy” mean?
The Hebrew word is ’admoni (from ’adom, “red”), describing a reddish tone—either a rosy, healthy complexion or possibly reddish/auburn hair. It is used of Esau’s coloring at birth (“red,” Genesis 25:25) and appears in Song of Solomon 5:10 (“white and ruddy”), showing the term’s association with a light/bright, blood-flushed look of vigor.
Lamentations 4:7 speaks of the Nazirites as “more ruddy in body than rubies,” again pointing to a vivid, healthy flesh tone, not a pejorative feature but a sign of vitality.
So what did David look like?
A youthful, handsome shepherd with striking eyes (“beautiful eyes”), an attractive face, and a noticeable healthy color—“ruddy”—from outdoor life; Dake’s notes commonly take “ruddy” as a reddish or rosy complexion, and some infer the possibility of auburn/red hair, though the text itself emphasizes complexion and attractiveness rather than hair color explicitly.
While not described as tall like Saul, he is later recognized as “valiant” and “a mighty man of valor” (1 Samuel 16:18), indicating a fit, capable build alongside his pleasing appearance.
In short, yes—David was “ruddy.” In biblical usage, this means a reddish/rosy, healthy look (and possibly red hair), and he is repeatedly noted as handsome, bright-eyed, and well-favored.
Esau
Esau is described in the Bible primarily in the Book of Genesis, with his most notable physical appearance detailed right at his birth. According to Genesis 25:25 (various translations):The first baby came out red (or reddish/ruddy), and his whole body was like a hairy garment (or covered with hair like a fur coat/robe).
Because of this unusual appearance, they named him Esau (a name connected to the Hebrew word for "hairy").
This birth description emphasizes two striking features: Redness — possibly referring to his skin tone, hair color, or both (this also ties into his later nickname Edom, meaning "red," from the red lentil stew he traded his birthright for in Genesis 25:30).
Extreme hairiness — described as being covered all over with hair, almost like wearing a hairy cloak from birth.
Later, in Genesis 27:11, when Jacob and his mother Rebekah plot to deceive the blind Isaac, Jacob expresses concern: "Look, my brother, Esau is a hairy man, while I have smooth skin."
This confirms that Esau remained notably hairy into adulthood, in sharp contrast to his twin brother Jacob, who was described as smooth-skinned.The Bible also portrays Esau as a rugged outdoorsman — a skillful hunter and "man of the field" (Genesis 25:27) — suggesting he grew into a strong, masculine, physically imposing figure suited to a wild, active life.
Relationship of Esau and King David to Jesus:
Relationship of Esau and King David to Jesus:
In Matthew
In Matthew 1 (the legal/royal genealogy, primarily through Joseph as Jesus' adoptive father):
The list is structured in three groups of 14 generations (totaling 42 generations symbolically from Abraham to Jesus, though the actual named list has 41 due to omissions and counting conventions). From Jacob (generation 1 after Isaac) to Jesus, there are 39 generations down the line.
→ Jesus is Esau's great-great-great-...-great-nephew with 38 "greats" (since Esau is the brother of Jacob, the uncle level starts at 0 "greats" for a direct nephew, adding one "great" per additional generation beyond that).
In Matthew 1, Jesus is described as a great-great-great-...-great-grandson of King David with 26 "greats".The genealogy lists 27 generations (or "begat" steps/links) from David to Jesus (David → Solomon → ... → Joseph → Jesus).
In Luke
In Luke 3 (often interpreted as the biological line through Mary, going back from Jesus to Adam):
This is a longer, more detailed list (about 77 generations total from Adam to Jesus, or roughly 55–60 from Jacob to Jesus, depending on exact counting). The differences arise because Luke includes more names and follows a different branch after David (via Nathan rather than Solomon).
→ Jesus is Esau's great-...-great-nephew with approximately 54–59 "greats" (again, adjusting for the uncle relationship to Jacob).
In Luke 3, Jesus is described as a great-great-great-...-great-grandson of King David with 41 "greats" (or 42 generations total from David to Jesus, depending on precise counting conventions). The genealogy lists 42 generations from David to Jesus (David → Nathan → ... → Joseph → Jesus).
This means 41 additional generations after David → 41 "greats".
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