sold one's birthright for a mess of pottage

A form of sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage — To make an unfavorable exchange, especially of something of great, but deferred value, for something of very low, but immediate value.

Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage
Cite this entry
APA

sold one's birthright for a mess of pottage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sold%20one's%20birthright%20for%20a%20mess%20of%20pottage

MLA

“sold one's birthright for a mess of pottage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sold%20one's%20birthright%20for%20a%20mess%20of%20pottage. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sold one's birthright for a mess of pottage,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sold%20one's%20birthright%20for%20a%20mess%20of%20pottage.

Source: sold one's birthright for a mess of pottage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.