Midrash sur Isaïe 38:18

(Gen. 49:1:) THEN JACOB CALLED HIS SONS. Should it not rather have said: "So Esau called his sons"?²⁹Gen. R. 96, “New Version,” at the beginning on Gen. 49:1 (= pp. 1199–1200 in the Theodor-Albeck edition). Why? Because he was older. The Scripture says (in Is. 38:18): FOR SHEOL SHALL NOT GIVE YOU THANKS; DEATH SHALL NOT PRAISE YOU. Who gives thanks? One who lives and bows down to the living God. It is so stated (in vs. 19): THE LIVING, < ONLY > THE LIVING SHALL GIVE YOU THANKS, EVEN AS I DO TODAY….³⁰Thus wicked people like Esau cannot praise God because they are regarded as dead even in this life while the righteous live even in death. So Ber. 18ab. And so Esau the Wicked did not die upon his bed and made no diatheke³¹The word is Greek. (i.e., will). Then who did make a diatheke? Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 49, which begins): THEN JACOB CALLED HIS SONS.