1 It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?" He said to him, "Here I am." 2 He said, "See now, I am old. I don't know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison. 4 Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die." 5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 'Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.' 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. 9 Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death." 11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing." 13 His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me." 14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 He came to his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" 19 Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me." 20 Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He said, "Because Yahweh your God gave me success." 21 Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22 Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 He didn't recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am." 25 He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless you." He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 26 His father Isaac said to him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son." 27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed. 28 God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you." 30 It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that your soul may bless me." 32 Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." 33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed." 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, my father." 35 He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing." 36 He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?" 37 Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?" 38 Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39 Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above. 40 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck." 41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob." 42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away; 45 until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?" 46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?"
Isaac, grown old and feeble, and apprehending the approach of death, desires his son Esau to provide some savory meat for him, that having eaten of it he might convey to him the blessing connected with the right of primogeniture, Genesis 27:1-4. Rebekah hearing of it, relates the matter to Jacob, and directs him how to personate his brother, and by deceiving his father, obtain the blessing, Genesis 27:5-10. Jacob hesitates, Genesis 27:11, Genesis 27:12; but being counseled and encouraged by his mother, he at last consents to use the means she prescribes, Genesis 27:13, Genesis 27:14. Rebekah disguises Jacob, and sends him to personate his brother, Genesis 27:15-17. Jacob comes to his father, and professes himself to be Esau, Genesis 27:18, Genesis 27:19. Isaac doubts, questions, and examines him closely, but does not discover the deception, Genesis 27:20-24. He eats of the savory meat, and confers the blessing upon Jacob, Genesis 27:25-27. In what the blessing consisted, Genesis 27:28, Genesis 27:29. Esau arrives from the field with the meat he had gone to provide, and presents himself before his father, Genesis 27:30, Genesis 27:31. Isaac discovers the fraud of Jacob, and is much affected, Genesis 27:32, Genesis 27:33. Esau is greatly distressed on hearing that the blessing had been received by another, Genesis 27:34. Isaac accuses Jacob of deceit, Genesis 27:35. Esau expostulates, and prays for a blessing, Genesis 27:36. Isaac describes the blessing which he has already conveyed, Genesis 27:37. Esau weeps, and earnestly implores a blessing, Genesis 27:38. Isaac pronounces a blessing on Esau, and prophecies that his posterity should, in process of time, cease to be tributary to the posterity of Jacob, Genesis 27:39, Genesis 27:40. Esau purposes to kill his brother, Genesis 27:41. Rebekah hears of it, and counsels Jacob to take refuge with her brother Laban in Padanaram, Genesis 27:42-45. She professes to be greatly alarmed, lest Jacob should take any of the Canaanites to wife, Genesis 27:41.
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 27
In this chapter we are informed, that Isaac, being old and dim sighted, sent for Esau to get him venison, that he might eat of it, and bless him before he died, Genesis 27:1; that Rebekah hearing of this formed a scheme for Jacob to get the blessing before him, which she communicated to Jacob, to which he at first objected, but afterwards complied, Genesis 27:5; and also how that he succeeded in the attempt, and got the blessing from his brother, Genesis 27:18; and that this was confirmed to him by his father, even when his mistake was discovered upon Esau's coming, Genesis 27:30; which occasioned a most bitter cry in Esau, a severe reflection on his brother, and an earnest expostulation with his father for a blessing, which he obtained, Genesis 27:34; the consequence of this were hatred in Esau to Jacob, and an intention to kill him, which Rebekah hearing of, advised Jacob to flee to her brother Laban, Genesis 27:41; and to facilitate this, complains to Isaac of Esau's wives, and suggests, that should Jacob marry among the same people, it would add to the distress of their lives; and therefore hints it to him, that it was necessary and proper he should go to her family for a wife, Genesis 27:46; and whether Isaac sent him, as the following chapter shows.
(Genesis 27:1-5) Isaac sends Esau for venison.
(Genesis 27:6-17) Rebekah teaches Jacob to obtain the blessing.
(Genesis 27:18-29) Jacob, pretending to be Esau, obtains the blessing.
(Genesis 27:30-40) Isaac's fear, Esau's importunity.
(Genesis 27:41-46) Esau threatens Jacob's life, Rebekah sends Jacob away.
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