Genesis - 27:15



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.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Genesis 27:15.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son.
And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her:
And Rebecca took the clothes of her elder son Esau, the costly ones which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son;
and Rebekah taketh the desirable garments of Esau her elder son, which are with her in the house, and doth put on Jacob her younger son;
And Rebekah took the fair robes of her oldest son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son:
And Rebekah took the choicest garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son.
And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
Et accepit Ribca vestes Esau filii sui majoris delectabiles, quae erant apud se in domo, et induit Iahacob filium suum minorem.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Goodly raiment - Mr. Ainsworth has a sensible note on this place. "The priest in the law had holy garments to minister in, Exodus 28:2-4, which the Septuagint there and in this place term την στολην, The robe, and στολην ἁγιαν, the holy robe. Whether the first-born, before the law, had such to minister in is not certain, but it is probable by this example; for had they been common garments, why did not Esau himself, or his wives, keep them? But being, in all likelihood, holy robes, received from their ancestors, the mother of the family kept them in sweet chests from moths and the like, whereupon it is said, Genesis 27:27, Isaac smelled the smell of his garments." The opinion of Ainsworth is followed by many critics.

And Rebekah took goodly garments of her eldest son Esau,.... Or "desirable" (q) ones, exceeding good ones:
which were with her in the house; which she had the care and keeping of, and were wore only on particular occasions: some think these were priestly garments, which belonged to him as the firstborn, and were not in the keeping of his wives, being idolaters, but in his mother's keeping; which is not very probable, yet more likely than that they were, as some Jewish writers (r) say, the garments of Adam the first man, which Esau seeing on Nimrod, greatly desired them, and slew him for them, see Genesis 10:10; and hence called desirable garments:
and put them upon Jacob her younger son; that be might be took for Esau, should Isaac examine him and feel his garments, or smell them.
(q) "desideratissimis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (r) Targum Jonah. in loc. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 65. fol. 58. 1. Pirke Eliezer, c. 24. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 3. 1.

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