27 8 Jacob getteth the blessing from Esau by his mother’s counsel. 38 Esau by weeping moveth his father to pity him. 41 Esau hateth Jacob and threateneth his death. 43 Rebekah sendeth Jacob away.

And when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim (so that he could not see) he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son. And he answered him, [a]I am here.

Then he said, Behold, I am now old, and know not the day of my death.

Wherefore now, I pray thee take thine instruments, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the field, that thou mayest [b]take me some venison.

Then make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it me that I may eat, and that my [c]soul may bless thee, before I die.

(Now Rebekah heard, when Isaac spake to Esau his son) and Esau went into the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

¶ Then Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I have heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord, afore my death.

Now therefore, my son, hear my voice in that which I command thee.

[d]Get thee now to the flock, and bring me thence two good kids of the goats, that I may make pleasant meat of them for thy father, such as he loveth.

10 Then thou shalt bring it to thy father, and he shall eat, to the intent that he may bless thee before his death.

11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is rough, and I am smooth.

12 My father may possibly feel me, and I shall seem [e]to him as a [f]mocker: so shall I bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

13 But his mother said unto him, [g][h]Upon me be thy curse, my son: only hear my voice, and go and bring me them.

14 So he went and set them, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made pleasant meat, such as his father loved.

15 And Rebekah took fair clothes of her elder son Esau, which were in her house, and clothed Jacob her younger son:

16 And she covered his hands and the smooth of his neck with the skins of the kids of the goats.

17 Afterward she put the pleasant meat and bread, which she had prepared, in the hand of her son Jacob.

18 ¶ And when he came to his father, he said, My father. Who answered, I am here: who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said to his father, [i]I am Esau thy firstborn, I have done as thou badest me, arise, I pray thee: sit up and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 Then Isaac said unto his son, How hast thou found it so quickly my son? Who said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to mine hand.

21 Again said Isaac unto Jacob, Come near now, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be that my son Esau, or not.

22 Then Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, The [j]voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 (For he knew him not, because his hands were rough as his brother Esau’s hands: wherefore he blessed him.)

24 Again he said, Art thou that my son Esau? Who answered, [k]Yea.

25 Then said he, Bring it me hither, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it to him, and he ate: also he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 Afterward his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near and kissed him. Then he smelled the savor of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.

28 (A)God give thee therefore of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of wheat and wine.

29 Let people be thy servants, and nations bow down unto thee: be Lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s children honor thee, cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30 ¶ And when Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, then came Esau his brother from his hunting,

31 And he also prepared savory meat, and brought it to his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 But his father Isaac said unto him, Who art thou? And he answered, I am thy son, even thy firstborn Esau.

33 Then Isaac was [l]stricken with a marvelous great fear, and said, Who and where is he that hunted venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten [m]of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, therefore he shall be blessed.

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great cry and bitter, out of measure, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, my father.

35 Who answered, Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 Then he said, Was he not justly called [n]Jacob? for he hath deceived me these two times: he took my birthright, and lo, now hath he taken my blessing. Also he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 Then Isaac answered, and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him [o]thy lord, and all his brethren have I made his servants: and with wheat and wine have I furnished him, and unto thee now what shall I do, my son?

38 Then Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [p]even me, also my father: and Esau lifted up his voice, and (B)wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered, and said unto him, Behold, the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling place, and thou shalt have of the dew of heaven from above.

40 And [q]by thy word shalt thou live, and shalt be thy brother’s [r]servant. But it shall come to pass, when thou shalt get the mastery, that thou shalt break his yoke from thy neck.

41 ¶ Therefore Esau hated Jacob, because of the blessing, wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau thought in his mind, (C)The days of mourning for my father will come shortly, [s]then I will slay my brother Jacob.

42 And it was told to Rebekah of the words of Esau her elder son, and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau [t]is comforted against thee, meaning to kill thee:

43 Now therefore my son, hear my voice: arise, and flee thou to Haran to my brother Laban,

44 And tarry with him a while until thy brother’s fierceness be swaged,

45 And till thy brother’s wrath turn away from thee, and he forget the things, which thou hast done to him: then will I send and take thee from thence: why should I be [u]deprived of you both in one day?

46 Also Rebekah said to Isaac, (D)I am weary of my life, for the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the [v]daughters of Heth like these of the daughters of the land, [w]what availeth it me to live?

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:1 Hebrew, Lo, I.
  2. Genesis 27:3 Hebrew, hunt.
  3. Genesis 27:4 The carnal affection, which he bare to his son made him forget that which God spake to his wife, Gen. 25:23.
  4. Genesis 27:9 This subtlety is blameworthy because she should have tarried till God had performed his promise.
  5. Genesis 27:12 Hebrew, before his eyes.
  6. Genesis 27:12 Or, as though I would deceive him.
  7. Genesis 27:13 Or, I will take the danger on me.
  8. Genesis 27:13 The assurance of God’s decree made her bold.
  9. Genesis 27:19 Although Jacob was assured of this blessing by faith: yet he did evil to seek it by lies, and the more because he abuseth God’s name thereunto.
  10. Genesis 27:22 This declareth that he suspected something, yet God would not have his decree altered.
  11. Genesis 27:24 Hebrew, I am.
  12. Genesis 27:33 In perceiving his error, by appointing his heir against God’s sentence pronounced before.
  13. Genesis 27:33 Or, sufficiently.
  14. Genesis 27:36 In Gen. 25, he was so called because he held his brother by the heel, as though he would overthrow him: and therefore he is here called an overthrower, or deceiver.
  15. Genesis 27:37 For Isaac did this as he was the minister and Prophet of God.
  16. Genesis 27:38 Or, I am also (thy son).
  17. Genesis 27:40 Because thine enemies shall be round about thee.
  18. Genesis 27:40 Which was fulfilled in his posterity the Idumeans: who were tributaries for a time to Israel, and after came to liberty.
  19. Genesis 27:41 Hypocrites only abstain from doing evil for fear of men.
  20. Genesis 27:42 He hath good hope to recover his birthright by killing thee.
  21. Genesis 27:45 For the wicked son will kill the godly: and the plague of God will afterward light on the wicked son.
  22. Genesis 27:46 Which were Esau’s wives.
  23. Genesis 27:46 Hereby she persuaded Isaac to agree to Jacob’s departing.

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,(A) he called for Esau his older son(B) and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.(C) Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country(D) to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like(E) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing(F) before I die.”(G)

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country(H) to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob,(I) “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’(J) Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:(K) Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,(L) so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.(M) 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing(N) before he dies.”

11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man(O) while I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me?(P) I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse(Q) on myself rather than a blessing.”

13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.(R) Just do what I say;(S) go and get them for me.”

14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.(T) 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes(U) of Esau her older son,(V) which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.(W) 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

18 He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”(X)

19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.(Y) I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,(Z) so that you may give me your blessing.”(AA)

20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,(AB)” he replied.

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,(AC) my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac,(AD) who touched(AE) him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;(AF) so he proceeded to bless him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

25 Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”(AG)

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

27 So he went to him and kissed(AH) him(AI). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,(AJ) he blessed him and said,

“Ah, the smell of my son
    is like the smell of a field
    that the Lord has blessed.(AK)
28 May God give you heaven’s dew(AL)
    and earth’s richness(AM)
    an abundance of grain(AN) and new wine.(AO)
29 May nations serve you
    and peoples bow down to you.(AP)
Be lord over your brothers,
    and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.(AQ)
May those who curse you be cursed
    and those who bless you be blessed.(AR)

30 After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”(AS)

32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”(AT)

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.(AU)

33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?(AV) I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!(AW)

34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry(AX) and said to his father, “Bless(AY) me—me too, my father!”

35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully(AZ) and took your blessing.”(BA)

36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob[a]?(BB) This is the second time he has taken advantage of(BC) me: He took my birthright,(BD) and now he’s taken my blessing!”(BE) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.(BF) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.(BG)

39 His father Isaac answered him,(BH)

“Your dwelling will be
    away from the earth’s richness,
    away from the dew(BI) of heaven above.(BJ)
40 You will live by the sword
    and you will serve(BK) your brother.(BL)
But when you grow restless,
    you will throw his yoke
    from off your neck.(BM)

41 Esau held a grudge(BN) against Jacob(BO) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning(BP) for my father are near; then I will kill(BQ) my brother Jacob.”(BR)

42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau(BS) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.(BT) 43 Now then, my son, do what I say:(BU) Flee at once to my brother Laban(BV) in Harran.(BW) 44 Stay with him for a while(BX) until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,(BY) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.(BZ) Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite(CA) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,(CB) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”(CC)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.