Genesis 27:29

29 And let nations serve thee, and princes bow down to thee, and be thou lord of thy brother, and the sons of thy father shall do thee reverence; accursed is he that curses thee, and blessed is he that blesses thee.

Genesis 27:29 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:29

Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee
Which was literally true in the times of Joshua and the judges, when the Canaanites were conquered and subdued, and those that remained became tributary to the Israelites; and still more so in the times of David, a son of Jacob, in the line of Judah, when the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Ammonites, and Edomites, became subject to him, his servants and tributaries; and yet more so in the times of the Messiah that was to spring from Jacob, and did, to whom many nations have been already subject, and all will in the latter day, ( Psalms 72:11 ) ( Revelation 15:4 ) . And this passage is applied to the Messiah, and his times, by the Jews, in an ancient book ^F25 of theirs, at least said to be so. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it of the children of Esau or the Edomites, and of the children of Keturah; and that of Jerusalem, of the children of Esau, and of Ishmael: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee;
these seem rather to be the children of Esau, Jacob's brother, and his mother's sons; the Targum of Jerusalem interprets the latter of the sons of Laban, his mother's brother, the Arabians and Syrians; which will be more fully accomplished when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, ( Revelation 11:15 ) ; who will then appear to be King of kings, and Lord of lords, ( Revelation 17:14 ) , even the King of the whole earth: cursed [be] everyone that curseth thee;
it signifies, that those who were the enemies of Jacob, or would be the enemies of the church and people of God, his spiritual Israel, and of the Messiah, would be reckoned the enemies of God, and treated as such; and blessed [be] he that blesseth thee;
and that those that were his friends, and the friends of the people of God, and heartily wish well to the interest of Christ, these should be accounted the friends of God, and be used as such. The same blessing is pronounced on Abraham the grandfather of Jacob, ( Genesis 12:3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Zohar in Gen. fol. 84. 4.

Genesis 27:29 In-Context

27 And he drew nigh and kissed him, and smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of an abundant field, which the Lord has blessed.

28 And may God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of corn and wine.

29 And let nations serve thee, and princes bow down to thee, and be thou lord of thy brother, and the sons of thy father shall do thee reverence; accursed is he that curses thee, and blessed is he that blesses thee.

30 And it came to pass after Isaac had ceased blessing his son Jacob, it even came to pass, just when Jacob had gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And he also had made meats and brought them to his father; and he said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.