Genesis 27:1-29

Jacob's Deception

1 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and ¹his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his ²older son Esau and said to him, "My son." And he said to him, "Here I am."

2 ³Isaac said, "Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death.

3 "Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and ⁴hunt game for me;

4 and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that ⁵my soul may bless you before I die."

5 Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home,

6 ⁶Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying,

7 'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.'

8 "Now therefore, my son, ⁷listen to me as I command you.

9 "Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young * goats * from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves.

10 "Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."

11 Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, "Behold, Esau my brother is a ⁸hairy man and I am a smooth man.

12 "⁹Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing."

13 But his mother said to him, "Your curse be on me, my son; only ¹⁰obey my voice, and go, get them for me."

14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved.

15 Then Rebekah took the best ¹¹garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

16 And she put the skins of the young * goats * on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob.

18 Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"

19 Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. ¹²Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that ¹³you may bless me."

20 Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "¹⁴Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me."

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close, that ¹⁵I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."

22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were ¹⁶hairy like his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him.

24 And he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he said, "I am."

25 So he said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game, that ¹⁷I may bless you." And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my son."

27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he ¹⁸blessed him and said, "See, ¹⁹the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field ²⁰which the LORD has blessed;

28 Now may ²¹God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the ²²fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine;

29 ²³May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; ²⁴Be master of your brothers, ²⁵And may your mother's sons bow down to you. ²⁶Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you."

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Genesis 27:1-29 Meaning and Commentary

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, Ge 27:1-4; 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, Ge 27:5-17; and also how that he succeeded in the attempt, and got the blessing from his brother, Ge 27:18-29; and that this was confirmed to him by his father, even when his mistake was discovered upon Esau's coming, Ge 27:30-33; 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, Ge 27:34-40; 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, Ge 27:41-45; 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, Ge 27:46; and whether Isaac sent him, as the following chapter shows.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 26

1. Genesis 48:10; 1 Samuel 3:2
2. Gen 25:25, 33, 34
3. Genesis 47:29
4. Genesis 25:28
5. Genesis 27:19, 25, 31; Genesis 48:9, 15, 16; Deuteronomy 33:1; Hebrews 11:20
6. Genesis 25:28
7. Genesis 27:13, 43
8. Genesis 25:25
9. Genesis 27:21, 22
10. Genesis 27:8
11. Genesis 27:27
12. Genesis 27:31
13. Genesis 27:4
14. Genesis 24:12
15. Genesis 27:12
16. Genesis 27:16
17. Genesis 27:4
18. Hebrews 11:20
19. Song of Songs 4:11
20. Psalms 65:10
21. Genesis 27:39; Deuteronomy 33:13, 28; Proverbs 3:20; Zechariah 8:12
22. Numbers 18:12
23. Genesis 25:23; Isaiah 45:14; Isaiah 49:7, 23; Isaiah 60:12, 14
24. Genesis 9:26, 27; Genesis 27:37
25. Genesis 37:7, 10
26. Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9

Footnotes 12

[a]. Lit "He"
[b]. Lit "my voice"
[c]. Lit "according to what"
[d]. Lit "take"
[e]. Lit "kids of goats"
[f]. Lit "said to"
[g]. Lit "mocker"
[h]. Lit "desirable;" or "choice"
[i]. Lit "kids of the goats"
[j]. Lit "into the hand of"
[k]. Lit "your soul"
[l]. Lit "my soul"