Genesis 27:20

20 Again Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find (this) venison so soon? Which answered, It was God's will, that this thing that I would, should come soon to me. (And Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find this venison so soon? And Jacob answered, It was God's will, that what I desired, should come so soon to me.)

Genesis 27:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:20

And Isaac said unto his son
Supposing him to be Esau: how [is it] that thou hast found [it] so quickly, my son?
that is, the venison; that he had met with it so soon in, the field, and got it dressed and ready in so short a time, which was not common, and seemed to be too little for doing all this in it, and so still created some suspicion of deceit: and he said, because the Lord thy God brought [it] to me;
which was another falsehood; for it was not the Lord, but his mother brought it to him: and this seems to be the most marvellous of all, that so good a man should dare to bring the name of the Lord God into this affair; indeed he does not say the Lord my God, or our God, but thy God; which some think was done on purpose, the more to cover the deceit, because they suppose that Esau, whom Jacob impersonated, was an idolater, but this is not so evident; rather it looks as if Jacob had not the confidence to call the Lord his God with a lie in his mouth.

Genesis 27:20 In-Context

18 And when these were brought in, he said, My father! And he answered, I (am) here; (but) who art thou, my son?
19 And Jacob said, I am Esau, thy first begotten son. I have done to thee as thou commandedest to me; rise thou up, and sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul bless me. (And Jacob said, I am Esau, thy first-born son. I have done for thee as thou commandedest me; rise thou up, and sit, and eat my venison, and then afterward thou can bless me.)
20 Again Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find (this) venison so soon? Which answered, It was God's will, that this thing that I would, should come soon to me. (And Isaac said to his son, My son, how mightest thou find this venison so soon? And Jacob answered, It was God's will, that what I desired, should come so soon to me.)
21 And Isaac said, My son, come thou hither, (so) that I (can) touch thee, and that I prove whether thou be my son Esau, or nay.
22 (And) Jacob nighed to his father; and when Isaac had feeled him, he said, Soothly the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands be the hands of Esau.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.