Genesis 27:38

38 To whom Esau said, Father, whether thou hast only one blessing? I beseech thee, that also thou bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling, (To whom Esau said, Father, hast thou only one blessing? I beseech thee, that thou also bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling,)

Genesis 27:38 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:38

And Esau said unto his father, hast thou but one blessing, my
father?
&c.] He seems to speak diminutively of what had been given to Jacob, calling it one blessing: whereas there were many, and of different sorts, both temporal and spiritual; but it may be Esau had not so clear and comprehensive a view of what was contained in Jacob's blessing; or at least was willing to think and hope that there was not so much given, but there might be some behind for him, and that his father had a greater stock than to be drained of all at once: bless me, [even] me also, O my father:
with another blessing, with one equal to what has been given my brother: and Esau lift up his voice, and wept;
in order to move the affections of his father, and to prevail upon him to reverse the blessing he had bestowed on Jacob, and give it to him; but he could not bring his father to repentance, to change his mind, and revoke the blessing, and give it him, with all his crying and tears, as the apostle observes, ( Hebrews 12:17 ) .

Genesis 27:38 In-Context

36 And Esau added, Justly his name is called Jacob, for lo! he [hath] supplanted me (yet) another time; before he took away my first begotten things, and now the second time, he [hath] ravished privily my blessing. And again he said to the father, Whether thou hast not reserved a blessing also to me? (And Esau added, His name is rightly called Jacob, that is, the Heel, or the Supplanter, for lo! now he hath supplanted me the second time; first he took away my birthright as the first-born son, and now he hath cheated me out of my blessing. And again he said to his father, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?)
37 Isaac answered, I have made him thy lord, and I have made subject all his brethren to his servage; I have stablished him in wheat, and wine, and oil; and (so), my son, what shall I do to thee after these things? (Isaac answered, I have made him thy lord, and I have made all of his brothers to be in servitude to him, that is, to be his slaves; I have established him with corn, or with grain, and wine, and oil; and so now, my son, after all these things, what is left that I can do for thee?)
38 To whom Esau said, Father, whether thou hast only one blessing? I beseech thee, that also thou bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling, (To whom Esau said, Father, hast thou only one blessing? I beseech thee, that thou also bless me. And when Esau wept with great yelling,)
39 Isaac was stirred, and said to him, Thy blessing shall be (not) in the fatness of [the] earth, and in the dew of heaven from above; (Isaac was stirred, and said to him, Thy dwelling shall be far from the fatness of the earth, and far from the dew of heaven above;)
40 thou shalt live by (the) sword, and thou shalt serve thy brother, and (then the) time shall come when thou shalt shake away, and unbind his yoke from [off] thy nolls.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.