Genesis 27:38

38 Esau said to his father, "Do you only have one blessing, my father? Bless me-me too, my father!" And Esau wept loudly.^[a]

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 So he said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing." Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?"

37 But Isaac answered Esau: "Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?"

38 Esau said to his father, "Do you only have one blessing, my father? Bless me-me too, my father!" And Esau wept loudly.

39 Then his father Isaac answered him: Look, your dwelling place will be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of the sky above.

40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Esau lifted up his voice and wept