Bereshis 27:33

33 And Yitzchak trembled with charadah gedolah ad me’od (exceedingly great trembling), and said, Who? Where is he that hath hunted wild game, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all of it before thou camest, and have made a brocha upon him? And indeed he shall be baruch (blessed)!

Bereshis 27:33 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:33

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly
Or "trembled with a great trembling exceedingly" F2; he was amazed, and astonished, and seized with a trembling all over his body, and with terror and confusion of mind; at the craft of Jacob in getting the blessing; at the disappointment of Esau in losing it; at his own act in blessing Jacob instead of Esau, contrary to his inclination and intention; and at the overruling providence of God in bringing this about in so strange a manner, agreeably to the oracle he had given Rebekah; which now perhaps came fresh into the mind of Isaac, if he had heard it before; and all together threw him into this amazement: and he said, who? where [is] he;
which words spoken in haste, and without order, show the hurry and consternation of mind he was in: that hath taken venison, and brought [it] me, and I have eaten of all
before thou camest;
he was here but just now; he was scarce gone out before thou camest in; who, and where is he, that has done this? He knew it must be Jacob that had prepared and brought him food he called venison, which he had eaten sufficiently of, though in the confusion of his mind he puts these questions: and have blessed him? yea, [and] he shall be blessed;
for he now saw clearly that it was according to the divine will that Jacob should be blessed, though his natural affection led him to bless Esau; and no doubt, while he was pronouncing the blessing on Jacob, he felt an uncommon impulse upon his mind, by which he was assured that he was right in blessing him, that it was according to the will of God, was by his direction, and with his approbation; and therefore he here, even after Jacob's deceit was detected, confirms and ratifies it; and this is added, lest any question should be made of the validity of the blessing of Jacob, when it was given through mistake, and got by deceit; but this Isaac did and said knowingly, and by faith, as the apostle says, ( Hebrews 11:20 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (dam-de hldg hdrx drxyw) "contremuit tremore magno usque valde", Montanus; Pagninus, Schmidt.

Bereshis 27:33 In-Context

31 And he also had prepared matamim, and brought it unto aviv and said unto aviv, Let avi arise, and eat of the wild game of bno, that thy nefesh may make a brocha upon me.
32 And Yitzchak aviv said unto him, Mi atah? (Who art thou?) And he said, I am binecha, thy bechor Esav.
33 And Yitzchak trembled with charadah gedolah ad me’od (exceedingly great trembling), and said, Who? Where is he that hath hunted wild game, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all of it before thou camest, and have made a brocha upon him? And indeed he shall be baruch (blessed)!
34 And when Esav heard the words of aviv, he cried with tzeakah gedolah umarah ad me’od (a great and exceeding bitter cry), and said unto aviv, Make a brocha on me, even me also, O avi.
35 And he said, Achicha came with mirmah (deceit), and hath taken away thy brocha.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.