Genèse 27:23

23 Il ne le reconnut pas; car ses mains étaient velues, comme les mains d'Ésaü, son frère; et il le bénit.

Genèse 27:23 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:23

And he discerned him not
As he could not see, he could make no judgment by that sense; and, though he had his hearing, and thought the voice was like Jacob's, he might imagine there might be an alteration in Esau's voice, coming in haste and weary from the fields; yet, as there could not be any deception in his feeling, he thought it safest to trust to that, as it follows: because his hands were hairy as his brother Esau's hands;
which could not in a short time become so naturally; it was more reasonable to think that Esau's voice should be altered and become like Jacob's, than that Jacob's hands should become like Esau's: so he blessed him;
or intended and determined within himself to bless him, for the blessing was not given till afterwards; unless this is to be understood of a common blessing, congratulating him on the quick dispatch he made, and the great success he met with; and after this gave him the patriarchal blessing, which as yet he had not, being not thoroughly satisfied of him, as appears by what follows.

Genèse 27:23 In-Context

21 Et Isaac dit à Jacob: Approche, que je te tâte, mon fils, pour savoir si tu es mon fils Ésaü, ou non.
22 Jacob s'approcha donc d'Isaac, son père, qui le tâta, et dit: La voix est la voix de Jacob; mais les mains sont les mains d'Ésaü.
23 Il ne le reconnut pas; car ses mains étaient velues, comme les mains d'Ésaü, son frère; et il le bénit.
24 Et il dit: C'est toi qui es mon fils Ésaü? Et il répondit: C'est moi.
25 Alors il dit: Sers-moi, que je mange de la chasse de mon fils, pour que mon âme te bénisse. Et il le servit, et il mangea. Il lui apporta aussi du vin, et il but.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.