Genesis Chapter 27
Showing all 46 verses for Genesis Chapter 27.
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"And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. "
"By this time, Isaac was old and his eyesight had failed completely - he was blind. He called for his elder son, Esau, saying, 'My son.' Esau answered, 'Here I am.'"
Isaac, old and nearly blind, still moves forward with the important task of blessing his son. Physical limitation and old age don't have to stop you from continuing to do the meaningful, loving things that still matter, right to the end of your life.
"And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: "
"Isaac said, 'Look, I'm old now, and I don't know when I'm going to die.'"
Isaac acknowledges his own mortality honestly, unsure how many days remain. There's real wisdom in facing your own limits honestly rather than avoiding the subject; it clears the way to finish well what still matters to you.
"Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; "
"He said, 'Now take your equipment - your quiver and bow - and go out into the countryside and hunt some wild game for me.'"
Isaac asks Esau to hunt for the meal that will accompany the blessing. Even sacred, significant moments in life are often wrapped in very ordinary, practical actions; don't assume the meaningful and the everyday need to be kept apart.
"And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. "
"'Make me the tasty food I love, and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.'"
Isaac links the meal to his blessing, wanting to enjoy a favourite moment with his son before this important act. It's alright to want warmth and enjoyment alongside a significant, solemn moment; love doesn't need to be stripped of simple pleasure to be genuine.
"And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. "
"But Rebekah was listening when Isaac said this to Esau. So Esau went out to the countryside to hunt game and bring it back."
Rebekah overhears the plan and immediately begins scheming on Jacob's behalf. Strong love for one child can tempt you into deception against another; be wary of favouritism that pushes you towards manipulating a situation rather than trusting it honestly to unfold.
"And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, "
"Rebekah said to her son Jacob, 'Listen, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying,'"
Rebekah wastes no time bringing Jacob into her plan. Acting in haste on a plan built on deception rarely leads anywhere good, however urgent or justified it feels in the moment.
"Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. "
"'Bring me game and make me tasty food to eat, so that I may bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.'"
Rebekah repeats Isaac's words carefully, making sure Jacob understands exactly what's at stake. Clear, accurate communication matters even when the underlying plan itself is deeply flawed; don't let good communication skills be put to a wrong purpose.
"Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. "
"'So now, my son, do exactly what I tell you.'"
Rebekah demands Jacob's total obedience to her scheme. Be cautious of blind obedience to anyone, even someone you love and trust deeply, when what they're asking you to do involves deceiving another person.
"Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: "
"'Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, and I will cook them into the tasty food your father loves.'"
Rebekah's plan involves real preparation and effort to make the deception convincing. Significant effort spent making a wrong done well doesn't make it right; skill in execution is never a substitute for honesty in intention.
"And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. "
"'Then you will bring it to your father to eat, so that he will bless you before he dies.'"
Rebekah is explicit about the goal: securing Isaac's blessing for Jacob instead of Esau. Wanting a good outcome for someone you love doesn't justify achieving it through lies; the end you hope for doesn't excuse the means you choose to reach it.
"And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: "
"Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, 'But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth-skinned.'"
Jacob raises a real, practical concern about being physically different from Esau. It's right to pause and voice your hesitation when a plan feels wrong or risky, rather than going along silently with something that troubles you.
"My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. "
"'What if my father touches me? I will seem like a cheat to him, and I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.'"
Jacob fears being caught and receiving a curse instead of a blessing. A guilty conscience often sees clearly the real danger in a wrong plan before the plan is even carried out; that instinct is worth listening to.
"And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. "
"His mother told him, 'Let any curse fall on me, my son - just do as I say and go and fetch them for me.'"
Rebekah tells Jacob she'll bear any curse herself, pushing him past his hesitation. Taking responsibility for someone else's wrongdoing doesn't actually remove the wrong itself, or its consequences, from the situation.
"And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. "
"So Jacob went and got the goats and brought them to his mother, and she cooked the tasty food his father loved."
Jacob overcomes his hesitation and goes along with his mother's plan. Being persuaded past your own good instincts by someone you trust doesn't remove your own responsibility for the choice you ultimately make.
"And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: "
"Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her elder son Esau, kept in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob."
Rebekah dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes to help complete the disguise. Elaborate effort spent covering up the truth is itself a sign of how much a plan depends on things staying hidden; genuine goodness rarely needs that kind of concealment.
"And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: "
"She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck."
Goat skins are used to mimic Esau's hairy arms and neck. Deception often requires meticulous attention to detail to hold together; notice how much energy goes into maintaining a lie compared to how simple the truth would have been.
"And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. "
"Then she handed the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob."
The prepared meal is finally handed to Jacob, and the deception is set in motion. Once a plan built on dishonesty gathers enough momentum, it can feel difficult to turn back; that's exactly why the earlier moments of hesitation matter so much.
"And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? "
"He went to his father and said, 'My father.' Isaac replied, 'I'm here. Which of my sons are you?'"
Isaac's first question, 'who art thou, my son?', shows some lingering uncertainty even before the lie is spoken. Trust your own instinct for uncertainty when something feels slightly off, even if you can't yet name exactly why.
"And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. "
"Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you can bless me.'"
Jacob states the lie outright: 'I am Esau thy first born.' A single spoken lie can set in motion consequences that ripple through an entire family for years; words carry real weight, even ones spoken quickly under pressure.
"And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. "
"Isaac asked his son, 'How did you find it so quickly, my son?' Jacob replied, 'Because the LORD your God brought it to me.'"
Jacob adds a second lie, even invoking God's name to explain his suspiciously fast return. Be especially wary of using God's name to give false credibility to something dishonest; that combination compounds the wrong rather than covering it.
"And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. "
"Isaac said to Jacob, 'Come closer so I can feel you, my son, and know for certain whether you really are my son Esau or not.'"
Isaac, still suspicious, asks to physically confirm his son's identity. Genuine discernment often continues to probe past surface reassurances; don't be afraid to keep asking questions when something still doesn't sit right with you.
"And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. "
"So Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, 'The voice sounds like Jacob, but the hands feel like Esau's.'"
Isaac notices the contradiction himself: 'the voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.' Even a well-executed deception often leaves cracks that a careful, attentive person can notice; don't let confusing signals be too easily explained away.
"And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him. "
"He did not recognise him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands, so he blessed him."
Isaac ultimately overrides his doubt because of what his hands tell him. Be careful about which sense or source of evidence you decide to trust most; the most convincing signal isn't always the most reliable one.
"And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. "
"He asked again, 'Are you really my son Esau?' Jacob said, 'I am.'"
Isaac asks for direct verbal confirmation, and Jacob lies again: 'I am.' Compounding one lie with another to hold a deception together only deepens the eventual cost of the truth finally coming out.
"And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. "
"Isaac said, 'Bring it to me, and I will eat some of my son's game, so that I can bless you.' So Jacob brought it to him and he ate; he also brought him wine, and he drank."
Isaac eats the meal, believing it fully confirms that this is Esau. Trust, once given, can be exploited by those willing to deceive; that vulnerability is part of what makes real honesty such a precious gift to protect in any relationship.
"And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. "
"Then his father Isaac said to him, 'Come here now and kiss me, my son.'"
Isaac asks for a kiss, a tender, intimate gesture of fatherly love. Real affection can be present even within a situation built on deception; that only makes the betrayal that follows more painful once it's discovered.
"And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: "
"So he came close and kissed him. Isaac smelled the scent of his clothes and blessed him, saying, 'Look, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field the LORD has blessed.'"
The smell of Esau's clothes convinces Isaac completely, and he begins the blessing. Notice how many senses had to be deceived for this plan to succeed; genuine trust between people shouldn't require that level of manufactured proof in the first place.
"Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: "
"'So may God give you the dew from the sky, the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine.'"
Isaac blesses Jacob with abundance: dew, fertile land, grain and wine. God's material blessing can flow into a situation even when human actions leading up to it were deeply flawed; His grace is never limited by our worst moments.
"Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. "
"'May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you.'"
Isaac blesses Jacob with authority over nations and even over his own brother. Great blessing carries great responsibility; receiving authority obtained through deceit is a heavier, more complicated inheritance than it may first appear.
"And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. "
"As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had only just left his father's presence, Esau his brother came in from his hunting."
Esau returns from hunting just moments after Jacob leaves with the blessing. Painful timing, arriving just moments too late for something significant, can be one of life's hardest and most disorienting experiences to bear.
"And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. "
"He too had prepared tasty food and brought it to his father, saying, 'Let my father sit up and eat some of his son's game, so that you may bless me.'"
Esau, still unaware, brings his own meal to his father exactly as instructed. There is real dignity in faithfully doing what was asked of you, even when, through no fault of your own, it turns out to have already been undone by someone else.
"And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. "
"His father Isaac asked him, 'Who are you?' He replied, 'I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.'"
Isaac's question, 'who art thou?', reveals the dawning horror of what has actually happened. Painful truths often surface suddenly, unravelling what seemed settled just moments before; be ready to face that kind of moment with honesty rather than denial.
"And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. "
"Isaac trembled violently and said, 'Then who was it that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came, and I blessed him - and blessed he will remain!'"
Isaac trembles violently, recognising the blessing cannot be taken back. Some actions, once completed, genuinely cannot be undone; that reality is sobering, and it's worth remembering before, not after, a serious decision is made.
"And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. "
"When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry, and said to his father, 'Bless me too - me as well, my father!'"
Esau cries out in raw, bitter anguish, begging for any blessing at all. Let yourself feel and express real grief openly when something precious has genuinely been taken from you; suppressing that pain doesn't make it smaller.
"And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. "
"Isaac said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.'"
Isaac names what happened plainly: Jacob came 'with subtilty' and took the blessing. Calling deceit by its honest name, even within your own family, is necessary for the truth to be properly acknowledged and eventually healed.
"And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? "
"Esau said, 'Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has cheated me twice now - he took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing.' Then he asked, 'Haven't you kept back any blessing for me?'"
Esau bitterly recounts both losses, his birthright and now his blessing, still asking if anything remains for him. However much has already been taken from you, it's still worth asking honestly what good remains available; don't assume there's nothing left simply because the greater loss has already happened.
"And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? "
"Isaac answered Esau, 'Look, I have made him lord over you, and I've given him all his brothers as servants, and sustained him with grain and wine. What can I possibly do for you now, my son?'"
Isaac explains honestly that he has nothing comparable left to give. Painful honesty about genuine limitation is kinder in the long run than false reassurance that can't actually be delivered.
"And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. "
"Esau said to his father, 'Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!' And Esau wept loudly."
Esau weeps aloud, pleading for even a small blessing from his father. Deep grief expressed openly, without shame, is a fully human response to real loss; there's no need to hide tears that come from something that truly mattered to you.
"And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; "
"His father Isaac answered him, 'Look, your home will be away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the sky above.'"
Isaac offers Esau a different, lesser blessing, still rooted in the land's abundance. Even after a great loss, a real blessing can still be found and offered; it may look different from what was hoped for, but it isn't nothing.
"And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. "
"'You will live by your sword and serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will break his yoke off your neck.'"
Isaac foretells a future of struggle for Esau, but also eventual freedom. A hard beginning doesn't have to be the whole story; hold on to the hope that struggle can still, in time, give way to a measure of freedom and restoration.
"And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. "
"Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him, and Esau said to himself, 'The time for mourning my father is coming soon - then I will kill my brother Jacob.'"
Esau's grief hardens into hatred, and he resolves to kill Jacob once their father dies. Left unaddressed, deep hurt can curdle into a desire for revenge; naming and processing pain honestly, before it hardens this way, matters for everyone involved.
"And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. "
"When Esau's words were reported to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, 'Look, your brother Esau is planning to kill you to comfort himself.'"
Rebekah hears of Esau's plan and immediately moves to protect Jacob. A parent's protective instinct can remain strong even amid the consequences of their own earlier choices; let that instinct move you towards genuine care, not further scheming.
"Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; "
"'So now, my son, do as I say: get up and flee to my brother Laban in Haran.'"
Rebekah sends Jacob away to safety with her own brother, Laban. Sometimes protecting someone you love means sending them into an unfamiliar, uncertain situation rather than keeping them close; safety and separation can be the same act of love.
"And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away; "
"'Stay with him for a while, until your brother's fury dies down.'"
Rebekah plans for Jacob's absence to be temporary, until Esau's anger cools. Time and distance can genuinely soften even deep anger; patience in a broken relationship is often the beginning of eventual healing, not a denial that healing is needed.
"Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? "
"'Until your brother's anger turns away from you and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?'"
Rebekah fears losing both her sons in a single day, one to murder, one to justice. Consider fully the wide-reaching cost of deception before it happens; the fallout from one dishonest act can threaten far more relationships than the two people most directly involved.
"And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? "
"Then Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I am sick of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like these local women, what would be the point of my life?'"
Rebekah uses a separate concern, about Jacob's future wife, to persuade Isaac to send him away without revealing Esau's threat. Even a genuinely reasonable concern can become another layer of concealment when it's used to avoid a harder, more honest conversation; sometimes plain truth, however difficult, is the better path forward.