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1 And it came to passe that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dimme, so that he could not see, hee called Esau his eldest son, and said vnto him, My sonne. And hee said vnto him, Behold, here am I.

2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death.

3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiuer, and thy bow, and goe out to the field, and take mee some venison.

4 And make me sauoury meat, such as I loue, and bring it to mee, that I may eate, that my soule may blesse thee before I die.

5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his sonne: and Esau went to the fielde to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

6 ¶ And Rebekah spake vnto Iacob her sonne, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speake vnto Esau thy brother, saying,

7 Bring me venison, and make mee sauoury meat, that I may eate, and blesse thee before the LORD, before my death.

8 Now therefore, my sonne, obey my voyce, according to that which I command thee.

9 Goe now to the flocke, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goates, and I will make them sauoury meat for thy father, such as he loueth.

10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eate, and that he may blesse thee, before his death.

11 And Iacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

12 My father peraduenture will feele me, and I shall seeme to him as a deceiuer, and I shall bring a curse vpon me, and not a blessing.

13 And his mother said vnto him, Upon me be thy curse, my sonne: onely obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

14 And hee went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother, and his mother made sauoury meat, such as his father loued.

15 And Rebekah tooke goodly raiment of her eldest sonne Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them vpon Iacob her yonger sonne:

16 And shee put the skinnes of the kids of the goats vpon his hands, and vpon the smooth of his necke.

17 And she gaue the sauoury meate, and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her sonne Iacob.

18 ¶ And he came vnto his father, and said, My father: And he said, Here am I: who art thou, my sonne?

19 And Iacob said vnto his father, I am Esau, thy first borne; I haue done according as thou badest mee: arise, I pray thee, sit, and eate of my venison, that thy soule may blesse me.

20 And Isaac said vnto his sonne, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my sonne? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac saide vnto Iacob, Come neere, I pray thee, that I may feele thee, my sonne, whether thou bee my very sonne Esau, or not.

22 And Iacob went neere vnto Isaac his father: and hee felt him, and said, The voyce is Iacobs voyce, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairie, as his brother Esaus hands: So he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very sonne Esau? and he said, I am.

25 And he said, Bring it neere to me, and I will eate of my sonnes venison, that my soule may blesse thee: and hee brought it neere to him, and he did eate: and he brought him wine, & he dranke.

26 And his father Isaac saide vnto him, Come neere now, and kisse me, my sonne.

27 And hee came neere, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field, which the LORD hath blessed.

28 Therefore God giue thee of the dew of heauen, and the fatnesse of the earth, and plenty of corne and wine.

29 Let people serue thee, and nations bow downe to thee: bee lord ouer thy brethren, & let thy mothers sonnes bow downe to thee: Cursed bee euery one that curseth thee, and blessed be hee that blesseth thee.

30 ¶ And it came to passe, as soone as Isaac had made an ende of blessing Iacob, and Iacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And hee also had made sauoury meate, and brought it vnto his father, and said vnto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his sonnes venison, that thy soule may blesse me.

32 And Isaac his father said vnto him, Who art thou? and he said, I am thy sonne, thy first borne Esau.

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? Where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I haue eaten of all before thou camest, and haue blessed him? yea and he shalbe blessed.

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said vnto his father, Blesse mee, euen me also, O my father.

35 And hee said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 And he said, Is not he rightly naned Iacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: hee tooke away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing: and hee said, Hast thou not reserued a blessing for mee?

37 And Isaac answered and saide vnto Esau, Behold, I haue made him thy lord, and all his brethren haue I giuen to him for seruants: and with corne and wine haue I susteined him: and what shall I doe now vnto thee, my sonne?

38 And Esau said vnto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? blesse mee, euen mee also, O my father. And Esau lift vp his voyce, and wept.

39 And Isaac his father answered, and said vnto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth, and of the dew of heauen from aboue.

40 And by thy sword shalt thou liue, and shalt serue thy brother: and it shall come to passe when thou shalt haue the dominion, that thou shalt breake his yoke from off thy necke.

41 ¶ And Esau hated Iacob, because of the blessing, wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The dayes of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Iacob.

42 And these words of Esau her elder sonne were told to Rebekah: And shee sent and called Iacob her yonger sonne, and said vnto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doeth comfort himselfe, purposing to kill thee.

43 Now therefore my sonne, obey my voice: and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother, to Haran.

44 And tary with him a few dayes, vntill thy brothers furie turne away;

45 Untill thy brothers anger turne away from thee, and hee forget that, which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be depriued also of you both in one day?

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth: If Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life doe me?

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Commentary for Genesis 27

Isaac sends Esau for venison. (1-5) Rebekah teaches Jacob to obtain the blessing. (6-17) Jacob, pretending to be Esau, obtains the blessing. (18-29) Isaac's fear, Esau's importunity. (30-40) Esau threatens Jacob's life, Rebekah sends Jacob away. (41-46)1-5 The promises of the Messiah, and of the land of Canaan, had come down to Isaac. Isaac being now about 135 years of age, and his sons about 75, and not duly considering the Divine word concerning his two sons, that the elder should serve the younger, resolved to put all the honour and power that were in the promise, upon Esau his eldest son. We are very apt to take measures rather from our own reason than from Divine revelation, and thereby often miss our way.

6-17 Rebekah knew that the blessing was intended for Jacob, and expected he would have it. But she wronged Isaac by putting a cheat on him; she wronged Jacob by tempting him to wickedness. She put a stumbling-block in Esau's way, and gave him a pretext for hatred to Jacob and to religion. All were to be blamed. It was one of those crooked measures often adopted to further the Divine promises; as if the end would justify, or excuse wrong means. Thus many have acted wrong, under the idea of being useful in promoting the cause of Christ. The answer to all such things is that which God addressed to Abraham, I am God Almighty; walk before me and be thou perfect. And it was a very rash speech of Rebekah, "Upon me be thy curse, my son." Christ has borne the curse of the law for all who take upon them the yoke of the command, the command of the gospel. But it is too daring for any creature to say, Upon me be thy curse.

18-29 Jacob, with some difficulty, gained his point, and got the blessing. This blessing is in very general terms. No mention is made of the distinguishing mercies in the covenant with Abraham. This might be owing to Isaac having Esau in his mind, though it was Jacob who was before him. He could not be ignorant how Esau had despised the best things. Moreover, his attachment to Esau, so as to disregard the mind of God, must have greatly weakened his own faith in these things. It might therefore be expected, that leanness would attend his blessing, agreeing with the state of his mind.

30-40 When Esau understood that Jacob had got the blessing, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry. The day is coming, when those that now make light of the blessings of the covenant, and sell their title to spiritual blessings for that which is of no value, will, in vain, ask urgently for them. Isaac, when made sensible of the deceit practised on him, trembled exceedingly. Those who follow the choice of their own affections, rather than the Divine will, get themselves into perplexity. But he soon recovers, and confirms the blessing he had given to Jacob, saying, I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. Those who part with their wisdom and grace, their faith and a good conscience, for the honours, wealth, or pleasures of this world, however they feign a zeal for the blessing, have judged themselves unworthy of it, and their doom shall be accordingly. A common blessing was bestowed upon Esau. This he desired. Faint desires of happiness, without right choice of the end, and right use of the means, deceive many unto their own ruin. Multitudes go to hell with their mouths full of good wishes. The great difference is, that there is nothing in Esau's blessing which points at Christ; and without that, the fatness of the earth, and the plunder of the field, will stand in little stead. Thus Isaac, by faith, blessed both his sons, according as their lot should be.

41-46 Esau bore malice to Jacob on account of the blessing he had obtained. Thus he went in the way of Cain, who slew his brother, because he gained that acceptance with God of which he had rendered himself unworthy. Esau aimed to prevent Jacob or his seed from having the dominion, by taking away his life. Men may fret at God's counsels, but cannot change them. To prevent mischief, Rebekah warned Jacob of his danger, and advised him to withdraw for his safety. We must not presume too far upon the wisdom and resolution, even of the most hopeful and promising children; but care must be taken to keep them out of the way of evil. When reading this chapter, we should not fail to observe, that we must not follow even the best of men further than they act according to the law of God. We must not do evil that good may come. And though God overruled the bad actions recorded in this chapter, to fulfil his purposes, yet we see his judgment of them, in the painful consequences to all the parties concerned. It was the peculiar privilege and advantage of Jacob to convey these spiritual blessings to all nations. The Christ, the Saviour of the world, was to be born of some one family; and Jacob's was preferred to Esau's, out of the good pleasure of Almighty God, who is certainly the best judge of what is fit, and has an undoubted right to dispense his favours as he sees proper, #Ro 9:12-15|.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

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