27 8 Jacob getteth the blessing from Esau by his mother’s counsel. 38 Esau by weeping moveth his father to pity him. 41 Esau hateth Jacob and threateneth his death. 43 Rebekah sendeth Jacob away.

And 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 answered him, [a]I am here.

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

Wherefore now, I pray thee take thine instruments, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the field, that thou mayest [b]take me some venison.

Then make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it me that I may eat, and that my [c]soul may bless thee, before I die.

(Now Rebekah heard, when Isaac spake to Esau his son) and Esau went into the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

¶ Then Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I have heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord, afore my death.

Now therefore, my son, hear my voice in that which I command thee.

[d]Get thee now to the flock, and bring me thence two good kids of the goats, that I may make pleasant meat of them for thy father, such as he loveth.

10 Then thou shalt bring it to thy father, and he shall eat, to the intent that he may bless thee before his death.

11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is rough, and I am smooth.

12 My father may possibly feel me, and I shall seem [e]to him as a [f]mocker: so shall I bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

13 But his mother said unto him, [g][h]Upon me be thy curse, my son: only hear my voice, and go and bring me them.

14 So he went and set them, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made pleasant meat, such as his father loved.

15 And Rebekah took fair clothes of her elder son Esau, which were in her house, and clothed Jacob her younger son:

16 And she covered his hands and the smooth of his neck with the skins of the kids of the goats.

17 Afterward she put the pleasant meat and bread, which she had prepared, in the hand of her son Jacob.

18 ¶ And when he came to his father, he said, My father. Who answered, I am here: who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said to his father, [i]I am Esau thy firstborn, I have done as thou badest me, arise, I pray thee: sit up and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 Then Isaac said unto his son, How hast thou found it so quickly my son? Who said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to mine hand.

21 Again said Isaac unto Jacob, Come near now, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be that my son Esau, or not.

22 Then Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, The [j]voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 (For he knew him not, because his hands were rough as his brother Esau’s hands: wherefore he blessed him.)

24 Again he said, Art thou that my son Esau? Who answered, [k]Yea.

25 Then said he, Bring it me hither, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it to him, and he ate: also he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 Afterward his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near and kissed him. Then he smelled the savor of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.

28 (A)God give thee therefore of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of wheat and wine.

29 Let people be thy servants, and nations bow down unto thee: be Lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s children honor thee, cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30 ¶ And when Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, then came Esau his brother from his hunting,

31 And he also prepared savory meat, and brought it to his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 But his father Isaac said unto him, Who art thou? And he answered, I am thy son, even thy firstborn Esau.

33 Then Isaac was [l]stricken with a marvelous great fear, and said, Who and where is he that hunted venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten [m]of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, therefore he shall be blessed.

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great cry and bitter, out of measure, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, my father.

35 Who answered, Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 Then he said, Was he not justly called [n]Jacob? for he hath deceived me these two times: he took my birthright, and lo, now hath he taken my blessing. Also he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 Then Isaac answered, and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him [o]thy lord, and all his brethren have I made his servants: and with wheat and wine have I furnished him, and unto thee now what shall I do, my son?

38 Then Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [p]even me, also my father: and Esau lifted up his voice, and (B)wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered, and said unto him, Behold, the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling place, and thou shalt have of the dew of heaven from above.

40 And [q]by thy word shalt thou live, and shalt be thy brother’s [r]servant. But it shall come to pass, when thou shalt get the mastery, that thou shalt break his yoke from thy neck.

41 ¶ Therefore Esau hated Jacob, because of the blessing, wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau thought in his mind, (C)The days of mourning for my father will come shortly, [s]then I will slay my brother Jacob.

42 And it was told to Rebekah of the words of Esau her elder son, and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau [t]is comforted against thee, meaning to kill thee:

43 Now therefore my son, hear my voice: arise, and flee thou to Haran to my brother Laban,

44 And tarry with him a while until thy brother’s fierceness be swaged,

45 And till thy brother’s wrath turn away from thee, and he forget the things, which thou hast done to him: then will I send and take thee from thence: why should I be [u]deprived of you both in one day?

46 Also Rebekah said to Isaac, (D)I am weary of my life, for the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the [v]daughters of Heth like these of the daughters of the land, [w]what availeth it me to live?

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:1 Hebrew, Lo, I.
  2. Genesis 27:3 Hebrew, hunt.
  3. Genesis 27:4 The carnal affection, which he bare to his son made him forget that which God spake to his wife, Gen. 25:23.
  4. Genesis 27:9 This subtlety is blameworthy because she should have tarried till God had performed his promise.
  5. Genesis 27:12 Hebrew, before his eyes.
  6. Genesis 27:12 Or, as though I would deceive him.
  7. Genesis 27:13 Or, I will take the danger on me.
  8. Genesis 27:13 The assurance of God’s decree made her bold.
  9. Genesis 27:19 Although Jacob was assured of this blessing by faith: yet he did evil to seek it by lies, and the more because he abuseth God’s name thereunto.
  10. Genesis 27:22 This declareth that he suspected something, yet God would not have his decree altered.
  11. Genesis 27:24 Hebrew, I am.
  12. Genesis 27:33 In perceiving his error, by appointing his heir against God’s sentence pronounced before.
  13. Genesis 27:33 Or, sufficiently.
  14. Genesis 27:36 In Gen. 25, he was so called because he held his brother by the heel, as though he would overthrow him: and therefore he is here called an overthrower, or deceiver.
  15. Genesis 27:37 For Isaac did this as he was the minister and Prophet of God.
  16. Genesis 27:38 Or, I am also (thy son).
  17. Genesis 27:40 Because thine enemies shall be round about thee.
  18. Genesis 27:40 Which was fulfilled in his posterity the Idumeans: who were tributaries for a time to Israel, and after came to liberty.
  19. Genesis 27:41 Hypocrites only abstain from doing evil for fear of men.
  20. Genesis 27:42 He hath good hope to recover his birthright by killing thee.
  21. Genesis 27:45 For the wicked son will kill the godly: and the plague of God will afterward light on the wicked son.
  22. Genesis 27:46 Which were Esau’s wives.
  23. Genesis 27:46 Hereby she persuaded Isaac to agree to Jacob’s departing.

27 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.

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

Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

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.

And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

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:

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

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

12 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.

13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

15 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:

16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

19 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.

20 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.

21 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.

22 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.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

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

25 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.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 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:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 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.

30 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.

31 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.

32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

33 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.

34 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.

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

36 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?

37 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?

38 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.

39 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;

40 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.

41 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.

42 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.

43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

45 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?

46 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?