Genesis 27: Jacob takes Esau's blessing
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What happens?
Old and no longer able to see, Isaac asks Esau to hunt game so he can bless him. Rebekah dresses Jacob as Esau, and Isaac blesses Jacob instead. When Esau finds out, he plans to kill Jacob, so Rebekah tells Jacob to run away to her brother Laban.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau speak. Isaac's words to Jacob (verses 27-29) and to Esau (verses 39-40) are his own: in verse 28 he asks God to give good things, but God himself does not speak. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.”
In plain English: When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son?" Esau answered, "Here I am."
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2He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death.
In plain English: Isaac said, "Look, I am old, and I do not know the day I will die.
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3Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison.
In plain English: So please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, go out into the field, and hunt some game for me.
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4Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.”
In plain English: Make me tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me to eat, so that I (in Hebrew: my soul) may bless you before I die."
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5Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
In plain English: Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Esau went out to the field to hunt for game and bring it back.
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6Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
In plain English: Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Listen, I heard your father say to your brother Esau,
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7‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.’
In plain English: 'Bring me game and make me tasty food, so that I can eat and bless you in front of Yahweh before I die.'
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8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.
In plain English: Now, my son, listen to me and do what I tell you.
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9Go now to the flock and get me two good young goats from there. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.
In plain English: Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats. I will make them into tasty food for your father, the kind he loves.
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10You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
In plain English: Then you will take it to your father to eat, so that he will bless you before he dies."
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11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
In plain English: Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.
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12What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”
In plain English: What if my father touches me? I will look like a cheat to him, and I will bring a curse on myself, not a blessing."
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13His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.”
In plain English: His mother said to him, "Let your curse fall on me, my son. Just do what I say, and go and get them for me."
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14He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved.
In plain English: So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she made tasty food, the kind his father loved.
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15Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.
In plain English: Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau, her older son, which she had with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.
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16She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.
In plain English: She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
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17She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
In plain English: She handed her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.
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18He came to his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
In plain English: He went to his father and said, "My father?" Isaac said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"
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19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.”
In plain English: Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please get up, sit and eat some of my game, so that you (in Hebrew: your soul) may bless me."
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20Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.”
In plain English: Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because Yahweh your God gave me success."
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21Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
In plain English: Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close so I can feel you, my son, and know whether you are really my son Esau or not."
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22Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
In plain English: Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands."
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23He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him.
In plain English: Isaac did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him.
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24He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.”
In plain English: Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob answered, "I am."
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25He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
In plain English: Isaac said, "Bring it to me, and I will eat some of my son's game, so that I (in Hebrew: my soul) may bless you." Jacob brought it to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
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26His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
In plain English: Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come close now and kiss me, my son."
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27He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
In plain English: So he came close and kissed him. Isaac smelled his clothes and blessed him, saying, "Look, my son smells like a field that Yahweh has blessed.
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28God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
In plain English: May God give you dew from the sky and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
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29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
In plain English: May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master 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."
Good to know: Isaac's last lines are close to what God promised Abram in : "I will bless those who bless you".
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30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
In plain English: Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had only just left his father Isaac, when his brother Esau came back from hunting.
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31He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.”
In plain English: Esau also made tasty food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father get up and eat some of his son's game, so that you (in Hebrew: your soul) may bless me."
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32Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
In plain English: His father Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."
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33Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
In plain English: Isaac shook violently and said, "Then who was it that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I blessed him. And yes, he will be blessed."
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34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.”
In plain English: When Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a loud and very bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me too, my father!"
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35He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”
In plain English: Isaac said, "Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing."
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36He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
In plain English: Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has cheated me (supplanted me) these two times. He took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing." Then he asked, "Haven't you kept back a blessing for me?"
Good to know: "Jacob" is Ya'aqov. It sounds like aqav, the word Esau uses for "supplanted": to grab by the heel, or to trip someone up. At his birth Jacob held on to Esau's heel (). In Hebrew "birthright" (bekorah) and "blessing" (berakah) also sound alike.
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37Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?”
In plain English: Isaac answered Esau, "Look, I have made him your master, and I have given him all his brothers as servants. I have supplied him with grain and new wine. So what can I do for you, my son?"
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38Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
In plain English: Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" And Esau wept out loud.
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39Isaac his father answered him, “Behold, your dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the sky from above.
In plain English: His father Isaac answered him, "Look, your home will have the richness of the earth and the dew of the sky above (or: will be away from them).
The Hebrew word: Before "fatness" and before "dew" the Hebrew has a short word, min, which can mean "of" (a share of) or "away from". Jacob's blessing in uses the same words, with the same short word.
What changes: Read as "of", Esau's home will also be rich land with dew, like Jacob's. Read as "away from", it will be far from rich land and dew. This Bible reads it as "of".
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40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.”
In plain English: You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose (or: grow restless), you will throw his yoke off your neck."
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41Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
In plain English: Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."
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42The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
In plain English: Someone told Rebekah what her older son Esau had said. She sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Listen, your brother Esau is comforting himself with a plan to kill you.
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43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.
In plain English: So now, my son, do what I say. Get up and run away to my brother Laban in Haran.
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44Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away—
In plain English: Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury dies down,
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45until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
In plain English: 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 from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?"
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46Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?”
In plain English: Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth (the Hittite women). If Jacob marries one of the daughters of Heth like these, one of the women of this land, what good will my life be to me?"
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