Genesis 27

1 When Isaac [the son of Abraham, meaning ‘he laughs’] was old [advanced in years, nearing the end of his life] and his eyes were so weak [dim, no longer able to see clearly] that he could no longer see [lost his physical sight, unable to perceive], he called [summoned, invited] his older son Esau [his firstborn, the hairy one] and said to him, “My son [my child, my descendant] [in a paternal tone, with affection].” “Here I am [behold, I’m present, ready to respond],” Esau replied [answered, responded to his father’s call]. word study 2 “Look [behold, see now],” said Isaac, “I am now [have become] old [aged, advanced in years], and I do not know [am unaware of, cannot ascertain] the day [time, period] of my death [end of life, mortal demise]. word study 3 Take your weapons [instruments, utensils]—your quiver [container for arrows] and bow [an archer’s weapon]—and go out [come out, depart] into the field [open land, countryside] to hunt [provision, gather food] some game [venison, wild animal] for me [as a provision, for my sake]. word study 4 Then prepare [make, do] a tasty dish [savory meat, delicacy] that I love [have affection for, cherish] and bring [come, approach] it to me to eat [devour, consume], so that I may bless [praise, honor] you before [prior to, in anticipation of] I die [cease to exist, pass away].” word study 5 Now Rebekah [Isaac’s wife, the mother of Esau and Jacob] was listening [hearing and paying attention] to what Isaac [the son of Abraham and Sarah] told his son [descendant, child] Esau [the hairy one, twin brother of Jacob]. So when Esau [the son of Isaac] went into the field [a flat area of land, countryside] to hunt [provision, gather food] game [food for a journey, provisions] and bring [come, approach] it back, word study 6 Rebekah [the mother of Esau and Jacob] said to her son Jacob [her child, a key figure in God’s plan], “Behold [look, pay attention], I overheard [heard secretly, without being noticed] your father [Isaac, the patriarch] saying [speaking, commanding] to your brother [relative, kin] Esau [his twin brother, the firstborn], word study 7 ‘Bring me some [wild] game [venison, savory meat] and prepare me a tasty [delicacy, savory food] dish to eat, so that I may bless [praise, honor] you in the presence [face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] before I die [experience death, pass away].’ word study 8 Now [at this time, currently], my son [descendant, child], listen [obey, hear and heed] to my voice [sound, spoken words] and do exactly [fully, completely] as I [personally, myself] tell [command, instruct] you [to you, specifically]. word study 9 Go out [to the pasture, towards] to the flock [sheep or goats, a group of animals] and bring me two [a pair, dual] choice [pleasant, desirable] young goats [kids, juvenile goats], so that I can make [prepare, cook] them into a tasty [savoury, delicious] dish [meal, food] for your father [parent, patriarch]—the kind [type, sort] he loves [has affection for, delights in]. word study 10 Then take it to your father [to your parental figure, the one who gave you life] to eat [to consume, to devour], so that he may bless [to praise, to honor, to invoke divine favor] you before he dies [before his physical death, before his passing away, in the presence of the Lord].” word study 11 Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] answered his mother Rebekah [the mother of the twins], “Look [behold, see], my brother Esau [hairy, rough] is a hairy [shaggy, rough-skinned] man, but I am smooth-skinned [smooth, having a plain skin]. word study 12 What if my father [peradventure, perhaps] touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver [mocker], and I would bring upon myself a curse [disesteem] rather than a blessing [gift from God].” word study 13 His mother [the maternal figure, Rebekah] replied, “Your curse [a wish for harm, divine disfavor] be on me, my son [a male child, descendant]. Just obey [to hear and follow] my voice [the sound of my words, command] and go [to walk, move] get [to take, fetch] them for me [on my behalf, for my sake].” word study 14 So Jacob went [and took, fetched] and got two goats [young goats, kids] and brought them to his mother [female parent, maternal figure], who made [prepared, cooked] the tasty food [delicacy, savory meat] his father [parent, patriarch] loved [had affection for, cherished]. word study 15 And Rebekah [the wife of Isaac, mother of Esau and Jacob] took the finest clothes [goodly raiment, desirable garments] in the house that belonged to her older son Esau [her eldest son, the firstborn], and she put them on her younger son Jacob [the son who would receive the blessing, the younger brother]. word study 16 She also put the skins [hides, leather] of the young goats [kids, juvenile goats] on his hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and on the smooth [bare, uncovered] part of his neck. word study 17 Then she handed her son [descendant, child] Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] the tasty food [delicacy, savory meat] and bread [food, especially grain] she had made [prepared, brought into existence]. word study 18 So Jacob went [came, approached] to his father [paternal ancestor] and said, “My father [Abi, dear father].” “Here I am [behold, I am present]!” he answered [replied, responded]. “Which one [who, which son] are you, my son [my child, descendant]?” word study 19 Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] said to his father [the patriarch, Isaac], “I am Esau [hairy, rough], your firstborn [the first to be born, with special rights]. I have done [accomplished, fulfilled] as you told [commanded, instructed] me. Please [I pray, I ask] sit up [rise, get up] and eat [consume, devour] some of my game [wild game, venison], so that you may bless [praise, honor] me [with a father’s blessing, with divine favor].” word study 20 But Isaac [the father of Esau and Israel] asked his son [descendant, or child], “How did you ever find it [attain or discover] so quickly [hasten, with speed], my son [child, or descendant]?” “Because the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God [Elohim, the supreme deity] brought [caused to come, or gave] it to me [into my presence, or before me],” he replied. word study 21 Then Isaac [the father of the faithful, he laughs] said to Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver], “Please [I pray, come now] come closer so I can touch [feel, handle] you, my son [a male child, descendant]. Are you really [truly, indeed] my son Esau [hairy, rough], or not [whether or not, if not]?” word study 22 So Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] came close [drew near, approached] to his father [parent, ancestor] Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham], who touched [felt, handled] him and said, “The voice [sound, utterance] is the voice [sound, utterance] of Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver], but the hands [open hands] are the hands [open hands] of Esau [hairy, rough].” word study 23 Isaac did not [was unable to, could not] recognize [discern, know] him, because his hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] were hairy [rough, like a wild goat] like those of his brother [male sibling, close relative] Esau [hairy, the son of Isaac]; so he blessed [praised, honored] him. word study 24 Again he asked [inquired carefully], “Are you really [truly, my very] my son [descendant, child] Esau [hairy, the twin brother of Jacob]?” And he replied [said in response], “I am [it is I, myself].” word study 25 “Serve me,” said Isaac, “and let me eat some of my son’s game [wild game, venison], so that I may [praise and honor] bless you [with a father’s blessing].” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate [devoured, consumed]; then he brought him [fermented] wine, and he drank [partook, imbibed]. word study 26 Then his father [parent, ancestor] Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham] said to him, “Please [I pray, if you will] come near [approach, draw close] and kiss [touch, show affection] me, my son [child, descendant].” word study 27 So he came near [to approach, draw close] and kissed him [as a sign of affection and respect]. When Isaac smelled [perceived, sensed] his clothing [garments, robes], he blessed him [to praise, honor, and bestow divine favor] and said: “Ah, the smell [aroma, fragrance] of my son [child, descendant] is like the smell [scent, fragrance] of a field [land, territory] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] has blessed [to praise, honor, and bestow divine favor]. word study 28 May God [the supreme Elohim] give to you the dew [moisture from heaven, overnight refreshment] of heaven [the sky, the abode of God] and the richness [fatness, fertile abundance] of the earth [the land, the ground]— an abundance [plenty, greatness] of grain [wheat, staple food] and new wine [freshly squeezed, fermented drink]. word study 29 May peoples [nations, communities] serve you and nations [tribes, countries] bow down [prostrate themselves, show respect] to you. May you be the master [lord, ruler] of your brothers, and may the sons [descendants, offspring] of your mother bow down [honor, worship] to you. May those who curse [execrate, wish harm] you be cursed, and those who bless [praise, honor] you be blessed.” word study 30 As soon as Isaac [the father of Esau and Israel] had finished [completed, come to an end] blessing [praising, honoring] him and Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] had left [gone out, departed from] his father’s [Isaac’s] presence [face, company], his brother [male sibling, close relative] Esau [the twin brother of Jacob] returned [came back, arrived] from the hunt [wild game, provisions obtained through hunting]. word study 31 He too [also, in addition] made some tasty food [delicacy, savory meat], brought it to his father [Isaac, his parent], and said to him, “My father [Abraham’s son, his dad], sit up [arise, get up] and eat of your son’s [Esau’s, his child’s] game [wild game, venison], so that you may bless me [give me your approval, pronounce a blessing upon me].” word study 32 But his father [parent, ancestor] Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham] replied, “Who [what person, which one] are you [the one speaking]?” “I [myself, the speaker] am Esau [hairy, rough], your [belonging to you] firstborn [preeminent, eldest] son [child, descendant],” he answered [responded, spoke]. word study 33 Isaac began to tremble [exceedingly, with great fear] violently and said, “Who [then, at that moment] was it, then, who [as a hunter] hunted the game [wild animals, venison] and brought it to me? Before [prior to, as far as] you came in, I ate it all [every last bit, completely] and blessed him [bestowed a divine blessing upon him]—and indeed, he will be blessed [receive a blessing, prosper]!” word study 34 When Esau [the hairy one, twin brother of Jacob] heard his father’s [Abraham’s son, Isaac] words, he let out a loud [great and exceedingly] and bitter [with emotional pain and discontent] cry [a distressing outcry, a plea for help] and said to his father, “Bless me [praise and honor me, bestow divine favor on me] too [also, even me], O my father [the one who begat me, my male parent]!” word study 35 But Isaac replied, “Your brother came [came with subtilty, deceitfully] deceitfully and took [took away, stole] your blessing [a gift from God, bringing prosperity and praise].” word study 36 So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver]? For he has cheated [deceived, supplanted] me twice [on two occasions, these two times]. He took [deprived me of] my birthright [rights and privileges of the firstborn], and now he has taken [stolen away] my blessing [gift from God, prosperity].” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved [reserved, set aside] a blessing [gift, prosperity] for me?” word study 37 But Isaac [the father of Esau and Israel] answered Esau: “Look [behold, take notice], I have made him your master [lord, ruler] and given him all his relatives [brothers, kin] as servants [slaves, attendants]; I have sustained him with grain [food, provisions] and new wine [freshly squeezed, fermented]. What is left [remains, is there] that I can do for you, my son [child, descendant]?” word study 38 Esau [the hairy one, twin brother of Jacob] said to his father [Isaac, his earthly father and patriarch], “Do you have only [one and unique] one blessing [a gift from God, bringing prosperity and praise], my father [Abraham’s son, his ancestor and spiritual leader]? Bless me [bestow divine favor upon me] too [also, in addition to the first blessing], O my father [his beloved and revered parent]!” Then Esau [overcome with emotion] wept [shed tears, lamented] aloud [with a loud cry, lifted up his voice]. word study 39 His father Isaac [the one who laughs, son of Abraham] answered him: “Behold [look, take notice], your dwelling place [seat, residence, place of rest] shall be away from the richness [fatness, fertility] of the land [earth, ground], away from the dew [moisture, gentle rain] of heaven [the sky, the heavens above] above [on high, from the highest point]. word study 40 You shall live [by your strength, with violence] by the sword [as a warrior, with cutting instrument] and serve [be in bondage, as a slave] your brother [close relative, male sibling]. But when you rebel [break loose, have dominion], you will tear [break off, deliver] his yoke [wooden beam] from your neck [status, or burden].” word study 41 Esau held a grudge [hated, was full of anger] against Jacob because of the blessing [gift of prosperity, divine favor] his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart [mind, inner thoughts], “The days of mourning [grieving, lamenting] for my father are at hand; then I will kill [slay, take the life of] my brother [male sibling, close relative] Jacob.” word study 42 When the words [things, matters] of her older [greater, more mature] son Esau [hairy, rough] were relayed [told, declared] to Rebekah [the mother of Jacob and Esau], she sent [dispatched, summoned] for her younger [smaller, lesser] son Jacob [supplanter, deceiver] and told [said, spoke] him, “Look [behold, see], your brother [male sibling, close relative] Esau is consoling [comforting, soothing] himself [his own heart] by plotting [purposing, intending] to kill [slay, destroy] you [to take your life]. word study 43 So now [at this present time], my son [descendant, child], obey [listen and follow] my voice [sound, spoken words] and flee [run away quickly, escape] at once [immediately, without delay] to my brother [relative, close kin] Laban in Haran [a city, a place of refuge]. word study 44 Stay [dwell, remain, or abide] with him [Laban, your relative] for a while [a few days, some time], until your brother’s [male sibling, close relative] fury [intense anger, rage, or burning wrath] subsides [turns away, cools down, or is assuaged]— word study 45 until your brother’s [anger or wrath] rage against you wanes [subsides or cools down] and he forgets [is no longer mindful of] what you have done [or made] to him. Then I will send [or dispatch] for you and bring you back [or take you] from there [that place]. Why should I [be bereaved or deprived] lose [or be robbed of] both of you in one [single] day [or period of time]?” word study 46 Then Rebekah [the wife of Isaac, and mother of Esau and Jacob] said to Isaac, “I am [utterly] weary [disgusted, loathing] of my life [my existence, my days] because of these [daughters of] Hittite [Canaanite, pagan] women [daughters of Heth]. If Jacob takes [chooses, marries] a Hittite [Canaanite, pagan] wife from among them, what good [benefit, value] is my life [my existence, my days, to live]?” word study