Genesis 27:1-10

Context

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When¹ Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind,² he called his older³ son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau⁴ replied. 27:2 Isaac⁵ said, “Since⁶ I am so old, I could die at any time.⁷ 27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game⁸ for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then⁹ I will eat it so that I may bless you¹⁰ before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau.¹¹ When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back,¹² 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat¹³ it and bless you¹⁴ in the presence of the Lord¹⁵ before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do¹⁶ exactly what I tell you!¹⁷ 27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare¹⁸ them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take¹⁹ it to your father. Thus he will eat it²⁰ and²¹ bless you before he dies.”

[27:1] ¹tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1] ²tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1] ³tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1] ⁴tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2] ⁵tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2] ⁶tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2] ⁷tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3] ⁸tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4] ⁹tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4] ¹⁰tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5] ¹¹tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5] ¹²tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7] ¹³tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7] ¹⁴tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7] ¹⁵tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8] ¹⁶tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8] ¹⁷tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9] ¹⁸tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10] ¹⁹tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10] ²⁰tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10] ²¹tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.