Genesis 27:41-46

27:41 So Esau hated ¹  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ²  Esau said privately, ³  “The time ⁴  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ⁵  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ⁶  she quickly summoned ⁷  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ⁸  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ⁹  Run away immediately ¹⁰  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ¹¹  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ¹²  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ¹³  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ¹⁴ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ¹⁵  because of these daughters of Heth. ¹⁶  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ¹⁷ 

[27:41]  ¹ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ² tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ³ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ⁴ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ⁵ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ⁷ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ⁸ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ⁹ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ¹² tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ¹³ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ¹⁴ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ¹⁶ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”