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Genesis 27

KJV · Chapter 27/50

1And 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.

2And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

3Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

4And 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.

5And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

6And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

7Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

9Go 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:

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

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

12My 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.

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

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

15And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

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

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

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

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

20And 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.

21And 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.

22And 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.

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

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

25And 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.

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

27And 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:

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

29Let 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.

30And 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.

31And 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.

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

33And 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.

34And 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.

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

36And 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?

37And 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?

38And 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.

39And 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;

40And 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.

41And 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.

42And 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.

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

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

45Until 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?

46And 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?

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Rebekah helps Jacob deceive his blind father, Isaac, so that he receives the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau; Esau becomes furious and plans to kill Jacob, who flees to the house of his uncle Laban.

Explanation

This is one of the most tense and morally complex episodes in Genesis: Jacob's deception, orchestrated by his mother Rebekah, exploits Isaac's physical blindness to steal a blessing that, according to the earlier prophecy (Genesis 25:23), already belonged to Jacob anyway. The text does not approve of this dishonest method — it clearly shows the painful consequences: a divided family, brotherly hatred, and Jacob's forced exile, which would keep him away from home for years because of this act. The patriarchal blessing, understood in that culture as an irrevocable prophetic word, shows the enormous weight placed on the spoken word and paternal authority. Today's lesson is that even when the final outcome aligns with God's plan, the means used to reach it carry real, painful consequences.

Fun facts

  • Once pronounced, the patriarchal blessing was considered legally irrevocable in Ancient Near Eastern cultures — which is why Isaac, even after realizing the deception, could not simply undo what he had said to Jacob (v. 33, 'yea, and he shall be blessed').
  • Jacob would pay for his own deception years later, when his uncle Laban deceived him in a similar way, swapping Leah for Rachel on his wedding night (Genesis 29) — a biblical pattern that 'whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap' (Galatians 6:7).

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Genesis 27:1Isaac is already old and blind — two details that explain why he relies only on touch, smell, and voice to recognize his sons, a gap that Rebekah and Jacob will exploit in the scene that follows.
  2. Genesis 27:2Isaac believes death is near, even though he will actually live many more years after this — it is this fear that speeds up his decision to bless his son right away.
  3. Genesis 27:3Asking for fresh game before the blessing is not just affection: it is preparing a special, almost ceremonial meal to accompany the solemn moment of passing on the father’s blessing.
  4. Genesis 27:4Isaac asks for game to eat “that my soul may bless thee before I die.” A father’s blessing near death was not a warm compliment, but an almost legal act that shaped the family’s future and could not be undone once spoken — which is why the whole chapter revolves around who manages to receive it first.
  5. Genesis 27:5Rebekah overhears the conversation by chance — it is this detail that sets off the whole plan she puts together to favor Jacob.
  6. Genesis 27:6Rebekah acts fast, repeating to Jacob exactly what she heard, already preparing the counter-plan before Esau returns from the hunt.
  7. Genesis 27:7She repeats Isaac’s request almost word for word, showing she paid attention to every detail so the plan would work.
  8. Genesis 27:8Rebekah starts giving Jacob direct orders, reversing the roles: now she is the one in charge, and he the one who must obey without question.
  9. Genesis 27:9Domestic young goats, prepared the right way, could imitate the taste of the wild game Isaac loved so much — Rebekah’s plan is entirely doable right there in the kitchen.
  10. Genesis 27:10The plan is made clear: Jacob will deliver the food in person, pretending to be his brother, in order to receive the blessing meant for Esau.
  11. Genesis 27:11Jacob does not object to the plan on ethical grounds — what worries him is the practical risk of getting caught, since Esau was hairy and he was smooth.
  12. Genesis 27:12Jacob fears that his blind father will “feel” him and notice the trick by touch, since Esau was “a hairy man” and he “a smooth man.” It is precisely Isaac’s blindness that makes the disguise of goatskins placed on Jacob’s hands and neck good enough to work.
  13. Genesis 27:13Rebekah takes full responsibility if the plan goes wrong, saying the curse would fall on her — a guarantee strong enough to convince Jacob to go through with it.
  14. Genesis 27:14Jacob obeys, and Rebekah prepares the stew exactly the way Isaac liked it — repeating the same dish that had been requested of Esau.
  15. Genesis 27:15Dressing Jacob in Esau’s clothes serves to imitate his older brother’s smell, since smell would be one of the few ways Isaac could tell who was in front of him.
  16. Genesis 27:16The goatskins on his hands and neck imitate Esau’s hairy skin, covering exactly the spots Isaac might touch to confirm his identity.
  17. Genesis 27:17Rebekah hands over everything ready — food and disguise —, leaving Jacob only the part of deceiving his father face to face.
  18. Genesis 27:18The question “who art thou” already shows that Isaac suspects something odd about how quickly the answer came — Jacob will now have to lie directly.
  19. Genesis 27:19Jacob lies about his own identity and even invokes God’s name, “the Lord thy God,” to explain how quickly he found the game — doubling the deception with a religious lie.
  20. Genesis 27:20Jacob’s answer tries to sound natural, but comes too fast for someone who had just been hunting — another sign, besides the voice, that something is off.
  21. Genesis 27:21Isaac asks to feel his son, relying on touch since his sight no longer works — it is exactly this weak point the goatskin disguise was designed to fool.
  22. Genesis 27:22Isaac’s own words sum up the whole scene: the voice gives Jacob away, but the touch confirms Esau — and it is the touch that ends up winning out over the doubt.
  23. Genesis 27:23Isaac decides to trust the hairy hands and ends up blessing Jacob without knowing it — the physical disguise overcomes the strangeness he felt in the voice.
  24. Genesis 27:24Isaac asks again, directly, whether it is really Esau — and Jacob confirms the lie a second time, without hesitation.
  25. Genesis 27:25Isaac eats and drinks what he believes is his older son’s game, completing the ritual before giving the final blessing.
  26. Genesis 27:26Asking for a kiss is one more step of confirmation — the smell of Jacob’s skin and borrowed clothes will be the final touch that convinces Isaac.
  27. Genesis 27:27The smell of Esau’s clothes, which carried the smell of the field, is what finally convinces Isaac to bless Jacob wholeheartedly, comparing his son to a field blessed by the Lord.
  28. Genesis 27:28The blessing promises material abundance: dew, fertile land, plenty of corn and wine — the same signs of agricultural prosperity that appear in several blessings throughout the Old Testament.
  29. Genesis 27:29The strongest part of the blessing is about power: peoples serving him, dominion over his brothers — a blessing clearly greater than that of an ordinary son, the kind reserved for the firstborn.
  30. Genesis 27:30The timing is razor-thin: Jacob had barely left when Esau arrives from the hunt — the scene shows just how close Jacob came to being caught in the act.
  31. Genesis 27:31Without knowing it, Esau repeats almost the same words Jacob had used shortly before — underscoring just how completely the disguise had fooled Isaac.
  32. Genesis 27:32Isaac’s question shows his shock: he had already been certain he had blessed the right son, and now realizes something has gone badly wrong.
  33. Genesis 27:33Even on discovering he had been deceived, Isaac does not take back the blessing already given to Jacob — he says of his own act, “yea, and he shall be blessed.” For readers of that time, a blessing spoken aloud worked like a word that could no longer be taken back, even if it had been obtained by a lie.
  34. Genesis 27:34Esau’s cry is described with emphasis, “a great and exceeding bitter cry” — a reaction of genuine pain at realizing he had lost, for the second time, something that was rightfully his.
  35. Genesis 27:35Isaac sums up what happened with one harsh word, “subtilty” — acknowledging the deception, but unable to undo the blessing already given.
  36. Genesis 27:36Esau ties his brother’s name to the very trick played on him: “Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times?” The name Jacob, tied to “heel” since birth, now also comes to sound like “deceiver” after this episode — the same name carrying both stories.
  37. Genesis 27:37Isaac explains to Esau why he cannot simply repeat the blessing: he has already given Jacob what was most valuable — the position of lord, abundance, and dominion — and has no equal one left to give.
  38. Genesis 27:38Esau’s loud weeping, begging for whatever blessing remains, shows the despair of someone watching his inheritance slip away completely.
  39. Genesis 27:39The blessing left for Esau sounds similar to Jacob’s, but reversed in importance — he will have abundance, but will live under his brother’s dominion, not the other way around.
  40. Genesis 27:40Isaac predicts that Esau will live by the sword, by force — and also predicts that one day he will break free of his brother’s dominion, a prediction that comes true later in the history of Edom.
  41. Genesis 27:41Esau nurses his hatred in silence, waiting for the right moment: he plans to kill Jacob only after their father dies, so as not to taint the mourning or dishonor Isaac.
  42. Genesis 27:42Rebekah finds out about Esau’s plan — the text does not say how, only that the news reaches her — and now she needs to protect the very son she helped deceive their father.
  43. Genesis 27:43Rebekah tells Jacob to flee to her own brother Laban’s house, in Haran — the same region the family had come from before settling in Canaan.
  44. Genesis 27:44Rebekah’s idea is for Jacob to stay away only until Esau’s anger passes — except this “temporary” stay will stretch on for many years, as the following chapters show.
  45. Genesis 27:45Rebekah fears losing both sons on the same day — Esau by becoming a murderer, Jacob by being killed — a mother’s fear that reveals how well she understands the seriousness of what she herself helped cause.
  46. Genesis 27:46Rebekah tells Isaac she is “weary of” her “life because of the daughters of Heth” to justify sending Jacob away — but the real reason, told only to Jacob in the previous verses, is to hide him from Esau’s revenge. She uses a genuine complaint as a public excuse for the reason she could not say openly.

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