The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 27 -

(Hebrews 11:20)

Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, “My son?” And he responded, “Here I am.”(a)

His father said to him: “You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.

Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,

make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.”

And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,

she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,

‘Bring to me from your hunting, and make me foods, so that I may eat and bless you in the sight of the Lord before I die.’

Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,

and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats.

Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”

He answered her: “You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.

If my father should lay hands on me and perceive it, I am afraid lest he think me willing to mock him, and I will bring a curse upon myself, instead of a blessing.”

And his mother said to him: “Let this curse be upon me, my son. Yet listen to my voice, and go directly to bring what I said.”

He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.

And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.

And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.

And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.

When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”

And Jacob said: “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”(b)

And again Isaac said to his son, “How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly.”

And Isaac said, “Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.”

He approached his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: “The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.”

And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,

he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”

Then he said, “Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you.” And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it,

he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”

He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: “Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed.

May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.

And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings.”

Esau’s Lost Hope

Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.

And he brought his father foods cooked from his hunting, saying, “Arise, my father, and eat from your son’s hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”

And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”

Isaac became frightened and very astonished. And wondering beyond what can be believed, he said: “Then who is he that a while ago brought me the prey from his hunting, from which I ate, before you arrived? And I blessed him, and he will be blessed.”

Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, “But bless me also, my father.”

And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”

But he responded: “Justly is his name called Jacob. For he has supplanted me yet another time. My birthright he took away before, and now, this second time, he has stolen my blessing.” And again, he said to his father, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me also?”(c)

Isaac answered: “I have appointed him as your lord, and I have subjugated all his brothers as his servants. I have reinforced him with grain and wine, and after this, my son, what more shall I do for you?”

And Esau said to him: “Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also.” And when he wept with a loud wail,

Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,

will your blessing be. You will live by the sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will arrive when you will shake off and release his yoke from your neck.”

Therefore, Esau always hated Jacob, for the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And he said in his heart, “The days will arrive for the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.”

These things were reported to Rebekah. And sending and calling for her son Jacob, she said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you.

Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.

And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,

and his indignation ceases, and he forgets the things that you have done to him. After this, I will send for you and bring you from there to here. Why should I be bereaved of both my sons in one day?”

And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob accepts a wife from the stock of this land, I would not be willing to live.”

Footnotes

(a)27:1 Isaac apparently had cataracts, which can severely hamper one’s vision, just as described in this passage.(Conte)

(b)27:19 I am Esau thy firstborn:St. Augustine (L. Contra mendacium, c. 10), treating at large upon this place, excuses Jacob from a lie, because this whole passage was mysterious, as relating to the preference which was afterwards to be given to the Gentiles before the carnal Jews, which Jacob by prophetic light might understand. So far is certain, that the first birthright, both by divine election and by Esau’s free cession belonged to Jacob: so that if there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than an officious and venial one.(Challoner)

(Hebrews 11:20)

When 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.”

He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death.

Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison.

Make 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.”

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

Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,

‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before the LORD before my death.’

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

Go 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.

You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

What 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.”

His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.”

He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved.

Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.

She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.

She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

He came to his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

Jacob 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.”

Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because the LORD your God gave me success.”

Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

Jacob 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.”

He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him.

He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.”

He 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.

His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”

He 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 the LORD has blessed.

God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.

Let 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.”

Esau’s Lost Hope

As 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.

He 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.”

Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

Isaac 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.”

When 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.”

He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”

He 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?”

Isaac 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?”

Esau 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.

Isaac his father answered him, “Behold, your dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the sky from above.

You 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.”

Esau 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.”

The 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.

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.

Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away—

until 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?”

Rebekah 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?”