FocusThe promise through a divided family
Genesis 27:4
KJVAnd 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.
This opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. Family rivalry, journeys, marriages, and reconciliation develop the promised line while also recording the related family of Esau.
- 27:1 And 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.
- 27:2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
- 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
- 27:4 And 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.
- 27:5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
- 27:6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
- 27:7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
- 27:8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
- 27:9 Go 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:
- 27:10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
- 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
- 27:12 My 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.
- 27:13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
- 27:14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
- 27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
- 27:16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
- 27:17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
- 27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
- 27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
- 27:20 And 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.
- 27:21 And 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.
- 27:22 And 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.
- 27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
- 27:24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
- 27:25 And 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.
- 27:26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
- 27:27 And 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:
- 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
- 27:29 Let 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.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Moses is the traditional Jewish and Christian author of Genesis as part of the Pentateuch. Genesis itself does not explicitly identify its writer. Biblical references: John 5:46; Mark 12:26. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). traditionally held
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Genesis 27:1–27:46): Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau are the family members involved in the blessing and its consequences. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Israel, the covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were the first community for whom this account of their origins was preserved. An exact first circulation date or named recipient is not established. Biblical references: Genesis 12:1; Genesis 17:7; Genesis 35:10. book background
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Isaac Blesses Jacob. Read Genesis 27:1 through Genesis 27:29 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? This opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. Family rivalry, journeys, marriages, and reconciliation develop the promised line while also recording the related family of Esau. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The narrative moves from creation through the generations of the patriarchs to Joseph's death. Those stages are narrated; a modern calendar for them requires additional chronological assumptions. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? The narrative ranges from the world of the opening chapters through Mesopotamia and Canaan to Egypt. The selected passage's own place names determine its local setting. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Isaac Blesses Jacob (Genesis 27:1 to Genesis 27:29). Start reading at Genesis 27:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The later New Testament traces Jesus' genealogy through Abraham and connects the promise to Abraham with Christ. This is a canonical connection; it does not make every person or object in Genesis an explicit prediction of Jesus. See Matthew 1:1, Galatians 3:16. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Read God's promises with their named recipients and the actions of those recipients. The family narratives encourage trust and obedience while also exposing deception and wrongdoing; narrative description alone does not authorize imitation. interpretation
Cited: Genesis 27:1, Genesis 27:29, Matthew 1:1, Galatians 3:16
Who wrote it, and how we know
Related passages
- that my Gen 27:7,23,25,27 Gen 14:19 Gen 24:60 Gen 28:3 Gen 48:9,15-20 Gen 49:28 Lev 9:22-23 Deut 33:1-29
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Genesis 27
Genesis 1:1 Genesis 12:1 Genesis 50:24
Esau’s Lost Hope
Genesis 27:30–46FocusThe promise through a divided family
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Genesis
Genesis 1:1 Genesis 12:1 Genesis 50:24
Creation and the nations
Genesis 1:1–11:26FocusBeginnings, rebellion, and judgment
Abraham and the promise
Genesis 11:27–25:18FocusCalling, covenant, and descendants
FocusThe promise through a divided family
Joseph and the descent into Egypt
Genesis 37:1–50:26FocusPreservation through suffering
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.