CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis 27
Chapter 27 of 50
Chapter Overview
What happens in Genesis 27
Old and nearly blind, Isaac prepares to give his blessing to Esau. But Rebekah helps Jacob deceive his father by dressing him in Esau's clothes and covering his skin with goatskins. Jacob receives the blessing meant for Esau. When Esau discovers the trick, he is devastated and vows to kill Jacob. Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother Laban.
Scripture
Genesis 27
Isaac Prepares to Bless Esau
Study note
Isaac is old and his eyes are so weak he can barely see. He calls Esau and asks him to hunt some wild game and prepare his favorite meal. After eating, Isaac plans to give Esau his formal blessing before he dies. In the ancient world, a father's blessing was not just words — it was considered a prophetic declaration that carried real power and could not be taken back.
1 When Isaac had grown old and his eyesight had gotten so bad he could barely see, he called for his older son Esau. "My son," he said. Esau answered, "Right here, Father." 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.
2 Isaac told him, "Look, I'm an old man now. I could die any day." And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3 "So grab your bow and arrows and go out hunting in the wild. Bring back some game for me." Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
4 "Cook it up into that delicious meal I love so much. Bring it to me to eat, and then I'll give you my special blessing before I die." 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.
Rebekah and Jacob's Deception
Study note
Rebekah overhears Isaac's plan and quickly puts her own plan into action. She has Jacob bring two young goats, which she prepares to taste like wild game. She dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes and covers his hands and neck with the goatskins so he will feel hairy like Esau. Jacob goes to Isaac, who is suspicious — the voice sounds like Jacob but the hands feel like Esau. After asking several questions, Isaac is convinced and gives Jacob the full blessing: abundance of grain and wine, authority over nations and his brothers, and a curse on anyone who curses him.
5 Rebekah was listening in on this whole conversation between Isaac and Esau. As soon as Esau headed out to hunt, And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6 Rebekah pulled Jacob aside and told him, "I just heard your father tell your brother Esau," And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7 "'Go hunt some wild game and make me a tasty meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord's presence before I die.'" Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
8 "Now, son, listen carefully and do exactly what I tell you." Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
9 "Go to the flock and bring me two nice young goats. I'll cook them up just the way your father likes." 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:
10 "Then you'll take the food to your father. He'll eat it and give you his blessing before he dies." And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
11 Jacob protested, "But Mom, Esau is covered with hair and my skin is completely smooth!" And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
12 "What if Dad touches me? He'll know I'm faking it and he'll curse me instead of blessing me!" 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.
13 His mother said, "If there's any curse, let it land on me. Go get those goats like I said." And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
14 So Jacob went and got the goats and brought them back. His mother cooked up a delicious meal, exactly the way Isaac loved it. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
15 Then Rebekah grabbed Esau's best clothes — the ones she kept in the house — and dressed Jacob in them. 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:
16 She also wrapped goatskins around his hands and the smooth part of his neck. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
17 Then she handed Jacob the tasty food and fresh bread she had made. And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 Jacob went to his father and said, "Father." Isaac replied, "Yes? Which son are you?" And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
19 Jacob said, "I'm Esau, your firstborn. I did what you asked. Come on, sit up and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing." And 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.
20 Isaac was suspicious: "How did you find the game so fast, son?" Jacob answered, "The Lord your God put it right in my path." 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.
21 Isaac said, "Come closer so I can feel you, son. I need to know if you're truly Esau." 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.
22 Jacob walked over to his father. Isaac felt him and said, "The voice sounds like Jacob, but these hands feel like Esau's." 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.
23 He didn't catch on because Jacob's hands felt hairy like Esau's. So Isaac went ahead and blessed him. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
24 He asked one more time, "You're truly Esau, my son?" Jacob said, "I am." And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 Isaac said, "Bring me the food and let me eat so I can bless you." Jacob served him the meal, and Isaac ate it. He brought wine, and Isaac drank. 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.
26 Then Isaac said, "Come kiss me, son." And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 Jacob went over and kissed him. Isaac breathed in the smell of Esau's clothes and spoke this blessing: "What a wonderful smell — like a field that the Lord has blessed." 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:
28 "May God drench you with dew from heaven and give you rich harvests from the earth — overflowing grain and wine." Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29 "May whole nations serve you. May other peoples bow at your feet. Rule over your brothers, and may your mother's other sons bow down to you. Whoever curses you will be cursed. Whoever blesses you will be blessed." 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.
Esau Discovers the Deception
Study note
Esau arrives with his food shortly after Jacob leaves. When Isaac realizes what has happened, he trembles violently. Esau cries out in a loud and bitter voice, begging for a blessing too. But Isaac says the blessing has been given and cannot be taken back. Esau weeps and receives a lesser blessing — he will live by the sword and serve his brother, but eventually break free. Isaac's blessing of Jacob, though obtained through deception, fulfills what God had told Rebekah before the twins were born.
30 Isaac had barely finished blessing Jacob — and Jacob had just walked out the door — when Esau came back from his hunt. And 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.
31 He cooked up a delicious meal and brought it to his father. "Dad, sit up and eat the game I brought you! Then give me your blessing." And 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.
32 Isaac asked, "Who are you?" He answered, "I'm Esau — your firstborn son!" And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
33 Isaac started shaking uncontrollably. "Then who was it that brought me food? I ate it right before you walked in, and I already gave him the blessing. And once it's given, it cannot be taken back!" And 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.
34 When Esau heard those words, he let out a loud, agonized cry. "Bless me too, Father! Please!" And 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.
35 But Isaac said, "Your brother came in here and tricked me. He walked away with your blessing." And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36 Esau said bitterly, "No wonder his name is Jacob — it means 'deceiver'! He's cheated me twice now. First he stole my birthright, and now he's stolen my blessing!" Then he asked desperately, "Isn't there any blessing left for me?" And 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?
37 Isaac answered, "I've already put him in charge over you. I've made all his brothers serve him. I've set him up with grain and wine. What is there left that I could give you, my son?" And 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?
38 Esau pleaded, "Don't you have even one blessing for me, Father? Bless me too, Father — please!" And Esau broke down sobbing. And 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.
39 Isaac answered him, "You will live far from the rich soil of the earth, far from the refreshing dew of heaven above." And 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;
40 "You will survive by your sword. You will serve your brother. But there will come a time when you break free and shake off his control." And 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.
Jacob Flees to Laban
Study note
Esau holds a grudge against Jacob and plans to kill him after their father dies. When Rebekah learns of Esau's plan, she tells Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran until Esau's anger cools down. She also tells Isaac she is disgusted with the idea of Jacob marrying a local Hittite woman like Esau did. This gives Isaac a reason to send Jacob to Laban's family to find a wife.
41 After that, Esau hated Jacob with a burning hatred because of the stolen blessing. He said to himself, "My father won't live much longer. Once the mourning is over, I'm going to kill Jacob." And 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.
42 When Rebekah heard what Esau was planning, she sent for Jacob and warned him, "Your brother Esau is plotting to kill you." And 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.
43 "You need to listen to me — get out of here right now! Run to my brother Laban in Haran." Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 "Stay with him until your brother cools down." And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
45 "Once Esau's anger fades and he forgets what you did, I'll send someone to bring you home. I refuse to lose both of my sons on the same day." Until 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?
46 Rebekah told Isaac, "I'm sick of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of these local Hittite girls, I might as well be dead." And 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?
Key Themes
Themes in Genesis 27
Deception within the familyThe blessing cannot be revokedConsequences of favoritismGod's purposes prevail through flawed peopleThe pain of broken trust
Apply This Today
Living Genesis 27
Jacob's family was torn apart by favoritism and deception. Yet God's purposes were not defeated by their failures. Even when families are messy, God can still work through broken situations to accomplish His plan.
Go Deeper
Study Genesis in Covenant Path
Read every chapter with study aids, bookmarks, and daily reading plans — free in the app.