Genesis 27:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he said, "Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son 's game and bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

NIV: Then he said, "My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.

NASB: So he said, 'Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.' And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank.

CSB: Then he said, "Bring it closer to me, and let me eat some of my son’s game so that I can bless you." Jacob brought it closer to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank.

NLT: Then Isaac said, 'Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.' So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

Isaac has attempted to privately pass along his fatherly blessing to Esau, the oldest of his twin sons. He requested Esau to bring him his favorite food, so that he could bestow this gift (Genesis 27:1–5). However, Isaac's wife, Rebekah, overheard the plan and conspired with her favorite of the twins, Jacob, to steal the blessing (Genesis 27:6–10). This elaborate scam involved disguising Jacob so that the elderly, blind Isaac would think he was speaking to the other brother (Genesis 27:11–17).

Though Isaac never seems fully convinced that the son in front of him is Esau (Genesis 27:21–23), he finally decides to eat the meal brought for him. For Isaac, eating this meal and giving the blessing are linked. Together, they are part of a meaningful ceremony. Isaac requests that his son's game be brought to him, still suggesting that he may suspect he is not speaking to the right son.

Still, Isaac eats and drinks what Jacob gives to him. The blessing will follow.

Genesis 27:1–29 describes how the Abrahamic family blessing came to second-born Jacob, instead of his firstborn brother, Esau. Isaac intends to give the blessing to his favored son, Esau. Rebekah commands Jacob to impersonate Esau, instead, in order to get the blessing for himself. Isaac almost catches on but is convinced by the smell of Esau on Jacob's borrowed clothes, and the hairy, Esau-like goat's skin on Jacob's hands. Isaac gives to Jacob the future-defining blessing of God.

Isaac's plan to pass the family blessing on to his favorite son, Esau, is thwarted by the deception of Isaac's wife Rebekah, and his other son Jacob. Old and blind, Isaac fails to recognize that the man claiming to be Esau is actually Jacob in a clever disguise. His prayer of blessing for wealth and rule over his brothers will remain valid though it is given under false pretense. Esau will be left with a blessing that sounds like a curse and a plan to murder his brother. Jacob will be forced to run for his life.

Prior chapters described the prosperity of Isaac, living in the Valley of Gerar. Genesis 27 leaps forward to near the end of Isaac's life. The time has come to pass on the family blessing. Isaac's intention to give that blessing to firstborn, Esau, is thwarted by the deception of Isaac's wife Rebekah and his other son Jacob. Isaac overcomes his suspicions that the man before him is not Esau and delivers the very blessing of God on Jacob. Esau is left with a near-curse and a murderous rage. Rebekah urges Jacob to go to her brother's household, a plan Isaac will endorse in the following chapter. There, he will ironically experience the sting of deception in his own life.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.