Genesis 27:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

NIV: Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

NASB: She also gave the delicious meal and the bread which she had made to her son Jacob.

CSB: Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

NLT: Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.

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

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

This is the moment of truth for Rebekah's plan to trick Isaac into giving the family blessing to Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:6–10). Rebekah greatly favors her younger son over his older brother (Genesis 25:28), and knows that God has prophesied that Jacob will be the dominant one (Genesis 25:23). Instead of trusting God, Rebekah and Jacob are "helping" God by scheming to make their own version of His promises come true.

So, while Esau is still away hunting for or preparing the delicious meal his father has requested (Genesis 27:2–4), they made their move. Rebekah's substitute version of that meal is ready to go. The plot hinges on Isaac's blindness (Genesis 27:1). Rebekah has dressed Jacob in Esau's clothes, to make him smell like his older brother. She has covered his smooth arms and neck with hairy goat's skin to make him feel like hairy Esau.

All that is left is to send Jacob in and see if it works. Will Isaac believe that Jacob is Esau long enough to give him the blessing?

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 9:00:07 AM