A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis

XXVII. 1–45.
How Jacob secured his Father’s Blessing
(Jehovist).

This vivid and circumstantial narrative, which is to be read immediately after 25³⁴ (or 25²⁸), gives yet another explanation of the historical fact that Israel, the younger people, had outstripped Edom in the race for power and prosperity. The clever but heartless stratagem by which Rebekah succeeds in thwarting the intention of Isaac, and diverting the blessing from Esau to Jacob, is related with great vivacity, and with an indifference to moral considerations which has been thought surprising in a writer with the fine ethical insight of Yahwist (Dillmann). It must be remembered, however, that “Yahwist” is a collective symbol, and embraces many tales which sink to the level of ordinary popular morality. We may fairly conclude with Gunkel (272) that narratives of this stamp were too firmly rooted in the mind of the people to be omitted from any collection of national traditions.

Sources.—The presence of a dual narrative is rendered probable by the following duplicates (see Wellhausen Die Composition des Hexateuchs und der historischen Bücher des Alten Testaments² 34–36): (a) ^33. 34 ∥ ^35–38. In ³⁵ (ויאמר) we are recalled to the same stage as the ויאמר of ³³; and ³⁴ (Esau’s cry) carries us forward to the same point as ³⁸.—(b) ^21–23 ∥ ^24–27a: here again ויאמר commences two sections which must be alternative, since both lead up to the blessing (ויברכהו).—(c) A less obvious doublet may be discovered in ^11–13. 16 ∥ ¹⁵: in the one case Jacob is disguised by the skin of the kids, in the other by wearing Esau’s clothes.—(d) ^30aα ∥ ^30bβ.—(e) ^44b ∥ ^45aα (to ממך).—The language is predominantly that of Yahwist, with occasional traces of Elohist; and that the incident was actually recorded in both these documents appears from chapters 32, 35^3. 7. In the parallels just enumerated, however, the stylistic criteria are hard to trace; and in the attempt to disentangle them almost everything hangs on the word יהוה in ²⁷. As to (b), ^24–27 is certainly Yahwist, and ^21–23 consequently Elohist; it will follow that in (c) ¹⁵ belongs to Yahwist and ^11–13. 16 to Elohist. With regard to (a), it is almost impossible to decide which is Yahwist’s variant and which Elohist’s. Gunkel assigns ^35–38 to Elohist, on the somewhat subtle ground that in Yahwist (^33. 27) Isaac is ignorant who it is that has personated Esau, whereas in Elohist (^35. 22) he knows very well that it is Jacob (so Oxford Hexateuch, Students’ Old Testament). Most critics have taken the opposite view, but without any decisive positive reason. See Gunkel page 270 f.; Procksch 19 f.—It is not worth while to push the precarious analysis further: anything else of importance may be reserved for the notes.

1–5. Isaac’s purpose to bless Esau: explained by his partiality for his first-born son, and (more naïvely) by his fondness for venison (25²⁸). It is quite contrary to the sense of the narrative to attribute to him the design of frustrating the decree of Providence expressed in the independent legend of 25²³.—1. Blindness is spoken of as a frequent concomitant of old age (compare 48¹⁰, 1 Samuel 3², 1 Kings 14⁴, Ecclesiastes 12³: contrast Deuteronomy 34⁷).—3. thy quiver (v.i.) and thy bow] the latter, the hunter’s weapon (Isaiah 7²⁴; compare 2 Kings 13¹⁵).—4. that my soul may bless thee] so ^19. 25. 31. As if the expiring nephesh gathered up all its force in a single potent and prophetic wish. The universal belief in the efficacy of a dying utterance appears often in Old Testament (48^10 ff. 50^24 f., Deuteronomy 33, Joshua 23, 2 Samuel 23^1 ff., 1 Kings 2^1 ff., 2 Kings 13^14 ff.).—5. But Rebekah was listening] compare 18¹⁰.

The close connexion of the blessing and the eating, which is insisted on throughout the narrative, is hardly to be explained as a reward for the satisfaction of a sensual appetite; it rests, no doubt, on some religious notion which we can no longer recover. Holzinger compares the physical stimuli by which prophetic inspiration was induced (compare 1 Samuel 10^5 f., 2 Kings 3¹⁵); Gunkel surmises that a sacrificial meal, establishing communion with the Deity, was originally intended (compare לפני י׳, verse ⁷: see Numbers 23¹).

1. וַתכהין] On vav consecutive in the subordinate clause, compare Gesenius-Kautzsch § 111 q.—The last clause (ויאמר וגו׳) contains a characteristic formula of Elohist (compare 22^1. 7. 11 31¹¹: so verse ¹⁸), and is probably to be assigned to that source.—2. הנה־נא] Yahwist; see on 12¹¹.—3. תְּלִי] (The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch תליתך): only here, from √ תלה, ‘hang,’ is a more suitable designation of the ‘quiver’ (LXX, Vulgate, Targum^Jonathan, Abraham Ibn Ezra) than of the ‘sword’ (Targum^Onkelos, Rashi).—צָֽידָה Kethîb may here be noun of unity (Gesenius-Kautzsch § 122 t) = ‘piece of game’ from צָֽיִד (Qĕrê) (so Tuch, Delitzsch, Dillmann, Gunkel). Elsewhere (42²⁵ 45²¹ etc.) it means ‘provisions,’ especially for a journey. This may be explained by the fact that game was practically the only kind of animal food used by the Semites (see Lectures on the Religion of the Semites², 222 f.); but the identity of the √ √ is doubted (Brown-Driver-Briggs, 845 a).—5. להביא] LXX לְאָבִיו is better, unless both words should be read.

6–17. Rebekah’s stratagem.—The mother’s jealousy for her favourite son (25²⁸) is aroused by what she has overheard; and she instantly devises a scheme whose daring and ingenuity illustrate the Hebrew notion of capable and quick-witted womanhood.—7. before Yahwe] in the solemn consciousness of Yahwe’s presence: see on verse ⁴.—11–13 probably belong to Elohist (see above), and may be omitted from the other narrative, with the effect of making Rebekah’s initiative still more apparent: Jacob obeys her without a word.—11. a hairy man] see 25²⁵. The objection shows just enough shrewdness on Jacob’s part to throw his mother’s resourcefulness into bolder relief.—13. On me be thy curse] compare 16⁵.—15. the choice clothes] the festal raiment: the fact that this would have been put on by Esau proves once more that the blessing was a religious ceremony. Since the clothes were in Rebekah’s charge, Esau must (as Holzinger points out) have been still an unmarried man (contrast Priestly-Code 26^34 f.).—16. goes with ^11–13 (Elohist), and may be removed without breach of continuity.—17. Rebekah’s part being now ended, Jacob is left to his own resources.

6. בנה] compare בְּנוֹ, verse ⁵; the addition of הַקָּטָן (LXX) is unnecessary.—8. בְּקֹלִי and לַֽאֲשֶׁר וגו׳ may be variants: accusative to Dillmann שָׁמַע בְּ is characteristic of Elohist, and שׁמע לְ of Yahwist.—12. מתעתע (√ תעע]), properly ‘a stammerer’ (compare Arabic ta‛ta‛a) then ‘a mocker’ (2 Chronicles 36¹⁶); hence not a mere practical joker (Knobel-Dillmann), but a profaner of religious solemnities (Holzinger, Gunkel).—והבאתי] Peshiṭtå (‡ Syriac word) (Second person, singular, feminine).—13. אַךְ is given by Dillmann as a mark of Elohist, in distinction from Yahwist’s רַק (19⁸ 24⁸).—15. בֶּגֶד being masculine (except Leviticus 6²⁰), and חֲמֻדָה in usage a substitute, it is best to suppose בִּגְדֵי repeated as nomen regens before the genitive (otherwise Davidson § 27).

18–29. Jacob obtains the blessing.—20. How very quickly thou hast found it, my son!—] an exclamation rather than a question: the answer being: Yes, for Yahwe, etc.—הִקְרָה לְפָנַי] caused the right thing to happen, as 24¹² (Yahwist).—21–23 may be the direct continuation of ^19a (Elohist); the clause and so he blessed him must have been followed by the words of blessing.—24–27 bring the parallel narrative (Yahwist) up to the same point.—27a. The smelling of the garments seems to have a twofold significance: on the one hand it is a final test of Esau’s identity (otherwise the disguise verse ¹⁵ would have no meaning), on the other it supplies the sensuous impression which suggests the words of the blessing ^27b (so Gunkel).

The section, we have seen, is composite (perhaps ^{18. 19a. 21–23. 28} = Elohist ∥ ^{19b. 20. 24–27} = Yahwist); in the primary documents the interview was less complicated, and the movement quicker, than it now appears: but since neither has been preserved intact, we cannot tell how long Isaac’s hesitation and Jacob’s suspense lasted in each case. In Yahwist as it stands, it would seem that Isaac’s suspicions are first aroused by the promptness of the supposed hunter’s return, and perhaps only finally allayed by the smell of Esau’s garments. In Elohist it is the voice which almost betrays Jacob, and the feel of his arms which saves him from detection. For details, see the footnotes.

18. ויאמר וגו׳ ¹ is probably to be assigned to Elohist for the same reason as ^1b, though something similar must have stood in the other source: Gunkel, however, makes ^19b the direct sequel of אל־אביו (ויאמר) in ^18a (Yahwist), giving ^19a to Elohist.—ויבא] LXX, Vulgate, Peshiṭtå וַיָּבֵא (compare ^10. 14. 31).—23. ויברכהו] Another view of the construction, avoiding the division of documents, in Driver A Treatise on the use of the Tenses in Hebrew § 75. The narrator is supposed to “hasten at once to state briefly the issue of the whole, and afterwards, as though forgetting that he had anticipated, proceed to annex the particulars by the same means” (וַ consecutive). Ewald and Hitzig applied the same principle to several other passages (see ib.); but the explanation seems to me not very natural.—24. אַתָּה] The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch האתה.—25. מציד בני] LXX מִצֵּידְךָ בְּנִי; but see verse ³¹.

27b–29. The blessing is partly natural (^27b. 28), partly political (²⁹), and deals, of course, not with the personal history of Jacob, but with the future greatness of Israel. Its nearest analogies are the blessings on Joseph, Genesis 49^22 ff., Deuteronomy 33^13 ff.; and it is not improbable that its Elohistic elements (v.i.) originated in North Israel.—27b (Yahwist). the smell of a rich field] compare Deuteronomy 33²³ (v.i.).—28 (Elohist). fat places of the earth] for the image compare Isaiah 5¹ 28¹, Numbers 13²⁰. “Heaven and earth conspire to give him of their best” (Gunkel).—corn and must] often combined with ‘oil’ in pictures of agricultural felicity (Deuteronomy 7¹³, Hosea 2^8. 22 etc.).—29aα (Yahwist). Peoples ... nations] compare 25²³. The reference is to the neighbouring nations subdued by David (2 Samuel 8).—29aβ (Elohist) resembles a tribal blessing (compare 49⁸). At all events the mention of brethren (plural) shows that the immediate situation is forgotten.—29b (Yahwist). Compare 12³.

27b–29. The critical analysis of the blessing, precarious at the best, depends on such considerations as these: יהוה ^27b points decisively to Yahwist; האלהים ²⁸, less certainly, to Elohist, which is confirmed by דגן ותירש (compare ³⁷). ^29aα (to לאמים) is Yahwist because of the last word (25²³); and ^29b because of the resemblance to 12³. ^29aβ (from הוה) is Elohist (compare ³⁷): (so Gunkel). Kautzsch-Socin and Holzinger differ first in treating ^29aβb as wholly ∥ ^29aα, thus assigning ^29aα to Elohist and ^aβ to Yahwist (thus far Procksch agrees with them); then in the inference that ³⁷ is Yahwist; and, lastly, in the reflex inference that ^28b is Elohist.—The metrical structure is irregular. Parallelism appears in ^28a and in ²⁹ throughout. ^27b falls into three trimeters; but ²⁹ (also Yahwist) can only be scanned in tetrameters. In Elohist trimeters and tetrameters are combined. See Sievers, i. 405, 577, ii. 79, 316.—27b. שדה] The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch (ungrammatically) השדה מלא. The מלא, however, is rendered in LXX, Vulgate, and should perhaps be retained.—28. משׁמני] ∥ מִטַּל, and therefore = שְׁמַנֵּי + מִן (Gesenius-Kautzsch § 20 m), from שָׁמָן (³⁹ †).—29. וישתחוֻ] the final וּ should be supplied with Qrê and The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch (see next clause).—הֱוֵה = הֱיֵה] (הוא) הוה is the common Aramaic and New Hebrew form of היה (compare Phœnician הוא = חָיָה, חֲיָא): in Old Testament Hebrew only here, Isaiah 16⁴, Nehemiah 6⁶, Job 37⁶, Ecclesiastes 2²² 11³†, and (accusative to Exodus 3¹⁴) in the name יהוה. Its occurrence in early Hebrew, as here, is surprising.—גביר] verse ³⁷†.—לְאַחֶיךָ] LXX, Targum^Onkelos לְאָחִיךָ, wrongly.—בני אמך] LXX בּ׳ אָבִיךָ after 49⁸.—On the distributive singular (>אָרוּר, בָּרוּך), see Gesenius-Kautzsch § 145 l.

30–40. Esau sues in vain for a blessing.—30. Both Yahwist and Elohist bring out how narrowly Jacob escaped being detected (v.i.). 31b. Esau’s address (jussives) is if anything a little more deferential than Jacob’s (verse ¹⁹).—33. Who, then, is he...?] The words express but a momentary uncertainty; before the sentence is finished Isaac knows on whom the blessing has fallen. The clause is a real parallel to ³⁵, but a difference of conception is scarcely to be thought of (Gunkel: see above).—and blessed he shall be] Not that Isaac now acquiesces in the ruling of Providence, and refuses to withdraw the blessing; but that such an oracle once uttered is in its nature irrevocable.—34. bless me too] parallel to the same words in ³⁸. Here Yahwist’s narrative breaks off, and ³⁵ (Elohist) resumes from the standpoint of ³².—36. Is it because he was named Overreacher]—that he must always be overreaching me?—Note the word-play ׃בְּכֹרָתִי: בִּרְכָתִי.—37. Compare ^29aβ. 28b (Elohist). All that makes a blessing—political supremacy, and material wealth—has been given away; what remains for Esau?—38. Is that the only blessing thou hast?] That the blessing can be revoked, Esau does not imagine; but he still hopes that a second (inferior) blessing may be his.—lifted up ... wept] corresponding to ^34a. “Those tears of Esau, the sensuous, wild, impulsive man,—almost like the cry of some ‘trapped creature,’ are among the most pathetic in the Bible” (Davidson, Hebrews, 242).—39, 40a. His importunity draws forth what is virtually a curse, though couched in terms similar to those of verse ²⁹:

Away from the fat places of the earth shall thy dwelling be;
And away from the dew of heaven above!

The double entendre in the use of מִן has misled Vulgate and some commentaries into thinking this a replica of the blessing of Jacob (compare Nöldeke Encyclopædia Biblica, 1184). Compare 40¹³ with 40¹⁹.—40a. live by thy sword] by raids on neighbouring territory, plunder of caravans, etc.¹—serve thy brother] fulfilled in the long subjection of Edom to Israel, from the time of David to that of Joram (2 Kings 8^20 ff.), or even Ahaz (16⁶).—40b. The prosaic form suggests that this may be a later addition dating from after the emancipation of Edom (Holzinger, Gunkel).—break his yoke] a common figure: Jeremiah 2²⁰ 5⁵ 28^2. 4. 11 30⁸, Leviticus 26¹³, Isaiah 9³ etc.

The territory of Edom is divided into two parts by the Arabah; that to the East is described by Strabo (XVI. iv. 21) as χώρα ἔρημος ἡ πλείστη καὶ μάλιστα ἡ πρὸς Ἰουδαίᾳ. Modern travellers, however, speak of it as extremely fertile (Robinson, Biblical Researches in Palestine, ii. 154; Palmer, The Desert of the Exodus ii. 430 f.; compare Buhl, Edomiter, 15 f.). Buhl accordingly thinks the curse refers only to the barren plateau West of the Arabah; and this is perhaps better than (with Nöldeke, Driver) to assimilate the terms of the blessing and the curse.

It is probable that Yahwist’s narrative contained a form of the curse on Esau, but whether any part is preserved in ^39 f. is doubtful. ³⁹ is certainly from the same source as ²⁸ (Elohist); with regard to ^40a the question stands open.—On the metre, see again Sievers, i. 404 f., ii. 78 f., 317. Ball’s denial of metrical form is based wholly on the doubtful ^40b.

30a contains two variants, of which the second is connected syntactically with ^30b. Since the form of ᵃ resembles 18³³ 24²² 43² (all Yahwist), we may assign this to Yahwist, and the rest of the verse to Elohist.—31. יָקֻם] Pt. rather יָקֹם (jussive).—33. מִכֹּל] Kautzsch-Socin conjecture אָכֹל (emphatic infinitive absolute).—א׳ גם ברוך יהיה] The emendation of Hitzig (Olshausen, Ball) וַיְהִי: אֲבָ׳ גַּם בָּרוֹךְ is hardly suitable: such a sentence would require to be preceded by another action, of which it was an aggravating or supplementary circumstance (compare 31¹⁵ 46⁴, Numbers 16¹³). It is better (with The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch) to read וְגַם, and (with LXX) to insert וַיְהִי at the beginning of ³⁴.—36. הכי] compare 29¹⁵, 2 Samuel 9¹ (23¹⁹ ?), Job 6²² †. The rendering above, ‘is it that?’ etc., satisfies every case (see Brown-Driver-Briggs, 472 a), and is simpler than that given in Gesenius-Kautzsch § 150 e.—Holzinger (so Gunkel) thinks ^36a a redactional expansion; but it has to be considered whether ^36b (∥ ^38aα) is not rather a fragment of Yahwist.—38. ברכני גם אני אבי] = ^34b (Yahwist). On the syntax of אני, see Gesenius-Kautzsch § 135 e.—וַיִּשָּׂא וגו׳] LXX^{A, al.} omitted, but MSS and daughter-Versions retain, some with the addition κατανυχθέντος δὲ Ἰσαακ (וַיִּדֹּם יִצְחָק).—40. חָיָה עַל] compare Deuteronomy 8³, Ezekiel 33¹⁹.—תָּרִיד (Jeremiah 2³¹, Hosea 12¹ [?], Psalms 55³, Judges 11³⁷ [emphatic]†) probably connected with Arabic rāda, ‘go to and fro’ (Nöldeke Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft, xxxvii. 539 f.): ‘when thou becomest restive.’ The Samaritan Recension of the Pentateuch תאדר, LXX καθέλῃς = תֹּורִיד.

41–45. Esau’s purpose of revenge.—41. Esau cherished enmity (50¹⁵) against Jacob.—the days of mourning (50¹⁰)] a period of seven days, within which Esau hoped to accomplish his revenge.—42. Thy brother is going to take satisfaction of thee (Isaiah 1²⁴, Ezekiel 5¹³) by killing thee.—44, 45. a few days ... till he forget] reckoning on Esau’s well-known instability, and at the same time making light of the trial of separation.—bereaved of you both] The writer has in view the custom of blood-revenge (compare 2 Samuel 14⁷), though in the case supposed there would be no one to execute it.

43. ברח־לך] LXX + εἰς τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν.—44 f. אחדים] as 29²⁰, Daniel 11²⁰; contrast Genesis 11¹.—עַד אשר תשוב and עד־שוב are obviously doublets, though there are no data for assigning either to its proper source. LXX runs both together: ἕως τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν θυμὸν καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου.

Chapter XXVI. Isaac and the Philistines (Yahwist, Redactor, Priestly-Code).

XXVII. 1–45. How Jacob secured his Father’s Blessing (Jehovist).

Chapter XXVI.
Isaac and the Philistines
(Yahwist, Redactor, Priestly-Code).

XXVII. 1–45.
How Jacob secured his Father’s Blessing
(Jehovist).