Genesis 27:40

Genesis 27:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck."
• New King James Version (NKJV)By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Context of Genesis 27:40

38Esau asked, “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me too, Father!” And Esau sobbed loudly. 39His father Isaac answered him, “The place where you live will lack the fertile fields of the earth and the dew from the sky above. You will use your sword to live, and you will serve your brother. But eventually you will gain your freedom and break his yoke off your neck.” 41So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father had given him. Esau said to himself, “The time to mourn for my father is near. Then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.” 42When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Watch out! Your brother Esau is comforting himself by planning to kill you.

Genesis 27:40 word by word

וְעַל־חַרְבְּךָ֣ תִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְאֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ תַּעֲבֹ֑ד וְהָיָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּרִ֔יד וּפָרַקְתָּ֥ עֻלּ֖וֹ מֵעַ֥ל צַוָּארֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And by thy swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• shalt thou liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• and shalt serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• thy brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominionרוּדrûd · to roamH7300
• that thou shalt breakפָּרַקpâraq · to tearH6561
• his yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
• from off thy neckצַוָּארtsavvâ'r tsavvâr tsavvârôn tsavvâ'râh · neckH6677

Cross-references for Genesis 27:40

• Genesis 32:6When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you with 400 men.”
• Matthew 10:34“Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict.
• Genesis 25:23The Lord said to her, “Two countries are in your womb. Two nations will go their separate ways from birth. One nation will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
• 2 Samuel 8:14He put troops everywhere in Edom, and all the Edomites were David’s subjects. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.
• 1 Kings 11:15When David had conquered Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, went to bury those killed in battle and killed every male in Edom.
• 2 Kings 14:7Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Dead Sea region and took the city of Sela in battle. He gave it the name Joktheel, which is still its name today.
• 1 Chronicles 18:11King David dedicated all the articles of gold, silver, and bronze to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.
• 2 Chronicles 25:11Amaziah courageously led his troops. When he came to the Dead Sea region, he killed 10,000 men from Seir.
• Psalms 60:8Moab is my washtub. I will throw my shoe over Edom. I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
• Obadiah 1:17“But refugees will live on Mount Zion. It will be holy. The descendants of Jacob will get back their possessions.
• 2 Kings 8:20During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king.
• 2 Chronicles 21:8During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king.
• 2 Chronicles 28:17The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and captured prisoners.

Commentaries on Genesis 27:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40By thy sword shalt thou live - This does not absolutely mean that the Edomites should have constant wars; but that they should be of a fierce and warlike disposition, gaining their sustenance by hunting, and by predatory excursions upon the possessions of others. Bishop Newton speaks on this subject with his usual good sense and judgment: "The elder branch, it is here foretold, should delight more in war and violence, but yet should be subdued by the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-46Verses 1-46 - Isaac Blessing His Sons The life of Isaac falls into three periods. During the first seventy-five years he is contemporary with his father. For sixty-one years more his son Jacob remains under the paternal roof. The remaining forty-four years are passed in the retirement of old age. The chapter before us narrates the last solemn acts of the middle period of his life. Genesis 27:1-4 Isaac was old. - Joseph was in his thirtieth year when he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-40Verses 30-40 When Esau understood that Jacob had got the blessing, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry. The day is coming, when those that now make light of the blessings of the covenant, and sell their title to spiritual blessings for that which is of no value, will, in vain, ask urgently for them. Isaac, when made sensible of the deceit practised on him, trembled exceedingly. Those who follow the choice of their own affections, rather than…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-40All that remained for Esau was a promise of hardship and struggle (compare 3:17–19; 16:11–12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 39-4039-40. Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth--The first part is a promise of temporal prosperity, made in the same terms as Jacob's [Ge 27:28]--the second part refers to the roving life of hunting freebooters, which he and his descendants should lead. Though Esau was not personally subject to his brother, his posterity were tributary to the Israelites, till the reign of Joram when they revolted and established a kingdom of their own (2Ki…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 27:40

• Benedictions
• Death
• Edomites
• Family
• Isaac
• Israel
• Parents
• Sword

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Cry
• Deceiver
• Dim
• Exceedingly
• Fatness
• Feel
• Fetch
• Hairy
• Hunt

Commentaries on Genesis 27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings