Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 27

Jacob got his father Isaac’s blessing through deception. In this story, an entire family tries to carry out their responsibilities by physical means rather than by faith. Faith would have provided Rebekah and Jacob a more honorable solution to the crisis.

• The first scene introduces the main problem in the chapter. Isaac knew about God’s oracle (a message from God; 25:22–23), but he went against it or ignored it when he tried to bless Esau.

• Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see: This shows that he was losing awareness, both physically and spiritually.

Like Esau, Isaac let his love of tasty food control his affections (compare 25:28–34).

The blessing seemed to be at risk. In the second scene, Rebekah and Jacob tried to gain God’s blessing through deception, rather than through faith and love. Rebekah made a plan to trick Isaac, who was old, into thinking he was blessing Esau when he was actually blessing Jacob.

Esau agreed to Isaac’s plan. In doing so, he broke the oath he had sworn to Jacob (25:33).

Jacob had no problem tricking his father. He only worried it might fail and Isaac would curse him for attempting it.

Jacob lied about his identity, and then came close to blasphemy (speaking in a way that dishonors God) by lying about God.

In scene three, Jacob tricks his father and receives the blessing.

Isaac expressed his doubts three times. But his senses, which were not working well, eventually misled him (see study note on 27:1–4).

In scene four, everything is discovered, and the family becomes even more divided.

When Isaac understood what happened, he started shaking uncontrollably. He had tried to change God's plan, but God stopped him.

Esau was very bitter and angry enough to kill. After Jacob received their father’s blessing, Esau planned to take his brother’s life (27:41).

• he has cheated me twice (or tripped me up, or deceived me): Esau started to understand Jacob's true nature. Jacob took the birthright (the right of inheritance, Hebrew bekorah; 25:27–34). He tricked their father to get the blessing (the spoken pronouncement of the inheritance, Hebrew berakah).

• Esau was right in how he judged Jacob, but he did not recognize his own ungodliness in these actions (see study note on 27:5; Hebrews 12:16).

There was no way to undo the blessing. Isaac had declared a message from God, who had made Jacob to be Esau’s master (see Romans 9:11–13).

All that remained for Esau was a promise of hardship and struggle (compare 3:17–19; 16:11–12).

Rebekah and Jacob received the blessing, but Esau hated them for it. They also separated from one another. The Bible does not indicate that Rebekah and Jacob ever saw each other again.

They gained nothing that God would not have given them anyway. Their actions came at the expense of their relationship. Jacob had to flee from home to escape Esau's vengeance.

Jacob met the Lord on a road that Abraham had traveled 125 years earlier. The story in 27:42–33:17 follows a pattern (called a "chiasm") focusing on Jacob’s exile:

• A: Jacob runs away from Esau (27:42–28:9)

  • B: Angels of God meet Jacob at Bethel (28:10–22)

    • C: Jacob lives in exile in Paddan-aram (29:1–31:55)

  • B’: Angels of God meet Jacob at Mahanaim (32:1–2)

• A’: Jacob reconciles with Esau (32:3–33:17).

Rebekah convinced Isaac to send Jacob away by carefully planning her words and actions. Like Isaac, Jacob married a woman from his relatives who lived in the east.