And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, [here am] I. Ver. 1. _Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim._] Old age is of itself a disease, and the sink of all di... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Ver. 2. _I am old, I know not the day of my death._] No more doth any, though never so young. There be as many young skulls as old, in Golgotha. But, young men, we say, may die; old men must die. To the old, death is _pro ianuis; _... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me [some] venison; Ver. 3. _Take me some venison._] It is some blemish to holy Isaac, that he so favoured and loved Esau, and that because he did eat of his venison, or because venison was in his... [ Continue Reading ]
And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring [it] to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. Ver. 4. _That my soul may bless thee before I die._] The words of dying men are living oracles. It was the patriarch's care, and must be ours, to leave a blessing behind us; to... [ Continue Reading ]
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt [for] venison, [and] to bring [it]. Ver. 5. _Esau went to the field to hunt, &c._] But before he returned, the blessing was otherwise bestowed. "The hope of the hypocrite shall perish". Job 8:13 How many lie lang... [ Continue Reading ]
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Ver. 6. _I heard thy father._] She overheard what Isaac spake secretly. Women will be listening; as Sarah behind the door, when she laughed, and little thought to be questioned for it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Ver. 7. _That I may eat, and bless thee._] Being cheered up by thy good cheer and wine, I may be the fitter instrument of the Spirit of God. So the prophet called for a minstrel. 2Ki 3:14-15... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Ver. 8. _How therefore, my son, obey my voice._] Which yet he ought not to have done, because she commanded him that which was evil: and they that do thus, are _peremptores, potius quam parentes; _ rather parricides than p... [ Continue Reading ]
Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: Ver. 9. _Savoury meat for thy father, &c._] She knew his diet, and could fit his tooth. The wife is to take care to please (μεριμνα) her husband; to use her... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt bring [it] to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. Ver. 10. _And thou shalt bring it to thy father._] Though this action, in the general intendment, was good, yet the execution of it wanted not particular error. Her course had been, rather, to hav... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother [is] a hairy man, and I [am] a smooth man: Ver. 11. _Esau my brother is a hairy man._] This Rebekah thought not of. _Plus vident oculi, quam oculus._ Two is better than one; but woe be to him that is alone. We want much of our strength,... [ Continue Reading ]
_My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing._ Ver. 12. _My father peradventure will feel me._] Our heavenly Father will certainly feel us, and better feel us; and we shall feel him too, in his fatherly correction... [ Continue Reading ]
And his mother said unto him, Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them]. Ver. 13. _Upon me be thy curse, my son._] A bold speech: but she respected the promise by faith; she relied on that oracle, Gen 25:23 which Isaac might misinterpret, understanding it not of the... [ Continue Reading ]
And he went, and fetched, and brought [them] to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. Ver. 14. _And he went, and fetched._] Herein he was over obsequious to his mother. It was an act of faith in her to seek to transfer the patriarchal blessing upon Jacob: it was li... [ Continue Reading ]
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which [were] with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: Ver. 15. _And Rebekah took goodly raiment._] The priestly garments, some think, proper to Esau had he kept his birthright; but kept, not by Esau or his wives, but by... [ Continue Reading ]
_And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:_ Ver. 16. _And she put the skins of the kids._] This by some is excused, as if it were only _dolus bonus,_ to keep her husband from wrong doing; as, when the physician deceives his patient, that he may... [ Continue Reading ]
And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. Ver. 17. _And she gave._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 27:14 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jacob said unto his father, I [am] Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. Ver. 19. _I am Esau thy firstborn, &c._] Here he utters three lies in a breath: besides his ascribing to God that he did, Ge... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Isaac said unto his son, How [is it] that thou hast found [it] so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought [it] to me._ Ver. 20. _How is it that thou hast found it so quickly?_] A man may very well ask our common Protestants this question concerning the faith they so much... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very son Esau or not. Ver. 21. _That I may feel thee, my son._] Here Isaac used all his senses, and yet is cozened. "There is neither wisdom nor counsel against the Lord". Pro 21:30 _Mihi hominum p... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice [is] Jacob's voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau. Ver. 22. The voice is Jacob's voice.] Jacob must name himself Esau, with the voice of Jacob. It is hard, if our tongues do not betray us, in spite of our clothe... [ Continue Reading ]
And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. Ver. 23. _So he blessed him._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 27:25 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, [Art] thou my very son Esau? And he said, I [am]. Ver. 24. _Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am._] Thus one sin entertained fetcheth in another; a lie especially, which, being a tinkerly, blushful sin, is either denied by the liar, who is ashamed to be taken with it, or else c... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 25. _Bring it near to me._] _Divinum consilium dum devitatur, impletur: humana sapientia, dum reluctatur,... [ Continue Reading ]
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. Ver. 26. _Come near now, and kiss me, my son._] Kissing is a symbol of sweetest love: and those that "love out of a pure heart fervently," 1Pe 1:22 do therefore kiss, as desiring to transfuse, if it might be, the souls of eithe... [ Continue Reading ]
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son [is] as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: Ver. 27. _As the smell of a field._] Compare Song of Solomon 2:13; Song of Solomon 4:12,14. Aristotle _a_ writes o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:_ Ver. 28. _God give thee of the dew._] For that country was dry and thirsty. They had rain, say some, but twice a year; the former in seedtime, and the latter rain in May. The blessings here be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed [be] every one that curseth thee, and blessed [be] he that blesseth thee._ Ver. 29. Let thy mother's sons bow down to thee.] That is, thy brethren; which are therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting._ Ver. 30. _Esau his brother came in._] All too late. Detained he was by the devil, say the Hebrews, who... [ Continue Reading ]
And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. Ver. 31. _And he also had made savoury meat._] Esau's works here are better than Jacob's. Election is not of works, but of grac... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who [art] thou? And he said, I [am] thy son, thy firstborn Esau. Ver. 32. _Thy firstborn Esau._] But have you forgot that you sold your first birthright to your brother Jacob, who now hath outwitted you?... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where [is] he that hath taken venison, and brought [it] me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, [and] he shall be blessed. Ver. 33. _And Isaac trembled very exceedingly._] The fear of God reined him in that he du... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, [even] me also, O my father. Ver. 34. _He cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry._] Not for his sin, in selling the birthright; but for his loss, in missing the bles... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. Ver. 35. _Thy brother came with subtilty._] Junius observes, that Isaac here, to please his son, committeth some oversight, in transferring the fault upon Jacob. He might have seen how God chastised his seeking to cross... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? Ver. 36. _Is he not rightly named Jacob?_] He cavils and quarrels at his brother... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? Ver. 37. _I have made him thy Lord._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 27:29 _"_ This Isaac did... [ Continue Reading ]
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. Ver. 38. _Esau lifted up his voice, and wept._] Yet, "found no place for repentance". Heb 12:17 That is, he could not, by his tears, prevail with his... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; Ver. 39. _Answered and said unto him._] _Dixit, non benedixit; quia potius fuit praedictio futurae conditionis, quam benedictio,_ saith Pareus. And whereas w... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 40. _When thou shalt have the dominion._] _Cum planxeris,_ saith Junius; when thou hast for some time undergone hard, tr... [ Continue Reading ]
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. Ver. 41. _And Esau hated Jacob, &c._] Because God said, "Jacob have I loved." And, as all hatred is bloody, h... [ Continue Reading ]
_And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, [purposing] to kill thee._ Ver. 42. _And these words of Esau, &c._] For he could not hold, as Absalom did,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;_ Ver. 43. _Flee thou to Laban._] Flee then we may, when in danger of life; so it be with the wings of a dove, not with the pinions of a dragon. God must be trusted, not tempted. Means must be neither trusted n... [ Continue Reading ]
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; Ver. 44. _Tarry with him a few days._] Heb., _unos dies. Sed facti sunt viginti anni._ She reckoned upon a few days; but it proved to be twenty whole years: and she never saw Jacob again, as the Hebrew doctors gather. Thus man purpo... [ Continue Reading ]
Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget [that] which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? Ver. 45. _And he forget, &c._] While wrongs are remembered, they are not remitted. He forgives not, th... [ Continue Reading ]
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these [which are] of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? Ver. 46. _I am weary of my life, &c._] A wise woman, saith an interpreter, not wil... [ Continue Reading ]