27:1 Isaac See note on 17:19.

Esau At this point, Isaac is likely unaware that Esau surrendered his birthright to Jacob (25:31–34). The emphasis on the meal here and in the ensuing narrative suggests that it was not incidental to the blessing. It may have been viewed as a ritual element in the father’s passing of blessing to the eldest son.

27:2 the day of my death Isaac lives for some time after this episode. He is 100 years old when Esau marries the Hittite women (see note on 26:34). The text does not specify how much time has passed since that incident, but Jacob lives in Haran for 20 years (31:41). Since Isaac lives until after Jacob returns, his death occurs 20 to 80 years later (35:28).

27:4 can bless you Esau has already sold his birthright (bekhorah in Hebrew) to Jacob (25:29–34). The blessing (berakhah in Hebrew) is closely related but is distinct from the birthright. The birthright specifies property and wealth passed from one generation to the other—this has already been given to Jacob by Esau and such an action would be irrevocable by Isaac (25:27–34). The blessing focuses on future wealth and posterity—most profoundly seen in receiving Yahweh’s covenant blessings. Compare note on v. 12.

27:5 Rebekah See note on Gen 24:15. Jacob is Rebekah’s favorite son, and she schemes in his favor more than once. It is her idea to deceive Isaac so that Jacob can gain preeminence in the clan.

27:6 I heard your father speaking See note on 24:34–48.

27:8 listen to my voice The text clearly presents Rebekah as the instigator of this plot. She appeals to Jacob to obey her three times in the passage (vv. 8, 13, 43).

27:11 a hairy man See note on 25:25.

27:12 a curse In the ancient Near East, curses were considered powerful if they had divine support—a real threat in this instance since God chose Isaac as His covenant recipient and the one who would pass on the blessings of the covenant to his heirs (26:1–5). This makes Rebekah’s promise that she would take any curse upon herself a serious matter (26:13)—she would be taking on the opposite of the covenant promises (a lack of divine support).

27:15 best garments This may refer to special clothing worn for festivals and important ceremonies. This would heighten the credulity of Isaac, since he would naturally assume that only Esau would know what was transpiring.

27:18 My father Jacob says little upon entering Isaac’s tent, likely indicating his fear and uncertainty. These two words can be contrasted with Esau’s declaration upon his entrance into Isaac’s presence in v. 31.

Who are you, my son Though Jacob has said little, he apparently cannot imitate Esau’s voice (see v. 22).

27:20 Yahweh your God Jacob uses God’s covenant name, yhwh (Yahweh), in his lie and refers to Yahweh as his father’s God, not yet his own (see 28:21; 32:22–32).

27:23 he blessed him Though the deception works, the blessing here is simply permission to continue with the meal. The transfer of the actual promise is yet to occur.

27:24 I In Hebrew, this response is one word, ani (“I”). Jacob still fears that the scheme may fall apart.

27:26 kiss me Kissing was a customary prelude to departure (see 48:10; 50:1).

27:28 the dew of heaven This metaphor speaks of material abundance in crops and, in turn, the ability to sustain large numbers of domesticated livestock. In a region where rainfall was sparse, dew was vital for sustaining life.

the fatness of the earth Meaning the finest things that could be grown.

27:29 Be lord of your brothers This wording describes the vast scope of the recipient’s predominance. Since Isaac was passing on a divinely ordained covenant relationship with Yahweh, this phrase is appropriate. Compare note on v. 4.

those blessing you The covenant promise of 12:3 is reiterated here.

27:32 Who are you Isaac likely recognized Esau’s voice. This response, instead of the anticipated “my son,” suggests that Isaac simply cannot conceive that Jacob would have deceived him.

27:34 me as well Esau does not ask Isaac to take back the blessing given Jacob. As Isaac’s words suggest (v. 33), blessings and curses were considered irrevocable. Esau simply wants to receive a blessing too (see v. 38).

27:36 He has deceived Esau uses the Hebrew word ’aqab here, which is a wordplay on Jacob’s name in Hebrew, ya-aqov. Ya-aqov means “to protect,” and was given to Jacob as a name because of wordplay with a different word (see note on 25:26). Esau suggests that Jacob’s name actually has to do with him being a person who supplants or cheats other people. Jacob is a trickster.

my birthright and, look, now he has taken my blessing See note on v. 4.

27:39 from the fatness of the land Though Isaac cannot repeat the same blessing, his blessing of Esau contains elements of Jacob’s.

27:40 by your sword Isaac prophesies that Edom (Esau’s descendants; see note on 25:25) is destined to live by pillaging.

you shall serve your brother In the tenth century bc, Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, became vassals to Israel under David (2 Sam 8:13). See note on Psa 108:9.

from your neck In the ninth century bc, Esau’s descendants (Edom) eventually revolted against Jacob’s descendants (represented by the southern nation of Judah; 2 Kgs 8:20–22). The southern kingdom of Judah had several conflicts with Edom thereafter.

27:46 I loathe my life Though this was probably true to some extent (see Gen 26:35), Rebekah uses it for an excuse. She knew of Esau’s intention to kill Jacob, but whether Isaac knew is unknown. If Rebekah did not want to upset Isaac with this information, she needed a coherent excuse to explain Jacob’s departure.