Free Bible Commentary
“Genesis 27:14-19”
Categories: Genesis“So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. Then he came to his father and said, 'My father.' And he said, 'Here I am. Who are you, my son?' Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.'”
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“So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother...” (verse 14) In compliance with his mother's autocratic commands, Jacob quickly went to the flock and selected “two young choice goats” and presented them to Rebekah (verse 8) “The Hebrew has a staccato succession of three short verbs: 'He went, he took, he brought.' The effect is a picture of Jacob performing the unpleasant deed with nervous haste.” Then Rebekah promptly prepared the “savory food such as his father loved.” It is terribly reprehensible to present a cherished gift to a “loved one” only to undermine and wound them with it. This act of “love” was a kiss on the cheek from Judas.
“Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son...” (verse 15) “These were probably reserved for festal or ceremonial occasions.” (Nahum Sarna) Esau's “ordinary” clothing would not have been kept in Rebekah's tent, so she grabbed the garments most easily accessible to her that were rife with the scent of her older, rugged, virile son. She then “put them on Jacob her younger son.” I get this mental image of a pushy mother looming over the figure of her fragile child and bundling him up in clothing that swallowed him whole before sending him out to play in the snow. It must have been a comical sight to see the garments of the muscular Esau dangling from the narrow frame of a homebody like Jacob.
“And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.” (verse 16) I think Jacob would have won the prize for worst costume at a Halloween party, hands down. “Not European, but Oriental camel-goats, whose wool is black, silky, of a much finer texture than that of the former, and sometimes used as a substitute for human hair.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) King Solomon dreamily described his love in the following way: “How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead.” (Song of Solomon 4:1) If Jacob had to cover his arms, hands and neck in a mess of glossy goat hair to trick his father, what a hairy beast of a man this Esau must have been!
“My father.” (verse 18) These are the only words that the timid and tentative Jacob could initially choke out of his mouth to grab his father's attention. From Jacob's opening statement Isaac good reason to be skeptical and filled with suspicion about the true nature of scenario that was unfolding before his failing eyes. When Esau finally returned from the field with the meat he had prepared, he spoke in his usual forward and fulsome way: “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” Isaac should have trusted his doubting ears. But, then again, God's will would prevail in spite of all the human sinfulness and foolishness.
“Who are you, my son?” (verse 18) The moment of truth. “Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your firstborn...'” (verse 19) A boldface lie. Inexcusable. And to his father of all people. The one who he should have respected and honored above all mortal men. In my estimation, these words comprise the lowest and saddest point of this whole sordid charade. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) There is no turning back now for Jacob. He has committed himself to seeing this whole perverse absurdity through to the end.
Please read Genesis 27:20-26 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
