Bible Study Genesis Verse By Verse

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:2a . .The Lord had appeared to him

This is the very first recorded incident where God appeared especially for Isaac.
When he was offered as a burnt offering back in chapter 22, God appeared to his
dad while Isaac was with him. But God was not said to appear to Isaac. This is the
first time.

● Gen 26:2b . . and said: Do not go down to Egypt;

Isaac may have been considering Egypt as plan B if Gerar didn't work out.

● Gen 26:2c . . stay in the land which I point out to you.

That had to be encouraging. Even if things looked bad in Gerar when Isaac arrived,
he could rest upon the fact that he was going in the right direction.

● Gen 26:3a . . Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you;

Suppose it turned out Isaac didn't like the land God selected for him and moved to
another one? Well he could just forget about the promise: "I will be with you and
bless you" That promise was conditional. He had to live where God directed him to
live.

● Gen 26:3b-4 . . I will assign all these lands to you and to your heirs, fulfilling the
oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your heirs as numerous as
the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations
of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs--

Although some translations render the word "heirs" plural, zera' is one of those
Hebrew words that can just as accurately be translated in the singular as well the
plural: like the words sheep, fish, and deer. In this case, it's probably best to
understand zera' in the singular because it most certainly refers to Jacob rather
than to both he and his brother Esau.

● Gen 26:5 . . inasmuch as Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My
commandments, My laws, and My teachings.

Some construe God's statement to indicate that Abraham was included in the
covenant that Moses' people entered into with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. But the statement below excludes him.

"The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our forefathers did
The Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom are here alive today."
(Deut 5:2-3)

Abraham complied with God's requirements voluntarily rather than by compulsion.
In other words; his association with God was based upon an honor system rather
than a legal system.

The promises God made to Abraham as per Gen 12:2-3 and Gen 17:8 were not
sustained by Abraham's piety. In other words: once God made those promises,
neither Abraham nor his posterity can ever lose them because they are
unconditional

"The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously
established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance is
based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to
Abraham by means of a promise." (Gal 3:17-18)

The "promise" in question reads like this:

"And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire
land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a deity."
(Gen 17:8)

That should be really good news to Abraham's posterity because although the law
has a marked effect upon their occupation of the land, it has no effect upon their
entitlement to it.

● Gen 26:6a . . So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:6b . . When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said "She
is my sister" for he was afraid to say "my wife" thinking: The men of the place
might kill me on account of Rebecca, for she is beautiful.

The Hebrew word translated "sister" has very wide application. In point of fact,
Becky's entire family, mom and dad too, called her sister when she left home. (Gen
24:59-60)

The word can mean a sibling of the same parents, or it can just mean female kin,
either near or far. (I'm guessing that Isaac and Rebecca were far enough apart in
age that she could easily pass for his niece.)

Isaac's response was semantic double-speak. In other words: he didn't tell an
outright bald face lie; what he said was true; from a certain point of view-- he and
Rebecca were related. But nevertheless, his response was a half truth meant to
deceive.

I just have to wonder sometimes about the IQ of some of the patriarchs. God had
just reaffirmed Abraham's covenant with Isaac; guaranteeing He would bless him
on account of his father Abraham's righteousness (not Isaac's righteousness). Yet
now he's worried about being murdered in Gerar? I'd hate to think that Isaac didn't
believe God. I'd much rather reckon he wasn't paying attention.

● Gen 26:8 . . When some time had passed, Abimelech king of the Philistines,
looking out of the window, saw Isaac sporting with his wife Rebecca.

Sporting with one's wife is far and away different than sporting with one's sibling.
The way those two were horsing around was unmistakably the behavior of lovers.

● Gen 26:9-10 . . Abimelech sent for Isaac and said: So she is your wife! Why then
did you say "She is my sister". Isaac said to him: Because I thought I might lose
my life on account of her. Abimelech said: What have you done to us! One of the
people might have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.

I'm not surprised that Abimelech was frightened. It hadn't been all that long ago
when his predecessor had a run-in with Isaac's deity, That incident involving
Abraham undoubtedly went down in the castle records.

And to top it off, out there grazing on Gerar pastures was a special breed of sheep
that bore a witness for Abraham too (Gen 21:27-32) and their story was very likely
woven into Gerar folklore. Oh yes. They knew about Jehovah alright; and they all
knew what could happen to them if any of the local men messed around with
Rebecca, the wife of Abraham's son.

● Gen 26:11 . . Abimelech then charged all the people, saying: Anyone who
molests this man or his wife shall be put to death.

The Hebrew translated "molest" means to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any
purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach
(figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)

So Abimelech decreed that his people not even so much as lay a finger upon Isaac
and Rebecca, not even so much as a pinky, in any way at all. Isaac, of course, is
getting by on his dad's influence. But what the hey, it doesn't hurt to be connected.

● Gen 26:12-14a . . Isaac sowed in that land and reaped a hundredfold the same
year. The Lord blessed him, and the man grew richer and richer until he was very
wealthy: he acquired flocks and herds, and a large household,

I thus far haven't had much luck finding a useful definition of hundredfold. It seems
to me; from what information I've managed to discover, that it's simply a bushel
count per acre.

Farming may seem like a switch from animal husbandry, but the combination was
common among pastoral peoples those days for two good reasons. For one; Isaac's
herds needed pasture. And two; man can't live on meat alone.

Isaac needed large quantities to feed his immense community. He inherited at least
a thousand people from his dad. By now, those have multiplied well beyond that. I
think if you'd have encountered Isaac's outfit in those days it would have resembled
an Iowa town rather than a simple camp of Bedouins.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:14b . . so that the Philistines envied him.

Envy is a powerful, negative feeling that overwhelms us whenever others are doing
better than ourselves.

The Philistine couldn't match Isaac's productivity because he enjoyed an advantage.
The Lord worked his fields along with the men whereas the locals had only their
green thumbs to rely on.

● Gen 26:15 . . And the Philistines stopped up all the wells which his father's
servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with earth.

Abimelech forbade his citizens to harm Isaac; but that didn't preclude harassing
and annoying him. Cutting off his water supplies was very serious because Isaac
needed them to irrigate crops and water the livestock. Without adequate water
supplies, Isaac Enterprises was doomed. He had a right to file a complaint. But
Abimelech felt it best for all concerned to run Isaac out of the country.

I suspect that the rural Philistines had become territorial; which can be roughly
defined as an assumed property right due to long-time occupation; whether legal or
otherwise. In other words; Isaac's rivals probably felt that although they didn't
actually own the countryside, they had been there longer than Isaac so they had a
preemptive right to dictate its use. It's a Neanderthal's way of thinking, but goes on
all the time; commonly in work places where senior employees are inclined to
dominate new hires.

● Gen 26:16 . . And Abimelech said to Isaac: Go away from us, for you have
become far too big for us.

Just exactly what Abimelech meant by "far too big for us" is hard to know for sure.
But it looks suspiciously like a cowardly act of favoritism; pure and simple. Instead
of being fair and equitable with Isaac, Abimelech, like a cheap politician, ignored
the vandalism his citizens had done against Isaac and made it look like this whole
nasty business was his fault; vz: he was just getting too greedy and beginning to
crowd everybody else out. In other words: Abimelech blamed the victims for the
perpetrators' crimes.

● Gen 26:17 . . So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the wadi of Gerar,
where he settled.

Wadis are basins towards which water from higher ground gravitates; both surface
water and underground. Bottom land benefits from seasonal flooding that leaves
behind fresh deposits of silt.

● Gen 26:18 . . Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his
father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham's death;
and he gave them the same names that his father had given them.

Those wells were dug nearly a hundred years prior to this event; and makes one
wonder how Isaac knew where they were and how he knew the names his dad had
named them. The Gerarians probably waited until Abraham was dead to plug them
up because they feared him. He had a reputation as a military leader and he also
had a pact with the king Abimelech of Abraham's period.

● Gen 26:19-20 . . But when Isaac's servants, digging in the wadi, found there a
well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen,
saying: The water is ours. He named that well Esek, because they contended with
him.

Isaac was much too affable. He didn't have to let those guys buffalo him; after all,
Isaac had a pretty good sized army of his own; left to him by his dad. He could
easily have posted an armed platoon by the well to keep the local cowboys away
from it. But no, he chose the path of appeasement and let them have their own way.
Isaac was truly a "turn the other cheek" kind of guy who was willing (maybe a bit
too willing) to bend over backward to accommodate people and prevent violence
and ill will. (cf. Ps 37:10-11)

Esek was a new well; not one of Abraham's. The herdsmen were motivated by envy
so they were reluctant to share the regions resources with the likes of Isaac
because they hated his success. They didn't contest Isaac's access to the water in
Abraham's wells. They probably felt he had a right to use those; but the men would
not tolerate Isaac taking any more water than that; and most especially water of
this quality. It was literally living water-- viz: artesian.

Urban dwellers really don't appreciate their water and typically haven't a clue where
it comes from nor how it gets into their homes. But in Isaac's day, people couldn't
live too far from a natural source of water. Many of the ancient cities and
communities were located adjacent to rivers for that very reason.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:21 . . And when they dug another well, they disputed over that one also;
so he named it Sitnah.

The Hebrew word for "Sitnah" basically means opposition (in writing).

Apparently the herdsmen were filing formal complaints against Isaac like the
enemies of Ezra did when he was attempting to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
(Ezr 4:6-7)

Gerar County's Water Board must have ruled in favor of the herdsmen because
Isaac had to keep moving around until they finally left him alone.

● Gen 26:22 . . He moved from there and dug yet another well, and they did not
quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying: Now at last the Lord has granted
us ample space to increase in the land.

Rehoboth first appeared in the Bible at Gen 10:11 as the name of an ancient city. It
appears two more times in the Bible after here as the name of a city (Gen 36:37,
1Chrn 1:48) and means pretty much what Isaac said, i.e. lots of room to maneuver
and/or spread out.

The herdsmen had, by this time, probably pushed Isaac way out to land that
nobody wanted. But God was with Isaac. Even the deserts produce when His hands
are in it. (cf. Isa 35:1-4)

With those pesky herdsmen out of the way, the road, or rather, roads ahead were
wide and clear; and Isaac could put the pedal to the metal and go full speed ahead
and not worry about hitting an iceberg; viz: the sky was the limit.

Isaac was a very patient man, and affable too. But push him too far, and he might
show his teeth. In a bit, Abimelech is coming calling and Isaac is going to confront
the obtuse monarch about the way he was treated by the County Water Board.

Yes, Isaac Enterprises was a huge, going concern that spread over many acres of
land. But he didn't obtain his wealth by dishonest means. All of Isaac's business
was conducted legally and above board. And he complied with all of the Gerar
County rulings concerning disputes over the water rights even though their rulings
were undoubtedly biased in favor of Gerar citizens. Isaac didn't deserve to be
treated so unfairly.

● Gen 26:23 . . From there he went up to Beer-sheba.

Exactly where the boys Jacob and Esau were during this era in Isaac's life isn't
stated. They may have remained in the highlands to protect Isaac's interests while
he was out of town, but then again, they may have been with him in Gerar: it's
impossible to tell.

Genesis doesn't say exactly how long Isaac and Rebecca lived around Gaza. Isaac's
usual haunts were Beer-lahai-roi, about 50 miles further south. Beer-sheba was
Abraham's zone on oath between him and an earlier Abimelech. The Gerarians
could be expected to leave Isaac alone there. The first night, God showed up.

● Gen 26:24a . .That night the Lord appeared to him and said: I am the deity of
your father Abraham.

In what manner, or by what method, God appeared to Isaac isn't stated. It could
have been in a dream, it could have been as a traveling man, or a close encounter
of a third kind: nobody knows for sure.

● Gen 26:24b . . Fear not, for I am with you,

It's reasonable to assume it was unnecessary for God to reassure Isaac, but
Abimelech is on the way. He won't come alone either. He was a king; and kings
travel with an armed retinue. So when news of this comes to Isaac, he would have
good cause to become alarmed. I think God is just giving him a pep talk to prepare
him for the meeting. Like they say: one with God is a majority; and a man who
fears God, has no man to fear.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:24c . . and I will bless you

Isn't that what He promised earlier, when Isaac moved down into Gerar? Yes. And
just in case Isaac thought that was a one-time deal, and he would never be blessed
again, God reaffirms his commitment to blessing Abraham's progeny.

NOTE: The Bible's readers aren't all that privy to what went on in the minds of the
patriarchs. It could be-- and this is only a guess --that Isaac was feeling a bit guilty
about his attempt to deceive Abimelech regarding the nature of his relationship with
Rebecca. Because of that; his humanistic sense of justice may have suggested that
his mistake cost him the previous blessing; or possibly future ones.

● Gen 26:24d . . and increase your progeny for the sake of My servant Abraham.

If I were a Hebrew man-- not a pseudo Jew like Gentiles who become Jews by
conversion --but a real Hebrew man by blood, I would make a point of
remembering that God will honor His commitment to Abraham. He hasn't preserved
the people of Israel because they are Jews nor because they are so faithful to God.
No, far from it. It's solely because of His personal commitment to Abraham--
period. (cf. Ex 32:9-14)

● Gen 26:25 . . So he built an altar there and invoked the Lord by name. Isaac
pitched his tent there and his servants started digging a well.

Speaking to God by name is different than addressing Him officially as a deity or a
monarch. Not that there's anything wrong with addressing the Bible's God officially
as a deity or a monarch; but speaking to Him by name implies familiarity; which is
a lots cozier than official protocol.

For example: If I were to meet with current US President Donald Trump, I would
address him as Sir or Mr. President. It would be very presumptuous of me to
address him by his personal name because we have never associated on that level;
nor do I expect to.

● Gen 26:26 . . And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his councilor
and Phicol chief of his troops.

The Army chief of staff likely escorted his boss with a fair-sized contingent of
Gerar's trained fighting men as body guards.

The Hebrew word for "councilor" basically refers to companionship, viz: a friend;
suggesting Ahuzzath may have been Abimelech's boy toy, if you know what I
mean. It really wasn't unusual for ancient monarchs to have male lovers; and
nobody thought too much of it at the time.

● Gen 26:27 . . Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me, seeing that you
have been hostile to me and have driven me away from you?

Normally, kings in that day did not call on people. If they wanted to see somebody,
they sent a summons to appear and dispatched an escort to make sure you didn't
refuse. Isaac knew something was up because 'ol Abimelech was treating him as an
equal; if not a superior. Isaac had by this time become strong enough to crush
Abimilech's community, and the old boy very well knew it too.

I can't help but like a man like Isaac. He was so direct. Not really what one might
call an in-your-face kind of guy; but transparent and unequivocal.

● Gen 26:28a . . And they said: We now see plainly that Yahweh has been with
you,

As long as they thought Isaac was a nomadic farmer it was okay to dump on him?
And now that they know he's connected with a supernatural being, they want to be
his friend? But our man is cool. He won't let that get to him. You know what's going
on here? Abimelech is holding his hat in his hand. And he is going to eat that hat
too before it's over.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:28b-29a . . and we thought: Let there be a sworn treaty between our two
parties, between you and us. Let us make a pact with you that you will not do us
harm,

You know, it is just amazing how nice people can be when they realize they've
bitten off more than they can chew. The Gerarians had sorely underestimated Isaac
and thought they could push him around because he was an affable immigrant.

As time went by, they perceived that his prosperity could only be explained in a
supernatural way. If it came to a fight, Isaac was allied with a powerful spirit being
whom they all knew for a certainty from their own history and past experiences
could not be defeated. Yes. Isaac was well able to totally clean their clocks and nail
their hides to the barn door. (Isaac was only just recently visited by that Being back
in verse 24 who encouraged Isaac to be brave, and also promised assistance.)

Isaac was holding all the aces and didn't have to make a pact with anybody. He
could have stood right up, lectured them soundly for the way he was treated in
their country, and ordered them out of the house. They really had some chutzpah
coming to him with a proposition like that. But Isaac was indeed a peaceable man;
well in control of his tongue, and of his passions. If those crumbs were ready now
to promise to leave him alone, well, then, okay, he was for it.

● Gen 26:29b . . just as we have not molested you but have always dealt kindly
with you and sent you away in peace.

Was that true? Some of it. It's true the Federales didn't raid Isaac's camps, nor
plunder his goods, nor rough anybody up. He wasn't subjected to unreasonable
searches and seizures. And he wasn't forcibly deported like an undesirable, or
imprisoned as enemy of the state, or a criminal.

But still; they didn't deal fairly with Isaac. He never trespassed on private property,
but dug his wells and settled on open range. Yet the county water commission
always ruled against him even though his men dug those productive water wells fair
and square.

● Gen 26:29c . . From now on, be you blessed of Yahweh!

Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw! I just love it when the bad guys wish me the best from
my deity. "God bless you" they say. Oh sure; God bless me. As if they really give a
hoot how God feels about anybody.

● Gen 26:30 . .Then he made for them a feast, and they ate and drank.

The wicked often feel they won because their opponents are so civil and so
agreeable. Isaac had plenty of good reason to be indignant. But he held his peace.
That could be construed as weakness.

Isaac was a shrewd diplomat. He picked his battles. Some things merit contention.
But this incident didn't. Those guys were in his home with hat in hand and he took
advantage of it to secure a non-aggression pact that benefited both communities:
Isaac's and Abimelech's. If Isaac were to let his passions dictate the terms, then he
might jeopardize his family and his servants. Isaac had his weak points, but
political strategy wasn't one of them.

There are those in life whom we appropriately label thin skinned, reactive, and
defensive. You know who they are. They sit still for nothing, take nothing lying
down: they're stand up fighters; always ready to give others a piece of their mind
and set them straight.

These contentious folk drain all the enjoyment out of social contact. Everybody has
to walk on egg shells and be careful what's said around them so they don't explode.
Too easily provoked, indignant and quarrelsome, these people will be excluded from
Messiah's kingdom because his domain is characterized as a place of peace rather
than strife.

"Give up anger, abandon fury, do not be vexed; it can only do harm. For evil men
will be cut off, but those who look to the Lord-- they shall inherit the land. A little
longer and there will be no wicked man; you will look at where he was-- he will be
gone. But the lowly shall inherit the land, and delight in abundant well-being." (Ps
37:8-11)
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 26:31-32 . . Early in the morning, they exchanged oaths. Isaac then bade
them farewell, and they departed from him in peace. That same day Isaac's
servants came and told him about the well they had dug, and said to him: We have
found water!

Ah, yes. It is always so pleasant to cap a victory with a good ending. Isaac had a
perfect day.

● Gen 26:33 . . He named it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba
to this day.

The Hebrew word for Shibah basically means seven(th) Seven what? I don't know;
Genesis doesn't say.

But the number 7 is often used in the Bible like we use the number 10 today. If we
want to say something is perfect, we give it a ten. Isaac gave it a seven; so I think
it's safe to assume that the water in the new well was really exceptional. (compare
Rev 13:17-18 where the number of a man is given as 666, which is imperfection
three times over. In other words: man is not only imperfect; but he's really
imperfect.)

● Gen 26:34 . .When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith daughter of
Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite;

There seems to be some confusion concerning the names, and the number, of
Esau's wives. Here are their names according to Gen 36:2-3.

"Esau took his wives from among the Canaanite women-- Adah daughter of Elon
the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah daughter of Zibeon the Hivite --and
also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth."

There were two girls named Basemath-- Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, was
also known as Basemath. Adah may have been surnamed to avoid confusing her
with the other Basemath: Ishmael's daughter. The Oholibamah of 36:2 is the Judith
of 26:34. She was the offspring of a mixed marriage between Beeri and Anah. She
too may have been surnamed to avoid confusion.

● Gen 26:35 . .And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecca.

In other words, those two girls made life miserable for Isaac and Rebecca and
caused them a great deal of mental, and emotional anguish. Some feel that they
were also a source of spiritual friction because they were infidels who worshipped
the gods of the Canaanites. No doubt they did. But how would that come into play?
Well; their religions permitted the practice of some vile social customs.

Canaanite religions didn't forbid such things as wife swapping, promiscuity,
adultery, sex with women in their period, burning children to death in sacrificial
ceremonies, sleeping with close blood relatives, LGBT love, bestiality, nudity,
astrology, divination, voodoo, magic, communication with the spirit world,
witchcraft, drunkenness, and wild parties; including cult prostitution where women
devotees sold themselves to support their "church" (cf. Gen 38:13-23)

As bad as all that stuff was, it doesn't hold a candle to the danger of those women
influencing Isaac's grandchildren. And that is a very real threat in mixed marriages.
Men especially are susceptible to letting their wives guide the home's religious
training. I've seen it often enough to know what I'm saying.

And with a man like Esau, a secular man who had no interest in religion to begin
with, his kids had no hope at all of turning out right. They will grow up to scorn and
ridicule Abraham's religion; and his deity too; plus pick up the most abominable
habits and see nothing wrong in them.

● 1Cor 15:33 . . Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 27:1a . .When Isaac was old

Just precisely how old Isaac was at this time, is difficult to tell. But I think we can
come close enough for government work.

Jacob spent 20 years with Laban. (Gen 31:41a)

Joseph was born during that time. (Gen 30:22-24)

At just about the time Joseph was born, Jacob and Laban worked out an
arrangement concerning shares of the livestock to compensate Jacob's labors. (Gen
30:25-34)

That deal with the livestock went on for six of the twenty years Jacob served Laban.
(Gen 31:41b)

Joseph was 30 when he became prime minister of Egypt. (Gen 41:46a)

When Joseph went to work for Pharaoh; a 14 year period began, consisting of two
divisions-- seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine. After the seven years
of plenty, and two of the years of famine, when he was about 39, Joseph brought
his dad down into Egypt. (Gen 45:6-9)

When Jacob arrived, he stood before Pharaoh and told him he was 130 years old.
(Gen 47:7-9a)

Now we can do some arithmetic.

Jacob arrived in Egypt at 130. Subtracting Joseph's age of 39, we get 91; which
was Jacob's age when Joseph was born. After subtracting 14-- the years Jacob
worked for Laban up to the deal they made concerning the livestock --we're left
with 77; which is Jacob's approximate age when he indentured himself to Laban.

Allowing for a generous intermission of 2 years-- encompassing Rebecca's scheme,
Jacob's flight to Haran, and his eventual indenture to Laban --Jacob's age in the
section of Genesis we're in today, can very reasonably be put at 75.

Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born. (Gen 25:26)

So adding 75 to 60, puts Isaac somewhere in the neighborhood of 135 years old at
the beginning of chapter 27.

Everyone involved in this next episode was getting up in years and thus quite
mature. Jacob and Esau, though 75 years old, were, nonetheless, vigorous men
and, gerontologically speaking, relatively young in terms of the aging process as it
existed in those days. Even Isaac wasn't as near death as he feared since he lived
another 45 years to be 180 when he died. (Gen 35:28)

● Gen 27:1b . . and his eyes were too dim to see,

The Hebrew word for "dim" basically means to be weak; viz: to despond and/or
grow dull.

So Isaac wasn't actually blind, as some have proposed. It's far more likely he was
stricken with cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and/or some other vision
condition very common among people his age even today.

● Gen 27:1c-2 . . he called his older son Esau and said to him: My son. He
answered: Here I am. And he said: I am old now, and I do not know how soon I
may die.

It's common for older men to feel that not only is their time running out, but also
their luck. I've dodged several bullets in my 81 years; two of them literal; and can't
reasonably expect to live too much longer before the law of averages catches up to
me either by accident, crime, or natural causes.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 27:3-4 . . Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and
go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as
I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I
die.

The Hebrew translated soul is a very common word for all creatures great and small
in the Old Testament beginning at Gen 1:20.

Man is not only a soul (Gen 2:7) but according to Gen 27:4, Gen 34:2, and a host
of other passages, man also has a soul; so it turns out that nephesh is a bit
ambiguous.

A pretty good paraphrase for a portion of the passage above would be "that I may
bless you from the core of my being". (viz: the bottom of his heart)

The episode that takes place next in chapter 27 is an incredibly clownish deception.
It is difficult to understand how supposedly mature adults like Rebecca and Jacob
could ever seriously ponder such a silly scheme.

It was customary in Jacob's day to mark solemn occasions with a feast; like the one
Isaac prepared for Abimelech when they swore an oath together in chapter 26. And
since the blessing Isaac resolved to bestow upon Esau was such an important one,
it seemed appropriate that the solemnities should be marked by a feast of wild
meat provided by Esau's own personal hunting skills.

However, father and son didn't reckon on the God factor, and they surely didn't
reckon on Rebecca's wiles. Their little party is not going to happen because this
sharp gal from up north anticipated this very day and is all set to implement a little
fiesta of her own.

● Gen 27:5a . . Rebecca had been listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau.

We might ask: Why was Rebecca so concerned anyway? Didn't God decree the
firstborn's rights to Jacob? Then Jacob will get them anyway; won't he?

Yes. Jacob would eventually end up with the firstborn's rights anyway; but the
problem was: the outgoing patriarch had to impart the blessing and obviously Mr.
Isaac wasn't inclined to do so. It appears to me that Isaac was actually going to
attempt to circumvent God's wishes and I honestly think it was because he was
afraid of alienating his favorite son.

Rebecca wasn't stupid, nor inclined to superstition. I seriously doubt she was silly
enough to believe the words of the blessing themselves held sufficient magic to
confer the firstborn's rights upon Jacob just because he happened to be in the room
and hear them as they were spoken in his direction. After all, it was all done under
false pretenses and a fake ID. No court in the land would uphold anything obtained
by a fraud like that. But her scheme was designed to do something else entirely.

I believe her intent was to wake Isaac up and make him return to his senses. The
man did fear God. That much is beyond question. But he was lax in his patriarchal
duties. Before this is over, he will regret his laxity very, very much.

● Gen 27:5b-7 . .When Esau had gone out into the open to hunt game to bring
home, Rebecca said to her son Jacob: I overheard your father speaking to your
brother Esau, saying: Bring me some game and prepare a dish for me to eat, that I
may bless you, with the Lord's approval, before I die.

That's not really what Isaac said. It appears that Rebecca embellished a little and
added "with the Lord's approval." Compare Gen 3:3 where Eve embellished God's
instructions in Gen 2:17 where He didn't forbid them to "touch" the fruit; no, only
to eat it.

● Gen 27:8 . . Now, my son, listen carefully as I instruct you.

Cool as a vice cop, Rebecca executes Plan A with the step by step precision of a
well arranged sting. I can just visualize her grip upon Jacob's arm, gazing up into
his face with a most intense look, as she gears him up to get started on his part of
the scheme to trick his father into mistaking Jacob for Esau.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 27:9a . . Go to the flock and fetch me two choice kids,

Why two? Well, for one thing: deer produce a much larger quantity of meat than a
little bitty kid. It's true Isaac couldn't possibly eat a whole deer at one sitting, but
Rebecca can only use parts of the kids that best resemble the venison cuts Isaac
prefers. And Esau more than likely cooked up a whole lot more than just one
serving. I think he typically brought his dad a heaping buffet and let him pick out
what he wanted; and anything left over was kept as victuals for the rest of the
house; which of course included Esau himself.

Rebecca is going to have to duplicate that setting as best as she can. And she will
too. After all, who was it taught those two boys how to cook in the first place? None
other than Becky Crocker.

● Gen 27:9b . . and I will make of them a dish for your father, such as he likes.

This is additional evidence that it wasn't merely the flavor of Esau's cooking that
made Isaac love him. Rebecca could duplicate the taste of venison with goat meat
so that you couldn't tell the one from the other.

● Gen 27:10a-11a . .Then take it to your father to eat, in order that he may bless
you before he dies. Jacob answered his mother Rebecca: But....

Jacob straight away sees where his mom is going with this and likes it. However . .
there's just one problem: Rebecca can duplicate Esau's cooking; but how will Jacob
duplicate Esau? They didn't have the benefit of slick Hollywood make-up artists in
those days so how are they going to make Jacob look (or rather, feel) like his
brother?

Well, they have Isaac's poor eyesight to their advantage; so Jacob's appearance
won't have to be all that accurate. But they will need at least one prosthetic: body
hair.

● Gen 27:11b-12 . . my brother Esau is a hairy man and I am smooth-skinned. If
my father touches me, I shall appear to him as a trickster and bring upon myself a
curse, not a blessing.

Isaac might get the wrong idea and think that Jacob is poking fun at his bad
eyesight by playing a dumb trick on him. That would hurt the old boy's feelings a
great deal to think that his 75 year-old son thought so little of him as to perpetrate
such a cruel prank; which of course would warrant a curse; because it is not only
cruel to play tricks on the blind, but, even worse, to be cruel to one's parents.

● Gen 27:13 . . But his mother said to him: Your curse, my son, be upon me! Just
do as I say and go fetch them for me.

That's the oldest ploy in the book. It's the very same reasoning the German military
guards used to justify their duties at Auschwitz and Dachau. "You can't blame us"
they said; "We only did what we were told." That seems reasonable enough. After
all, the ones in charge are really responsible; right?

Wrong. The midwives of Ex 1:15-17 could have used the very same excuse; but
didn't. And God commended them for fearing Him. If they had obeyed Pharaoh,
they would have received condemnation instead. Everyone bears their own personal
responsibility and has a duty to raise conscientious objections.

In other words: it is a sin to violate your conscience. Yes, soldiers and minor
children are to obey their superiors-- but to the point of compromising their
integrity? I should think not.

"Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves." (Rom
14:22)

But Rebecca needed some leverage to keep Jacob in the game. By playing the "filial
authority" card, she persuaded Jacob to stay on track. However; I think Jacob the
supplanter really wanted to pull this thing off and just needed a way to appease his
own misgivings about it; so it wasn't too difficult to win him over.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 27:14-15 . . He got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother
prepared a dish such as his father liked. Rebecca then took the best clothes of her
older son Esau, which were there in the house, and had her younger son Jacob put
them on;

The Hebrew word for "house" basically means a dwelling (in the greatest variation
of applications), including family.

Does that mean Rebecca lived in a permanent structure? I don't think so. In Gen
6:14 it implicates the interior of the ark. At Gen 7:1 it implicates Noah's family, and
quite possibly even all their belongings-- a regular Noah's Family Robinson. At Gen
15:2, it implicates Abraham's entire estate: his tents, his livestock, and his
servants.

Some have proposed that Esau's best clothes were special-- for religious
observances --like the garments that priests might wear. But that certainly doesn't
fit Esau's character. I think it was just a nice outfit of some sort, maybe even the
one he got married in. But anyway, they sure didn't get washed often because his
clothes usually smelled like the outdoors-- and that could mean anything from plain
old dirt to wild flowers and meadow grass.

But why were those clothes (viz: his cleanest dirty shirts) in Rebecca's home? I
believe it was because Rebecca anticipated this very day and kept them right there
handy so she could put them on Jacob when the time came. And that is why she
never washed the smell out of them. Jacob of course was very likely a tidy sort of
guy and kept his clothes clean. But Esau was a rugged outdoor type whose clothes
you would expect to have an odor.

● Gen 27:16 . . and she covered his hands and the hairless part of his neck with the
skins of the kids.

Those hides would still be raw and untreated. So Rebecca had to scrub and scrape
to get all the fat and blood off so they wouldn't have a visceral smell to them. Yuck!
That's reminiscent of scenes from Silence Of The Lambs.

● Gen 27:17 . .Then she put in the hands of her son Jacob the dish and the bread
that she had prepared.

Yummy. From the kitchen of Becky Crocker; with biscuits and gravy too. Well, this
is as far as Rebecca can go. Now it's all up to Mr. Jacob to pull this off. Good luck
dude. Don't chicken out now. HUWAH! (Navy SEAL cheer)

● Gen 27:18-19a . . He went to his father and said: Father. And he said: Yes, which
of my sons are you? Jacob said to his father: I am Esau, your first-born; I have
done as you told me.

That man makes me proud. No mumbling, no stuttering, no hesitation-- right to it.
Yes; he is a big fat liar. But I love it. You watch. Any day now he'll get a letter in
the mail from CIA recruiters praising his moral flexibility.

● Gen 27:19b-20 . . Pray sit up and eat of my game, that you may give me your
innermost blessing. Isaac said to his son: How did you succeed so quickly, my son?
And he said: Because The Lord your God granted me good fortune.

What did he say!? My golly that man had chutzpah! He actually dragged the name
of God into the lie. Now Jacob will be condemned to the lower regions for sure; or
will he? No.

"I say unto you: that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 8:11)

● Gen 27:21-23 . . Isaac said to Jacob: Come closer that I may feel you, my son--
whether you are really my son Esau or not. So Jacob drew close to his father Isaac,
who felt him and wondered: The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the
hands of Esau. He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of
his brother Esau; and so he blessed him.

So then, in spite of their twin-ness, there was enough of a difference in the
brothers' voices to be discernible. However, Rebecca somehow attached size-cut
pieces of young goat skin on the backs of Jacob's hands and fingers with some sort
of toupee adhesive so it would feel to Isaac as if it were a man's natural hairs. That
was a pretty good trick; and would probably land her a job as a Hollywood make-up
artist.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Gen 27:24 . . He asked: Are you truly my son Esau? And when he said: I am,

Some people are of the opinion that Jacob was a mama's boy. Well, maybe he was.
But one thing he had that most mama's boys don't; and it's a level head under
stress. Jacob was as calm and calculating as a test pilot all during this incident.

I tell you, that man amazes me. I bet Rebecca was just outside the door sweating
bullets while all this was going on; hoping and praying that Jacob not lose his cool
and bolt out of the room in a panic. This is just the kind of cool under fire that the
Secret Service looks for.

● Gen 27:25 . . he said: Serve me and let me eat of my son's game that I may give
you my innermost blessing. So he served him and he ate, and he brought him wine
and he drank.

The wine was probably out in the kitchen. When Jacob went back to get it, don't
you think Rebecca hugged him and gave him a great big thumbs up? I do. Those
two were a team! The original Mission Impossible task force.

While Isaac was eating, he and Jacob probably chatted. About what; I don't have a
clue. But Jacob managed to pull it off like a pro. Isaac really thought he was talking
with Esau.

● Gen 27:26-27 . .Then his father Isaac said to him: Come close and kiss me, my
son. And he went up and kissed him. And he smelled his clothes and he blessed
him, saying, Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of the fields that the Lord has
blessed.

Esau probably always smelled like that and Rebecca took full advantage of it.

● Gen 27:28 . . May God give you of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth,
abundance of new grain and wine.

The benediction, first of all, regards things in nature necessary for prosperity in an
agrarian economy-- e.g. rain, fertile soil, and abundant yields.

● Gen 27:29a . . Let peoples serve you, And nations bow to you;

Jacob's progeny has exercised political dominance over many nations in the past, most especially during Solomon's period. Today they're in a slump. But that benediction isn't dead yet; no, not by a long sea mile. In the future, Israel will be the seat of world power and the center for religious studies. You'd never know it to look at Jacob's condition today; but it's going to happen.

● Gen 27:29b . . Be master over your brothers, and let your mother's sons bow to
you.

His "mother's sons" right then only amounted to (in Isaac's mind) just one: Mr.
Jacob. But Rebecca became a grandma and today her sons can't even be
numbered. Every one of them are required to reverence Jacob as their superior
because he, along with Isaac and Abraham, is a member of the elite fraternity of
senior patriarchs.

* The Hebrew word translated "brothers" isn't limited to siblings. It refers to any
and all male kindred just as the word for sisters refers to any and all female kin,
e.g. Gen 24:60.
_