PrevGenesis 27:32Next

Genesis 27

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.

And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

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.

And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

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:

And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

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.

And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

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:

And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

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.

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.

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.

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.

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

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.

And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

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:

Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

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.

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.

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.

And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

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.

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.

And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

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?

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?

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.

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;

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.

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.

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.

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

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?

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?

What does Genesis 27:32 mean?

Genesis 27:32

"And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau."

Meaning and Explanation

Genesis 27:32 records a pivotal moment of painful discovery in the patriarchal narrative.

The verse captures the exact instant Isaac realizes his son Jacob has deceived him, stealing the blessing intended for his older brother, Esau.

The exchange is raw and direct: Isaac asks, "Who art thou?" and Jacob, maintaining the ruse one final time, lies, "I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau." This moment crystallizes the tragic consequences of family favoritism, human cunning, and the tension between divine election and flawed human methods.

The verse's power lies in its stark simplicity and dramatic irony.

Isaac's question, "Who art thou?" (mi 'attah), echoes through the chamber, heavy with dawning horror.

He has just bestowed the irrevocable patriarchal blessing, a spiritual and material inheritance carrying covenant promises, upon the wrong son.

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Jacob's reply is a complete, three-part falsehood: he claims to be the son (which is true), thy son in this context (implying Esau), and the firstborn (which he is not).

This deception shatters the family, forcing Jacob into exile and leaving Esau embittered.

The verse matters because it confronts us with uncomfortable truths: God's sovereign plans (the blessing of Jacob was prophesied) advance even through human sin and brokenness, yet those actions carry severe and lasting earthly consequences.

Quick Reference

Attribute	Detail
Book	Genesis
Testament	Old Testament
Genre	Patriarchal Narrative
Author	Traditionally Moses
Audience	The people of Israel
Key Theme	Deception, Stolen Blessing, Covenant

Context

Immediate Context

This verse is the climax of Genesis 27.

The chapter opens with the aged, blind Isaac preparing to give his formal blessing to his favored son, Esau, after a meal of wild game (vv. 1-5).

Rebekah, who favors Jacob, overhears and orchestrates a complex deception.

She dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes, covers his smooth skin with goat skins, and prepares the meal herself (vv. 6-17).

In the preceding verses (vv. 18-31), Jacob, pretending to be Esau, successfully receives the blessing.

Verse 32 begins immediately after the blessing is complete: "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." Isaac's question in our verse is his shocked response to the real Esau's arrival.

The verses that follow (33-40) describe Isaac's uncontrollable trembling, Esau's bitter weeping and plea for a blessing, and the giving of a lesser, subservient blessing to Esau.

Book Context

This event occurs within the "Toledot of Isaac" (Gen. 25:19-35:29), the section tracing Isaac's family line.

The entire Jacob-Esau narrative (Gen. 25-35) is central to Genesis's theme of divine election and covenant continuity.

God had already revealed to Rebekah that "the older shall serve the younger" (25:23).

This story shows the dysfunctional human attempt to "fulfill" this divine word through deceit, contrasting human impatience with God's sovereign timing.

The stolen blessing sets in motion Jacob's flight to Haran, where God will meet, chasten, and rename him Israel.

The book's purpose of tracing the chosen line through which blessing will come to all nations (12:3) is advanced, even through this morally ambiguous event.

Cultural Background

Understanding this scene requires knowledge of two key ancient Near Eastern institutions:

The Birthright (bekhorah): This was the right of the firstborn son to a double portion of the family inheritance (Deut. 21:17) and leadership of the clan. Esau had already despised and sold his birthright to Jacob for stew (Gen. 25:29-34). The birthright was a legal and economic privilege that could be transferred.
The Patriarchal Blessing (berakhah): This was distinct from the birthright. It was an oral, prophetic declaration made by the father that carried spiritual potency and determined the future destiny of the sons. It was considered irrevocable and efficacious—once spoken, it could not be taken back, even if obtained by fraud (as Isaac confirms in 27:33-35). The blessing invoked God's favor, prosperity, and authority. In this culture, the words themselves were seen as having power to shape reality.

The deception exploited specific sensory cues: the smell of Esau's clothes, the feel of goat-hair mimicking Esau's hairy skin, and the taste of the meal.

Isaac's blindness made him reliant on these secondary senses, which Rebekah and Jacob meticulously manipulated.

Literary Features

Feature	Description
Irony	Profound dramatic irony pervades the scene. The reader knows Jacob is deceiving his blind father, while Isaac is unaware. Further irony lies in Isaac's earlier preference for Esau the hunter, while God's chosen was "a plain man, dwelling in tents" (25:27).
Repetition	The keyword "bless" (barakh) is used over 20 times in the chapter, emphasizing the scene's central action. The dialogue is taut and repetitive, heightening the tension.
Characterization	The verse succinctly reveals character: Isaac's passive confusion, Jacob's brazen continuation of the lie, and by implication, Esau's delayed arrival.
Foreshadowing	Jacob's deception foreshadows his own future deception by Laban (who will substitute Leah for Rachel) and the deception of Joseph's brothers using a goat's blood (Gen. 37:31).

Word Study

Original Word	Transliteration	Meaning	Strong's	Significance
מִי	mi	Who?	H4310	A simple interrogative, here expressing shock, confusion, and dread.
בְּכֹר	bekhor	Firstborn	H1060	The key contested title. It signifies priority, rank, and the inheritance rights Jacob has now stolen completely, having already acquired the birthright.

Grammar and Syntax: Jacob's reply, "I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau," uses the Hebrew independent personal pronoun 'anoki ("I").

This adds emphasis to the false identity he is claiming: "I myself am your son..." The syntax piles identification upon false identification for persuasive force.

Translation Comparison

Translation	Rendering of Genesis 27:32
KJV	And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
NIV	His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”
ESV	His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
NASB	His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
NLT	“Who are you?” Isaac asked. “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau,” he replied.

All major translations are functionally identical, capturing the direct and devastating dialogue. The NLT's use of "It's your son" adds a slightly more colloquial tone.

Theological Significance

This morally complex verse touches on several profound theological themes:

Doctrine	Contribution
God's Sovereignty vs. Human Responsibility	The event starkly presents the tension between God's elective purpose (Mal. 1:2-3; Rom. 9:10-13) and sinful human action. God's will for Jacob to receive the blessing was clear (25:23), but Rebekah and Jacob chose deceit. The story does not excuse the sin but shows God's sovereignty in working through and in spite of it.
The Efficacy of the Spoken Word	The blessing, once uttered, is treated as ontologically powerful and unchangeable. This reflects a biblical view of God-endowed words having real-world consequences (cf. God's creative word in Genesis 1).
Sin and Consequences	The verse is a nexus of sin: dishonoring parents (Ex. 20:12), deceit, and theft. While God's plan advances, the consequences are immediate and long-lasting: family fracture, fear, and decades of exile for Jacob.

Typology and Foreshadowing

This verse itself is not typically seen as a direct type of Christ.

However, the broader narrative of Jacob carries typological significance in Christian tradition.

Jacob, the chosen yet flawed younger son who receives blessing, can be seen as a type for:

The Church (Gentiles), who, though not the "firstborn" (Israel), are grafted into the covenant blessings through Christ (Rom. 11:17-24).
Every Believer, who, like Jacob, receives a blessing (adoption, inheritance) not by their own merit but by God's electing grace.

The deception, however, is never glorified or presented as a model.

The true blessing and new identity (Israel) come only after Jacob's wrestling with God (Gen. 32), a picture of repentance and transformation.

Interpretive Perspectives

Jewish Interpretation

Rabbinic commentary (midrash) often seeks to justify or contextualize the actions of the patriarchs.

Some traditions suggest Rebekah and Jacob acted prophetically, knowing Esau was wicked and that God's will must be effected.

The deception is sometimes minimized by noting that Jacob, who dwelt in tents studying, was more worthy of the spiritual blessing, while Esau, a violent hunter, was not.

Other traditions are critical, noting the suffering Jacob later endured as measure-for-measure justice for his deceit.

Historical Christian Interpretation

Early Church Fathers (e.g., Augustine): Often focused on the allegorical sense: Jacob (representing the spirit or the Church) supplanting Esau (representing the flesh or Israel according to the flesh). They grappled with the morality, typically condemning the deceit but affirming God's overriding elective purpose.
Reformation (e.g., Calvin): Emphasized the doctrine of election, as seen in Romans 9. Calvin strongly asserts that the blessing was Jacob's by God's eternal decree, and while the method was sinful, the outcome reveals God's mysterious justice and grace.
Modern Scholarship: Tends to analyze the story as a brilliant literary composition exploring family dynamics, the conflict between nomadic and settled lifestyles, and the theme of younger-superseding-elder. Many see it as an etiological tale explaining the historical relationship between Israel (Jacob) and Edom (Esau).

Difficulties and Questions

What Makes This Verse Difficult?

The primary difficulty is theological and moral: How can God's chosen vessel (Jacob) and the continuity of the covenant promise be associated with such a blatant, successful act of deception? Does this imply God condones sin to achieve His ends?

Common Misunderstandings

That God approved of the deception. The text does not say this. It narrates the event without moral commentary at the moment, but the immediate and prolonged suffering of all involved—Rebekah never sees Jacob again, Jacob lives in fear and is himself deceived, the family is broken—serves as a clear indictment of their methods.
That the ends justify the means. The biblical narrative consistently contradicts this. God's promise was sure (25:23); their lack of faith in God's timing and method led to tragedy.

Apparent Contradictions

Some ask how a God of truth could use a lie to advance His covenant.

The resolution lies in understanding God's permissive will.

God permits human free will, even to sin, and His sovereign wisdom is capable of weaving those sinful choices into His ultimate redemptive plan without being the author of sin (Acts 2:23).

The sin is wholly human; the ultimate fulfillment of the promise is wholly divine.

Cross-References

Reference	Connection
Genesis 25:23	God's prior revelation to Rebekah that "the older shall serve the younger," providing the divine backdrop for the human drama.
Genesis 25:29-34	Esau despising and selling his birthright to Jacob, showing Jacob's prior claim to the legal right, but not the blessing.
Genesis 27:33	Isaac's terrified realization that the blessing is irrevocable: "Yea, and he shall be blessed."
Hebrews 12:16-17	New Testament commentary on Esau as a godless man who sold his birthright and later found no chance to repent, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Romans 9:10-13	Paul's reference to God's elective love for Jacob over Esau before they were born, grounding the event in divine sovereignty.

Application

This narrative warns against attempting to achieve God-given promises through ungodly means.

Life Area	Application
Family & Relationships	The destructive fruit of parental favoritism and sibling rivalry. It challenges parents to love impartially and siblings to resolve conflict rightly.
Faith & Patience	A caution against manipulating circumstances out of fear or impatience, rather than trusting God's timing and methods. We are called to walk in integrity (Prov. 10:9) while waiting on God.
Consequences of Sin	Even when forgiven, our sins can have long-term, painful consequences that affect us and others. This encourages truthfulness and facing conflict directly.
God's Grace	For those who have manipulated or deceived, the story ultimately points to God's grace. Jacob was still loved, still chosen, and still transformed—not because of his deceit, but in spite of it. This offers hope for restoration.

Related Verses

Genesis 29:25: Jacob is deceived by Laban, experiencing a form of poetic justice.
Genesis 32:22-30: Jacob wrestles with God, is renamed Israel, and is truly transformed.
Proverbs 3:5-6: The antidote to Rebekah and Jacob's actions: "Trust in the LORD... lean not on your own understanding."
Ephesians 4:25: "Put away falsehood... speak the truth."
James 4:2-3: Contrasts wrong methods ("you covet... you kill") with trusting God to give good gifts.

Genesis 27

Genesis 27

What does Genesis 27:32 mean?

Meaning and Explanation

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Quick Reference

Context

Immediate Context

Book Context

Cultural Background

Literary Features

Word Study

Translation Comparison

Theological Significance

Typology and Foreshadowing

Interpretive Perspectives

Jewish Interpretation

Historical Christian Interpretation

Difficulties and Questions

What Makes This Verse Difficult?

Common Misunderstandings

Apparent Contradictions

Cross-References

Application

Related Verses

Want more context?

What does Genesis 27:32 mean?

Meaning and Explanation

Top Rated Genesis Books

Quick Reference

Context

Immediate Context

Book Context

Cultural Background

Literary Features

Word Study

Translation Comparison

Theological Significance

Typology and Foreshadowing

Interpretive Perspectives

Jewish Interpretation

Historical Christian Interpretation

Difficulties and Questions

What Makes This Verse Difficult?

Common Misunderstandings

Apparent Contradictions

Cross-References

Application

Related Verses

Want more context?