Genesis 27:19

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 Jacob {H3290} said {H559} unto his father {H1}, I am Esau {H6215} thy firstborn {H1060}; I have done {H6213} according as thou badest {H1696} me: arise {H6965}, I pray thee, sit {H3427} and eat {H398} of my venison {H6718}, that thy soul {H5315} may bless {H1288} me.

Ya'akov said to his father, "I am 'Esav your firstborn. I've done what you asked me to do. Get up now, sit down, eat the game, and then give me your blessing."

Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may bless me.”

And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Commentary

Genesis 27:19 marks a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative of Jacob and Esau, where Jacob directly deceives his blind father Isaac to secure the patriarchal blessing meant for his elder brother, Esau.

Context of Genesis 27:19

This verse is at the heart of a calculated deception orchestrated by Rebekah, Jacob's mother, who overheard Isaac's instructions to Esau regarding the blessing. Isaac, old and blind, desired to give his firstborn Esau the traditional blessing before his death. Rebekah, favoring Jacob, devised a plan for Jacob to impersonate Esau (Genesis 27:6-10), including preparing savory meat and dressing Jacob in Esau's clothes. In this verse, Jacob, having followed his mother's instructions, stands before his father and brazenly lies, claiming to be Esau, asking Isaac to eat the prepared venison so he might receive the coveted blessing.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Deception and Dishonesty: The most prominent theme is Jacob's outright lie: "I [am] Esau thy firstborn." This act highlights the human tendency to resort to manipulation and falsehoods to achieve desired outcomes, even when God's promise is involved.
  • Seeking Blessing by Unethical Means: While Jacob desired the blessing, which was significant in ancient Israelite culture, his method was deeply flawed. He sought to force a divine promise through human deceit, rather than trusting in God's sovereignty and timing, as seen in the earlier prophecy concerning the brothers (Genesis 25:23).
  • Consequences of Sin: This act of deception sets in motion a long chain of events, including the deep animosity of Esau towards Jacob (Genesis 27:41), Jacob's flight from home, and later, Jacob himself being deceived by Laban (Genesis 29:25). The narrative powerfully illustrates that even when God's ultimate plan prevails, human sin has real and often painful consequences.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "I [am] Esau thy firstborn" is stark in its simplicity and directness. The KJV's bracketed "am" indicates it's supplied for grammatical flow in English, but the Hebrew original conveys the same bold declaration: "I Esau your firstborn." There's no ambiguity; Jacob is clearly stating a falsehood with the intention to defraud.

Practical Application

Genesis 27:19 serves as a powerful reminder about the dangers of impatience and the futility of using dishonest means, even for what might seem like a "good" end. It encourages believers to:

  • Trust God's Timing: Rather than manipulating circumstances, we are called to patiently wait for God to fulfill His promises in His way and time.
  • Live with Integrity: The passage underscores the importance of truthfulness and integrity in all our dealings. Deception, even if seemingly successful in the short term, often leads to long-term pain and complicated relationships.
  • Understand God's Sovereignty: Despite Jacob's sin, God's ultimate plan for the lineage of the Messiah through Jacob was fulfilled. This does not excuse Jacob's actions but shows God's amazing ability to work through imperfect human beings and their choices, bringing about His purposes.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 26:70 (4 votes)

    But he denied before [them] all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

  • Matthew 26:74 (4 votes)

    Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

  • Isaiah 28:15 (4 votes)

    Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

  • Zechariah 13:3 (4 votes)

    And it shall come to pass, [that] when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

  • Zechariah 13:4 (4 votes)

    And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

  • Genesis 27:21 (3 votes)

    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.

  • Genesis 27:24 (3 votes)

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