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Commentary on Genesis 27 verses 30–40
Here is, I. The covenant-blessing denied to Esau. He that made so light of the birthright would now have inherited the blessing, but he was rejected, and found no place of repentance in his father, though he sought it carefully with tears, Heb 12:17. Observe, 1. How carefully he sought it. He prepared the savoury meat, as his father had directed him, and then begged the blessing which his father had encouraged him to expect, Gen 27:31. When he understood that Jacob had obtained it surreptitiously, he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, Gen 27:34. No man could have laid the disappointment more to heart than he did; he made his father's tent to ring with his grief, and again (Gen 27:38) lifted up his voice and wept. Note, The day is coming when those that now make light of the blessings of the covenant, and sell their title to them for a thing of nought, will in vain be importunate for them. Those that will not so much as ask and seek now will knock shortly, and cry, Lord, Lord. Slighters of Christ will then be humble suitors to him. 2. How he was rejected. Isaac, when first made sensible of the imposition that had been practised on him, trembled exceedingly, Gen 27:33. Those that follow the choice of their own affections, rather than the dictates of the divine will, involve themselves in such perplexities as these. But he soon recovers himself, and ratifies the blessing he had given to Jacob: I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed; he might, upon very plausible grounds, have recalled it, but now, at last, he is sensible that he was in an error when he designed it for Esau. Either himself recollecting the divine oracle, or rather having found himself more than ordinarily filled with the Holy Ghost when he gave the blessing to Jacob, he perceived that God did, as it were, say Amen to it. Now, (1.) Jacob was hereby confirmed in his possession of the blessing, and abundantly satisfied of the validity of it, though he obtained it fraudulently; hence too he had reason to hope that God graciously overlooked and pardoned his misconduct. (2.) Isaac hereby acquiesced in the will of God, though it contradicted his own expectations and affection. He had a mind to give Esau the blessing, but, when he perceived the will of God was otherwise, he submitted; and this he did by faith (Heb 11:20), as Abraham before him, when he had solicited for Ishmael. May not God do what he will with his own? (3.) Esau hereby was cut off from the expectation of that special blessing which he thought to have preserved to himself when he sold his birthright. We, by this instance, are taught, [1.] That it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy, Rom 9:16. The apostle seems to allude to this story. Esau had a good will to the blessing, and ran for it; but God that showed mercy designed it for Jacob, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, Rom 9:11. The Jews, like Esau, hunted after the law of righteousness (Rom 9:31), yet missed of the blessing of righteousness, because they sought it by the works of the law (Rom 9:32); while the Gentiles, who, like Jacob, sought it by faith in the oracle of God, obtained it by force, with that violence which the kingdom of heaven suffers. See Mat 11:12. [2.] That those who undervalue their spiritual birthright, and can afford to sell it for a morsel of meat, forfeit spiritual blessings, and it is just with God to deny them those favours they were careless of. Those that will part with their wisdom and grace, with their faith and a good conscience, for the honours, wealth, or pleasures, of this world, however they may pretend a zeal for the blessing, have already judged themselves unworthy of it, and so shall their doom be. [3.] That those who lift up hands in wrath lift them up in vain. Esau, instead of repenting of his own folly, reproached his brother, unjustly charged him with taking away the birthright which he had fairly sold to him (Gen 27:36), and conceived malice against him for what he had now done, Gen 27:41. Those are not likely to speed in prayer who turn those resentments upon their brethren which they should turn upon themselves, and lay the blame of their miscarriages upon others, when they should take shame to themselves. [4.] That those who seek not till it is too late will be rejected. This was the ruin of Esau, he did not come in time. As there is an accepted time, a time when God will be found, so there is a time when he will not answer those that call upon him, because they neglected the appointed season. See Pro 1:28. The time of God's patience and our probation will not last always; the day of grace will come to an end, and the door will be shut. Then many that now despise the blessing will seek it carefully; for then they will know how to value it, and will see themselves undone, for ever undone, without it, but to no purpose, Luk 13:25-27. O that we would therefore, in this our day, know the things that belong to our peace!
II. Here is a common blessing bestowed upon Esau.
1.This he desired: Bless me also, Gen 27:34. Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? Gen 27:36. Note, (1.) The worst of men know how to wish well to themselves; and even those who profanely sell their birthright seem piously to desire the blessing. Faint desires of happiness, without a right choice of the end and a right use of the means, deceive many into their own ruin. Multitudes go to hell with their mouths full of good wishes. The desire of the slothful and unbelieving kills them. Many will seek to enter in, as Esau, who shall not be able, because they do not strive, Luk 13:24. (2.) It is the folly of most men that they are willing to take up with any good (Psa 4:6), as Esau here, who desired but a second-rate blessing, a blessing separated from the birthright. Profane hearts think any blessing as good as that from God's oracle: Hast thou but one? As if he had said, "I will take up with any: though I have not the blessing of the church, yet let me have some blessing."
2.This he had; and let him make his best of it, Gen 27:39, Gen 27:40.
(1.)It was a good thing, and better than he deserved. It was promised him, [1.] That he should have a competent livelihood - the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven. Note, Those that come short of the blessings of the covenant may yet have a very good share of outward blessings. God gives good ground and good weather to many that reject his covenant, and have no part nor lot in it. [2.] That by degrees he should recover his liberty. If Jacob must rule (Gen 27:29), Esau must serve; but he has this to comfort him, he shall live by his sword. He shall serve, but he shall not starve; and, at length, after much skirmishing, he shall break the yoke of bondage, and wear marks of freedom. This was fulfilled (Kg2 8:20, Kg2 8:22) when the Edomites revolted.
(2.)Yet it was far short of Jacob's blessing. For him God had reserved some better thing. [1.] In Jacob's blessing the dew of heaven is put first, as that which he most valued, and desired, and depended upon; in Esau's the fatness of the earth is put first, for it was this that he had the first and principal regard to. [2.] Esau has these, but Jacob has them from God's hand: God give thee the dew of heaven, Gen 27:28. It was enough to Esau to have the possession; but Jacob desired it by promise, and to have it from covenant-love. [3.] Jacob shall have dominion over his brethren: hence the Israelites often ruled over the Edomites. Esau shall have dominion, that is, he shall gain some power and interest, but shall never have dominion over his brother: we never find that the Jews were sold into the hands of the Edomites, or that they oppressed them. But the great difference in that there is nothing in Esau's blessing that points at Christ, nothing that brings him or his into the church and covenant of God, without which the fatness of the earth, and the plunder of the field, will stand him in little stead. Thus Isaac by faith blessed them both according as their lot should be. Some observe that Jacob was blessed with a kiss (Gen 27:27), so was not Esau.
Are the words spoken there by the blessed Isaac meant either as a blessing or as a prophecy? It is necessary to understand the previous statement. This is what he says: “By the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and by the dew of heaven above.” In fact, it happens that the people settled down in the land of the Canaanites, which they shared with Joshua, son of Nun. And the words of Isaac “and by the dew of heaven above” signify that the prophets, like a cloud, left them soaked in dew after revealing to them the oracles of God.
But why was it after being “roughly handled” that Isaac gave his blessing? For in the last resort what Isaac said to Esau was spoken under constraint and force: “Behold, your dwelling will be by the fruitfulness of the earth and by the dew of heaven.” And in case you should imagine yourself for that reason to be good—“You shall live by your sword and be servant to your brother.” But in order that you shouldn’t despair of yourself, since you can after all correct yourself—“But the time will come when you will put off and undo the yoke from your neck.” There you are, he will receive of the fruitfulness of the earth and of the dew of heaven. But when Isaac is roughly handled, he throws this blessing at him. He does not give it to him. Doesn’t it happen now in the church with evil people who want to cause trouble in the church that they are tolerated for the sake of peace, that they are admitted to share in the common sacraments? And sometimes it is public knowledge that they are evil, but for some reason or other they cannot be convicted of it. No proof or conviction can be obtained so that they may be corrected and removed from office, excluded, excommunicated. If someone presses charges, it sometimes comes to the disruption of the church. The church leader is forced in effect to say, “Here you are with the fruitfulness of the earth and the dew of heaven; make use of the sacraments; you are eating judgment to yourself, you are drinking judgment to yourself. “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself.” “You know that you are being admitted to the sacraments for the sake of the peace of the church; all you have at heart is stirring up trouble and causing divisions. That is why you will live by the sword. For as to what you receive from the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, you won’t live by that. That gives you no delight; you do not see that the Lord is sweet. If this did give you delight, if you did find the Lord sweet, you would imitate the Lord’s humility instead of the devil’s pride.” So although he receives the mystery of the Lord’s humility from the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, he does not set aside the pride of the devil (may I have nothing to do with him!) who always takes pleasure in quarrels and dissension. “Yes, you may have this communion in the dew of heaven and the fruitfulness of the earth, but all the same you are living by your sword, and either rejoicing in the quarrels and dissension, or being scared out of your wits by them. So change yourself, and take the yoke from your neck.”
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SUMMARY
Genesis 27:39 records Isaac's secondary blessing bestowed upon his son Esau, a pronouncement made after Jacob's deceptive acquisition of the primary patriarchal blessing. This verse delineates the nature of Esau's inheritance, promising him a dwelling characterized by earthly prosperity and a measure of divine provision, distinct from the more comprehensive spiritual and covenantal blessing secured by Jacob. It reflects Isaac's paternal affection and the enduring impact of prophetic words, even amidst profound human error and divine sovereignty.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Isaac's words to Esau, though secondary, delineate a blessing focused primarily on material abundance and a specific dwelling place, reflecting a paternal desire to provide for his son within the constraints of the already-given primary blessing.
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The language of Genesis 27:39 employs several literary devices to convey its meaning and emotional weight. Metaphor is evident in "the fatness of the earth" and "the dew of heaven," which are not literal substances but symbolic representations of material prosperity and divine provision, respectively. The phrase "fatness of the earth" is an evocative idiom for agricultural richness and abundance. There is also a subtle contrast implied with Jacob's blessing in Genesis 27:28, which also mentions "the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth," but adds "and plenty of corn and wine," and crucially, dominion over peoples. The addition of "from above" in Esau's blessing, while seemingly redundant, might serve as a subtle differentiation, hinting at a less direct or less comprehensive divine favor compared to Jacob's, which explicitly invokes God's active giving. This passage also functions as foreshadowing, predicting the future prosperity and geographical settlement of Esau's descendants, the Edomites.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 27:39, while a blessing of earthly provision, stands in stark contrast to the primary, covenantal blessing given to Jacob. It powerfully illustrates the distinction between material prosperity and the deeper spiritual inheritance tied to God's redemptive plan. While God, in His general providence, provides for all humanity, the specific, covenantal blessings are reserved for those within His chosen lineage. Esau's blessing, though significant for his earthly existence, lacks the spiritual depth, the promise of dominion over nations, and the direct connection to the Abrahamic covenant that Jacob received. This narrative underscores God's unwavering sovereignty, demonstrating His ability to work through human choices and even deceptions to accomplish His preordained purposes, as He had declared before the twins' birth that the elder would serve the younger. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the eternal consequences of despising spiritual birthrights for temporal gratification.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 27:39 offers profound insights for believers today, urging us to carefully consider our priorities and the enduring impact of our choices. Esau's experience reminds us that while earthly provision and material comfort are gifts from God, they pale in comparison to the eternal blessings found in God's covenant and His spiritual promises. The narrative reinforces the truth of God's unwavering sovereignty, assuring us that His ultimate purposes will prevail despite human sin, manipulation, or even our own flawed attempts to achieve His will. Furthermore, it serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting that our choices, particularly those that disregard sacred things or involve deception, carry significant and often irreversible consequences, shaping not only our own lives but also the trajectory of future generations. We are called to value what God values, to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, trusting that all other necessary things will be provided.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Isaac give Esau any blessing after Jacob had already received the primary one?
Answer: Isaac's primary blessing to Jacob was not merely a parental wish but a prophetic pronouncement under divine inspiration, believed to be irrevocable once spoken. When Esau returned, Isaac was deeply distressed, realizing the profound implications of his words and the deception that had occurred. However, he recognized the binding nature of what he had spoken. His blessing to Esau, though secondary and focused on earthly provision, was an expression of a father's love and a recognition of Esau's existence and future, albeit one outside the specific covenantal line of promise. It also reflects God's general providence, providing for all humanity, not just His chosen people, ensuring that Esau and his descendants would also have a place and a measure of prosperity in the world.
What is the significance of "from above" in Esau's blessing compared to Jacob's?
Answer: The phrase "from above" (Hebrew, mima'al) is unique to Esau's blessing in Genesis 27:39. While both blessings mention "the dew of heaven," Jacob's blessing in Genesis 27:28 directly states, "God give thee of the dew of heaven," implying a direct, active giving by God. The addition of "from above" for Esau might subtly suggest a more general, perhaps less direct or less abundant, form of divine provision, or simply emphasizes the celestial source of the dew without the explicit connection to God's direct, personal giving that Jacob received. It highlights a distinction in the nature of the divine favor, with Jacob's being more comprehensive, covenantal, and explicitly tied to God's direct action, while Esau's is a blessing of general providence from the heavens.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Jacob and Esau, and the blessings they received, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Esau received an earthly blessing of "the fatness of the earth" and "the dew of heaven," Christ embodies the true spiritual blessing and the ultimate "firstborn" over all creation, through whom all spiritual blessings are poured out from the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). He is the true heir of the divine birthright, not obtained through deception or human striving, but through His perfect obedience, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection. Through Christ, the promises of the Abrahamic covenant are fulfilled for all who believe, transcending any earthly "fatness of the earth" or temporal provision. Believers in Christ receive the ultimate "dew of heaven" in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit, spiritual adoption, and eternal life, becoming co-heirs with Him to an everlasting kingdom that far surpasses any material or temporal inheritance (Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29). In Him, the spiritual dominion and abundant life promised to Jacob find their true and universal expression, extending beyond a physical lineage to all who are "in Christ" (Colossians 1:15-18).