Genesis 27:1 And he was, because He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) was old. And his eyes were weak from seeing. And he called Hairy (Esau) his big son. And he said unto him, “My son!” And he said unto him, “Behold I!” ²And he said, “Behold, na, I was old. I did not know a day of my death. ³And now, carry, na, thy utensils, thy quiver and thy bow, and exit the field. And hunt for me a hunting. ⁴And make for me tasties just as I loved. And bring to me. And I ate so that my being will bless thee before I will die.” ⁵And Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) hearkened into the word of He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) unto Hairy (Esau) his son. And Hairy (Esau) walked the field to hunt hunting to bring.

⁶And Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) said unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob) her son to say, “Behold, I hearkened to thy papa speaking unto Hairy (Esau) thy brother to say, ⁷‘Bring to me hunting. And make for me tasties. And I have eaten. And I have blessed thee to the faces of Yehovah to the faces of my death.’ ⁸And now, my son, hearken into my voice to what I am commanding thee. ⁹Walk, na, unto the flock. And take for me from there two good kids of goats. And I have made them tasties for thy papa just as he loved. ¹⁰And thou wilt bring to thy papa. And he will eat in order that he will bless thee to the faces of his death.” ¹¹And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said unto Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) his mother, “Behold, Hairy (Esau) my brother is a man of hair. And I am a smooth man. ¹²Perhaps my papa will grope me. And I will be in his eyes as a wander-wander-causer. And I will bring upon me light-esteeming and not a blessing.” ¹³And his mama said to him, “Thy light-esteeming is upon me, my son. But hearken into my voice. And walk. Take for me!”

¹⁴And he walked. And he took. And he came to his mama. And his mama made tasties just as his papa loved. ¹⁵And Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) took the favorite garments of Hairy (Esau) her big son that are with her in the inside. And She clothed He-Will-Heel (Jacob) her little son. ¹⁶And she clothed upon his hands skins of kids of the goats, and upon the smooth of his necks. ¹⁷And she gave the tasties and the bread that she made into the hand of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) her son.

¹⁸And he came unto his papa. And he said, “My papa!” And he said, “Behold I! Who art thou? My son?” ¹⁹And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) said unto his papa, “I am Hairy (Esau) thy firstborn. I made just as thou spoke unto me. Arise, na. Sit and eat from my hunting so-that thy being will bless me!” ²⁰And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) said unto his son, “What is this? Thou hurried to find, my son?” And he said, “Because Yehovah thy Gods caused-an-encounter to my faces!” ²¹And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) said unto He-Will-Heel (Jacob), “Approach, na, and I have groped thee, my son! Art thou this my son Hairy (Esau), if not?” ²²And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) approached unto He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his papa. And He groped him. And he said, “The voice is a voice of He-Will-Heel (Jacob), and the hands are the hands of Hairy (Esau)!” ²³And he did not recognize him. For his hands were as the hands of Hairy (Esau) his brother, hairs. And he blessed him.

²⁴And he said, “Thou art this my son Hairy (Esau)!” And he said, “I!” ²⁵And he said, “Approach to me. And I have eaten from hunting, my son, so that my being will bless thee.” And He approached to him. And he ate. And he brought to him wine. And he drank.

²⁶And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his papa said unto him, “Approach, na, and kiss to me, my son!” ²⁷And he approached. And he kissed to him. And he fragranced the fragrance of his garments. And he blessed him, and said to him, “See! The fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field that Yehovah blessed him! ²⁸And the Gods will give to thee from dew of the heavens and from the oils of the land and the multiplicity of grain and new-wine. ²⁹Peoples shall serve thee, and folks shall prostrate to thee. Be a valiant-one to thy brothers. And sons of thy mama shall prostrate to thee. Thy cursers are cursed, and thy blessers are blessed.”

³⁰And he was just as He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) finished to bless He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) was but exiting exiting from with the faces of He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his papa. And Hairy (Esau) his brother came from his hunt. ³¹And he made, also he, tasties. And he brought to his papa.

And he said to his papa, “My father shall arise and he has eaten from the hunting of his son in order that thy being will bless me!” ³²And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his papa said to him, “Who art thou?” And he said, “I am thy son, thy firstborn, Hairy (Esau)!” ³³And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) quaked a big quake unto very much! And he said, “Who? Where is he, the hunter of hunting? And he brought to me. And I ate from all before thou wilt come. And I blessed him. Also, he will be blessed!”

³⁴As Hairy (Esau) hearkened to the words of his papa. And he screamed a big and bitter scream unto very much! And he said to his papa, “Bless me, also I, my papa!” ³⁵And he said, “Thy brother came via deceit. And he took thy blessing!” ³⁶And he said, “Is because he called his name ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’? And he ‘heeled’ me this, strokes. He took my firstbornness, and behold now he took my blessing!”

And he said, “Hast thou not neared for me a blessing?” ³⁷And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) answered. And he said to Hairy (Esau), “Behold, I put him a valiant-one to thee! And I gave all his brothers to him for slaves! And I sustained him grain and new-wine. And where to thee? What will I do, my son?” ³⁸And Hairy (Esau) said unto his papa, “One blessing—he is to thee, my papa! Bless me, also I, my papa!” And Hairy (Esau) lifted his voice. And he wept. ³⁹And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his papa answered. And he said unto him, “Behold, thy settlement will be from oils of the land and from dew of the heavens from above. ⁴⁰And thou shalt live upon thy sword. And thou shalt serve thy brother. And he shall be just as thou shalt descend. And thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck!”

⁴¹And Hairy (Esau) grudged He-Will-Heel (Jacob) concerning the blessing that his papa blessed him. And Hairy (Esau) said in his heart, “Days of mourning of my papa shall approach! And I have killed He-Will-Heel (Jacob), my brother!” ⁴²And He told to Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) words of Hairy (Esau) her big son. And she sent. And she called to He-Will-Heel (Jacob) her little son. And she said unto him, “Behold, Hairy (Esau) thy brother consoles himself to thee to kill thee! ⁴³And now, my son, hearken into my voice. And arise. Flee for thee unto White my brother Haranward. ⁴⁴And thou shalt dwell with him a few days until-that heat of thy brother shall return, ⁴⁵until the nose of thy brother shall return from with thee. And he will forget what thou did to him. And I will send. And I will take thee from there. Why will I be bereft indeed of both of you one day?”

⁴⁶And Multiple-Pouring (Rivka) said unto He-Will-Laugh (Isaac), “I abhorred in my lives from the faces of the daughters of Heth (Shatter)! If He-Will-Heel (Jacob) is taking a woman from the daughters of Heth (Shatter) as these, from the daughters of the land, why are lives to me?” [Chapter 28] ¹And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) called He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And he blessed him. And he commanded him. And he said to him, “Thou shalt not take a woman from the daughters of Merchant (Canaan)! ²Arise! Walk toward the High Extension (Padanaram) houseward of They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel) father of thy mother. And take a woman to thee from there from daughters of White (Laban), brother of thy mother. ³And Mighty-One-My-Breasts (El Shaddai) will bless thee. And He has ‘fruited’ thee. And He has multiplied thee. And thou shalt be to a congregation of peoples! 4And He will give to thee blessings of Father-Of-A-Crowd—to thee and to thy seed with thee to thy inheriting the land of thy sojournings that Elohim gave to Father-Of-A-Crowd.

⁵And He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) sent He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And he walked toward High Extension (Padanaram) unto White (Laban) son of They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel) the Syrian, brother of Multiple-Pouring (Rivka), mother of He-Will-Heel (Jacob) and Hairy. ⁶And Hairy saw that He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) blessed He-Will-Heel (Jacob). And he will send him to High Extension (Padanaram) to take a woman to him from there with his blessing him. And he commanded concerning him to say, “Thou shalt not take a woman from daughters of Merchant (Canaan)!” ⁷And He-Will-Heel (Jacob) hearkened unto his papa and to his mama. And he walked to High Extension (Padanaram). ⁸And Hairy saw that daughters of Merchant (Canaan) are bad in the eyes of He-Will-Laugh (Isaac) his father. ⁹And Hairy walked unto Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael). And he took to himself What-Hast-Thou-Pierced (Mahalath) daughter of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) son of Father-Of-A-Crowd sister of Productive-[Ones] (Nebajoth) {fem.} upon his women for a woman.

Rebekah hearkened carefully to this conversation. Esau went on his way to hunt and to bring that to his papa.

1.   When these men blessed their children before their deaths, were they wishing good things on them and requesting what they would do after their fathers’ deaths? When the Bible records the blessings and statements of fathers over their children before they die, those blessings and statements are prophetic. That means that they are the very words of Yehovah, the very testimony of Yeshua. What these fathers say will occur. They are not wishing good things on them; they are telling them what will happen to their children once they become a great race. (That means that they are speaking what will happen many centuries later.) They are also not telling them what to do for their immediate families, but what Yehovah will do with them much later, and what the races will do at that future time.

2.   Why did Isaac want to eat very good food made by his son Esau before his being would bless Esau? Isaac loved Esau. He also loved the way Esau could fix wild game.

Esau was a disappointing son:

• He was a fornicator; he had sexual intercourse with women without being married to them.
• He was secular; he didn’t care about Spirit things, about God, about covenants made by God, about the future, about other things important to Yehovah.
• He took two bad women as his women (wives); they caused much frustration to Isaac and Rivka.

3.   Was Rebekah doing wrong by carefully listening and overhearing her husband’s conversation with Esau? She wasn’t doing wrong. She and her man (husband) are one flesh. If Isaac had desired to keep the conversation a complete secret, he could have taken Esau away from the camp before telling him.

4.   Did Esau desire the blessing of his father? Explain. He did desire it. He hoped it would be in the form of some type of wealth. (He didn’t care about Spiritual things.)

Jacob saw a problem with this idea. Esau was covered with hair, and Jacob was nearly hairless, being smooth-skinned. He was used to Isaac feeling things and persons now that he was nearly blind. This will appear to be ‘leading Isaac down the wrong path,’ and thus causing him to wander from the truth. Isaac might view Jacob as far less important than before (lightly esteeming him), and Isaac might refuse to bless him. Rivka answered, “Thy light-esteeming is upon me, my son. But hearken into my voice. And walk. Take for me!”

1.   Did Rebekah do wrong by telling her son Jacob what Isaac and Esau had said? No. She had to tell him what she heard so that he would see the urgency of his and her action.

2.   Rebekah plotted to fix the meal for Jacob and make it taste so good and so much like what Esau would make, that Isaac would bless Jacob thinking he was blessing Esau. Was this plot evil? No. It was not evil. Jacob purchased the birthright, and the blessing came with it. Plotting to obtain what already belongs to the one plotting isn’t evil. It is right.

3.   Jacob was a grown man. Rivka commanded him to get the two goat kids for her. Do grown men have to obey their mothers? No, they don’t have to obey. Even children don’t have to obey their parents if they command their children to sin. Most children will obey their parents even if they tell them to do wrong, because they fear their parents. As they grow, however, they can learn to only obey what is right. Most parents command their children to do right, and want them to do right. Children of such parents should obey commands of their parents until they are of age and living on their own.

4.   Jacob’s main objection to the plan of his mama was that he might appear to Isaac as one who caused his nearly blind papa to wander if he were caught, and that he might cause his father to esteem him as worth very little instead of obtaining a blessing. Were Jacob’s motives right? The Bible rarely pays attention to motives (to the reasons why a person does what he or she does). Motives will not matter in the judgments in which every person will be judged. What a person does is what counts in the Bible.

Jacob’s actions were right.

5.   Rebekah was willing to be lightly esteemed for this action. Would you be willing to do what is right even if you knew you would suffer for doing it? (Answers are individual.)

6.   Did Rebekah ignore all the harm that this would do to Esau, showing coldness and a lack of love for him? She knew Esau would be fine. She knew that Jacob must obtain the blessing. Any harm that Esau felt would be because of hurt feelings. Her concern wasn’t for his feelings. Her concern was for her husband and for the promise that Yehovah made!

7.   Why didn’t Rebekah just tell Isaac, and convince him to change his mind regarding the blessing of Esau?

• Isaac had promised the blessing to Esau. Isaac could not go back on his word.
• Isaac couldn’t stop Esau from hunting at this point.
• Isaac would not have felt that giving the blessing to Jacob now was the right thing to do.
• Rebekah could not risk Isaac’s not listening to her. Yehovah would then have to stop him from making the promise, and that might mean the end of his life.
• Rebekah did not desire to step between Isaac and Esau; she only desired to make certain that Jacob obtained what Yehovah promised.
• Rebekah did not want to risk Isaac being heart-broken over this issue; she determined instead to solve it, and see what took place.

Rivka next took Esau’s favorite garments that were inside her tent. She put them on Jacob her younger son. She fastened the goatskins that she had removed from the goat kids onto Jacob’s hands and his neck spots that were smooth so that they felt like part of his hands and his neck. She placed the good food and fresh bread into Jacob’s hand.

1.   Why the text mention that he walked? He did what his mama said. He also had a lot on his mind. Thus, his walking was a time for him to think.

2.   The text states that she took Esau’s favorite garments in order to bring this plot about. Wouldn’t Esau’s knowing this completely destroy the trust he had for his mother? Again, this was not Rebekah’s concern. Even if Esau never trusted her again, she had to do this and take the risk. Too many lives were at stake.

3.   How did she attach the skins to Jacob so that they felt like Esau’s skin of his hands and the parts of his neck? The text doesn’t tell how she did it. Like so many things in the Bible, humans were given abilities to do what would be almost impossible or impossible in order to do what was necessary. Yehovah has given humans abilities far beyond what they know. He has given you abilities far beyond what you know. Some discover their own abilities, and use them selfishly and destructively. A few in the history of the world discovered what Yehovah gave to them and used those abilities to benefit others and to fear Yehovah.

4.   How much work did she have to do to make sure that Jacob received that blessing?

• The fire had to be right.
• Two goat kids had to be slaughtered, skinned carefully, gutted, cleaned, separated into pieces (for the tasties), deboned, and soaked.
• Grain had to be ground into flour, and then mixed with the right ingredients for it to rise.
• The bread had to be baked at the right temperature (their stoves had no temperature guages).
• Other items had to be gathered, like the wine.
• A tray was prepared; Isaac was nearly blind.
• The cooking of the meat had to be just right, and seasoned exactly right to taste like wild game that Esau would prepare.
• The skins had to be cut, cleaned, and prepared, being kept supple, so that they stuck on Jacob and felt like human skin.
• The clothing had to be arranged for Jacob’s wearing so that it was like Esau.
• All this had to be done before Esau returned.

Isaac asked if he (thinking he was Esau) had hurried to find game! He was back so soon! Jacob responded, “Because Yehovah thy Gods caused-an-encounter to my faces!”

Isaac still seemed puzzled, and told ‘Esau’ to approach so that Isaac could grope him. “Art thou this my son Hairy (Esau), if not?”

Jacob approached, and Isaac felt him. He then remarked, “The voice is a voice of Jacob, and the hands are the hands of Esau!” Yet, Isaac didn’t recognize him; the hands were hairy like Esau’s. So, Isaac blessed Jacob.

1.   Why did Isaac ask, “Who art thou? My son?” Isaac was practically blind. He knew the voice of Jacob. Yet, he was unsure of the identity of this speaker.

2.   Jacob lied when he said, “I am Esau thy firstborn.” Did he do wrong? Jacob did not do wrong. He was participating in the plot to save many lives. Yehovah had prophesied, and Isaac was about to prophesy a lie over Esau. Jacob did right. Lying is wrong when it isn’t being used to save the innocent from the hands of the guilty. Had Isaac begun to bless Esau with the blessing that Yehovah promised to Jacob, Yehovah might have taken Isaac’s life to stop him from speaking a false prophecy. All the blessings of the Godly fathers mentioned in the Bible to their children were prophetic.

3.   What does “caused an encounter” mean? Jacob, disguised as Esau was explaining why he returned so soon. He told his papa that Yehovah “caused an encounter”—that he had very quickly encountered (run into, met up with) game—with the animal he was hunting.

4.   In verse 20, Jacob said, “Because Yehovah thy Gods caused-an-encounter to my faces!” Jacob brought Yehovah into this lie, giving Yehovah credit when Yehovah did not do it. Did Jacob sin by doing this? Jacob did not sin. The encounter was with his mother! She told him what to do and where to go.

Yehovah loved Jacob. Had Jacob sinned, Yehovah would have corrected (chastised) him. Yehovah hates sin. Yehovah determined to save lives. Jacob is doing that.

5. Verses 21 and 22 show Isaac trying to discern (carefully figure out) whether he is truly speaking with Esau. He groped him (felt him in a very personal way), feeling his hands and his neck. In verse 22, Jacob remarks, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Why didn’t Isaac realize that this was not Esau? The text doesn’t say. Isaac had conflicting evidence, and he stayed with evidence that indicated that this was Esau his firstborn.

Most folks believe what they want to believe. They don’t challenge things that are inconsistent or wrong. That is why few will ever find Truth.

Isaac told him to approach. Isaac now will eat from this hunting, and his being will bless ‘Esau’. Jacob approached. Isaac ate. Jacob brought wine; Isaac drank.

(No Questions)

Isaac said to Jacob, “See! The fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field that Yehovah blessed him!”

Isaac continued, “And the Gods will give to thee from dew of the heavens and from the oils of the land and the multiplicity of grain and new-wine. Peoples shall serve thee, and folks shall prostrate to thee. Be a valiant-one to thy brothers. And sons of thy mama shall prostrate to thee. Thy cursers are cursed, and thy blessers are blessed.” All the work that both Rivka and Jacob did was to obtain these few statements!

1.   Why do adults want to be kissed by their children who are grown? It reminds them of when the children were very young and very affectionate. It reminds them of the relationship they had with their children. Adults who loved their children invested in them in many ways. They feel connected to them. A kiss is a reminder. There will be many other reasons, depending on the adults.

2.   Do young children like to be kissed by their parents? Most like to be kissed, especially if the kiss is not obtrusive—that is, if the kiss doesn’t demand that they get up, come, or do something that might embarrass them or intrude on them. Most children like to be kissed while they go about whatever they are doing, especially if the kiss is on the top or back of the head. This shows children that they are doing fine, that they have the approval of the parent, and that they are loved. There will be other reasons, depending on the children.

3.   Why did Isaac want his son to kiss him? I can see several reasons, but I cannot be certain if they are all true:

• Isaac remembered when Esau was a child, and wanted to remember him that way while blessing him.
• Isaac wanted the direct affection of his son.
• Isaac wanted to ‘fragrance’ (smell) the fragrance of his garments; those smells are good, and they reminded him of good things.
• Isaac wanted something that would temporarily replace the difficult feelings Isaac had for Esau because of the bad choices of women that Esau had taken.

5.   What is the fragrance of a field like if Yehovah blessed the field? It will be loaded with flowers, each one giving a very good smell. It will have the smell of watered soil—a smell that is also very pleasant. Some plants give a good smell without flowers.

6.   What is important about being given from the dew of the heavens? In certain regions of the world, rainfall isn’t very abundant. If the only time plants were watered was when it rained, there would be very few plants. There are some areas where the amount of dew is very great. Dew is like rain in some ways, but it is far gentler. It also is useful to smaller bugs and creatures in ways that rain isn’t.

Some desert regions obtain dew in the mornings. Those regions can grow some special and beautiful plants.

The Land of Israel is like this in places. Dews can be very heavy, and will give plants very good growth.

7.   The next statement in its entirety goes like this: “the Gods will give to thee from the oils of the land.” Why types of oils are these, and why would these be important? These oils are the kind used for food. They are not like crude oil used for gasoline (petroleum) and machine oil. Thus, they are oils like olive oil, sunflower seed oil, etc.

Skin and hair can dry out in desert locations. Parts of Israel are desert locations. Oils for skin and hair keep the skin softer and in better shape; oils for hair keep the hair from becoming brittle and falling out. Good food oils are also good skin and hair oils, and eating good oils will help the skin. Cultures that have access to good oils normally enjoy good health.

8.   Who is “the Gods,” and why is this plural? The Gods refers to Elohim. He is called Gods because He is all the Gods there are. (All other gods are false gods.) He introduced Himself plurally from the beginning.

9.   What is important about “the multiplicity of grain”? That means that there will be much grain production and much grain variation. Grains are also known as cereals. The following are grains:

• brown rice
• wild rice
• buckwheat
• bulgur (cracked wheat)
• oatmeal
• popcorn
• amaranth
• millet
• quinoa
• sorghum
• triticale

10. What is good about the multiplicity of new wine? New wine is freshly fermented wine from juices of fruits. If a land produces many types of grape vines and other fruits, many wines can then be produced. Except for folks who tend to be alcoholic, wine can be a very healthful product and a real friend. Children regularly (daily) drink wine with adults in numerous countries around the world, and few become drunk. American Indians, on the other hand, have a genetic tendency to rapidly become drunk and hooked on alcohol; wine would be a poison for them.

The Israelis do not tend to find wine an enemy; it is a friend. Yehovah will bless Israel will many types of wine.

11. What does “peoples shall serve thee” mean? This means that various cultural groups will work hard (as slaves) to benefit the race of the one being blessed by Isaac. (Jacob is being blessed; Esau will not obtain this blessing.) In the blessing given to Avraham, Avraham will be a blessing to the races! Thus, Avraham’s offspring, including Jacob, will work hard (as slaves) to benefit the races!

12. What does “folks shall prostrate to thee” mean? This means that groups of individuals will lay down flat and face down toward Jacob, physically showing humility and the willingness to serve (slave) for Jacob. This is exactly the same as worship. Jacob will receive their slaving, and Jacob will slave for them in turn.

13. Isaac thought that he was passing the Abrahamic blessing on to Esau. Would this have been right to do? No! Esau and the race he produced will not have anything to do with fearing Yehovah! That would have been a disaster! It would also have been directly against what Yehovah told Rebekah when the two children were in her womb:

Genesis 25:23 And Yehovah said to her, “Two races are in thy belly. And two folks will be separated from thine internals. And a folk will be-bolder than a folk. And a many will serve a younger.”

14. The command to “be a valiant one to thy brothers” will be fulfilled by what types of actions? When Jacob’s offspring prove themselves very bold, very tough, very willing to benefit others at the risks of their own lives, very willing to stand firm on what is right, their brothers will recognize them as valiant.

15. Who are these brothers? They are Esau’s race (the Edomites), as well as Lot’s races (the Moabites and Ammonites), and others who are related to Lot and Avraham.

16. What does “sons of thy mama shall prostrate to thee” mean? It means that Esau’s offspring will prostrate to (worship, lay down flat in front of) Jacob’s offspring and Jacob himself. (Jacob will be resurrected!)

17. Who is a curser of Jacob? That is anyone or any group that desires to see Jacob and/or his offspring harmed or annihilated. Every Nazi and neo-Nazi group, the Klu Klux Klan, all ‘White Supremacist’ group, many Islamic/Moslem groups, and all groups that practice Replacement Theology (teachings of the Bible where Jacob and Israel are replaced by Christians and their groups) participate in cursing Israel. They desire Israel to be gone from the earth. Some feel great hatred toward the Jews; others do not have hatred toward them, but they want to be in Israel’s place in the Bible. So, they read texts that were designed for Israel as if God meant those texts for themselves. Thus, they curse Israel by ignoring the Jews when they read the texts.

18. What is a ‘blesser’ of Jacob? That is a person who will benefit Jacob and Jacob’s offspring, the Jews/Israelis, and thus, Israel. Benefiting Jacob is benefiting Yeshua.

19. The last part mentions cursers and blessers. Why doesn’t it mention any other category? There is no other category before Yehovah. The Tribulation period will involve only two types of persons: cursers and blessers. Everyone will fit in one of these two categories.

20. How will cursers be cursed and blessers be blessed? When Yehovah curses someone, that person will be damned, and thus sent to the Lake of fire and burning sulfur to suffer there forever. If Yehovah will bless someone, He will give that person Salvation from everlasting death, and will provide everlasting life and very good things.

1.   Why didn’t someone (besides Rivka and Jacob) tell Esau that his father had already eaten? Others besides Rivka, Jacob and Isaac would not have known that Esau was preparing the meal for Isaac. Esau had hunted and prepared many times before.

2.   What would have happened if Esau had returned while Jacob was feeding Isaac? That would have been a problem, but that would not have occurred. (Can you think of why?)

1.   Why did Esau answer the question, “Who art thou?” with “I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau,” using three different ways to describe who he was? He answered as if his father had begun to forget. Esau also must have been frustrated by this question; he had worked very hard to quickly prepare this meal.

2.   Why did Isaac greatly quake, and what does that mean? To quake is to shake violently. It can be from a very strong emotion.

Isaac quaked because he realized that he had been deceived and fooled.

3.   Why did he then say, “Who?” He was so startled at this identification!

4.   Why did he ask, “Where is he, the hunter of hunting?” He was speaking of the character that Jacob had played—the ‘Esau’ who had brought the meal to him. This response was as if there were now two Esaus.

5.   Why did Isaac tell Esau, “And he brought to me, and I ate from all before thou wilt come”? He needed to explain why he couldn’t eat what Esau had fixed.

6.   Why did Isaac tell Esau, “And I blessed him”? Isaac didn’t need to tell him this, but Esau would have asked him. Esau knew that the purpose of this meal was to bless. Isaac wasn’t trying to hide anything from Esau; Isaac was shocked himself over what had happened.

7.  When Isaac said, “Also, he will be blessed,” what was Isaac doing? Isaac was confirming the blessing on Jacob and removing it from Esau! He was telling his firstborn son, Esau, that Jacob will keep that blessing that Isaac gave to him thinking he was Esau.

8.   Did Isaac need to say, “Also, he will be blessed,” or could he have said to Esau, “Cursed be the deceiver! Thy blessing will go to thee, my son, and thou shalt be blessed!”? It seems that Isaac remembered what Yehovah had told his wife, Rivka (Rebekah) when the twins were in her womb. If this is true, had Isaac blessed Esau with the promise that Yehovah gave to Jacob, Isaac would have been speaking directly the opposite of what Yehovah had said. In that case, Yehovah might have ‘taken Isaac out’ (killed him) to stop him from pronouncing a false prophecy. Yehovah might have even taken Esau out, but Esau had to have children, so that wouldn’t work. Yehovah might have stopped Isaac’s mouth so that he couldn’t speak until he was willing to bless Jacob. Many things might have happened, but Isaac was wise. He did the simplest. He had to confirm the blessing to Jacob.

Then he said to his father, “Bless me—also I—my papa!” Isaac responded, “Thy brother came via deceit. And he took thy blessing!” Esau bitterly responded, “Is because he called his name ‘He-Will-Heel (Jacob)’? And he ‘heeled’ me this, strokes. He took my firstbornness, and behold now he took my blessing!”

1.   Why start a sentence with as? This is not normally a proper way to start a sentence. This is describing how Esau responded as he hearkened to the words of his papa. Thus, the text is telling us readers what happened as he did this.

2.   What does hearken mean? To hearken is to both listen and obey or listen and believe, as in this case.

3.   Why did Esau react so strongly (by screaming a big and bitter scream) when he heard that Jacob was blessed? Esau thought that Jacob had obtained Esau’s inheritance of cattle, sheep, asses, camels, slaves, money, and so on. Esau did not know that all the blessing was about future things that had nothing to do with personal wealth. Esau only cared about personal wealth. He didn’t care about things of God or of future events that didn’t directly affect him.

4.   For what was Esau asking when he said to his papa, “Bless me, also I, my papa”? He was asking for his father to give him some inheritance items! He thought he had lost all because his brother had taken his stuff. He had no idea that Jacob had taken nothing from the possessions of his father.

5.   Did Isaac realize why Esau was so upset? I propose that he had no idea. He saw his son coveting the blessing, when Esau only coveted the inheritance. Had Isaac known, he could have told him something like this, “Thine inheritance has not been touched; thou wilt inherit my substance, my son.” Instead, Isaac heard Esau coveting the blessing, and Isaac was touched since Esau was never interested in those things.

6.   Was Isaac telling Esau about Jacob’s evil deed in verse 35? No. Jacob had done no evil deed. He was telling Esau what had happened. The deceit was necessary to save lives.

7.   What does “he ‘heeled’ me this, strokes” mean? Esau is saying that Jacob either used his heel to knock Esau out of the way, or he grabbed Jacob by the heel to come ahead of Esau. In either case, Esau is claiming that Jacob used wrong means to get ahead of Esau. Strokes is from the Hebrew word paam, and means times. It expresses the rhythm of a wind-up clock or wind-up watch (long before there were watches or clocks).

7.   When Esau said, “Is because he called his name ‘He-Will-Heel’? And he ‘heeled’ me this, strokes. He took my ‘firstbornness,’ and behold now he took my blessing,” was Esau speaking the truth? He wasn’t speaking the truth. He was speaking his own bitterness against his brother. He sold his ‘firstbornness’ (his position as the firstborn son), and the blessing went with the position.

Isaac then began to give Esau a blessing: “Behold, thy settlement will be from oils of the land and from dew of the heavens from above. And thou shalt live upon thy sword. And thou shalt serve thy brother. And he shall be just as thou shalt descend. And thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck!”

1.   What does “Hast thou not neared for me a blessing?” mean? Esau figured that Isaac should have a blessing just for him. He wanted a blessing that Isaac ‘neared’—that is, that he made to come to pass right then. Esau looked for the inheritance, not for a blessing.

2.   What does “I put him a valiant-one to thee” mean? This means that Esau (or better, Esau’s offspring) will see Jacob (or better, Jacob’s offspring) as valiant. A person who is valiant has a good and consistent character, and is willing to risk life and health to do right according to that character. This is like being tough, but it includes being true to one’s word and being brave when bravery doesn’t seem to make sense.

3.   The text states, “I gave all his brothers to him for slaves.” How many brothers did Jacob have? Explain. Jacob had one brother. Jacob’s offspring, however, will have many brothers, including all of Esau’s offspring. These blessings are prophetic. They tell of things to come, in this case.

4.   What does “I sustained him grain and new-wine” mean? It appears at first to mean that Isaac will sustain Jacob (keep him alive and strong), and will benefit him with grain (like wheat, rice, etc.) and new wine (freshly fermented fruit juices). Yet, Isaac is an old man. He cannot do this. Since this is prophetic, the real speaker is Yehovah. He will sustain Jacob. He will benefit him with good grain crops. He will provide him with good fruits and vines so that wine will be plentiful and good.

5.   Explain “And where to thee?”: This is a very brief way of saying the fuller statement, “And where will I obtain a blessing to give to thee?”

6.   What was Isaac expressing when he said, “What will I do, my son?” He is expressing frustration. He didn’t know what he should do. If Yehovah didn’t give him a prophetic statement, he couldn’t make something up with which to bless him.

7.   Isaac finally gave Esau a blessing. What happened so that Isaac was able to do that? The Spirit of Yehovah gave Isaac the words to speak over Esau. Thus, Isaac then prophesied over him.

8.   What does “thy settlement will be from oils of the land” mean? These oils are of the food type, not of the petroleum (gasoline) type. A settlement is a place where folks settle—where they set themselves to live. If Esau’s settlement (singular) will be from oils, Esau will settle where plants that produce food oils grow. Such plants include the following:

• Olive trees (producing olive oil)
• Peanuts (producing peanut oil)
• Sunflowers (producing sunflower oil)
• Safflower (producing safflower oil)

9.   What does “thy settlement will be from dew of the heavens from above” mean? Esau’s land will be watered more from dew than from rain. There are areas of the world that receive very little rain, but obtain good water for plants from dew. The far western part of California is like this. Watermelons grow in the far western part of California just from dew, since it rarely rains there. The watermelons are very tasty, and are not like those that grow in the rest of the country. In a similar way, Esau’s offspring will live where dews will be heavy and good even when the yearly rainfall is very small and the region is a desert.

10. What does “thou shalt live upon thy sword” mean? The following will fit this description:

• Esau will constantly be fighting others, and others will constantly be fighting Esau
• Esau will always have to be on guard and ready to fight, though there may be years of peace
• Esau will be very good at guarding others, handling weapons, and expert in war and protection. (Thus, Esau will be military, or will serve as a police force or armed guards.)
• Esau will become expert at making beautiful and useful swords, weapons and armour.

11. What will be one of Esau’s main services that he will do? Esau will serve (that is, slave for) his brother Jacob. Thus, Esau’s offspring will obey orders from Jacob’s offspring.

This may sound like a bad arrangement, but it won’t have to be. Jacob’s offspring will do only right during the Millennium (the 1,000 years when Messiah Yeshua will reign over all the kings and lords of the planet), and they will do right at times before that time. Esau’s descendants and Jacob’s descendants will have times of peace together. Even if they are hostile toward each other, however, Esau’s descendants will finally be slaves of Jacob’s descendants.

12. Explain “And he shall be just as thou shalt descend. And thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck!” When Esau’s descendants are slaves to Jacob’s descendants, Esau will descend—that is, will go down. The text doesn’t say whether this will be due to a loss of wealth, or whether it will be actually going down hill to do something. The word descend is used in both cases. Esau will go down in some way, however. Esau’s descendants will rebel against slavery to Jacob’s descendants, and will break Jacob’s yoke (his slavery hold) from upon his neck. Esau will become freed from slavery to Jacob.

13. What is a yoke?

A Yoke is a way to harness animals (and sometimes persons) so that they can carry a load and pull without being hurt.

14. Will Esau’s breaking Jacob’s yoke from upon his neck be good, or will it be bad? Esau will think it is good. It will be bad, however, since Esau’s offspring will be true enemies of Israel. Yehovah will make Esau’s land, the land of Edom, a permanent waste.

Malachi 1:3 “And I [Yehovah] hated Esau! And I laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness!” ⁴Whereas Edom says, “We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places,” thus says Yehovah of armies, “They shall build, but I will throw down! And they shall call them ‘The border of wickedness’ and ‘The people against whom Yehovah has indignation forever!’”

Esau hatched a plan in his heart (mind). “Days of mourning of my papa shall approach! And I have killed Jacob my brother!”

Someone told Rivka what Esau said in his mind! Rivka sent for and called Jacob. She said to him, “Behold, Esau thy brother consoles himself to thee to kill thee! And now, my son, hearken into my voice. And arise. Flee for thee unto White (Laban) my brother Haranward. And thou shalt dwell with him a few days until-that heat of thy brother shalt return, until the nose of thy brother shall return from with thee. And he will forget what thou did to him. And I will send. And I will take thee from there. Why will I be bereft indeed of both of you one day?”

1.   Esau formed a grudge against Jacob over the blessing that his papa, Isaac, had given to Jacob. Did Esau care that much about the blessing itself? Esau didn’t care about the blessing itself. I can think of several reasons why Esau was so angry:

• Esau was angry at first because he thought that Jacob had gotten his inheritance and its valuables. Esau didn’t care about spiritual blessings.
• Esau was later angry after finding the truth of the contents of the blessing because the blessing sounded bad for him—that he would be a slave to his brother. That would make most brothers angry.
• Esau didn’t like being tricked by his brother even if Esau had sold the birthright.
• Esau didn’t like his father’s decision to keep the big blessing with Jacob; that gave Esau the impression that Isaac favored Jacob over him.
• Esau didn’t like going through the work of fixing a good meal for his father, then having his father reject the meal because Jacob had found out and had gotten a meal to him first.

2.   What are “days of mourning” in “days of mourning of my papa shall approach”? Those are the days just after Isaac dies. They normally will last about 40 days. When folks died, those who loved them didn’t have a funeral as we understand it. They prepared the bodies themselves, they buried the bodies, then they mourned for days. That did them much more good than a funeral does now. They mourned by sitting with others who were mourning, sometimes sitting in silence, sometimes expressing things that were important about the person who died.

3.   What does Esau mean by “And I have killed Jacob, my brother”? He is planning the murder of his brother!

4.   Esau plotted the murder of Jacob because he hated Jacob over the blessing. What does this tell readers about Esau’s character? This tells readers that his character was violent, vengeful, and ungodly. He was willing to murder his brother over stuff! He did not fit into the plan of God to bless all races. He was willing to murder his nearest of kin in his own race!

Character is a choice. You have complete control over your character. Your environment (those things that are around you, including all persons and circumstances) have absolutely nothing to do with the character you will determine to form for yourself. Will you be angry? Will you be bitter? Will you be kind? Will you be giving? Will you love deeply? Will you be jealous? Will you be hard-working? Will you be lazy? Will you be cruel? Will you show mercy? Will you fear Yehovah? Will you only want to fit in with those around you? Will you do drugs? Will you use others for your own fun? Will you listen carefully to others? Will you only want to win? You will choose your character. You can also change your character, but you can’t undo what you did.

Esau’s character was very bad.

5.   Who told Rebekah the words that Esau spoke in his heart (mind)? The only being that can read minds is Yehovah! Others may be able to figure what another person is most likely thinking, but that isn’t the same as reading a mind. Only Yehovah can do that. (No human, no angel, and no demon can read a human’s mind.)

6.   Why did the one who read Esau’s mind tell Rebekah? Yehovah told Rebekah because He wanted Jacob to live. He had plans for Jacob.

7.   Why didn’t He just stop Esau from the murder plan? Yehovah also had plans for Esau. Stopping him might involve killing him, and Yehovah did not desire to do that.

8.   What does “Esau thy brother consoles himself to thee to kill thee” mean? The only way Esau could ‘get over’ the anger and bitterness he had toward Jacob over the blessing was to tell himself that he would soon murder Jacob. That made him feel better.

9.   What does “until-that heat of thy brother shall return” mean?  This is very bad wording in English, but it is the way the Hebrew text expresses it.

• “Until-that” means until the event or circumstance occurs.
• “Heat” is great anger.
• “Shall return” means shall turn—shall go back to the way it was before it became so different.

10. What does “until the nose of thy brother shall return from with thee” mean? When a person becomes very angry, the anger shows in the person’s nose! (Watch when folks become angry; see if you can see this.) The nose becomes changed, as if it is extended to the person against whom is the anger. The nose stays with the person.

When one says, “He is nosey,” that refers to looking into another person’s business and life in a way that is not appropriate. In a similar way, when a person becomes angry at another person, the angry person will tend to watch everything that the other person does as if it is that person’s business. The angry person will sometimes try to catch the other person doing something wrong. The angry person’s nose is with the other person!

If the angry person’s nose returns from being with the other person, that means that the anger has subsided—has become far less.

11. In verse 45, Rebekah states, “until the nose of thy brother shall return from with thee. And he will forget what thou did to him.” Wasn’t Rebekah responsible for what Jacob did to Esau? Esau didn’t know (or care about) the details of what Rebekah did; he cared only for what Jacob had done. Rebekah was responsible, and so were Jacob and even Isaac. Esau’s focus was on Jacob.

12. What does bereft mean? It is the same as being bereaved. That means that someone for whom one greatly cared has died.

13. What does Rebekah mean by “Why will I be bereft indeed of both of you one day?” She is thinking ahead. If Esau kills Jacob, Esau will then have to flee, since he cannot stay with the family after committing murder of a family member. Thus, Rebekah will lose both her sons in one day. Jacob’s temporarily going away is far better.

Isaac called Jacob. He blessed him. He also commanded him: “Thou shalt not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan! Arise! Walk toward the High Extension toward the house of Bethuel, father of thy mother. And take a woman to thee from there from daughters of Laban, brother of thy mother. And El Shaddai will bless thee. And He has ‘fruited’ thee. And He has multiplied thee. And thou shalt be to a congregation of peoples! And He will give to thee blessings of Avraham—to thee and to thy seed with thee to thy inheriting the land of thy sojournings that Elohim gave to Avraham.”

1.   What does “I abhorred in my lives from the faces of the daughters of Heth” mean? This means that Rivka found life to be so bad because of these women! She couldn’t stand life!

2.  What was wrong with these women, and what did they have to do with Rebekah? The text doesn’t say what was wrong.

In societies like those described in the Bible, everyone had to work. The slaves worked, but so did those who owned the slaves. They often worked side by side. In very wealthy and sedentary societies (places where folks worked together staying in one place and not moving for the sake of herds and flocks), slaves might do all the work while their owners did little or no work. That wasn’t the way of Avraham, Isaac or Jacob. They all had to work together; their lives depended on each other.

Rivka had to work, and Esau’s women had to work. When folks work together, they also talk together, and they are amused together. These women behaved in ways that terribly bothered and distressed Rivka. She couldn’t just avoid them; they were part of the group since Esau had taken them for his women.

3.   What did Rivka fear, according to verse 46? She feared that Jacob might take a woman of the same type, since that seemed to be the only kind of women that were local.

4.   Was Rivka racist against the local women? No, she wasn’t against their race. She was against their behaviors.

5.   How did Isaac remedy Rivka’s fear? He called and commanded Jacob to not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan.

6.   Genesis 28:1 states that Isaac blessed him (Jacob). What did he say or do that was this blessing? The text doesn’t say. The Bible only covers information that is important for readers to know. Many things happened in the lives of these folks, but the Bible only covers very few details. Readers only need to know that Isaac blessed Jacob. This will show readers that Isaac is not angry with Jacob, and neither is Yehovah.

7.   Where did Isaac command Jacob to obtain a woman? He commanded him to take a cousin, one of Laban’s daughters!

8.   Is marrying a first cousin a wise thing to do today? Explain. It isn’t a good idea today. That can lead to disease problems, since having children with one who is a close relative is very risky. It wasn’t risky back then. Humans didn’t have genetic dangers that arise because of genes—the ‘codes’ that are exchanged when a new baby is made in sexual intercourse. Long ago, the genes had few problems. In our time, when genes are exchanged (the sperm and the egg that get together in sexual intercourse each have sets, and those sets go through something that is like shuffling a deck of cards—various traits, like eye color, skin color, etc. are shuffled), bad results (like being a bleeder) are fewer if the one who gave the sperm is not related to the one who has the egg. Folks could be related back then, and few problems arose.

9.   Why did Isaac want Jacob to marry his cousin? Isaac knew the quality and sense of Rivka. He knew that Laban’s daughters would not be like the Canaanite women, but instead would have sense.

10. What does El Shaddai mean? This name means Mighty One, My Breasts. It is a name that describes what a breastfeeding baby would understand. Its mother is its mighty one, and she has the source of nourishment: milk in her breasts. This is a very affectionate term for Yehovah.

11. How did Isaac know that El Shaddai would bless Jacob? Isaac knew that the promises of Yehovah would go through Jacob. If Yehovah didn’t bless Jacob, Jacob would probably be ordinary in life, and would be a common citizen of some other group. Since Yehovah would make a great race from him, Yehovah would bless him. Isaac also was again prophesying this.

12. What does “He has ‘fruited’ thee” mean? I coined (made up) the word ‘fruited,’ since I don’t think this is a real word. It means to make a person fruitful, where fruit has to do with having children (as well as other things).

Fruit in the Bible also refers to good works, the kind of actions that are morally and ethically right and helpful to others and before Yehovah.

13. What will happen if El Shaddai multiplies him? He will become a race!

14. What is a congregation of peoples? Most congregations are made of individuals. A congregation of peoples will be a get-together of many cultures to work together for the benefit of the congregation!

15. Who is “thy seed with thee”?  That is Messiah Yeshua, as the following text explains:

Galatians 3:16 The promises were made to Abraham and his seed. He doesn’t say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but, “And to thy seed,” as of one, which is Messiah.

Thus, Avraham, Isaac, Jacob and Yeshua will all inherit the land in which Avraham, Isaac and Jacob sojourned. Since Yeshua will be an owner, He will make it a very good land for all its inhabitants, an exciting land for its inhabitants and guests!

Esau saw that Isaac blessed Jacob. He saw that Isaac will even send Jacob with his blessing to obtain a woman from Padanaram, from Laban. Esau had heard Isaac tell Jacob not to take a woman from the daughters of Canaan. Esau also saw that Jacob hearkened unto his father and his mother. Now Esau knew the truth—”the daughters of Canaan are bad in the eyes of Isaac his father.” Esau therefore went to Ishmael to obtain another woman!

He took Mahalath to be his woman in addition to the two women he already had.

1.   Esau saw that Isaac blessed Jacob (rather than tell him off for deceiving him). He also saw Isaac send Jacob to Padanaram to take a woman. (Esau had gotten his own Canaanite women without the permission or consent of his parents. If he had sought permission, Isaac would have warned him not to take Canaanite women just as Avraham had warned his slave not to take a woman of the Canaanites for Isaac). Esau saw that Isaac gave Jacob a command, and Jacob obeyed. Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were bad in the eyes of Isaac his father. What did Esau do with all this information, and was his action good? Esau went and took another woman! His action wasn’t good or bad. It didn’t remedy anything. It just brought another woman into the picture. It didn’t change Esau.

2.   Jacob was a grown man. Did he have to hearken to his parents? He didn’t have to do that. He knew that his parents were wise, however. He had received great blessings from them both. He had no reason to go against them. He desired a good wife.

3.   Many today engage in premarital sexual intercourse (having sexual intercourse before marriage, also known as fornication). Many women get pregnant by this means, and many men are responsible for bringing children into the world without being fathers. Some of these women then become religious, and few of the men care about religion. Some modern churches have mainly women attending. Many of these women have come to church because they want something in their lives besides the emptiness that they caused by their own actions. (I am not thinking of a woman who was raped.) Very, very few truly desire Godliness. Whom do these men and women more resemble: Jacob, Esau, or the daughters of Heth? They resemble the daughters of Heth!

4.   Will you be more like Jacob, Esau, or the daughters of Heth? Speak the truth. (Answers will vary.)

5.   If Mahalath means What Hast Thou Pierced, why might a girl baby be named this? I can think of some ideas, though I don’t know:

• This might be an affectionate name for a baby whose cuteness pierced through hard-hearted relatives;
• This might be an affectionate name for a baby whose cuteness pierced through soft-hearted relatives;
• It might be an angry name given because the mother might have been raped…

6.   Were Esau’s parents consoled by Mahalath? The text doesn’t say that they were. I don’t see how this changed anything regarding the other two women.