Genesis 22 – The Test QA Supplied

Genesis 22: The Test

Questions and Proposed Answers Supplied

 

Background and Text: Genesis 22:1-19

Genesis 22:1 And he was after these things. And the Elohim (the Gods) tested [singular] Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham). And He said unto him, “Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am!” 2And He said, “Take, na, thy son, thine only that thou loved, He-Will-Laugh (Isaac). And walk. Walk unto Land of the Bitterness-of-Yehovah (Moriah). And ascend him there for an ascension upon one of the mountains that I will say unto thee.”

3And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he bound his ass. And he took two of his youths with him, and Isaac his son. And he cleaved trees of ascension. And he stood. And he walked unto the place that the Gods said [singular] to him.

4In the third day, and Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw the place from a distance. 5And Avraham said unto his youths, “Sit to you here with the ass. And the youth and I will walk unto so. And we have worshipped. And we have returned unto you.” 6And Avraham took trees of the ascension. And he put upon Isaac his son. And he took the fire and the meat-cleaver in his hand. And both of them walked together.

7And Isaac said unto Avraham his papa, and he said, “My Papa!” And he said, “Behold, I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” 8And Avraham said, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.” And both of them walked together.

9And they came unto the place that the Gods said to him. And Avraham built the altar there. And he ordered the trees. And he bound Isaac his son. And he put him upon the altar from above to the trees. 10And Avraham sent his hand. And he took the meat-cleaver to slaughter his son.

11And Messenger Yehovah called unto him from the heavens. And He said, “Avraham! Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am.” 12And He said, “Do not send thy hand unto the youth! And do not do to him a blemish! For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”

13And Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw. And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns. And Avraham walked. And he took the ram. And he ascended him for an ascension under his son.

14And Avraham called the name of that place ‘Yehovah-Will-See,’ which he will say today, “Yehovah will see in the mountain!”

15And Messenger Yehovah called unto Avraham a second-time from the heavens. 16And He said, “Via me I swore,” Yehovah declared, “that because thou did this saying, and thou did not spare thy son thine only, 17that blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea! And thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies! 18And all races of the land will bless-themselves via thy Seed [on the] heel-that thou hearkened into my voice!”

19And Avraham returned unto his youths. And they stood. And they walked together unto Well-Of-Oath. And Avraham dwelt in Well-Of-Oath.

20And he was after these things. And He told to Avraham to say, “Behold, Queen childed—also he—sons to Snorer thy brother, 21Counsel his firstborn and Contempt his brother and They-Stood-A-Mighty-One the father of I-Will-Elevate 22and As-Violence/Devil and His-Vision and Distinction-Of-Fertility and He-Will-Drip and They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One. 23And They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One childed Multiplied-Decanting. Queen childed these eight to Snorer brother of Avraham, 24and his concubine—and her name is They-Saw-What? And she childed—also he—He-Slaughtered and He-Burned and Thou-Wilt-Hush and Thy-Belly.

 

I. The Startling Command (verses 1-2)

The Bible declares that the Elohim (the Gods) tested Avraham. It does not give the purpose for the test in this section, but it does show that He does such things.

Avraham finally had a son of the promise. He loved his son, as Elohim attested (Elohim was a witness to this and said so). He now told him to take his son whom he loved, and go to the land of Moriah.

Elohim referred to Isaac as “thy son, thine only” as if Ishmael did not exist.

He told him to walk, then to ‘ascend’ his son for ascension in the same way that one would do an animal. Elohim would tell him upon which mountain to do this.

 

Questions

1. Does God test everyone? No, He doesn’t, and certainly not in this way! This was a special case.

2. Why did Elohim test him in this way? You must ask this question after you have read the entire section!

3. Why does the Hebrew Bible use Elohim (meaning Gods instead of God)? This constantly tells the reader that Elohim is all the Gods there are! He is the God of the land, God of the sea; He is the God of the heavens, God of creation; He is the God of requests, the God Who can do anything anywhere, as long as it isn’t against Who He is.

4. Why does the Hebrew Bible use ‘the Elohim’? That means the Gods, as if that is only His identity. Others may speak of their gods, but only this One can be called the Gods, and the speaker will be right.

5. What does the Hebrew word na mean (verse 2)?It is a word that indicates that the speaker isn’t angry or demanding, but is speaking in a soft manner.

6. Why does Elohim refer to Isaac as Avraham’s only son when Avraham also had Ishmael? He is the only son of the promise, the son through whom the races of the world will be blessed. Ishmael is the son of the slavewoman; Isaac is the son of Avraham and the son of the promise.

7. What does “thy son, thine only that thou loved” mean? It doesn’t mean that Avraham didn’t love Ishmael. It means that Isaac is Avraham’s son, his only son, and he loved that son.

8. Why is loved in the past tense? It is as if Elohim is in the future, and is looking back into the past at Avraham. Then He could say, “Avraham loved that son.”

This pictures what will happen with Yehovah (the Father) and Yeshua (the Son of Yehovah) in the future. Yehovah will take His Son, His Only whom He loved, and He will do this very thing.

9. Why must Avraham walk? Couldn’t he ride animals? Even if he did, the animals still walked. This was not something done at a run. It was a slow, deliberate action.

10. What was the name of the mountain where this event would take place? The Bible doesn’t say. It is in a range of mountains located in the Land of the Bitterness-of-Yehovah (Moriah).

Mountains in the Bible often indicate what we would call hills. They don’t have to be so tall, though some are very tall.

11. What does “ascend him there” mean? (This is Hebrew wording. You will not find this wording in English.) It means to slaughter, to then separate the pieces of the slaughtered animal, to arrange them on an altar under which a fire is lit, then to slow-cook the animal and its pieces while the fragrance and smoke ascends to the heavens. It pictures a person or a group that has been slaughtered, and who then ascend into the heavens. Folks did these ascension sacrifices before those who died ever went into the heavens! Until Yeshua’s death, Saints and non-saints went to Sheol (located in the core of earth).

12. Did Elohim command Avraham to kill his son? Yes, that is what the command means!

13. Did Elohim do right by commanding this? Everything that is right or wrong always goes back to a god or God (a false god or a real God). There cannot be right or wrong if there is no god/God. Without a god or God, there are only opinions, not right and wrong actions. The very words right and wrong used in this way assume a god or God!

Since Elohim is the Gods, if He says to do something, it is right. If He says to not do something, doing it would be wrong. He told Avraham to do this; it was right. Now, readers must think why it was right, since the Bible prohibits murder! (Intentionally killing a person without the person being guilty of a crime, or without it being an act of war or heroism, is murder.)

 

II. Avraham’s Quick Response (verse 3)

Avraham rose early in the morning. He loaded the ass with the saddle and with provisions. Two youths and Isaac accompanied him.

Avraham split the wood for the sacrifice. He then stood up and went with the three unto the place Elohim told him.

 

Questions

1. Why did Avraham rise early in the morning? It was as if Avraham desired to do this, or it was as if he desired to ‘get this over with.’ Another text will give us the information we need to figure this out:

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Avraham offered up Isaac when he was tested. And he who had received the promises (Avraham) offered up his only begotten son 18of whom it was said that, “thy seed shall be called in Isaac,” 19accounting that God was able to raise up even from the dead.

Therefore, Avraham knew that Elohim would keep His promises through Isaac, and this included Isaac being alive even if that included raising him from the dead!

2. Why didn’t Avraham ask another slave (perhaps a much younger man) to split the logs for him? This was a very personal ascension sacrifice. Avraham did not desire to include anyone else in this act, though he did take two youths to accompany Isaac and him.

3. Why did Avraham take the other two youths? See if you can figure this out as the event unfolds. (I will ask this again later.)

4. How did Avraham know the right place to go? Elohim gave him the directions: “He walked unto the place that the Elohim said to him.”

5. Did Isaac wonder where they were going, and why? If he did, he didn’t speak yet.

 

III. The Fire and the Meat Cleaver (verses 4-6)

The journey took several days. Avraham saw the destination on the third day, still a distance away.

He told the two youths to stay with the ass while Isaac and he would go the rest of the way.

Avraham gave the reason for the journey: Isaac and he were going to worship, and both would return to the youths.

He loaded the trees for the ascension upon Isaac. Avraham took burning wood to light the fire, and a meat cleaver. They both walked together.

 

Questions

1. Did Avraham lie when he said, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you”? No. He knew that Yehovah would have to raise Isaac from the dead in order to complete His promises through Isaac.

2. Could the youths see Avraham and Isaac while they finished their journey? Yes, they could. The area did not have many trees; one could see for quite a distance.

3. Why didn’t the youths ask him where he was going? The text doesn’t give the reason. The youths did what they were told.

4. What does so mean in “The youth and I will walk unto so”? It means there.

5. Why did Avraham say, “We have worshipped” rather than “We will worship”? In Hebrew, a future followed by a past tense verb shows cause and effect. In this case, the future verb is in the sentence: “And the youth and I will walk unto so.” The past tense verbs that follow are in these two statements: “And we have worshipped. And we have returned unto you.”  Thus, Avraham is quite certain what will follow his walking with Isaac.

6. What does worship mean? It means to lie prostrate (flat, face down) before another.

7. What are trees of the ascension? They are pieces of firewood.

8. Why did Avraham place the wood on Isaac instead of carrying it himself? This is a type: a picture that is real in itself, and pictures something else that is real, and far more important. Isaac carried the trees; Yeshua will also carry the trees. (Those trees are not large, whole trees, but cut pieces of trees.)

9. In what form was the fire that Avraham took? I was probably in the form of embers, which would be a firebrand, rather than a fully flaming torch (which would burn too fast).

10. What was the purpose of the meat cleaver? It was to cut the sacrifice into pieces. The sacrifice, in this case, was Isaac!

11. Isn’t this a gruesome scene? Yes, it is! It is supposed to be!

IV. The Question (verses 7-8)

Isaac became curious at this point. Sacrifices require sacrificial animals. They had brought none with them. Isaac said, “My Papa!”  Avraham replied, “Behold, I am, my son.” Isaac observed, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” Avraham told him, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.”  That must have satisfied Isaac; they both walked onward together.

 

Questions

1. What did Avraham mean by the reply, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension”? Avraham was a prophet. He was prophesying about what Yehovah and Yeshua would do in the far future. He spoke of a lamb. That is the Lamb of God.

2. Why didn’t Avraham tell Isaac what he was about to do to him? That would have been very frightening! It seems that Isaac suspected nothing. He fully trusted his papa.

3. Did Avraham love Isaac? Yes, he did very much!

V. The Grim Task (verses 9-10)

They finally arrived. Avraham built the altar. He ordered the trees—he set them in order so that they would burn just right. Then he tied up Isaac! He placed him upon the altar—upon the firewood trees!

Avraham then sent his hand… He took the meat cleaver to slaughter his son!

 

Questions

1. Why did Isaac submit to being tied? Isaac trusted Avraham. He had no reason to not trust him.

2. Did Avraham gag his son? The text doesn’t indicate that he did, and I don’t think that he did; but I have no proof either way.

3. Why did he tie him in the first place? Avraham was about to slaughter him. If his first strike didn’t kill him, Isaac would suffer great pain. Therefore, he needed to be still while Avraham slaughtered him. (This is a very frightening event!)

4. Had Avraham slaughtered his son in this way, would not this have been a heinous (enormously and shockingly evil)  crime? Would it not have been wrong and sinful? If Yehovah had not commanded it, it would have been! Yehovah is the Gods. If He commands, it is not wrong to obey, and it is wrong to disobey, since He created man. Still, this event in the Bible is very surprising until the reader knows the reasons for it.

5. How would you feel about someone coming at you with a meat cleaver when you are tied up? (Each student needs to answer this.)

 

VI. The Results of the Test (verses 11-12)

Messenger Yehovah (also known as the Angel Yehovah) called Avraham’s name twice: “Avraham! Avraham!” Avraham responded, “Behold, I am!” This Messenger Yehovah commanded him to not send his hand unto the youth. He also commanded him to not do to him a blemish!

This Messenger said, “For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”

 

Questions

1. Why did Messenger Yehovah call Avraham’s name twice? He needed to quickly stop him from going through with the slaughter!

2. Why did the messenger tell him to stop after Elohim had told him to do this? This whole action was a test and a type. Elohim had no desire for Avraham to slaughter Isaac. The picture of this was designed for readers to understand what Yehovah did with Yeshua.

3. Didn’t Messenger Yehovah already know that Avraham was a fearer of Elohim? Yes, since Messenger Yehovah is Yeshua, and He knows almost all things (except what He intends to not know). He had to prove it to readers, however. Besides this, what Elohim knows and what He proves to Himself are two different things. While He knows the end from the beginning, He still does not judge until a person (or an angel) has done what the person intended.

4. Who is Messenger Yehovah, and how could a reader know this? By identifying Himself as me in “thou did not spare thy son thine only from me,” this Messenger identified Himself as Elohim.

5. Would Avraham have killed Isaac? Avraham would have carried out Elohim’s orders had He not stopped him. He feared God.

VII. The Exchange (verse 13)

Avraham lifted his eyes. A ram was caught in a thicket by his horns. He was not damaged, but was stuck. Avraham walked to the ram, took it, and exchanged the animal and his son. He then ascended the animal on the altar.

 

Questions

1. Why did Avraham offer the caught ram (instead of letting it go, or instead of eating it)? He had prepared to do a sacrifice, and he had gained his son in the meantime.

2. Why did Yehovah provide a ram instead of a lamb? Careful readers would realize that this was not the prophecy that Avraham made. Therefore, they would look for the exact fulfillment of the prophecy, realizing that this isn’t that fulfillment!

3. Explain under his son in “he ascended him for an ascension under his son”:  This Hebrew expression means in the place of his son.

4. The text stated, “And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns.” Explain why the text states, “another”: It is as if Isaac were a ram, and the animal were the second ram! (Biblical Hebrew does refer to persons as rams when they have the strength qualities or the rank (among their peers) of rams.

 

VIII. The Naming of the Place (verse 14)

It was Avraham who had said before that Yehovah will see to Himself the lamb for ascension. The animal caught was a ram, not a lamb.

Avraham now called that location Yehovah-Will-See. Yehovah will see in the mountain.

 

Questions

1. What was significant about the animal being a ram rather than a lamb? The lamb refers to the Lamb of God, Messiah Yeshua, Whom Yehovah will sacrifice for sin (and for other reasons).

2. This verse states, “Yehovah will see.” What will He see? He will see to Himself the lamb for ascension. In other words, Yehovah will see Himself in the form of Yeshua, and Yeshua as the Lamb that Avraham prophesied.

3. In what mountain will Yehovah see this Lamb? I propose that He will see that Lamb in Mount Zion, the most important mountain on the planet. That is when the Lamb of God will reign as King.

 

IX. The Results of Obedience (verses 15-18)

Messenger Yehovah called a second time to Avraham from the heavens. He swore (vowed) via Himself.

Avraham had done two noble acts: He had

  • done the saying of Messenger Yehovah
  • not spared his son, his only.

Yehovah vowed to do the following:

  • He will bless Avraham.
  • He will multiply his seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea.

He also stated two results of these things:

  • His Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.
  • All races of the land will bless themselves via His Seed.

All this was because Avraham had hearkened into His voice.

 

Questions

1. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow? He vowed because of the importance of what He was about to say. He could have promised, but a vow is much more important than a promise (in many cases).

2. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow via Himself? When one vows, one uses the name or identity of someone or something greater than himself. There was no one greater than Yehovah, so He vowed via Himself. A text mentions this:

Hebrews 6:13 When God made promise to Avraham, He swore by Himself (because He couldn’t swear by anyone greater) 14saying, “Blessing, I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee!” 15And so he [Avraham] obtained the promise after he had patiently endured—16(For men indeed swear by the greater. And an oath for confirmation is an end of all strife to them.)—17in which God confirmed it by an oath, far more willing to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability [unchangeability] of His counsel.

3. Do the stars of the heavens multiply? They don’t at this time, but they will many centuries from now during a time called the Millennium (meaning the thousand years). Messiah Yeshua will reign at that time over the whole planet. He will put many stars into the heavens, and they will multiply during that thousand years that He will rule.

4. Does the sand of the sea multiply? It does, even today! With every crashing wave, sand particles, which are made of silicon, and are tiny pieces of rounded glass, break into smaller pieces. Window glass is made of silicon; it is made of sand! The front window of automobiles is also made of silicon, but has a very thin piece of plastic between two pieces of glass so that it won’t easily shatter if broken. Glass that is broken is very sharp. Sand isn’t sharp, because the waves hit the sand particles together, rounding off any sharp edges. In this way, however, the sand particles multiply in number!

5. Verse 17 states, “thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.”  Identify this Seed: This Seed is Messiah Yeshua.

The word seed, like deer and fish, is a word that can refer to one, or it can refer to more than one (it can be singular or plural). When farmers and gardeners speak about seed, they normally mean a large group of individual seeds. Yet, they can also refer to one seed, like an avocado seed.

The seed in this text refers to One: to Messiah Yeshua. A verse explains this:

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

5. When will this Seed inherit the gate of His enemies, and why would the Seed want a gate? This Seed is Messiah Yeshua. He will inherit this gate at the end of a time period called the Tribulation, the worst time the world will ever see, and He will hold that gate for the entire Millenniuim (thousand years) during which time He will rule over all the earth.

If He holds the gate of the enemies, He holds the location of justice—like the courthouse of our cities. In some cultures, judges judge matters of law at the gate of the city or village so that there is plenty of room for folks to watch. This used to be where trials were held, and it will again be where they will be held in the far future. If Messiah Yeshua holds the gate of the enemies, He will hold the court system and the judges, and will make sure that all judgments are done right, according to His standards.

6. Identify “all races of the land”: Those are all races that are on the planet. A race is a very large group of individuals who all come from a common ancestor.

7. What does “will bless themselves via thy Seed” mean? Since this Seed is Messiah Yeshua, and since a blessing is normally something very good that has been given to another in order for that person to benefit (do good for) others, this means that all races will benefit other races by means of Messiah and what He gives to them. That means that races won’t waste time hating and trying to destroy each other, but will instead do great business with other races and do them much good.

8. Why will such good things occur, according to this text? The text states, “[on the] heel-that thou hearkened into my voice!”  The expression, “on the heel that” means that this follows the other. If something is on your heel, it is right behind you! Put that into the text, and you will see that all races of the land will bless themselves right behind (on the heel of) the fact that Avraham hearkened to [both listened and obeyed] Messenger Yehovah’s voice!

 

X. The Return (verse 19)

Avraham and Isaac returned back to the waiting youths. They all walked together unto Well-Of-Oath, Beersheba. Avraham dwelt there.

 

Questions

1. Perhaps now you can answer the question why Avraham took the youths with Isaac and him: He took them so that they would be with Isaac after Isaac was slaughtered and raised from the dead! He took them, because they were Isaac’s companions, and they would benefit Isaac after this traumatic event.

2. The text states that “they stood.” Who stood? The youths stood. They were sitting there, waiting for Avraham and Isaac to return.

3. What was the topic of conversation as they walked to Beersheba? The Bible doesn’t say what it was. The Bible only includes information that is directly pertinent [on the same subject] and important to the plan of God. It never includes unimportant details.

4. Did Avraham like Beersheba? Yes! He lived there for quite a while.

 

XI. Names (verses 20-24)

Avraham had a brother named Nahor (which means snorer). His wife was Milcah, meaning Queen. Someone (identified only as he) told Avraham that Milcah had birthed sons, so that Nahor and Milcah now had children.

I have provided meanings for the names of the children. I can be certain of the meanings of some of the names, and I am less certain of the meanings of other names because I have very little information upon which to determine their meanings. Please know this as you read the meanings that I have proposed.

 

English Name

Proposed Meaning

Huz Counsel
Buz Contempt
Kemuel They-Stood-A-Mighty-One
Aram I-Will-elevate
Chesed As-Violence/Devil
Hazo His-Vision
Pildash Distinction-Of-Fertility
Jidlaph He-Will-Drip
Bethuel They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One
Rebekah Multiplied-Decanting
Reumah They-Saw-What?
Tebah He-Slaughtered
Gaham He-Burned
Thahash Thou-Wilt-Hush
Maacah Thy-Belly

 

Questions

1. Why did folks name their children with such weird names? Those names serve two functions: they explain what the parents were seeing or experiencing when the children were born, and they give prophetic information about events yet to come! (If you carefully string the names together, you will see sentences that give information about events to come.) That means that Yehovah participated by making certain that parents named their children in these ways (usually without the parents knowing anything much about Yehovah, and not knowing that He was participating).

2. Why would a parent name a baby Snorer? I suspect that the child snored from the time it was born! But I don’t know.

3. What does decant mean? It means to pour liquid from one container into another.

4. What is a concubine? A concubine is a wife, but she will not receive any inheritance left by the husband. It is the same thing that a man and a woman might agree to do today as part of a prenuptual agreement (a pre-marriage agreement).

5. How is Rebekah’s name prophetic? Her name is Multiplied-Decanting. She decanted water from buckets into watering troughs for camels. That was how Avraham’s slave knew that Yehovah chose her. See Genesis 24 for the whole story!

 

Genesis 22 – The Test

Genesis 22: The Test

 

Background and Text: Genesis 22:1-19

Genesis 22:1 And he was after these things. And the Elohim (the Gods) tested [singular] Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham). And He said unto him, “Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am!” 2And He said, “Take, na, thy son, thine only that thou loved, He-Will-Laugh (Isaac). And walk. Walk unto Land of the Bitterness-of-Yehovah (Moriah). And ascend him there for an ascension upon one of the mountains that I will say unto thee.”

3And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he bound his ass. And he took two of his youths with him, and Isaac his son. And he cleaved trees of ascension. And he stood. And he walked unto the place that the Gods said [singular] to him.

4In the third day, and Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw the place from a distance. 5And Avraham said unto his youths, “Sit to you here with the ass. And the youth and I will walk unto so. And we have worshipped. And we have returned unto you.” 6And Avraham took trees of the ascension. And he put upon Isaac his son. And he took the fire and the meat-cleaver in his hand. And both of them walked together.

7And Isaac said unto Avraham his papa, and he said, “My Papa!” And he said, “Behold, I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” 8And Avraham said, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.” And both of them walked together.

9And they came unto the place that the Gods said to him. And Avraham built the altar there. And he ordered the trees. And he bound Isaac his son. And he put him upon the altar from above to the trees. 10And Avraham sent his hand. And he took the meat-cleaver to slaughter his son.

11And Messenger Yehovah called unto him from the heavens. And He said, “Avraham! Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am.” 12And He said, “Do not send thy hand unto the youth! And do not do to him a blemish! For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”

13And Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw. And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns. And Avraham walked. And he took the ram. And he ascended him for an ascension under his son.

14And Avraham called the name of that place ‘Yehovah-Will-See,’ which he will say today, “Yehovah will see in the mountain!”

15And Messenger Yehovah called unto Avraham a second-time from the heavens. 16And He said, “Via me I swore,” Yehovah declared, “that because thou did this saying, and thou did not spare thy son thine only, 17that blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea! And thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies! 18And all races of the land will bless-themselves via thy Seed [on the] heel-that thou hearkened into my voice!”

19And Avraham returned unto his youths. And they stood. And they walked together unto Well-Of-Oath. And Avraham dwelt in Well-Of-Oath.

20And he was after these things. And He told to Avraham to say, “Behold, Queen childed—also he—sons to Snorer thy brother, 21Counsel his firstborn and Contempt his brother and They-Stood-A-Mighty-One the father of I-Will-Elevate 22and As-Violence/Devil and His-Vision and Distinction-Of-Fertility and He-Will-Drip and They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One. 23And They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One childed Multiplied-Decanting. Queen childed these eight to Snorer brother of Avraham, 24and his concubine—and her name is They-Saw-What? And she childed—also he—He-Slaughtered and He-Burned and Thou-Wilt-Hush and Thy-Belly.

 

I. The Startling Command (verses 1-2)

The Bible declares that the Elohim (the Gods) tested Avraham. It does not give the purpose for the test in this section, but it does show that He does such things.

Avraham finally had a son of the promise. He loved his son, as Elohim attested (Elohim was a witness to this and said so). He now told him to take his son whom he loved, and go to the land of Moriah.

Elohim referred to Isaac as “thy son, thine only” as if Ishmael did not exist.

He told him to walk, then to ‘ascend’ his son for ascension in the same way that one would do an animal. Elohim would tell him upon which mountain to do this.

 

Questions

1. Does God test everyone?

2. Why did Elohim test him in this way?

3. Why does the Hebrew Bible use Elohim (meaning Gods instead of God)?

4. Why does the Hebrew Bible use ‘the Elohim’?

5. What does the Hebrew word na mean (verse 2)?

6. Why does Elohim refer to Isaac as Avraham’s only son when Avraham also had Ishmael?

7. What does “thy son, thine only that thou loved” mean?

8. Why is loved in the past tense?

9. Why must Avraham walk? Couldn’t he ride animals?

10. What was the name of the mountain where this event would take place?

11. What does “ascend him there” mean?

12. Did Elohim command Avraham to kill his son?

13. Did Elohim do right by commanding this?

 

II. Avraham’s Quick Response (verse 3)

Avraham rose early in the morning. He loaded the ass with the saddle and with provisions. Two youths and Isaac accompanied him.

Avraham split the wood for the sacrifice. He then stood up and went with the three unto the place Elohim told him.

 

Questions

1. Why did Avraham rise early in the morning?

2. Why didn’t Avraham ask another slave (perhaps a much younger man) to split the logs for him?

3. Why did Avraham take the other two youths?

4. How did Avraham know the right place to go?

5. Did Isaac wonder where they were going, and why?

 

III. The Fire and the Meat Cleaver (verses 4-6)

The journey took several days. Avraham saw the destination on the third day, still a distance away.

He told the two youths to stay with the ass while Isaac and he would go the rest of the way.

Avraham gave the reason for the journey: Isaac and he were going to worship, and both would return to the youths.

He loaded the trees for the ascension upon Isaac. Avraham took burning wood to light the fire, and a meat cleaver. They both walked together.

 

Questions

1. Did Avraham lie when he said, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you”?

2. Could the youths see Avraham and Isaac while they finished their journey?

3. Why didn’t the youths ask him where he was going?

4. What does so mean in “The youth and I will walk unto so”?

5. Why did Avraham say, “We have worshipped” rather than “We will worship”?

6. What does worship mean?

7. What are trees of the ascension?

8. Why did Avraham place the wood on Isaac instead of carrying it himself?

9. In what form was the fire that Avraham took?

10. What was the purpose of the meat cleaver?

11. Isn’t this a gruesome scene?

 

IV. The Question (verses 7-8)

Isaac became curious at this point. Sacrifices require sacrificial animals. They had brought none with them. Isaac said, “My Papa!”  Avraham replied, “Behold, I am, my son.” Isaac observed, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” Avraham told him, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.”  That must have satisfied Isaac; they both walked onward together.

 

Questions

1. What did Avraham mean by the reply, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension”?

2. Why didn’t Avraham tell Isaac what he was about to do to him?

3. Did Avraham love Isaac?

 

V. The Grim Task (verses 9-10)

They finally arrived. Avraham built the altar. He ordered the trees—he set them in order so that they would burn just right. Then he tied up Isaac! He placed him upon the altar—upon the firewood trees!

Avraham then sent his hand… He took the meat cleaver to slaughter his son!

 

Questions

1. Why did Isaac submit to being tied?

2. Did Avraham gag his son?

3. Why did he tie him in the first place?

4. Had Avraham slaughtered his son in this way, would not this have been a heinous (enormously and shockingly evil)  crime? Would it not have been wrong and sinful?

5. How would you feel about someone coming at you with a meat cleaver when you are tied up?

 

VI. The Results of the Test (verses 11-12)

Messenger Yehovah (also known as the Angel Yehovah) called Avraham’s name twice: “Avraham! Avraham!” Avraham responded, “Behold, I am!” This Messenger Yehovah commanded him to not send his hand unto the youth. He also commanded him to not do to him a blemish!

This Messenger said, “For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”

 

Questions

1. Why did Messenger Yehovah call Avraham’s name twice?

2. Why did the messenger tell him to stop after Elohim had told him to do this?

3. Didn’t Messenger Yehovah already know that Avraham was a fearer of Elohim?

4. Who is Messenger Yehovah, and how could a reader know this?

5. Would Avraham have killed Isaac?

 

VII. The Exchange (verse 13)

Avraham lifted his eyes. A ram was caught in a thicket by his horns. He was not damaged, but was stuck. Avraham walked to the ram, took it, and exchanged the animal and his son. He then ascended the animal on the altar.

 

Questions

1. Why did Avraham offer the caught ram (instead of letting it go, or instead of eating it)?

2. Why did Yehovah provide a ram instead of a lamb?

3. Explain under his son in “he ascended him for an ascension under his son”:

4. The text stated, “And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns.” Explain why the text states, “another”:

 

VIII. The Naming of the Place (verse 14)

It was Avraham who had said before that Yehovah will see to Himself the lamb for ascension. The animal caught was a ram, not a lamb.

Avraham now called that location Yehovah-Will-See. Yehovah will see in the mountain.

 

Questions

1. What was significant about the animal being a ram rather than a lamb?

2. This verse states, “Yehovah will see.” What will He see?

3. In what mountain will Yehovah see this Lamb?

 

IX. The Results of Obedience (verses 15-18)

Messenger Yehovah called a second time to Avraham from the heavens. He swore (vowed) via Himself.

Avraham had done two noble acts: He had

  • done the saying of Messenger Yehovah
  • not spared his son, his only.

Yehovah vowed to do the following:

  • He will bless Avraham.
  • He will multiply his seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea.

He also stated two results of these things:

  • His Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.
  • All races of the land will bless themselves via His Seed.

All this was because Avraham had hearkened into His voice.

 

Questions

1. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow?

2. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow via Himself?

3. Do the stars of the heavens multiply?

4. Does the sand of the sea multiply?

5. Verse 17 states, “thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.”  Identify this Seed:

5. When will this Seed inherit the gate of His enemies, and why would the Seed want a gate?

6. Identify “all races of the land”:

7. What does “will bless themselves via thy Seed” mean?

8. Why will such good things occur, according to this text?

 

X. The Return (verse 19)

Avraham and Isaac returned back to the waiting youths. They all walked together unto Well-Of-Oath, Beersheba. Avraham dwelt there.

 

Questions

1. Perhaps now you can answer the question why Avraham took the youths with Isaac and him:

2. The text states that “they stood.” Who stood?

3. What was the topic of conversation as they walked to Beersheba?

4. Did Avraham like Beersheba?

 

XI. Names (verses 20-24)

Avraham had a brother named Nahor (which means snorer). His wife was Milcah, meaning Queen. Someone (identified only as he) told Avraham that Milcah had birthed sons, so that Nahor and Milcah now had children.

I have provided meanings for the names of the children. I can be certain of the meanings of some of the names, and I am less certain of the meanings of other names because I have very little information upon which to determine their meanings. Please know this as you read the meanings that I have proposed.

 

English Name

Proposed Meaning

Huz Counsel  
Buz Contempt  
Kemuel They-Stood-A-Mighty-One  
Aram I-Will-elevate  
Chesed As-Violence/Devil  
Hazo His-Vision  
Pildash Distinction-Of-Fertility  
Jidlaph He-Will-Drip  
Bethuel They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One  
Rebekah Multiplied-Decanting  
Reumah They-Saw-What?  
Tebah He-Slaughtered  
Gaham He-Burned  
Thahash Thou-Wilt-Hush  
Maacah Thy-Belly  

 

Questions

1. Why did folks name their children with such weird names?

2. Why would a parent name a baby Snorer?

3. What does decant mean?

4. What is a concubine?

5. How is Rebekah’s name prophetic?

 

 

Genesis 27 – The Blessing of Jacob and Esau

The Blessing of Jacob and Esau

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 27:1-28:9

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.”

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.

I. The Game Request (verses 1-5)

Isaac was old and nearly blind. He didn’t know the day he would die. It was very important for him to bless his firstborn child before his death. Isaac told him to take his equipment, exit the field (go out into the field), hunt, and make good-tasting things that he loved. Isaac then promised Esau that Isaac’s being would bless him before Isaac dies.

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

Questions

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?

2.   Why did Isaac want to eat very good food made by his son Esau before his being would bless Esau?

3.   Was Rebekah doing wrong by carefully listening and overhearing her husband’s conversation with Esau?

4.   Did Esau desire the blessing of his father? Explain.

II. The Plot (verses 6-12)

Rivka (Rebecca, Rebekah) told Jacob about the conversation in detail. She then commanded Jacob to hearken to her. She told Jacob to take two goat kids from the flock. Rivka will then make the tasty foods in the very way Isaac loves. Jacob will bring them to Isaac, and Isaac will bless Jacob just before he dies.

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!”

Questions

1.   Did Rebekah (Rivka) do wrong by telling her son Jacob what Isaac and Esau had said?

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?

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?

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?

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?

6.   Did Rebekah ignore all the harm that this would do to Esau, showing coldness and a lack of love for him?

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

8.   Why was this so important to Rebekah?

III. Preparations (verses 14-17)

Jacob walked. He took the goat kids as directed. Rivka (Rebekah) fixed the food the way Isaac loved it.

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.

Questions

1.   Why the text mention that he walked?

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?

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?

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

IV. The Deed (verses 18-23)

Jacob brought to his father what his mother had fixed. He then called, “My papa!” Isaac asked him, “Who art thou? My son?” Jacob answered, “I am 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!”

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.

Questions

1.   Why did Isaac ask, “Who art thou? My son?”

2.   Jacob lied when he said, “I am Esau thy firstborn.” Did he do wrong?

3.   What does “caused an encounter” mean?

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?

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?

V. The Details (verses 24-25)

Isaac next stated, “Thou art this my son Esau!” to which Jacob replied, “I!”

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.

Questions

(No Questions)

VI. The Blessing (verses 26-29)

After eating, Isaac told ‘Esau’ to approach and to kiss him. Jacob did both. Isaac smelled the fragrance of his garments. He then blessed ‘Esau’.

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!

Questions

1.   Why do adults want to be kissed by their children who are grown?

2.   Do young children like to be kissed by their parents?

3.   Why did Isaac want his son to kiss him?

4.   Why did this part of the blessing start with the word “See”? Whom is Isaac commanding to see, and to whom is Isaac speaking when he says, “The fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field that Yehovah blessed him”?

5.   What is the fragrance of a field like if Yehovah blessed the field?

6.   What is important about being given from the dew of the heavens?

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?

8.   Who is “the Gods,” and why is this plural?

9.   What is important about “the multiplicity of grain”?

10. What is good about the multiplicity of new wine?

11. What does “peoples shall serve thee” mean?

12. What does “folks shall prostrate to thee” mean?

13. Isaac thought that he was passing the Abrahamic blessing on to Esau. Would this have been right to do?

14. The command to “be a valiant one to thy brothers” will be fulfilled by what types of actions?

15. Who are these brothers?

16. What does “sons of thy mama shall prostrate to thee” mean?

17. Who is a curser of Jacob?

18. What is a ‘blesser’ of Jacob?

19. The last part mentions cursers and blessers. Why doesn’t it mention any other category?

20. How will cursers be cursed and blessers be blessed?

VII. The Return (verses 30-31)

Esau arrived back just as Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Esau made the tasties for his father. He then brought them to him.

Questions

1.   Why didn’t someone (besides Rivka and Jacob) tell Esau that his father had already eaten?

2.   What would have happened if Esau had returned while Jacob was feeding Isaac?

VIII. The Exposure (verses 31-33)

Esau told his father to arise and eat from his hunting so that Isaac’s being will bless Esau. Isaac was confused. “Who art thou?” And Esau responded, “I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau!” Isaac began to greatly shake. He said, “Who?” Then he asked, “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!”

Questions

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?

2.   Why did Isaac greatly quake, and what does that mean?

3.   Why did he then say, “Who?”

4.   Why did he ask, “Where is he, the hunter of hunting?”

5.   Why did Isaac tell Esau, “And he brought to me, and I ate from all before thou wilt come”?

6.   Why did Isaac tell Esau, “And I blessed him”?

7.   When Isaac said, “Also, he will be blessed,” what was Isaac doing?

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!”?

IX. The Facts and the Lie (verses 34-36)

Esau hearkened to his papa’s words. Esau then screamed a very big, bitter and long scream.

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!”

Questions

1.   Why start a sentence with as?

2.   What does hearken mean?

3.   Why did Esau react so strongly (by screaming a big and bitter scream) when he heard that Jacob was blessed?

4.   For what was Esau asking when he said to his papa, “Bless me, also I, my papa”?

5.   Did Isaac realize why Esau was so upset?

6.   Was Isaac telling Esau about Jacob’s evil deed in verse 35?

7.   What does “he ‘heeled’ me this, strokes” mean?

8.   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?

X. The Lesser Blessing (verses 36-40)

Esau figured that Isaac should have a blessing just for him that Isaac ‘neared’—that is, brought near to occur. Isaac responded, “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?” Esau took this very hard: “One blessing—he is to thee, my papa! Bless me, also I, my papa!” He wept loudly.

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!”

Questions

1.   What does “Hast thou not neared for me a blessing?” mean?

2.   What does “I put him a valiant-one to thee” mean?

3.   The text states, “I gave all his brothers to him for slaves.” How many brothers did Jacob have? Explain.

4.   What does “I sustained him grain and new-wine” mean?

5.   Explain “And where to thee?”:

6.   What was Isaac expressing when he said, “What will I do, my son?”

7.   Isaac finally gave Esau a blessing. What happened so that Isaac was able to do that?

8.   What does “thy settlement will be from oils of the land” mean?

9.   What does “thy settlement will be from dew of the heavens from above” mean?

10. What does “thou shalt live upon thy sword” mean?

11. What will be one of Esau’s main services that he will do?

12. Explain “And he shall be just as thou shalt descend. And thou shalt break his yoke from upon thy neck!”

13. What is a yoke?

14. Will Esau’s breaking Jacob’s yoke from upon his neck be good, or will it be bad?

XI. The Second Plot and the Plan (verses 41-45)

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing that Isaac had given him.

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?”

Questions

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?

2.   What are “days of mourning” in “days of mourning of my papa shall approach”?

3.   What does Esau mean by “And I have killed Jacob, my brother”?

4.   Esau plotted the murder of Jacob because he hated Jacob over the blessing. What does this tell readers about Esau’s character?

5.   Who told Rebekah the words that Esau spoke in his heart (mind)?

6.   Why did the one who read Esau’s mind tell Rebekah?

7.   Why didn’t He just stop Esau from the murder plan?

8.   What does “Esau thy brother consoles himself to thee to kill thee” mean?

9.   What does “until-that heat of thy brother shall return” mean?

10. What does “until the nose of thy brother shall return from with thee” mean?

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?

12. What does bereft mean?

13. What does Rebekah mean by “Why will I be bereft indeed of both of you one day?”

XII. The Protest and the Third Blessing (verse 46-chapter 28:4)

Rivka was very upset because of the daughters of Heth. They were such bad women, that Rivka abhorred in her lives from seeing them. Yet, Jacob might take a wife from these daughters of the land. Her lives would then be intolerable.

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.”

Questions

1.   What does “I abhorred in my lives from the faces of the daughters of Heth” mean?

2.   What was wrong with these women, and what did they have to do with Rebekah?

3.   What did Rivka fear, according to verse 46?

4.   Was Rivka racist against the local women?

5.   How did Isaac remedy Rivka’s fear?

6.   Genesis 28:1 states that Isaac blessed him (Jacob). What did he say or do that was this blessing?

7.   Where did Isaac command Jacob to obtain a woman?

8.   Is marrying a first cousin a wise thing to do today? Explain.

9.   Why did Isaac want Jacob to marry his cousin?

10. What does El Shaddai mean?

11. How did Isaac know that El Shaddai would bless Jacob?

12. What does “He has ‘fruited’ thee” mean?

13. What will happen if El Shaddai multiplies him?

14. What is a congregation of peoples?

15. Who is “thy seed with thee”?

XIII. Esau’s Attempt at Making Things Right (verses 5-9)

Isaac sent Jacob, fully blessed. Jacob did as he was told; he began walking toward the house of Bethuel.

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.

Questions

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?

2.   Jacob was a grown man. Did he have to hearken to his parents?

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?

4.   Will you be more like Jacob, Esau, or the daughters of Heth? Speak the truth.

5.   If Mahalath means What Hast Thou Pierced, why might a girl baby be named this?

6.   Were Esau’s parents consoled by Mahalath?

Genesis 27 – The Blessing of Jacob and Esau QA Supplied

The Blessing of Jacob and Esau

Questions and Proposed Answers Supplied

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 27:1-28:9

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.

I. The Game Request (verses 1-5)

Isaac was old and nearly blind. He didn’t know the day he would die. It was very important for him to bless his firstborn child before his death. Isaac told him to take his equipment, exit the field (go out into the field), hunt, and make good-tasting things that he loved. Isaac then promised Esau that Isaac’s being would bless him before Isaac dies.

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

Questions

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.

       Isaac wanted to give a blessing from Yehovah to Esau, his firstborn son. His being (his body, his soul and his spirit) had a hard time with this, however, because Esau… didn’t care about these things… unless it involved what he could gain now. Esau was a good cook, however. This greatly pleased Isaac. Thus, if Isaac made him some tasties, he could recall this son and his learning and experiences as a child, with fond memories of this area of his success. He could then bless him. I propose that this is why he desired that Esau make this food.

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.)

II. The Plot (verses 6-12)

Rivka (Rebecca, Rebekah) told Jacob about the conversation in detail. She then commanded Jacob to hearken to her. She told Jacob to take two goat kids from the flock. Rivka will then make the tasty foods in the very way Isaac loves. Jacob will bring them to Isaac, and Isaac will bless Jacob just before he dies.

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!”

Questions

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.

8.   Why was this so important to Rebekah? She knew the outcome centuries after her time! She knew that this was extremely important in the history of the world. She did not minimize the Word of Yehovah (like so many who read the Bible do today); she knew that this was a matter of lives and deaths. She feared Yehovah.

III. Preparations (verses 14-17)

Jacob walked. He took the goat kids as directed. Rivka (Rebekah) fixed the food the way Isaac loved it.

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.

Questions

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.

IV. The Deed (verses 18-23)

Jacob brought to his father what his mother had fixed. He then called, “My papa!” Isaac asked him, “Who art thou? My son?” Jacob answered, “I am 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!”

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.

Questions

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.

V. The Details (verses 24-25)

Isaac next stated, “Thou art this my son Esau!” to which Jacob replied, “I!”

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.

Questions

(No Questions)

VI. The Blessing (verses 26-29)

After eating, Isaac told ‘Esau’ to approach and to kiss him. Jacob did both. Isaac smelled the fragrance of his garments. He then blessed ‘Esau’.

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!

Questions

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.

4.   Why did this part of the blessing start with the word “See”? Whom is Isaac commanding to see, and to whom is Isaac speaking when he says, “The fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field that Yehovah blessed him”? It is as if Isaac is speaking to his own being, telling his being to see. The word see in the Bible is like it is in English. It can refer to sight, using the eyes, or it can refer to understanding. Thus, even a blind person can see that way. (I see!)

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

       Whole grains are good for health. They contain fiber/fibre which is good for digestion and intestinal health.

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.

VII. The Return (verses 30-31)

Esau arrived back just as Isaac finished blessing Jacob! Esau made the tasties for his father. He then brought them to him.

Questions

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?)

VIII. The Exposure (verses 31-33)

Esau told his father to arise and eat from his hunting so that Isaac’s being will bless Esau. Isaac was confused. “Who art thou?” And Esau responded, “I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau!” Isaac began to greatly shake. He said, “Who?” Then he asked, “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!”

Questions

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.

IX. The Facts and the Lie (verses 34-36)

Esau hearkened to his papa’s words. Esau then screamed a very big, bitter and long scream.

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!”

Questions

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.

X. The Lesser Blessing (verses 36-40)

Esau figured that Isaac should have a blessing just for him that Isaac ‘neared’—that is, brought near to occur. Isaac responded, “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?” Esau took this very hard: “One blessing—he is to thee, my papa! Bless me, also I, my papa!” He wept loudly.

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!”

Questions

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)

       There are many other plants that are good for oils. Because Esau will live where water is scarce, some plants won’t be often grown. Corn is good for corn oil, but corn requires a higher amount of rain or watering. Even sunflowers and peanuts require larger amounts of rain. There are plants in the Middle East, where Esau will dwell, that produce oil without requiring so much rainfall.

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.

       You will probably think of other occupations that will fit this description. I do not know which one or ones will describe what Esau will be doing, but the sword will always be part of Esau’s offsprings’ lives.

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?

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!’”

XI. The Second Plot and the Plan (verses 41-45)

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing that Isaac had given him.

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?”

Questions

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.

       The blessing’s contents were not important to Esau, but the idea that Jacob got a better blessing that Esau really bothered Esau.

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.

       Thus, the statement, “until-that heat of thy brother shall return,” means until the time when thy brother’s great anger will become very little, or will be gone.

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.

XII. The Protest and the Third Blessing (verse 46-chapter 28:4)

Rivka was very upset because of the daughters of Heth. They were such bad women, that Rivka abhorred in her lives from seeing them. Yet, Jacob might take a wife from these daughters of the land. Her lives would then be intolerable.

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.”

Questions

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!

XIII. Esau’s Attempt at Making Things Right (verses 5-9)

Isaac sent Jacob, fully blessed. Jacob did as he was told; he began walking toward the house of Bethuel.

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.

Questions

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…

       I can only guess without being told by One who knows.

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.

Genesis 23 – Funeral Arrangements QA Supplied

Funeral Arrangements

(Genesis 23, Questions and Answers Supplied)

 

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 23:1-20

Genesis 23:1 And the lives of Sarah were 100 year and twenty year and seven years, the years of the lives of Sarah. 2And Sarah died in the City-of-Four. He is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And Avraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3And Avraham arose from upon the faces of his dead-one. And he spoke unto the sons of Khet to say, 4 “I am a sojourner and a dweller with you. Give to me a possession of a tomb with you, and I will entomb my dead-one from my faces.”  5And the sons of Khet answered Avraham to say to him, 6“Hearken-to us, my lord! Thou art a prince of Elohim in our midst. Entomb thy dead-one in a choice of our tombs. A man from us will not obstruct his tomb from thee from entombing thy dead-one.” 7And Avraham arose. And he prostrated to the people of the land, to the sons of Khet. 8And he spoke with them to say, “If there is with your being to entomb my dead from to my faces, hearken-ye to me and encounter-ye for me in Ephron the son of Tzokhar. 9And he has given to me the cave of the Makhpaylah that is to him that is in the edge of his field. He will give her to me in your midst for a possession of a tomb via the full silver.”

10And Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Khet. And Ephron the Kheti answered Avraham in the ears of the sons of Khet to all comers of the gate of his city to say, 11“No my lord. Hearken-to me! I gave the field to thee and the cave that is in him. I gave her to thee to the eyes of the sons of my people. I gave her to thee to entomb from thy dead.” 12And Avraham prostrated to the faces of the people of the land. 13And he spoke unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land to say, “But if thou— were— hearken-to me. I gave silver of the field. Take from me, and I have entombed my dead there.” 14And Ephron answered Avraham to say to him, 15“My Lord, hearken to me. A land of 400 shekels of silver is between thee and between me. What is he? Entomb thy dead-one.” 16And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver that he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, crossed-over to a merchant.

17And the field of Ephron that is in Machpelah that is to the faces of Mamre, the field and the cave that is in him and all the tree that is in the field that is in all his borders around arose 18to Abraham for an acquisition to the eyes of the sons of Heth, and all comers of the gate of his city. 19And afterward, Avraham entombed Sarah his woman into the cave of the field of Machpelah upon the faces of Mamre. He is Hevron in the land of Canaan. 20And the field stood, and the cave that is in him, to Avraham for a possession of a tomb from the sons of Khet.

I. Sarah’s Death (verses 1-2)

Sarah had her first son at age 91 (see Genesis 17:17 and 17:21). She therefore had 36 years with her son before she died.

She died in the city of Hebron. Avraham came to mourn and weep for her.

Questions

1.   Why is the English so strange in verse 1? The Hebrew language often uses the singular when the numbers are large. Therefore, it uses “100 year” instead of 100 years.

       Something else is different about this verse. Instead of the normal Hebrew expression (“100 and 20 and 7 years”), it is divided up into three parts: “100 year and twenty year and seven years,” as if she had three separate parts to her lives (plural). If this is correct, she had one life that lasted 100 years, one that lasted 20 years, and one that lasted 7 years. This was one lifetime, but changes occurred for her when one part of her life turned to another. No other place in the Bible does this.

2.   Why are her lives plural (instead of ‘life’)? Everyone’s lives are plural. Your lives are plural. You are living as a child at this time. Your life will change once you become a teenager. It will again change when you are a younger adult. It will change again when you become an older adult, and when you become a very old adult.

3.   Why does the text twice mention, “the lives of Sarah”? This tells the reader that this is very important information. She truly had these years of her lives in these blocks of time.

4.   Where is Hebron?

Graphic1

       (See if you can find it on this map. Note the location of the Salt Sea, also known as the Dead Sea.) The Sea in the upper left corner is the Mediterranean Sea. The next map will show where that is. Africa touches the Mediterranean to the south.

Graphic2

5.   Wasn’t Avraham present when Sarah died? If he had to come mourn for her, he must not have been. He was over a large group of cowboys and shepherds, and could have been away on business when this occurred.

6.   What does mourn mean? This is all that is involved in greatly missing a person (or an item) who has died, feeling very sad for the loss, expressing sadness (sorrow), etc.

7.   What does weep mean? That is what we call crying, when tears are shed. When the Bible uses cry, it normally means to call out loud.

II. Approaching the People for a Burying Place (verses 3-9)

Avraham mourned and wept over Sarah.

He then arose, and spoke unto the sons of Khet on whose land he was grazing the cattle and sheep. He needed a place to put her body.

Avraham told the sons of Heth that he is a sojourner and a dweller with them. He asked them to give him a possession of a tomb.

The sons of Heth recognized Avraham as a prince of Elohim among them. They told him to choose one of their tombs to place his dead one. None of their men would keep him from taking one of their tombs.

Avraham stood, and he then prostrated before the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

Avraham spoke to them; if there was ‘with their being’ to entomb his dead from his faces, that is, from his sight, if they would encounter in (speak directly with) Ephron the son of Tzokhar, that will result in his giving the cave of the Makh-pay-lah located in the edge of his field. Ephron will give her (the cave) to Avraham in the midst of their land for a possession of a tomb, and at the full price of its value in silver.

Questions

1.   How long did Avraham mourn and weep for Sarah before he began to discuss with the sons of Heth regarding a burial place? The text doesn’t say. Bodies of the dead needed to be placed into the ground (or preserved) very soon, since the smell would very quickly become very bad.

2.   Why didn’t Avraham use the word sell instead of give? His request, “Give to me a possession of a tomb with you,” was not a request for free land. The expression, “Give,” in Hebrew, might be for pay, or it might not. He didn’t use the word sell because even with an exchange of money, the local people needed to give him a possession. If they sold him the land, they might later reclaim it. If they gave him a possession, he would have it and a clear title (ownership that no one would dispute).

3.   Did the sons of Heth (Khet, in Hebrew, meaning hot in English) believe in Elohim? Just because they spoke of Avraham as a prince of Elohim doesn’t mean they believed in Elohim. Many today speak of ‘Jesus’, and very few know anything about Him that is right. They don’t believe in Him, but they really think they do. The same was true in Avraham’s day. The sons of Khet didn’t believe in Avraham’s Elohim; they had their own elohim (gods) in which to believe.

4.   Why was Avraham friendly with them (if they didn’t believe in Elohim)? Men and women who fear Elohim (who fear Yehovah) will certainly be very gracious and kind to neighbours who don’t believe in Him; Yehovah is kind to them! Anyone who claims to believe in the Biblical God but who holds a grudge against someone because that person doesn’t believe in the Biblical God doesn’t know anything that is important about the Biblical God.

5.   What did the sons of Khet mean by, “Thou art a prince of Elohim”? They knew that Avraham believed in Elohim, and they saw how Elohim had blessed him, making him a ruler over many cowboys and shepherds. He therefore was a prince over his cowhands and sheephands. Since he was living in the midst of the sons of Khet, he was therefore a prince among them. He treated them very well, and was a true friend.

6.   Why would no one among the sons of Khet obstruct Avraham’s choosing any tomb among them, since tombs were often very expensive and difficult to construct? They greatly respected Avraham. He had been a friend to them.

7.   Why did Avraham prostrate to the people of the land, and who are they? They are the common folks, and in this case are the sons of Khet. Avraham prostrated to them to show his willingness to serve them, and to show that he was humble and not arrogant.

8.   Why didn’t Avraham ask Ephron for himself? If Ephron might feel as if he had to acquiesce if Avraham directly approached him. If his fellow citizens approached him, the refusal would be much softer.

9.   Did did Avraham insist on paying the full price, and refused to seek a bargain? Avraham was a prophet. He knew that this land would be his at a later time. Had he obtained the land at a bargain price, that would have given reasons for dwellers in the region to see Avraham and his offspring as cheats rather than as good neighbours.

       Early Americans purchased land from American Indian groups for prices far below the land values. This now is a problem, since modern American Indians know how their ancestors were cheated. Avraham had no desire to give reasons to Middle Eastern occupants to see Avraham and his offspring as cheaters.

III. The Supposed Price (verses 10-16)

Ephron was now present. He spoke to Avraham in front of witnesses: the sons of Khet and all comers to the city gate.

He first spoke as if he were in an argument with Avraham: “No my lord. Hearken-to me!”  He then stated, “gave the field to thee and the cave that is in him.”  He next stated, “I gave her to thee to the eyes of the sons of my people.”  Still, as if that wasn’t enough, he stated, “I gave her to thee to entomb from thy dead.”

Avraham prostrated himself (went flat down on his stomach) to the faces of (straight in front of) the people of the land. He spoke unto Ephron so that the people of the land could hear: “But if thou— were— hearken-to me. I gave silver of the field. Take from me, and I have entombed my dead there.”  Avraham determined to purchase the field, not take it as a gift.

Ephron then spoke of the price and his and Avraham’s relationship: “My Lord, hearken to me. A land of 400 shekels of silver is between thee and between me. What is he? Entomb thy dead-one.”

Avraham then hearkened to Ephron and weighed the silver to him that Ephron had determined. The silver was the same kind that “crossed over to a merchant,”  the same kind used in stores.

Questions

1.   Where was Ephron before this? The text doesn’t say. The way the text is worded, it seems that the sons of Khet went and spoke to him, and that he then came to speak directly with Avraham. He then could tell Avraham face to face that he was giving the field and the cave to him.

2.   Why did Ephron answer Avraham “in the ears of the sons of Ket to all comers of the gat of his city”? He wanted witnesses to hear that he was giving that field and its cave to Avraham. He also knew that having witnesses hear this was important to Avraham.

3.   Why did Ephron start by saying, “No, my lord. Hearken to me”? It was as if Ephron and Avraham had disagreed. It was a very friendly disagreement in which Ephron had given the field and its cave to Avraham, but Avraham had wanted to purchase it.

4.   Why did Ephron state, “I gave” three times? He was determined to make sure that all realized that he had done this.

5.   What does “to the eyes of the sons of my people” mean? It means directly in front of and in full view of the citizens who were his people.

6.   The expression, “to entomb from thy dead” is not the way speakers of the English language would say this. What does it mean? The word from means away, at a distance. Thus, “to entomb from thy dead” means “to place into a tomb in order to be at a distance that that Avraham is no longer where her dead body is located.

7.   Explain “But if thou— were— hearken-to me”:  It is as if Avraham is having a very difficult time with words. He wanted Ephron to take silver for the field, not to give it to him as a gift.

8.   Why did Avraham insist on giving silver for the field instead of taking it as a gift? Avraham knew that folks from Epron’s people in later generations would resent (feel a strong anger) the gift to Avraham and his people, and they might reclaim the field and the cave as their own, as if Avraham never truly gained title (official ownership) to it. He had to make certain that the transaction (act of doing business) was both legal and public.

9.   Was 400 shekels of silver a lot? No. That is why Ephron said, “A land of 400 shekels of silver is between thee and between me. What is he?”

10. Why was the fact that the silver was crossed over to a merchant important? This showed that it was normal currency, not something that might later be viewed as an unusual currency by which Avraham got a great bargain, cheating Ephron.

IV. The Receipt (verses 17-20)

The text explains what arose to Avraham for an acquisition (something that a person acquires: gets, obtains, and now owns):

  • The field of Ephron located in Machpelah, straight in front of Mamre
  • The field and the cave in the field
  • All the tree (we would say trees) in the field in all the fields borders.

The sons of Khet and all covers of the gate of this city saw this transaction.

Avraham entombed Sarah in the cave of this field. The other name of this location is Hevron (most call it Hebron) in the land of Canaan (named after the most powerful race present, the Canaanites). The text again stated that the field and its cave stood for a possession of a tomb from the sons of Khet.

Questions

1.   Why are so many words used to indicate that Avraham truly acquired the field from the sons of Khet by legal means? Yehovah knows the future. He knew that this acquisition would be challenged in a future generation.

       There is another reason. This is the only part of the entire land that Avraham acquired. Yehovah made a Covenant (a vow that is made with a god/God as a witness to enforce the vow) with Avraham. This Covenant stated that Avraham would acquire all of this land. That never happened, and Avraham died. Either Yehovah did not keep His word (which isn’t true) or He will keep it by resurrecting (bringing back to life in a human body) Avraham from the dead and giving him the land!