25:31 birthright. A double portion of the inheritance (Deut. 21:17) and the right to be family chief and priest (Ex. 4:22).
25:34 despised his birthright. The final evaluation of the verbal tussle and bartering which took place between the twins, all of which was indicative of prior discussions or arguments sufficient for Jacob to conclude how little Esau valued it. He became, therefore, known as irreligious, i.e., “a profane person” (Heb. 12:16).
Genesis 26
26:1 a famine in the land. Once again the land of promise forced the beneficiaries of the covenant to move so as to escape the effects of a famine. Abimelech. Most probably a Philistine dynastic title, with this being a different king from the one who had met Abraham (chap. 20). See note on 20:2. Philistines. This tribe of people who originally sailed the Mediterranean Sea became fierce enemies of Israel when they settled along the SW coast of Palestine. Friendly to Isaac, they were forerunners of hostile descendant enemies.
26:2–11 Obedience and deceit were in juxtaposition. Obeying God to dwell in the land (vv. 2, 3, 6), yet lying about his wife to the people of the land (vv. 7–11) reflected familiar shades of Abraham’s strategy for survival (see 12:10–14; 20:1–4).
26:3–5 God confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant with Isaac, stressing the same 3 elements as before: land, seed, and blessing. He appended specific honorable mention of Abraham’s obedient response to all of God’s words. See notes on 12:1–3; 15:13–21; 17:2, 7, 8, 9. Although Abraham was commended for his deeds, the Abrahamic Covenant was an unconditional covenant grounded in God’s sovereign will (cf. Lev. 26:44, 45).
26:4 Cf. Acts 3:25.
26:6–9 Unlike his ancestor to whom God sovereignly revealed the relationship between Abraham and Sarah (20:3), this king providentially discovered Rebekah’s relationship to Isaac by just happening to look out of a window and witnessing caresses indicative of marriage and intimacy.
26:11 charged all his people…put to death. A pagan king imposing the death penalty on anyone troubling Isaac or Rebekah suggests God was at work to preserve His chosen seed (cf. vv. 28, 29). Cf. Ps. 105:14, 15.
26:12–14 Isaac was content to stay in that place and farm some land. His efforts were blessed by God, but envied by the Philistines!
26:15 stopped up all the wells. Water was so precious in that desert land that wells were essential. Plugging someone’s well was ruinous to them and constituted serious aggression, often leading to war. Isaac could have retaliated, but he did not; rather he dug new wells (vv. 16–19).
26:22 Rehoboth. The word means “room enough.” Finally a well was dug without a quarrel erupting (vv. 20, 21). Now that they were no longer perceived as encroaching upon another’s territory, Isaac selected an appropriate place-name which reflected how he saw God providentially working out their situation.
26:24, 25 This abbreviated reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant was designed to assuage Isaac’s anxiety at facing envy, quarrels, and hostility (vv. 14, 20, 27), and to assure Isaac that he had reasoned right—fruitfulness in posterity would prevail. That it was a significant reminder to Isaac is seen in a response reminiscent of his father—he built an altar of worship to mark the spot of God’s appearance to him (12:7).
26:26 Abimelech…and Phichol. Because 90 years had passed since Abraham was visited by men with the same names, they must have been titles rather than proper names (cf. 21:22). See note on v. 1.
26:28 an oath…a covenant. In a mirror image of a former occasion (21:22–32), Abimelech in the company of a friend and the highest ranking officer in his army (v. 26) sought after a treaty with one they estimated to be superior and stronger than themselves and a possible threat (v. 29). Isaac, on the other hand, perceived them as hostile (v. 27). The outcome was most desirable for both—peace between them (v. 31).
26:30 Ratification of a covenant often involved a banquet.
26:33 Beersheba. Lit. “the well of the oath.” The very place where his father Abraham had made an oath with another Abimelech and Phichol (see note on v. 26) and which Abraham had named Beersheba (21:32).
26:35 grief of mind. Esau’s choice of wives from among neighboring Hittite women saddened his parents. His action had deliberately ignored the standard set by Abraham for Isaac (24:3). Cf. 27:46.
Genesis 27
27:1 Isaac was old. Blind Isaac evidently thought he was near death (v. 2) and would not live much beyond his current 137 years, which was the age of Ishmael when he died (25:17). He certainly did not expect to live another 43 years as he actually did (35:28; cf. 30:24, 25; 31:41; 41:46, 47; 45:6; 47:9 to calculate Isaac’s age at 137 and his twin sons’ ages at 77 years old).
27:4 my soul may bless you. Ignoring the words of God to Rebekah (25:23), forgetting Esau’s bartered birthright (25:33), and overlooking Esau’s grievous marriages (26:35), Isaac was still intent on treating Esau as the eldest and granting him the blessing of birthright, and so arranged for his favorite meal before bestowing final fatherly blessing on his favorite son.
27:5 Now Rebekah was listening. Desperation to secure patriarchal blessing for Jacob bred deception and trickery, with Rebekah believing her culinary skills could make goat’s meat taste and smell like choice venison (vv. 8–10) and make Jacob seem like Esau (vv. 15–17).
27:12 I shall seem to be a deceiver to him. To his credit, Jacob at first objected. The differences between him and Esau would surely not fool his father and might result in blessing being replaced with a curse as a fitting punishment for deception.
27:13 Let your curse be on me. With his mother accepting full responsibility for the scheme and bearing the curse should it occur, Jacob acquiesced and followed Rebekah’s instructions.
27:15 choice clothes of her elder son. Esau, having been married for 37 years (cf. v 1; 26:35), would have had his own tents and his own wives to do for him; so how and why Rebekah came by some of his best clothes in her tent is unknown. Perhaps these garments were the official robes associated with the priestly functions of the head of the house, kept in her house until passed on to the oldest son. Perhaps Esau had, on occasion, worn them, thus their smell of the field (v. 27).
27:20 Because the LORD your God brought it to me. Isaac’s perfectly legitimate question in v. 20 (hunting took time and Jacob had come so quickly with goats from the pen) afforded Jacob an escape route—confess and stop the deceit! Instead, Jacob, with consummate ease, knowing he needed Isaac’s irrevocable confirmation even though he had bought the birthright, ascribed success in the hunt to God’s providence. A lie had to sustain a lie, and a tangled web had begun to be woven (vv. 21–24). Although Jacob received Isaac’s blessing that day, the deceit caused severe consequences: 1) he never saw his mother after that; 2) Esau wanted him dead; 3) Laban, his uncle, deceived him; 4) his family life was full of conflict; and 5) he was exiled for years from his family. By the promise of God he would have received the birthright (25:23). He didn’t need to scheme this deception with his mother.
27:27–29 Finally, with all lingering doubts removed, Isaac pronounced the blessing upon Jacob, although the opening words show he thought the one receiving it was Esau, the man of the field. His prayer-wish called for prosperity and superiority and ended with a repeat of God’s words to Abraham (v. 29c; cf. 12:1–3). The words indicated that Isaac thought the covenantal line should have continued through his eldest son, Esau.
27:33 Isaac trembled exceedingly. Visibly shocked when the scandal was uncovered by the entrance of Esau, the father, remembering the Lord’s words to Rebekah (25:23), refused to withdraw the blessing and emphatically affirmed its validity—”indeed he shall be blessed” and a little later “indeed I have made him your master” and also “you shall serve your brother” (vv. 37, 40). Sudden realization at having opposed God’s will all those years likely made the shock more severe.
27:34 Bless me—me also. Esau fully expected to receive the blessing, for he had identified himself to his father as the firstborn (v. 32). Anguished at losing this important paternal bl
essing and bitterly acting as the innocent victim (v. 36), Esau shifted the blame for the loss of birthright and blessing to Jacob and pleaded for some compensating word of blessing from his father (vv. 36, 38).
27:39, 40 The prayer-wish called for prosperity and inferiority, i.e., maintaining the validity of the words to Jacob and replacing “be master over your brethren” with “you shall serve your brother” (vv. 29, 40). This secondary blessing would not and could not undo the first one.
27:40 you shall break his yoke from your neck. In later history, the Edomites, who descended from the line of Esau, fought time and again with Israel and shook off Israelite control on several occasions (2 Kin. 8:20; 2 Chr. 21:8–10; 28:16, 17).
27:41 The days of mourning for my father. Evidently Esau also thought his father was on the verge of death (27:1) and so, out of respect for his aged father, he postponed murder. Isaac lived another 43 years (see note on 27:1).
27:45 bereaved also of you both in one day. Rebekah understood she stood to lose both her sons since, after the murder of Jacob, the avenger of blood, i.e., the next nearest relative, would track down and execute Esau.
27:46 daughters of Heth. Local Hittite women. See note on 26:35.
Genesis 28
28:1, 2 take yourself a wife from there. Anxious for the safety of her son, Rebekah easily convinced her husband that the time had come for him to seek a non-Canaanite wife back in their homeland and preferably from near kinsmen (vv. 2, 5), just as Rebekah had been sought for Isaac (see 24:1–4).
28:2 Padan Aram. See note on 25:20.
28:3, 4 This extra patriarchal blessing unveiled where Isaac was in his thinking. He had come to understand that the divine blessings would go through Jacob, to whom the Abrahamic Covenant promises of posterity and land also applied—quite the reversal of prior wishes and understanding (cf. 27:27–29). The lack of land possession at that time, described by the phrase “in which you are a stranger,” did not deter at all from the certainty of God’s promise.
28:3 God Almighty. Significantly, El Shaddai was the name Isaac chose to employ when blessing Jacob. It was the name of sovereign power with which God had identified Himself to Abraham in covenant reaffirmation (17:1) which must have been an encouraging factor to both him and his son.
28:5 Isaac sent Jacob away. Ca. 1928 B.C. This must have been a hard departure for the domestic Jacob.
28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael. Marrying back into the line of Abraham through the family of Ishmael seemed to have been a ploy to gain favor with his father (vv. 6, 8), and show an obedience similar to his brother’s (v. 7). He hoped by such gratifying of his parents to atone for past delinquencies, and maybe have his father change the will. He actually increased iniquity by adding to his pagan wives (26:34, 35) a wife from a family God had rejected.
28:10–15 For the first time, and significantly while Jacob was on his way out of the land of Canaan, God revealed Himself to Jacob and confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant with him in all of its 3 elements of land, seed, and blessing (vv. 13, 14). Later, God would remind Jacob of this event when He instructed him to return to the land (31:13) and Jacob would remind his household of it when he instructed them to cleanse their homes before they could return to Bethel (35:3).
28:10 Haran. See note on 11:31.
28:11 a certain place. Identified in v. 19 as Bethel, about 50 mi. N of Beersheba, and about 6 mi. N of Jerusalem. There he spent the night in an open field.
28:12 a ladder…angels of God were ascending and descending. A graphic portrayal of the heavenly Lord’s personal involvement in the affairs of earth, and here especially as they related to divine covenant promises in Jacob’s life (vv. 13–15). This dream was to encourage the lonely traveler. God’s own appointed angelic messengers ensured the carrying out of His will and plans. More than likely, the angels traversed a stairway rather than a ladder.
28:15 will keep you…will bring you back. A most timely, comforting, and assuring promise which remained engraved on Jacob’s heart during his sojourn in Haran (see 30:25). His forced departure from Canaan did not and would not abrogate any of God’s promises to him.
28:18–21 a pillar. Marking a particular site as of special religious significance by means of a stone pillar was a known practice. A libation offering, a change of place-name, and a vow of allegiance to the Lord in exchange for promised protection and blessing completed Jacob’s ceremonial consecration of Bethel, i.e., “House of God.”
28:22 a tenth. Tithing, though not commanded by God, was obviously already known and voluntarily practiced, and served to acknowledge God’s providential beneficence in the donor’s life (see note on 14:20). Jacob may have been bargaining with God, as if to buy His favor rather than purely worshiping God with his gift, but it is best to translate the “if” (v. 20) as “since” and see Jacob’s vow and offering as genuine worship based on confidence in God’s promise (vv. 13–15).
Genesis 29
29:1–4 Conveniently meeting at his destination, shepherds who knew both Laban and Rachel reflected the directing hand of God upon his life, just as promised (28:15).
29:2, 3 A large stone. Perhaps due to the fact that this well of precious stored water could evaporate rapidly in the sun, or be filled with blowing dust, or used indiscriminately, it had been covered and its use regulated (vv. 7, 8).
29:5 Laban the son of Nahor. Genealogical fluidity in the use of “son,” meaning male descendant, occurred in Jacob’s inquiry after Laban, for he was actually Nahor’s grandson (cf. 22:20–23).
29:6–8 It appears that Jacob was trying to get these men to water their sheep immediately and leave, so he could be alone with Rachel for the meeting.
29:9 speaking with them. The language of Haran was Aramaic or Chaldee and evidently was known by Abraham and his sons. There is no comment on how these patriarchs spoke with the Canaanites and Egyptians in their travels, but it is reasonable to assume they had become skilled linguists, knowing more than Hebrew and Aramaic.
29:10–14 Customary greetings and personal introductions ended 97 years of absence since Rebekah had left (see notes on 25:21; 27:1), and Laban’s nephew was welcomed home.
29:14 a month. Tradition in that ancient area allowed a stranger to be cared for 3 days. On the fourth he was to tell his name and mission. After that he could remain if he worked in some agreed-upon way (v. 15).
29:17 eyes were delicate. Probably means that they were a pale color rather than the dark and sparkling eyes most common. Such paleness was viewed as a blemish.
29:18–30 Love and working to provide his service as a dowry (vv. 18–20) combined to make Jacob happily remain during the first 7 years in Laban’s household, almost as an adopted son rather than a mere employee. But Jacob, the deceiver (27:1–29), was about to be deceived (vv. 22–25). Local marriage customs (v. 26), love for Rachel, and more dowry desired by Laban (vv. 27–30) all conspired to give Jacob, not only 7 more years of labor under Laban, but two wives who were to become caught up in jealous childbearing competition (30:1–21).
29:23 The deception was possible because of the custom of veiling the bride and the dark of the night (v. 24).
29:23, 30 went in to. This is a euphemism for consummating marriage.
29:27, 30 It appears that Laban agreed to give Jacob Rachel after the week of wedding celebration for Leah’s marriage to him, and before the 7 years of labor.
29:28 Rachel as wife also. Such consanguinity was not God’s will (see note on Gen. 2:24), and the Mosaic code later forbade it (Lev. 18:18). Polygamy always brought grief, as in the life of Jacob.
29:31 Leah was unloved…Rachel was barren. There was quite a contrast when the one dearly beloved (vv. 18, 20, 30) had no children, whereas the one rejected did. Jacob might have demoted Leah, but God took action on her behalf. Leah had also prayed about her husband’s rejection (v. 33) and had been troubled by it, as seen in the names given to her first 4 sons (vv. 32–35).
Genesis 30
30:1 or else I die! A childless wom
an in ancient Near Eastern culture was no better than a dead wife and became a severe embarrassment to her husband (see v. 23).
30:2 Am I in the place of God…? Although spoken in a moment of frustration with Rachel’s pleading for children and the envy with which it was expressed, Jacob’s words do indicate an understanding that ultimately God opened and closed the womb.
30:3 on my knees. When the surrogate gave birth while actually sitting on the knees of the wife, it symbolized the wife providing a child for her husband.
30:1–21 The competition between the two sisters/wives is demonstrated in using their maids as surrogate mothers (vv. 3, 7, 9, 12), in declaring God had judged the case in favor of the plaintiff (v. 6), in bartering for time with the husband (vv. 14–16), in accusing one of stealing her husband’s favor (v. 15), and in the name given to one son—”wrestled with my sister” (Naphtali, v. 8). The race for children was also accompanied by prayers to the Lord or by acknowledgment of His providence (vv. 6, 17, 20, 22; also 29:32, 33, 35). This bitter and intense rivalry, all the more fierce though they were sisters, and even though they occupied different dwellings with their children as customary, shows that the evil lay in the system itself (bigamy), which as a violation of God’s ordinance (Gen. 2:24) could not yield happiness.
30:14 mandrakes. Jacob had 8 sons by then from 3 women and about 6 years had elapsed since his marriages. The oldest son, Reuben, was about 5. Playing in the field during wheat harvest, he found this small, orange-colored fruit and “brought them to his mother Leah.” These were superstitiously viewed in the ancient world as “love-apples,” an aphrodisiac or fertility-inducing narcotic.
30:15, 16 This odd and desperate bargain by Rachel was an attempt to become pregnant with the aid of the mandrakes, a folk remedy which failed to understand that God gives children (vv. 6, 17, 20, 22).
30:20 now my husband will dwell with me. The plaintive cry of one still unloved (cf. 29:31) as confirmed by Jacob’s frequent absence from her home. She hoped that having 6 children for Jacob would win his permanent residence with her. Zebulun. The name means “dwelling,” signifying her hope of Jacob’s dwelling with her.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 27