Genesis 27:41-28:5
New English Translation
41 So Esau hated[a] Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother.[b] Esau said privately,[c] “The time[d] of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill[e] my brother Jacob!”
42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said,[f] she quickly summoned[g] her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you.[h] 43 Now then, my son, do what I say.[i] Run away immediately[j] to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 Live with him for a little while[k] until your brother’s rage subsides. 45 Stay there[l] until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there.[m] Why should I lose both of you in one day?”[n]
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed[o] because of the daughters of Heth.[p] If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!”[q]
28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman![r] 2 Leave immediately[s] for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May the Sovereign God[t] bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants![u] Then you will become[v] a large nation.[w] 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham[x] so that you may possess the land[y] God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.”[z] 5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Footnotes
- Genesis 27:41 tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.
- Genesis 27:41 tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”
- Genesis 27:41 tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.
- Genesis 27:41 tn Heb “days.”
- Genesis 27:41 tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.
- Genesis 27:42 tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”
- Genesis 27:42 tn Heb “she sent and called for.”
- Genesis 27:42 tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.
- Genesis 27:43 tn Heb “listen to my voice.”
- Genesis 27:43 tn Heb “arise, flee.”
- Genesis 27:44 tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone 20 years and he never sees Rebekah again.
- Genesis 27:45 tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 27:45 tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.
- Genesis 27:45 tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.
- Genesis 27:46 tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).
- Genesis 27:46 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
- Genesis 27:46 tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”
- Genesis 28:1 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
- Genesis 28:2 tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.
- Genesis 28:3 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
- Genesis 28:3 tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.
- Genesis 28:3 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה plus preposition ל (hayah plus lamed) means “become.”
- Genesis 28:3 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
- Genesis 28:4 tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.
- Genesis 28:4 tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 28:4 tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident foreigner, as his future descendants would after him.
Genesis 27:41-28:5
Common English Bible
Jacob sent away for protection
41 Esau was furious at Jacob because his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, When the period of mourning for the death of my father is over, I will kill my brother.
42 Rebekah was told what her older son Esau was planning, so she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Esau your brother is planning revenge. He plans to kill you. 43 So now, my son, listen to me: Get up and escape to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 Live with him for a short while until your brother’s rage subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger at you goes away and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I suffer the loss of both of you on one day?”
46 Rebekah then said to Isaac, “I really loathe these Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women, like the women of this land, why should I go on living?”
28 So Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and gave him these orders: “Don’t marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Get up and go to Paddan-aram, to the household of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and once there, marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty[a] will bless you, make you fertile, and give you many descendants so that you will become a large group of peoples. 4 He will give you and your descendants Abraham’s blessing so that you will own the land in which you are now immigrants, the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 So Isaac sent Jacob off, and he traveled to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother.
Footnotes
- Genesis 28:3 Heb El Shaddai or God of the Mountain
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