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
Expanded Bible
41 After that Esau ·hated [held a grudge against] Jacob because of the blessing ·from Isaac [L with which his father blessed him]. He thought ·to himself [L in his heart], “·My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him [L The days of mourning for my father are near]. Then I will kill Jacob [L my brother].”
42 Rebekah ·heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob [L was told the words of Esau her oldest son]. So she sent for Jacob [L her younger son] and ·said to [informed] him, “Listen, your brother Esau is ·comforting himself [consoling himself; or wants to execute his anger against you] by planning to kill you. 43 So, my son, ·do what I say [L listen to my voice]. My brother Laban is living in Haran. ·Go to him at once [L Get up and flee to him]! 44 ·Stay [Live; Reside] with him for a while, until your brother ·is not so angry [calms down]. 45 In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons on the same day.”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am ·tired of [weary of my life due to] ·Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites]. If Jacob marries one of ·these Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites] here in this land, ·I want to die [why would I want to live?].”
Jacob Searches for a Wife
28 Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him [L and said to him], “You must not marry a ·Canaanite woman [L daughter of Canaan]. 2 ·Go [L Get up and go] to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram; 25:20]. Laban, your mother’s brother, lives there. Marry one of his daughters. 3 May God Almighty bless you and ·give you many children [L make you fruitful and multiply you; 1:22], and may you become a ·group [assembly; congregation; company] of many peoples. 4 May he give you and your ·descendants [L seed] the blessing of Abraham so that you may ·own [possess] the land ·where you are now living as a stranger [L of your wandering/sojourn/alien status], the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 So Isaac sent Jacob to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram], to Laban the brother of Rebekah. Bethuel the Aramean was the father of Laban and Rebekah, and Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
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