Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 27
Overview:
Isaac sends
Esau for venison.
(1-5) Rebekah teaches
Jacob to
obtain the blessing.
(6-17) Jacob, pretending to be
Esau,
obtains the blessing.
(18-29) Isaac's fear,
Esau's importunity.
(30-40) Esau threatens
Jacob's
Life,
Rebekah sends
Jacob away.
(41-46)
1-5 The promises of the
Messiah, and of the land of
Canaan, had
come down to
Isaac.
Isaac being now about 135 years of
Age, and
his sons about 75, and not duly considering the Divine
Word
concerning his two sons, that the
Elder should serve the
younger, resolved to
Put all the honour and power that were in
the promise, upon
Esau his eldest son. We are very apt to take
measures rather from our own reason than from Divine
Revelation,
and thereby often miss our way.
6-17 Rebekah knew that the blessing was intended for
Jacob, and
expected he would have it. But she wronged
Isaac By putting a
cheat
On him; she wronged
Jacob By tempting him to wickedness.
She
Put a stumbling-block in
Esau's way, and gave him a pretext
for
Hatred to
Jacob and to religion. All were to be blamed. It
was one of those crooked measures often adopted to further the
Divine promises; as if the
End would justify, or excuse wrong
means. Thus many have acted wrong, under the idea of being
useful in promoting the cause of
Christ. The answer to all such
things is that which
God addressed to
Abraham, I am
God
Almighty; walk before me and be thou perfect. And it was a very
rash speech of
Rebekah, "Upon me be thy
Curse, my son."
Christ
has borne the
Curse of the
Law for all who take upon them the
Yoke of the command, the command of the
Gospel. But it is too
daring for any
Creature to say, Upon me be thy
Curse.
18-29 Jacob, with some difficulty, gained his point, and got
the blessing. This blessing is in very general terms.
No mention
is made of the distinguishing mercies in the
Covenant with
Abraham. This might be owing to
Isaac having
Esau in his mind,
though it was
Jacob who was before him. He could not be ignorant
how
Esau had despised the best things. Moreover, his attachment
to
Esau,
So as to disregard the mind of
God, must have greatly
weakened his own
Faith in these things. It might therefore be
expected, that leanness would attend his blessing, agreeing with
the state of his mind.
30-40 When
Esau understood that
Jacob had got the blessing, he
cried with a great and exceeding
Bitter cry. The
Day is coming,
when those that now make
Light of the blessings of the
Covenant,
and sell their title to spiritual blessings for that which is of
No value, will, in vain, ask urgently for them.
Isaac, when made
sensible of the deceit practised
On him, trembled exceedingly.
Those who follow the choice of their own affections, rather than
the Divine will, get themselves into perplexity. But he soon
recovers, and confirms the blessing he had given to
Jacob,
saying, I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. Those who
part with their
Wisdom and
Grace, their
Faith and a good
Conscience, for the honours, wealth, or pleasures of this world,
however they feign a zeal for the blessing, have judged
themselves unworthy of it, and their doom shall be accordingly.
A common blessing was bestowed upon
Esau. This he desired. Faint
desires of happiness, without right choice of the
End, and right
use of the means, deceive many unto their own ruin. Multitudes
go to
Hell with their mouths full of good wishes. The great
difference is, that there is nothing in
Esau's blessing which
points at
Christ; and without that, the fatness of the
Earth,
and the plunder of the
Field, will stand in little stead. Thus
Isaac,
By Faith, blessed both his sons, according as their
Lot
should be.
41-46 Esau bore malice to
Jacob On account of the blessing he
had obtained. Thus he went in the way of
Cain, who slew his
Brother, because he gained that acceptance with
God of which he
had rendered himself unworthy.
Esau aimed to prevent
Jacob or
his seed from having the dominion,
By taking away his
Life. Men
may fret at
God's counsels, but cannot change them. To prevent
mischief,
Rebekah warned
Jacob of his danger, and advised him to
withdraw for his safety. We must not presume too far upon the
Wisdom and resolution, even of the most hopeful and promising
children; but care must be taken to keep them out of the way of
evil. When reading this
Chapter, we should not fail to observe,
that we must not follow even the best of men further than they
act according to the
Law of
God. We must not do evil that good
may come. And though
God overruled the bad actions recorded in
this
Chapter, to fulfil his purposes, yet we see his
Judgment of
them, in the painful consequences to all the parties concerned.
It was the
Peculiar privilege and advantage of
Jacob to convey
these spiritual blessings to all nations. The
Christ, the
Saviour of the world, was to be born of some one family; and
Jacob's was preferred to
Esau's, out of the good pleasure of
Almighty
God, who is certainly the best
Judge of what is fit,
and has an undoubted right to dispense his favours as he sees
proper, Ro 9:12-15.