Gen 27:34-41 | NET2full | STEP | When Esau heard his father’s words , he wailed loudly and bitterly . He said to his father , “ Bless me too , my father !”

‏ Genesis 27:34-41

34 When Esau heard ^{▼▼tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.} his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”} He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 35 But Isaac ^{▼▼tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ^{▼▼tn Or “took”; “received.”} your blessing.” 36 Esau exclaimed, “Jacob is the right name for him! ^{▼▼tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.} He has tripped me up ^{▼▼sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”} two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ^{▼▼tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.} Then Esau wept loudly. ^{▼▼tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”}

39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“See here, ^{▼▼tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) calls for someone’s attention.} your home will be by ^{▼▼tn Or “next to.” The preposition מִן (min) generally indicates the source of something or separation from something, and so is often rendered “from.” Older translations (KJV, ASV, Douay-Rheims, Young’s, JPS) took the preposition as indicating source: “of the fatness of the earth.” More recent translations (NASB, NIV, ESV, NLV) take it as separative: “away from the fatness.” In Jacob’s blessing the preposition works with the verb “give” and indicates source. In Esau’s blessing the preposition functions in a nominal clause and modifies “your dwelling.” HALOT says that מִן can point “to the place… where something can be found” and thus means “in” in Gen 2:8; Lev 14:41; 2 Sam 5:13; Ezra 1:4; Job 30:30; Isa 5:26; 23:7 (HALOT 597, s.v.). In combination with the verb “to dwell,” the preposition מִן means “by,” “next to,” or “across from” (Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam 20:25; Ezek 16:46; Jonah 4:5). The closest parallel for the noun “dwelling” is Gen 10:30 where מִן as “away from” is not possible (rather “at” or “beginning at.”)} ^{▼▼sn In contrast to Jacob, to whom God will give some of earth’s fatness and heaven’s dew, Esau will dwell next to these. Esau himself continues to dwell with Isaac in Canaan, so perhaps he dwells “at” or “in” the richness of the land. But the land of his descendants, Edom, is more arid and might be considered “next to” or “across from” Canaan. The main contrast seems to be that God will give Jacob something, while Esau will have access to two of the same things. “Grain” and “wine” are not repeated for Esau, which may also reflect different conditions in Edom and Canaan.} the richness ^{▼▼tn Heb “from the fatness.”} of the earth,
and by the dew of the sky above.
40 You will live by your sword
but you will serve your brother.
When you grow restless,
you will tear off his yoke
from your neck.” ^{▼▼sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.}

41 So Esau hated ^{▼▼tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.} Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ^{▼▼tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”} Esau said privately, ^{▼▼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.} “The time ^{▼▼tn Heb “days.”} of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ^{▼▼tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.} my brother Jacob!”