Genesis 27:6-7 - Exposition

And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, —i.e. her favorite, in contrast to Esau, Isaac's son ( Genesis 27:5 )— saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison ( vide on Genesis 27:3 ), and make me savory meat, that I may eat (literally, and I shall eat ), and bless thee —the lengthened form of the future in this and the preceding verb (cf. וְאֹכֵלָה in Genesis 27:4 ) is expressive of Isaac's self-excitement and emphatic determination— before the Lord. The word Jehovah, by modern criticism regarded as a sign of divided authorship, is satisfactorily explained by remembering that Rebekah is speaking not of the blessing of God's general pro vide nce, but of the higher benediction of the covenant (Hengstenberg). The phrase, though not included in Isaac's address to Esau, need not be regarded as due to Rebekah's invention. She may have understood it to be implied in her husband's language, though it was not expressed (cf. Genesis 14:20 ). That it was designedly omitted by Isaac in consequence of the worldly character of Esau appears as little likely as that it was deliberately inserted by Rebekah to whet her favorite's ambition (Kalisch). As to meaning, the sense may be that this patriarchal benediction was to be bestowed sincerely (Menochius), in presence and by the authority of God (Ainsworth, Bush, Clericus); but the use of the term Jehovah rather points to the idea that Rebekah regarded Isaac simply "as the instrument of the living and personal God, who directed the concerns of the chosen race (Hengstenberg). Before my death. Since Rebekah makes no remark as to the groundlessness of Isaac's fear, it is not improbable that she too shared in her bed-ridden husband's expectations that already he was "in the presence of" his end.