And his mother said unto him, Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them].
13. thy curse ] i.e. “the penalty pronounced upon thee.” Rebekah is prepared to take upon herself the evil consequences. Absorbed in her plan, she will not waste time upon the consideration of ill results. The character of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare admits of comparison with that of Rebekah in this scene.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 27:13
Upon me be thy curse, my son
Rebekahs imposition on Isaac considered
This language plainly shows that she thought her conduct justifiable, and thus we have a melancholy instance of the way in which good people sometimes deceive themselves, and suffer their judgments to be misled by carnal reasonings, and the counsels of the natural heart.
I. The OBJECT which she had in view. She wished the blessing to go, not to Esau the first-born, but to Jacob, her younger son. And what, may we ask, was the reason of this preference? Did she love Jacob best? It is probable that she did. But Rebekah might have another motive for wishing that the blessing should be given to Jacob. She knew that he was fittest for receiving it. She knew that he highly valued it, not merely for the sake of any worldly benefit annexed to it, but on account of the spiritual promises contained in it. Esau, on the contrary, had repeatedly shown the greatest contempt for the blessing and its promises. But even this reason, however sufficient it might have been, was not, we may conjecture, the chief motive by which Rebekahs mind was influenced. She had a still stronger reason for wishing to defeat her husbands purpose. She felt assured that in this design he was opposing the will and purpose of the Almighty. Her desire, then, was good, and her attempt praiseworthy. The end which she proposed to herself was to prevent her husband from acting contrary to the divine will, and to assist in turning the blessing where God intended it should go. So far, then, as the object which she had in view was concerned, far from finding any thing to blame, we see much to commend. It sprang from her faith and piety, and showed her zeal for the glory of God. Let us consider.
II. The MEANS which she used for attaining this object. Here we are forced to withhold our commendation; nay, we must go farther, we must positively condemn her conduct, and declare it to have been utterly without excuse. We say nothing of the probability which there was of a discovery, and of the dangerous consequences which might have followed. Admitting that a discovery was very unlikely to take place; admitting that her plan was most wisely laid, with every prospect of success; yet of what kind was her wisdom? Was it that wisdom which is from above, and which is first pure, and then peaceable, full of good fruits, and without hypocrisy? Or rather, was it not that wisdom which descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish? (Jam 3:15; Jam 3:17.) Was it that wisdom whichour Lord prescribes when he says, Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves? Or rather, was it not the crooked policy of the old Serpent, who is a liar and the father of lies? Rebekah, indeed, could not but know that to impose on her husband by means of his infirmity, and to tempt her son to the commission of falsehood and deception, were acts which in themselves were highly sinful. What may we suppose, then, were the arguments by which she would probably defend and even justify her conduct? She would say to herself, I am placed in very extraordinary circumstances. Here is Isaac about to act in direct opposition to the Divine Will. Here is the blessing, which God has designed for Jacob, on the point of being given to Esau. Is it not my duty to prevent the purposes of the Almighty from being defeated? Though the means to which I may have recourse are such as on a common occasion might not be lawfully used, yet does not the necessity of the present case allow and even require me to use them? But how vain and false would such reasoning be! What permission had Rebekah received to do evil, that good might come? Her duty was to be learned, not from the purposes, but from the precepts of the Almighty. Did she suppose that God could not complete His designs without her committing sin in order to fulfil them? Or, did she think that sin would not be sin, because she dressed it in this specious covering? In all cases the Law of God is to be our rule. In no case can we claim the privilege of setting it aside. Rebekahs sin, however she might excuse it to herself, was sufficient to have ruined her soul; and unquestionably, unless through Gods grace she had afterwards repented and obtained forgiveness, it would have ruined her soul. Such is the case with every sin. Whatever good may come of the evil which we do, that good will not excuse the evil, nor make it less. But it may be further said, Rebekahs plan succeeded. Jacob, by his deception, obtained the blessing; and thus God, by making the means successful, showed that He approved them. It is true that God permitted Rebekahs plan to be successful; but it does not therefore follow that He approved it. Indeed, it is utterly impossible that He could approve falsehood in any shape or in any case. He permitted it to be practised, and He overruled it for the fulfilling of His own purposes; but this is a very different thing from approving it. Nay, if we attentively examine the whole matter, in all its effects and consequences, we shall discover clear marks of Gods displeasure against both her and Jacob for their parts in this transaction. Sin ever brings along with it shame and sorrow, and those who permit themselves to do evil that good may come will surely in the end deplore their worldly wisdom and presumptuous conduct. It may yet, however, be further asked, What ought Rebekah to have done? Was she, knowingly, to have let her husband act contrary to the Divine intentions, without endeavouring to prevent him? Was she to have taken no steps in order to have procured the blessing for Jacob? I answer, there were means which she might lawfully have used for the attainment of her end; and to these she ought to have confined herself. She should have reasoned the mutter with Isaac. She should meekly have pointed out to him the mistake which he was on the point of committing. She should have reminded him of the revelation which God had given of His will in this affair; and thus, by persuasion and argument, she should have endeavoured to turn him from his purpose. There is reason to think that such a conduct would probably have succeeded. Isaac, when he afterwards discovered what had been done, appears to have suddenly recollected himself; and, shuddering at the danger from which he had escaped, in a very striking manner, confirmed the blessing to Jacob: Yea and he shall be blessed. It is, therefore, likely that he would before have yielded to a mild remonstrance, affectionately urged. At any rate, Rebekah should have added also to it strong faith and fervent prayer. These are the weapons of our warfare. (E. Cooper, M. A.)
Influence of woman
Samuel Morleys mother was a woman of rare piety. He was wont to say concerning her, I am much what my mother has made me.
Lessons
1. Faith pursueth Gods oracle through the worst of difficulties and fears.
2. Fleshly passion may mix with faith in its strongest operations.
3. Affection may make mothers adventure to bear a curse for their sons.
4. Natural affection may be instant to have things done irregularly upon a ground of faith. (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. Upon me be thy curse, my son] Onkelos gives this a curious turn: It has been revealed to me by prophecy that the curses will not come upon thee, my son. What a dreadful responsibility did this woman take upon her at this time! The sacred writer states the facts as they were, and we may depend on the truth of the statement; but he nowhere says that God would have any man to copy this conduct. He often relates facts and sayings which he never recommends.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
She saith so out of an assured confidence in the Divine oracle and promise.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13-17. and his mother said unto him,Upon me be thy curseHis conscience being soothed by hismother, preparations were hastily made for carrying out the device;consisting, first, of a kid’s flesh, which, made into a ragout,spiced with salt, onions, garlic, and lemon juice, might easily bepassed off on a blind old man, with blunted senses, as game; second,of pieces of goat’s skin bound on his hands and neck, its soft silkenhair resembling that on the cheek of a young man; third, of the longwhite robethe vestment of the first-born, which, transmitted fromfather to son and kept in a chest among fragrant herbs and perfumedflowers used much in the East to keep away mothshis motherprovided for him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And his mother said unto him, upon me [be] thy curse, my son,…. That is, if thy father should curse thee, which I am well assured he will not, let the curse, be what it will, fall upon me, and not on thee; I shall bear the blame and the punishment: this she said in the strong faith of the divine oracle, being fully persuaded her scheme would succeed, and that Jacob would have the blessing, and therefore she feared no curse falling upon her or her son; and this she said to encourage him: the Targum of Onkelos is,
“to me it has been said in prophecy, that the curses shall not come upon thee, my son:”
only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them]; the two fat kids of the goats from the flock.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. Upon me be thy curse, my son. Here Rebekah sins again, because she burns with such hasty zeal that she does not consider how highly God disapproves of her evil course. She presumptuously subjects herself to the curse. But whence this unheeding confidence? Being unfurnished with any divine command, she took her own counsel. Yet no one will deny that this zeal, although preposterous, proceeds from special reverence for the word of God. For since she was informed by the oracle of God, that Jacob was preferred in the sight of God, she disregarded whatever was visible in the world, and whatever the sense of nature dictated, in comparison with God’s secret election. Therefore we are taught by this example, that every one should walk modestly and cautiously according to the rule of his vocation; and should not dare to proceed beyond what the Lord allows in his word.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) Upon me be thy curse.No curse followed upon their conduct; but, on the contrary, Isaac acknowledged the substantial justice of the act of Rebekah and her son, and confirmed Jacob in the possession of the blessing (Gen. 27:33). It seems strange, nevertheless, that neither of them had any scruples at the immorality of the deed, but apparently thought that as the end was right they were justified in using falsehood and treachery.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 27:13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them].
Ver. 13. Upon me be thy curse, my son. ] A bold speech: but she respected the promise by faith; she relied on that oracle, Gen 25:23 which Isaac might misinterpret, understanding it not of the persons of his sons, but of their posterity. Bernardus non vidit omnia. Isaac was not more blind in his eyes than in his affection to his firstborn; and that might mislead him. But Rebekah saw further than he, and therefore made this bold adventure, not without some mixture of infirmity, to procure Jacob the blessing, against her husband’s will and intention. A wife is not to perform such blind obedience to her husband as Plutarch a prescribeth, when he layeth it as a law of wedlock on the wife to acknowledge and worship the same gods, and none else, but those whom her husband honours and reputes for gods. Be men pleased or displeased, God must not be displeased.
a Plut. Moral., 318.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Upon: Gen 25:23, Gen 25:33, Gen 43:9, 1Sa 14:24-28, 1Sa 14:36-45, 1Sa 25:24, 2Sa 14:9, Mat 27:25
Reciprocal: Gen 27:8 – General Gen 27:43 – obey 2Ch 22:3 – his counsellor
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 27:13. Upon me be thy curse That is, I will warrant the success; or, if the issue turn out ill, I will stand between thee and all danger. This she speaks in confidence of a good issue, probably through faith in Gods promises; the accomplishment of which, however, she seeks in an indirect and crooked way.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
27:13 And his mother said unto him, {c} Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them].
(c) The assurance of God’s decree made her bold.