And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
38. but one blessing ] Esau’s words shew the importance attached to the blessing invoked by the dying head of the family. Isaac’s words in the preceding verse, coupled with Esau’s exclamation, imply that there was only one blessing. Esau knows that the blessing once given cannot be recalled.
wept ] Cf. Gen 21:16. “Those tears of Esau, the sensuous, wild, impulsive man, almost like the cry of some ‘trapped creature,’ are among the most pathetic in the Bible” (Davidson, Hebrews, 242).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hast thou but one? By these words Esau manifests his profane and worldly mind, that he esteemed this blessing but as one among many others equal to it, and did not apprehend the true and peculiar excellency and absolute necessity of it, and that it was impossible for him or his posterity to be happy without an interest in this covenant, and continuance in that church to which it was appropriated.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Esau said unto his father, hast thou but one blessing, my father?…. He seems to speak diminutively of what had been given to Jacob, calling it one blessing: whereas there were many, and of different sorts, both temporal and spiritual; but it may be Esau had not so clear and comprehensive a view of what was contained in Jacob’s blessing; or at least was willing to think and hope that there was not so much given, but there might be some behind for him, and that his father had a greater stock than to be drained of all at once:
bless me, [even] me also, O my father: with another blessing, with one equal to what has been given my brother:
and Esau lift up his voice, and wept; in order to move the affections of his father, and to prevail upon him to reverse the blessing he had bestowed on Jacob, and give it to him; but he could not bring his father to repentance, to change his mind, and revoke the blessing, and give it him, with all his crying and tears, as the apostle observes,
Heb 12:17.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
38. Hast thou but one blessing ? Esau seems to take courage; but he neglects the care of his soul, and turns, like a swine, to the pampering of his flesh. He had heard that his father had nothing left to grant; because, truly, the full and entire grace of God so rested upon Jacob, that out of his family there was no happiness. Wherefore, if Esau sought his own welfare, he ought to have drawn from that fountain, and rather to have subjected himself to his brother, than to have cut himself off from a happy connection with him. He chose, however, rather to be deprived of spiritual grace, provided he might but possess something of his own, and apart from his brother, than to be his inferior at home. He could not be ignorant, that there was one sole benediction by which his brother Jacob had been constituted the heir of the divine covenant: for Isaac would be daily discoursing with them concerning the singular privilege which God had vouchsafed to Abraham and his seed. Esau would not previously have complained so bitterly, unless he had felt that he had been deprived of an incomparable benefit. Therefore, by departing from this one source of blessing, he indirectly renounces God, and cuts himself off from the body of the Church, caring for nothing but this transitory life. But it would have been better for him, miserably to perish through the want of all things in this world, and with difficulty to draw his languishing breath, than to slumber amidst temporal delights. What afterwards follows, — namely, that he wept with loud lamentations, — is a sign of fierce and proud indignation, rather than of penitence; for he remitted nothing of his ferocity, but raged like a cruel beast of prey. So the wicked, when punishment overtakes them, bewail the salvation they have lost; but, meanwhile, do not cease to delight themselves in their vices; and instead of heartily seeking after the righteousness of God, they rather desire that his deity should be extinct. Of a similar character is that gnashing of teeth and weeping in hell which, instead of stimulating the reprobate to seek after God, only consumes them with unknown torments
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(38) Hast thou but one blessing?Only one son could inherit the spiritual prerogatives of the birthright, and the temporal lordship which accompanied it. And even lower earthly blessings would avail little if Esaus descendants were to be subject to the dominion of the other brothers race. With some mitigation, then, of his lot Esau must now be content.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing my father. Bless me, even me also, oh my father.” And Esau raised his voice and wept.
In his disappointment and anguish Esau seeks for some crumb of comfort. Is there nothing that his father can give him? We must recognise that it is some official benefit that he seeks. His father could easily give him a general blessing.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
No: there are not two Saviours. Jesus is one, and there is no other. Act 4:12 . Melancholy consideration in those who can be satisfied in secondary blessings. See Heb 12:17 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 27:38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Ver. 38. Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. ] Yet, “found no place for repentance”. Heb 12:17 That is, he could not, by his tears, prevail with his father to reverse the blessing. See the fruit of God’s holy fear. Moses’ rod was not so famous for being turned into a serpent, for even the magicians did as much, as for devouring the magicians’ rods: so the true fear of God is most eminent and effectual when set in emulation or opposition to other fears or carnal aims and affections.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wept. See Heb 12:17, but could not change his father’s mind.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
and Esau
Esau wept because of a lost advantage, but “found no way to change his mind, though he sought it carefully with tears” Heb 12:17 so far may regret or remorse be from true repentance:
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Gen 27:34, Gen 27:36, Gen 49:28, Pro 1:24-26, Isa 32:10-12, Isa 65:14, Heb 12:17
Reciprocal: Gen 21:16 – lift Exo 12:32 – bless me Jdg 21:2 – lifted