And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
39. Behold, &c.] Isaac’s utterance again takes the form of poetry. His prediction as to Esau’s future is contained in 6 strophes; 1 and 2 refer to the physical conditions of the nation’s existence; 3 to its manner of life; 4 to its temporary subjection to Israel; 5 to its revolt; 6 to its ultimate independence.
of ] Better, as R.V. marg., away from. The Heb. preposition min, “from,” admits of both renderings. The oracle is intentionally ambiguous. In Gen 27:28 (“ of the dew of the fatness”) there can be no doubt the preposition is used in its partitive sense, ( a) The English versions in this verse translate min by “of,” as in Gen 27:28. It might be expected that a preposition used by the same person, with the same nouns, and in a similar context in the same passage, would be identical in meaning. According to this rendering, Isaac promises to Esau a country blessed with rich soil and favourable physical conditions: but he cannot promise a settled or happy government; only a struggle for existence, a temporary servitude, and final freedom. This interpretation, however, seems to miss the point of Isaac’s prediction as to the future material conditions of Esau’s lot. The land of Edom was rugged and mountainous; Esau will live by the sword, not by the fertility of the soil.
( b) It is better to follow the margin, “away from”; cf. 2Sa 1:22. Isaac has really only one blessing; cf. Gen 27:33. Esau’s future will not be as Jacob’s. His country in Mount Seir will not be rich and fertile, like the land of Canaan. His people will not be peaceful cultivators of the soil; they will dwell in the mountains, and get their livelihood as robbers. Edom will serve Israel; but only for a time. This is the climax of the prediction. In spite of hardships, in spite of social inferiority, and in spite of subjugation, Edom shall at last win freedom. According to this interpretation, Isaac’s words contain no soft blessing; but a stern, truthful, continuous prediction, describing (1) the barrenness and aridity of the soil of Edom, (2) the warlike temper of the people, (3) their subjugation to Israel, (4) their ultimate revolt and freedom.
The blessing of Jacob excludes the blessing of Esau; but does not shut out the hope of successful rebellion against the favoured brother. The play of words, produced by the different use of the same preposition, is what might be expected in the language of an ancient oracle; and is quite congenial to the genius of Heb. literature. For the oracular and different use of the same words, cf. Gen 40:13; Gen 40:19.
fatness dew of heaven ] See note on Gen 27:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In a country competently fruitful and refreshed with convenient dews and showers.
Object. Thus Esau seems to have the same blessing which was before given to Jacob.
Answ. 1. Though it may seem to be the same as to the fertility of the soil, in which divers other parts of the world did and do equal the land of Canaan; yet there is an observable difference in the manner of Isaacs expression. When he speaks of Esau, he only saith:
Thy dwelling shall be the fatness, & c. But when he speaks to Jacob, he saith: God give thee, or shall give thee of the fatness, &c.; which words being, as it may seem, purposely omitted concerning Esau, and so emphatically expressed concerning Jacob, seem to intimate, especially if compared with many other scriptures where that phrase is applied to good men, that Esaus fat soil was rather taken by himself than given by God; or if given by God to him, it was only by his general providence, by which he giveth food to all creatures; whereas Jacobs fat and fruitful soil was derived to him and his by Gods special gift, as a token of his singular kindness, and pledge of greater blessings:
2. This is but one branch of the blessing; the other part, which concerns dignity and superiority, is expressly given to Jacob, Gen 27:29, and denied to Esau, Gen 27:40.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
39, 40. Behold, thy dwelling shallbe the fatness of the earthThe first part is a promise oftemporal prosperity, made in the same terms as Jacob’s [Ge27:28] the second part refers to the roving life of huntingfreebooters, which he and his descendants should lead. Though Esauwas not personally subject to his brother, his posterity weretributary to the Israelites, till the reign of Joram when theyrevolted and established a kingdom of their own (2Ki 8:20;2Ch 21:8-10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him,…. Being willing to bestow what he could upon him, without lessening or breaking in upon the grant made to Jacob:
behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above: this agrees with part of the blessing of Jacob, only the clauses are inverted, and no mention made of corn and wine; the land of Edom not being so fat and fruitful as the land of Canaan. Castalio renders the words very differently, “thy habitation shall be from the fatness of the earth, or without the fatness of the earth, and without the dew of heaven from above” c; or otherwise he thinks Esau would have the same blessing with Jacob, and so would have no occasion of complaint or grief, or to have hated his brother and sought his life; to which may be added, that the land of Edom, which Esau and his posterity inhabited, was a very desert country, see Mal 1:3.
c See the Bishop of Clogher’s Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 142.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
39. Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth. At length Esau obtains what he had asked. For, perceiving himself to be cast down from the rank and honor of primogeniture, he chooses rather to have prosperity in the world, separated from the holy people, than to submit to the yoke of his younger brother. But it may be thought that Isaac contradicts himself, in offering a new benediction, when he had before declared, that he had given to his son Jacob all that was placed at his disposal. I answer, that what has been before said concerning Ishmael must be noted in this place. For God, though he hearkened to Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael, so far as concerned the present life, yet immediately restricts his promise, by adding the exception implied in the declaration, that in Isaac only should the seed be called. I do not, however, doubt, that the holy man, when he perceived that his younger son Jacob was the divinely ordained heir of a happy life, would endeavor to retain his firstborn, Esau, in the bond of fraternal connection, in order that he might not depart from the holy and elect flock of the Church. But now, when he sees him obstinately tending in another direction, he declares what will be his future condition. Meanwhile the spiritual blessing remains in its integrity with Jacob alone, to whom Esau refusing to attach himself, voluntarily becomes an exile from the kingdom of God. The prophecy uttered by Malachi, (Mal 1:3,) may seem to be contradictory to this statement. For, comparing the two brothers, Esau and Jacob, with each other, he teaches that Esau was hated, inasmuch as a possession was given to him in the deserts; and yet Isaac promises him a fertile land. There is a twofold solution: either that the Prophet, speaking comparatively, may with truth call Idumea a desert in comparison with the land of Canaan, which was far more fruitful; or else that he was referring to his own times. For although the devastations of both lands had been terrible, yet the land of Canaan in a short time flourished again, while the territory of Edom was condemned to perpetual sterility, and given up to dragons. Therefore, although God, with respect to his own people, banished Esau to desert mountains, he yet gave to him a land sufficiently fertile in itself to render the promise by no means nugatory. For that mountainous region both had its own natural fruitfulness, and was so watered by the dew of heaven, that it would yield sustenance to its inhabitants.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(39) Isaac his father answered.Unwillingly, and only after repeated entreaty and earnest expostulation, and even tears, upon Esaus side, does Isaac bring himself to the effort to lessen in any way the painful consequences to his favourite son of his brother having robbed him of the blessing. Plainly, he felt that he had endeavoured to do what was wrong, and was afraid lest he should still be found resisting Gods will.
Thy dwelling shall be the fatness.Heb., thy dwelling shall be of the fat places of the earth. (See Note on Gen. 27:28.) But most modern expositors consider that the preposition should not be translated of, but from, that is:
Behold thy dwelling shall be away from the fat places of the earth,
And away from the dew of heaven from above,
And by (Heb., upondepending upon) thy sword thou shalt live, &c.
By this rendering the parts of the blessing agree together. Those who have fertile lands live by agriculture, but the inhabitants of sterile regions must look to more adventurous enterprises for a living. So the Swiss, like the Greeks of old, long served as mercenaries in the armies of other states. Iduma, though not destitute of fruitful tracts, and even famous for its orchards, was, as a whole, sterile and unproductive, and the people were restless and unquiet. Moreover, Isaac had already given the corn-land and vineyards to Jacob (Gen. 27:37), and had no second gift of them in his power. It is no answer to this to say that as the same preposition is used in Gen. 27:28, it cannot have a contrary sense in the two blessings. It there follows a verb of giving, and necessarily has a partitive signification. Here there is nothing absolutely to settle its meaning, and we are left to the general sense. Possibly, Isaac may have purposely used an ambiguous word; but the meaning as a whole is clear. Esau was to inhabit a land which by its barrenness would force him to a life of adventure, military service, and freebooting.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
39. His father answered Isaac’s words now again take the form of prophecy, and, moved by the grief of his beloved son, and strong desire on his own part, he says:
Behold, of the fatness of the land shall be thy dwelling,
And of the dew of the heavens from above,
And upon thy sword shalt thou live,
And thy brother shalt thou serve,
And it shall be when thou shalt rove at large
That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck
The fatness of the dew These expressions are precisely like those used in the blessing of Jacob, (Gen 27:28,) only reversed as to their order. But many of the best interpreters explain the preposition , as here used in a privative sense, away from, afar from the fatness and the dew, etc . This would give the whole oracle a double or doubtful meaning, one common expression, meaning in Jacob’s case a blessing and in Esau’s a curse . We exceedingly doubt that any such double entente is to be found in the prophecies of the Bible. It would imply a sort of duplicity on the part both of Isaac and of God, who inspired him to prophesy. It is true that God laid waste the mountains and heritage of Esau, (Mal 1:3,) but this is also true of the mountains and heritage of Israel at this day; so that we might argue a like double intente in Isaac’s words to Jacob . Gen 27:28. But Esau as well as Jacob for a long time enjoyed the blessing of fertile lands and refreshing dews, so that, in part, the brothers received like favours .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold, from the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and from the dew of heaven from above. And by your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother. And it will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.” ’
Isaac grants him one favour. Independence. He will release him from his debt of servitude to Jacob.
“From the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and from the dew of heaven from above.” ‘From’ here probably means ‘away from’. The fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven is to be given by God to Jacob (Gen 27:28). But Esau is released from enjoying it. He may go away from his brother, away from God’s provision. The land he will go to will not enjoy the same dewfall, and will not be as productive.
“And by your sword you will live and you will serve your brother.” His future will be in warfare and booty. He will be a raider at the head of warriors. ‘You will serve your brother.’ This may be partly ironic meaning try to give him his deserts. But in the end it is prophetic and will be fulfilled when Edom becomes subject to Israel (2Sa 8:14; Oba 1:18-20).
“And it will be that when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from your neck.” The submission will not be permanent and in the end Edom will be free of Israel’s yoke.
Esau does indeed leave home in accordance with the blessing and establishes himself in the mountainous country of Seir where the dew is scarcer and the land not so productive. But he gathers a band of warriors (Gen 32:6; Gen 33:1), builds up his own tribe, becomes wealthy in possessions (Gen 33:9) and is free to do whatever he wants.
He was a free spirit and he would never have been satisfied leading the family tribe and being beholden to the inhabitants of Canaan. The family tribe of Abraham might well have been turned into a band of brigands. So in fact he found a future which satisfied him and this helps to account for his willingness to forgive Jacob and treat him as a beloved brother (33:4). It also explains why God, Who foresaw the situation from his birth, allowed what He did.
But that is in the future. For the present things begin to look ugly.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 27:39. Behold, thy dwelling, &c. See notes on Gen 27:28.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
There is nothing here which distinguisheth Jesus. Lord! give me him for my portion, and in him I have all. Hos 2:18 ; Eph 1:3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 27:39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
Ver. 39. Answered and said unto him. ] Dixit, non benedixit; quia potius fuit praedictio futurae conditionis, quam benedictio, saith Pareus. And whereas we read, “Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven”; Castalio renders it thus: Tua quidem sedes a terrae pinguitudine, et a supero coeli rore aberit. For Mishmanne, saith he, signifieth ab pinguitudine, sive sine pinguitudine: as it doth also, Psa 109:24 , “My flesh faileth from fatness,” that is, for lack of fatness, or, without fatness.” a So the sense he sets upon this text is, Thou shalt dwell far from the fatness of the earth, in a barren country, &c. For Isaac could not give Esau what he had given Jacob afore: and this was what Esau so grieved at, and threatened his brother for. Or if he could, what cause had Esau so to take on? why should it trouble me, that another partakes of the sunlight with me, when I have never the less? &c. Objection. But the apostle saith, “Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau”. Heb 11:20 Solution. It was a blessing, no doubt, that Edom should shake off Israel’s yoke; as it follows, Gen 27:40 , and happened, 2Ki 8:20 .
a Sic dicimus Ab re, , : et composite, Amens, abesse, .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 27:39-40
39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,
“Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling,
And away from the dew of heaven from above.
40By your sword you shall live,
And your brother you shall serve;
But it shall come about when you become restless,
That you will break his yoke from your neck.”
Gen 27:39-40 This is not so much a patriarchal blessing as it is a poetic prophecy, very similar to Genesis 49. There is a glimmer of independence in Gen 27:40, lines 3 and 4.
Gen 27:40 This may describe the history of the nation of Edom which will come from Esau (cf. Genesis 36). For much of their history they were under the domination (i.e., yoke, BDB 760, cf. Lev 26:13; 1Ki 12:4) of the Jews. The commentator, Leupold, interprets this as “they were always trying to get out from under Jewish domination.” However, others interpret this to mean that they finally succeeded, being a reference to Herod’s (who was from Edom) rule over Palestine during the days of Jesus (Luther).
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, LXX”break”
NASB
(margin)”tear off”
TEVshake off”
NJBbreak away”
The term (BDB 923, KB 1194) is a rare word. In the Qal stem (e.g., Jer 2:31) it means to roam about freely, but in the Hiphil stem it means to tear oneself loose (only here and possibly Psa 55:2).
SPECIAL TOPIC: EDOM AND ISRAEL
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
the fatness of the earth, and of. Hebrew of the fatness, &c. The “of”, which is omitted in the first clause, is the preposition, which means “from”. Revised Version margin away from. Compare Isa 22:3. Jer 48:33. Lam 4:9. Should be “Far from the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, and far from the dew of the heavens, “&c. Jacob had already received the blessing “of” the fatness of the earth or the land (Gen 27:28). Esau’s was to be far from it, in the desert; and so it was.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Behold: Gen 36:6-8, Jos 24:4, Heb 11:20
the fatness: or, of the fatness, Gen 27:28, It is here foretold, says Bp. Newton, that as to temporal advantages, the two brothers should be much alike. – See note on Gen 27:28.Esau had cattle, beasts, and substance in abundance, and he went to dwell in Mount Seir of his own accord. When the Israelites desired leave to pass through the territories of Edom, the country abounded with fruitful fields and vineyards – Num 20:17.
Reciprocal: Gen 33:9 – have enough Gen 49:26 – have prevailed 1Ch 16:22 – prophets Job 38:28 – dew Psa 105:15 – and do
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 27:39. The fatness of the earth Mount Seir, the heritage of Esau, was a fertile place, refreshed with dews and showers. By thy sword shalt thou live That is, thou shalt be warlike, and live upon spoil. This was remarkably fulfilled both in Esau himself, and his posterity. He was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, and his descendants got possession of mount Seir by force and violence, expelling thence the Horites, the former inhabitants, Deu 2:22. They were almost continually at war with the Jews, both before and after the Babylonish captivity. Josephus says, they were so fond of broils, that they went to war as others would do to a banquet. Thou shalt serve thy brother God never permitted the Edomites to lord it over the Israelites, although he made use of almost all the other neighbouring nations successively to oppress them. When thou shalt have dominion Shalt gain strength, become powerful, and appoint a king of thy own. Thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck When the sons of Jacob, says the Jerusalem Targum here, attend to the law, and observe the precepts, they shall impose a yoke of servitude upon thy neck; but when they shall turn away themselves from studying the law, and neglect the precepts, behold, then thou shalt shake off the yoke of servitude. This is no bad exposition of the passage: for it was David who brought the Edomites under the yoke, and in his time the Jews in a great degree observed the law. But in the reign of Jehoram, when they were very corrupt, the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, making themselves a king, 2Ch 21:8; 2Ch 21:10. We may observe here, although Esau obtained a blessing, it was far short of Jacobs. There is nothing in it that points at Christ, nothing that brings either Esau or his posterity into the Church of God, and without that, the fatness of the earth and the plunder of the field will stand him in little stead. Thus Isaac, by faith, blessed them both according as their lot should be. And surely the exact accomplishment of these prophetic declarations, which were fulfilled many hundreds of years after the death of Moses who recorded them, must, if properly considered, give us a high idea of the Holy Scriptures, and convince us that they are truly the words of that BEING who knoweth the end from the beginning.