And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very son Esau or not.
21. Come near ] Isaac’s shadow of suspicion has not yet been dispelled, even by the invocation of the Divine Name. He requires to be assured by the very test that Jacob, in Gen 27:12, had dreaded would defeat his mother’s stratagem. This point raises the excitement of the story.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And Isaac said unto Jacob, come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son,…. Still suspecting some fraud in the case; and whereas he knew that Esau was a hairy man, and Jacob smooth, he thought by feeling he could discover the imposture, if there was any:
whether thou [be] my very son Esau, or not; which he still pretty much questioned.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21. Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee. It hence appears that the holy man was suspicious of fraud, and therefore hesitated. Whence it may seem that the benediction was vain, seeing it had no support of faith. But it thus pleased God so to perform his work by the hand of Isaac, as not to make him, who was the instrument, a willing furtherer of his design. Nor is it absurd that Isaac, like a blind man, should ignorantly transfer the blessing to a different person from him whom he intended. The ordinary function of pastors has something of a similar kind; for since by the command of God, they reconcile men to him, yet they do not discern to whom this reconciliation comes; thus they cast abroad the seed, but are uncertain respecting the fruit. Wherefore God does not place the office and power with which he has invested them, under the control of their own judgment. In this way the ignorance of Isaac does not nullify the heavenly oracles; and God himself, although the senses of his servant fail, does not desist from the accomplishment of his purpose. Here we have a clear refutation of the figment of the Papists, that the whole force of the sacrament depends upon the intention of the man who consecrates; as if, truly, it were left to the will of man to frustrate the design of God. Nevertheless, what I have already so often said must be remembered, that however Isaac might be deceived in the person of his son, he yet did not pronounce the blessing in vain: because a general faith remained in his mind and in part governed his conduct. In forming his judgment from the touch, disregarding the voice, he did not act according to the nature of faith. And, therefore, with respect to the person, he was plainly in error. This, however, did not happen in consequence of negligence; since he diligently and even anxiously turned every way, that he might not deprive the firstborn of his right. But it pleased the Lord thus to render his senses dull, partly for the purpose of showing, how vain it is for men to strive to change what he has once decreed, (because it is impossible hut that his counsel should remain firm and stable though the whole world should oppose it,) and partly, for the purpose of correcting, by this kind of chastisement, the absurd attachment by which Isaac was too closely bound to his firstborn. For whence arose this minute investigation, except from the fact that an inordinate love of Esau, which had taken entire possession of his mind, turned him aside from the divine oracle? Therefore, since he yielded an excessive indulgence to natural feeling, he deserved in every way to be blinded. So much the greater care ought we to take that, in carrying on God’s work, we should not give the reins to our human affections.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Come near . . . that I may feel thee.Besides the answer, in a style very different from Esaus way of thinking, Isaac was surprised at the short delay in bringing the savoury meat; for the game had to be sought at a distance away from the cattle-pastures. Though, too, the voices of the twins had a certain degree of similarity, yet they would also have their peculiarities, and Isaac detected the difference. But the artifice of the kid-skins fitted, no doubt, cleverly to Jacobs hands and neck saved him from detection; for after Isaac had passed his hands over him, his doubt entirely vanished.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very son Esau or not.
Ver. 21. That I may feel thee, my son. ] Here Isaac used all his senses, and yet is cozened. “There is neither wisdom nor counsel against the Lord”. Pro 21:30 Mihi hominum prudentia similis videtur talparum labori, non sine dexteritate sub terra fodientium, sed ad lumen Solis coecutientium. a
a Gasp. Ens.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Come: Psa 73:28, Isa 57:19, Jam 4:8
may feel: Gen 27:12
Reciprocal: Gen 27:19 – I am
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 27:21. Come near, that I may feel thee He had some suspicion from his voice, and too quick return, that it was not Esau.