Genesis 27 29

Genesis 27:29 kjv

Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Genesis 27:29 nkjv

Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!"

Genesis 27:29 niv

May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."

Genesis 27:29 esv

Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"

Genesis 27:29 nlt

May many nations become your servants,
and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your brothers,
and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
and all who bless you will be blessed."

Genesis 27 verses

Genesis 27 29 meaning

Genesis 27:29 records Isaac's pronouncement upon Jacob, mistakenly believing him to be Esau. This blessing bestows upon Jacob a threefold authority: dominion over nations and peoples, mastery over his own kinsmen, and the profound covenant promise of blessing upon those who bless him and curse upon those who curse him. This signifies a position of great power, influence, and divine favor, echoing the promises made to Abraham and intended for the lineage through which God's redemptive plan would unfold.

Genesis 27 29 Context

Genesis chapter 27 depicts a pivotal moment in the patriarchal narrative: Isaac's intention to bestow his patriarchal blessing upon his elder son, Esau. This blessing was immensely significant, conveying authority, prosperity, and continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. However, Rebekah, Isaac's wife, overheard Isaac's instructions to Esau. Remembering the earlier prophecy that "the older shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23) and perhaps favoring Jacob, she devised a deceptive plan for Jacob to impersonate Esau and receive the blessing instead. Jacob, after initial hesitation, complied. Verse 29 is the culmination of this deception, as Isaac, unknowingly, speaks the full blessing, intended for the firstborn, over Jacob. The cultural context emphasizes the irrevocable nature and immense power of a spoken blessing from a dying patriarch, considered divinely inspired and binding.

Genesis 27 29 Word analysis

• "Let peoples serve you":

  • Hebrew: Ya'avdukh ammīm (יַעַבְדֻךָּ עַמִּים)
  • Ya'avdukh (from עָבַד, avad): to serve, work, be enslaved, minister. Implies a position of subservience or vassalage.
  • Ammīm (from עַם, am): peoples, nations.
  • Significance: Foreshadows Israel's eventual dominion over surrounding nations. Points to national and political superiority.

• "and nations bow down to you":

  • Hebrew: Ve-yishtakhavu lekha le'ummīm (וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ לְךָ לְאֻמִּים)
  • Yishtakhavu (from שָׁחָה, shachah): to bow down, prostrate oneself in homage or worship. This signifies deep respect, reverence, or submission.
  • Le'ummīm (from לְאֹם, le'om): nations, peoples, kindred.
  • Significance: Suggests widespread recognition of Jacob's (and his descendants') authority, extending beyond mere service to a form of homage. This vision is fulfilled later in the Solomonic kingdom and ultimately in the Messianic era.

• "Be master of your brothers":

  • Hebrew: Heve gevir le-achiekha (הֱוֵה גְבִיר לְאַחֶיךָ)
  • Heve (from הָיָה, hayah): to be, become. An imperative, a command or declaration.
  • Gevir (גְּבִיר): lord, master, mighty one, ruler. Derived from a root meaning "to be strong."
  • Achiekha (from אָח, ach): brothers (specifically, Esau and his descendants).
  • Significance: A direct fulfillment of the earlier prophecy in Gen 25:23 ("the older shall serve the younger"). It secures dominance within the family lineage.

• "and may your mother's sons bow down to you":

  • Hebrew: Ve-yishtakhavu lekha bene immecha (וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ לְךָ בְּנֵי אִמֶּךָ)
  • Benei immecha: Sons of your mother. This poetic parallelism reiterates the authority over immediate kin, particularly Esau.
  • Significance: Reinforces the familial supremacy, clarifying that the mastership applies broadly to all kin.

• "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!":

  • Hebrew: Arur orchalekha u-varuch mevarekhekha (אָרוּר אֹרְרֶיךָ וּבָרוּךְ מְבָרְכֶיךָ)
  • Arur (אָרוּר): cursed, execrated.
  • Orchalekha (from אָרַר, arar): to curse, make vile.
  • Baruch (בָּרוּךְ): blessed, praised.
  • Mevarekhekha (from בָּרַךְ, barakh): to bless, kneel, praise.
  • Significance: This is a direct invocation of the covenant promise given to Abraham in Gen 12:3. It places Jacob under divine protection and favor, ensuring God's active involvement in vindicating or prospering those who interact with him (and his lineage). This is a foundational theological truth that impacts the nations in relation to Israel throughout biblical history. It marks the recipient as chosen and divinely safeguarded.

Genesis 27 29 Bonus section

The irreversible nature of the spoken patriarchal blessing is a crucial aspect of this narrative. Once uttered by the patriarch, it was considered a binding pronouncement, often viewed as God's will revealed through the patriarch's lips, which could not be revoked, even if given deceptively. This highlights the weight of prophetic words in that ancient context. While Jacob's deception is morally problematic, the Bible consistently presents this outcome as aligning with God's prior election (Rom 9:11-13) and purpose. Thus, even through human failure and sin, God's sovereign will prevails. The blessing's contents, particularly the dominion over nations and the Abrahamic promise, foreshadow the Davidic kingdom and ultimately find their most complete fulfillment in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to whom all nations will bow and who is the ultimate recipient and dispenser of God's blessings. The tension between human free will/sin and divine sovereignty is starkly present here.

Genesis 27 29 Commentary

Genesis 27:29, though acquired through deceit, carries the weight of a divinely intended blessing, aligning with God's sovereign plan for Jacob over Esau. Isaac, unknowingly, confirms the earlier prophecy that the elder would serve the younger, and this pronouncement becomes an irrevocable act. The blessing encompasses temporal prosperity and spiritual supremacy. "Peoples" and "nations" serving and bowing indicate Jacob's (and Israel's) future prominence and political sway in the region, seen partly in the united monarchy of David and Solomon. Mastery over "brothers" primarily refers to Esau and the Edomites, whose history often involved subjugation to Israel. Most significantly, the echo of the Abrahamic covenant — "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you" — transfers the promise of divine protection and judgment directly to Jacob. This phrase imbues the blessing with a covenantal, rather than merely human, authority, ensuring the preservation and ultimate success of Jacob's lineage, irrespective of the flawed human means of its acquisition. This blessing sets the trajectory for Israel's role among the nations and their enduring significance in God's redemptive plan, ultimately culminating in Christ, through whom all nations are blessed.