Genesis 27 32

Genesis 27:32 kjv

And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

Genesis 27:32 nkjv

And his father Isaac said to him, "Who are you?" So he said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

Genesis 27:32 niv

His father Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" "I am your son," he answered, "your firstborn, Esau."

Genesis 27:32 esv

His father Isaac said to him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

Genesis 27:32 nlt

But Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" Esau replied, "It's your son, your firstborn son, Esau."

Genesis 27 verses

Genesis 27 32 meaning

Genesis 27:32 records the moment Isaac realizes he has unknowingly given the patriarchal blessing meant for his firstborn, Esau, to his younger son, Jacob, who came by deception. His profound shock and physical trembling reflect the enormity of Jacob's trickery, the sacredness and perceived irrevocability of the blessing, and his sudden apprehension of God's hand at work in the midst of human failing. Isaac’s question "Who are you?" reveals his dawning awareness of a fundamental identity switch, confirming that he had indeed eaten the food and bestowed the blessing on an unexpected recipient. Despite the deception, Isaac's subsequent declaration, "Indeed he shall be blessed," affirms the validity and permanence of the blessing already given, highlighting a mysterious divine orchestration beyond human plans.

Genesis 27 32 Context

Genesis chapter 27 details Isaac's plan in his old age and near-blindness to bestow a sacred patriarchal blessing, intended for his firstborn son Esau. Rebekah, having favored Jacob and remembered God's prophecy that the older would serve the younger (Gen 25:23), orchestrates a elaborate deception. She dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes, covers his hands and neck with goat skins to mimic Esau's hairy skin, and prepares a meal from the flock. Jacob, following her instructions, approaches Isaac pretending to be Esau. Isaac is suspicious due to the voice, but physical touch and Jacob's assertion ultimately convince him. He then partakes of the food and pronounces the blessing of abundance, dominion, and prosperity upon Jacob, thinking he is blessing Esau. Verse 32 occurs immediately after Jacob has received the blessing and has "scarcely gone out" (Gen 27:33), and Esau then enters with his game, ready to receive his own blessing. This moment is the climax of the deception, as Isaac's world shatters with the realization of the profound betrayal.

Genesis 27 32 Word analysis

• And Isaac trembled (וַיֶּחֱרַד יִצְחָק, wayyeḥěraḏ Yiṣḥāq):
  • וַיֶּחֱרַד (wayyeḥěraḏ): From the root חרד (ḥarad), meaning to tremble, quake, be agitated, or terrified. This is a very strong verb, indicating violent physical and emotional reaction, profound shock, or spiritual awe. It suggests more than mere surprise; it implies a deep, shaking terror or agitation. The historical context shows that this is an extraordinary reaction for an elderly, often composed patriarch, highlighting the gravity of the discovery. This word is sometimes used for a reverential fear of God (e.g., Ex 19:16 - people trembled at Sinai; 1 Sam 4:13 - Eli trembled for the ark of God).
• with a very great trembling (חֲרָדָה גְּדֹלָה מְאֹד, ḥarādāh gəḏôlāh məʾōḏ):
  • חֲרָדָה (ḥarādāh): The noun form of the verb, meaning a trembling, terror, dread. Its repetition with the verb (trembled... trembling) serves to emphasize the intensity.
  • גְּדֹלָה מְאֹד (gəḏôlāh məʾōḏ): Literally "great exceedingly" or "very great." The use of məʾōḏ (very, exceedingly) is a common Hebrew intensifier, often used in relation to God's works or great human emotions, further underlining the unprecedented nature of Isaac's reaction.
  • The phrase "trembled with a very great trembling" is a Hendiadys, intensifying the meaning and stressing the profundity of Isaac's internal and external disturbance. He feels the enormity of what has just happened and possibly senses a divine hand that overrode his human intention.
• and said, "Who then is this that hunted game and brought it to me?" (וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אֵפוֹא הוּא הַצָּד צַיִד וַיָּבֵא לִי, wayyōʾmer mî ʾêfôʾ hûʾ haṣṣāḏ ṣayiḏ wayyāvēʾ lî):
  • מִי אֵפוֹא (mî ʾêfôʾ): "Who then?" or "Who indeed?" The word ʾêfôʾ (then, therefore, indeed) is an interjection expressing surprise, bewilderment, or exasperation, lending a rhetorical weight to Isaac's question. It conveys his deep bewilderment and the realization that something fundamentally wrong has occurred, that his discernment has failed. It's a question not just seeking information but expressing profound shock.
  • הַצָּד צַיִד (haṣṣāḏ ṣayiḏ): "He who hunted game." ṣayid (game) and ṣad (to hunt) link directly to Esau's characteristic activity. Isaac is identifying the original, intended person, deepening the shock of realization.
• "And I ate of all before you came, and I blessed him." (וָאֹכַל מִכֹּל בְּטֶרֶם בֹּאֲךָ וָאֲבָרְכֵהוּ, waʾōḵal mikkōl bəṭerem boʾăḵā waʾăvarḵēhû):
  • וָאֹכַל (waʾōḵal): "And I ate." Emphasizes the completed action. Isaac had performed his part of the ritual for bestowing the blessing.
  • בְּטֶרֶם בֹּאֲךָ (bəṭerem boʾăḵā): "Before you came." This precisely dates the moment of the deception, indicating Jacob's quick exit and Esau's equally swift, fateful entrance.
  • וָאֲבָרְכֵהוּ (waʾăvarḵēhû): "And I blessed him." This is the pivotal statement. The blessing had been given. In the cultural context, a patriarchal blessing, once spoken, was considered irrevocable, a solemn act empowered by divine authority, not to be withdrawn.
• "yes, and he shall be blessed." (גַּם בָּרוּךְ יִהְיֶה, gam bārûḵ yihiyheh):
  • גַּם (gam): "Also," "indeed," or "even." It functions as an emphatic affirmative. Despite the fraud, despite his shock, Isaac confirms the blessing's validity.
  • בָּרוּךְ יִהְיֶה (bārûḵ yihiyyeh): "He shall be blessed." This strong declaration, in the future tense but carrying the weight of certainty, signifies Isaac's profound resignation and possibly, a sudden realization of divine will. Although he had planned to bless Esau, God's ultimate plan, revealed through Jacob’s deceptive means, had been accomplished. This statement acknowledges the irreversible nature of the spoken word of blessing and implicitly bows to a higher divine purpose.

Genesis 27 32 Bonus section

The "very great trembling" of Isaac can be paralleled with instances where humans encounter the divine or profound spiritual realities (e.g., Ex 19:16; Dan 10:8-10). Isaac, unknowingly, has participated in God's decreed purpose for Jacob, and the weight of that realization causes him to quake. It's as if a veil lifts, and he sees the Hand of God working outside his preferred path. This moment of crisis for Isaac ultimately leads him to confirm God's purpose for Jacob (Gen 28:3-4) despite the initial deception. This event underscores that God's plan is not thwarted by human sin or error, but rather, in His mysterious wisdom, can even incorporate it for His ultimate good. It challenges the common human notion that divine blessings are based solely on human merit or faultless execution, rather than God's predetermined grace and sovereign will.

Genesis 27 32 Commentary

Genesis 27:32 marks a critical turning point in the Jacob-Esau narrative. Isaac’s "very great trembling" indicates more than mere parental distress over being deceived; it suggests a profound spiritual and existential shock. He grasps the depth of the trickery and simultaneously the spiritual gravity of what has occurred—a sacred blessing, with all its covenantal weight, has been transferred contrary to his intention. This moment may signify Isaac’s sudden recognition of divine intervention; despite his best intentions and human frailties (like his favoritism and partial blindness), God's prior declaration that the elder would serve the younger (Gen 25:23) has paradoxically come to pass through deceitful human means.

Isaac's trembling also reflects the binding nature of the spoken patriarchal blessing in ancient Near Eastern culture; once pronounced, it was deemed irrevocable, a word released with power that could not be retracted. His subsequent affirmation, "Indeed he shall be blessed," is not an endorsement of Jacob's deception, but an acceptance of the unalterable fact of the blessing’s transfer, acknowledging a divine sovereignty at work. It highlights that God can work through imperfect vessels and even human sin to accomplish His sovereign purposes, demonstrating His ultimate control over events and His unwavering commitment to His chosen path, even when it diverges from human designs. This verse underscores themes of divine sovereignty, the weight of a spoken word, the consequences of human deception, and the complex interplay of human will and divine purpose in biblical narratives.