Genesis 27:44 kjv

And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

Genesis 27:44 nkjv

And stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away,

Genesis 27:44 niv

Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides.

Genesis 27:44 esv

and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away ?

Genesis 27:44 nlt

Stay there with him until your brother cools off.

Genesis 27 verses

Genesis 27 44 Meaning

Genesis 27:44 details Rebekah's instruction to Jacob to flee from his enraged brother Esau. It conveys the immediate necessity of Jacob's temporary refuge with her brother Laban in Haran, awaiting a period during which Esau's intense anger would subside, thus allowing for a potential safe return. The verse underscores the deep animosity born from Jacob's deception for the birthright blessing, necessitating swift action to prevent fratricide.

Genesis 27 44 Context

Genesis 27:44 is embedded within the dramatic narrative of Jacob's deception of his blind father Isaac, securing the patriarchal blessing intended for his older brother Esau. The immediate context is Esau's intense, murderous rage (Gen 27:41) upon realizing he has been cheated out of his birthright and blessing. Rebekah, realizing the danger to her favored son Jacob (Gen 27:42) and the potential loss of both sons (Gen 27:45) due to such a sin, devises a plan for Jacob to escape. She presents her plan to Isaac as merely Jacob going to find a wife from her kindred, avoiding the true, more dangerous reason for his flight. The historical and cultural backdrop includes the immense significance of a patriarchal blessing as a divinely sanctioned inheritance and spiritual legacy, as well as the deep tribal ties and the potential for lethal vendettas in the ancient Near East. Bloodshed within kin was particularly grave. Jacob's journey to Haran will fulfill not only Rebekah's immediate desire to save him but also God's larger plan for him to find a wife among his kinsmen, leading to the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Genesis 27 44 Word analysis

• and stay (וְיָשַׁבְתָּ - veyashavta): From the Hebrew root יָשַׁב (yashav), meaning "to sit, dwell, remain, inhabit." While it often implies settled dwelling, in this context, combined with "a while," it refers to a temporary residence or sojourn, an exile. It suggests taking refuge and resting in a safe place.
• with him (עִמּוֹ - immo): Refers to Laban, Rebekah's brother, in Haran. Seeking refuge with kinsmen was a common and accepted practice.
• a while (יָמִים אֲחָדִים - yamim achadim): Literally "a few days" or "some days." This phrase suggests a short, temporary period. This stands in stark contrast to the reality, as Jacob stayed with Laban for twenty years (Gen 31:41), marrying his daughters and fathering many children. This phrase reveals Rebekah's initial underestimation or perhaps her attempt to frame the separation as short-term to Jacob and Isaac. It also subtly highlights the difference between human expectation and divine timeline.
• until (עַד אֲשֶׁר - ‘ad ’asher): Marks the duration and condition for his return. The staying would cease when the brother's fury abated.
• your brother's fury (חֲמַת אָחִיךָ - chemath achikha):
  • fury (חֵמָה - chemah): A strong, hot, burning anger or wrath. It implies intense, violent indignation and potentially murderous intent. This word is often used for God's fierce anger, indicating the destructive power of Esau's wrath here. Rebekah takes this seriously, recognizing Esau's deep woundedness and threat to kill Jacob.
  • brother (אָחִיךָ - achikha): Literally "your brother." Emphasizes the fraternal bond that is violently broken by betrayal and now threatened with fratricide. It underscores the profound tragedy within the family.
• turns away (שׁוּב - shuv): To turn back, return, subside, recede. It implies that the intensity of the anger would diminish or pass, moving from a boiling rage to a cooled state, though not necessarily implying forgiveness. This is the desired outcome Rebekah hopes for before Jacob's return. The divine hand is later seen orchestrating this turning away of Esau's heart (Gen 33).
• words-group analysis: "stay with him a while": This phrase sets the stage for Jacob's lengthy exile. Rebekah intended it to be brief, a momentary cooling-off period. However, God had a much longer purpose for Jacob in Haran, allowing him to mature, build a family, and gather wealth before returning. It highlights the often ironic disjuncture between human plans and divine sovereignty.
• words-group analysis: "until your brother's fury turns away": This expresses the core condition for Jacob's safe return. It recognizes the danger of unbridled human anger and the necessity of allowing time for powerful emotions to dissipate. It also subtly foreshadows the eventual divine intervention that truly pacifies Esau's heart, going beyond a mere 'turning away' of fury to actual reconciliation.

Genesis 27 44 Bonus section

• The irony of Rebekah never seeing Jacob again after this desperate flight, despite her expectation of his swift return, adds a poignant layer of tragedy to her efforts.
• This instruction to flee establishes a motif common in the Bible: righteous or significant figures being forced to flee from anger or persecution (e.g., Moses from Pharaoh, David from Saul, Elijah from Jezebel, Jesus' family from Herod).
• The length of Jacob's exile serves as a profound crucible for his spiritual growth, a process where he experienced God's presence (Bethel), wrestled with Him (Peniel), and learned dependency. It was during this extended "temporary" stay that he was disciplined for his deceit and grew into the patriarch of a nation.
• Rebekah's seemingly manipulative actions (orchestrating the deception and then the flight) are interwoven with the divine purpose. Though driven by human desires and fears, her actions, however flawed, indirectly contributed to the fulfillment of God's pre-ordained promise that "the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23).

Genesis 27 44 Commentary

Genesis 27:44 succinctly captures Rebekah's emergency measure to save Jacob from Esau's vengeful wrath. Recognizing the life-threatening anger born from the stolen blessing, she urges Jacob to seek immediate refuge with her kinsman Laban. Her hopeful declaration of "a while" becoming twenty years illustrates the dramatic irony of human planning versus divine timing, where a perceived short-term solution became a pivotal, extended period of Jacob's formation and the foundation of Israel's twelve tribes. The verse underscores the devastating consequences of deceit and favoritism within a family, leading to deep animosity and separation. It highlights the intense nature of human wrath ("fury") and the biblical principle that time and space are often needed for intense anger to subside or be addressed. Ultimately, Jacob's safety, envisioned as temporary by Rebekah, was preserved by God's overarching providence, eventually leading to reconciliation with Esau after divine intervention softened his heart. This period of waiting served as a crucial part of God's redemptive plan for Jacob and his descendants.