Genesis 27:45 kjv
Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
Genesis 27:45 nkjv
until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?"
Genesis 27:45 niv
When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"
Genesis 27:45 esv
until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?"
Genesis 27:45 nlt
When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"
Genesis 27 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:8 | Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. | First instance of sibling murder, mirroring Rebekah's fear. |
| Gen 4:10-12 | What have you done?... a fugitive and a wanderer... | Consequences of fratricide: curse and exile (Cain). |
| Gen 25:23 | Two nations are in your womb... The elder shall serve the younger. | Prophecy that undergirds Rebekah's actions, yet God's method is through His own will, not human deception. |
| Gen 27:41 | Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing... and said... "Then I will kill my brother Jacob." | Direct cause of Rebekah's fear. Esau's murderous intent. |
| Gen 27:42 | Rebekah was told... She sent and called Jacob... | Rebekah's urgent response to avert the crisis. |
| Gen 31:42 | If the God of my father... had not been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. | God's preservation of Jacob during his exile. |
| Exod 21:12 | Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. | Legal principle confirming death penalty for murder (Law of Moses). |
| Num 35:16-19 | If he struck him with an iron instrument... the murderer shall surely be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. | Law concerning the kinsman avenger of blood (go'el haddam). |
| Num 35:25-28 | The congregation shall protect the man slayer... shall remain... until the death of the high priest. | Concept of cities of refuge and protection for unintentional killers, implying dire consequences for intentional ones. |
| Deut 19:11-13 | But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him... then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. | Further elaboration on the death penalty for premeditated murder and the role of the avenger. |
| 2 Sam 14:14 | For we must all die... God does not take away life, but devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. | Reference to the possibility of reconciliation for those cast out, showing hope beyond despair. |
| 1 Kgs 2:31-32 | Then the king said to Benaiah, "Do as he has said... You shall put his blood on the head of Joab..." | Illustrates a king exercising judgment for past bloodguilt. |
| Psa 55:6 | Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; | Expresses a desire to escape great distress, similar to Rebekah's urge for Jacob to flee. |
| Prov 22:3 | The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. | Wisdom teaching on foresight and avoiding peril, which Rebekah exemplifies. |
| Matt 10:21 | Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child... | New Testament prophecy of familial betrayal and hatred, a severe consequence of spiritual conflict. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. | Despite human sin and distress, God's ultimate plan is for good. |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God... "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." | The divine prerogative for vengeance, preventing human retribution cycles. |
| Heb 11:20 | By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. | Acknowledges the faith aspect, showing God working through imperfect means. |
| Jas 1:15 | Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | The trajectory of sin leading to deadly outcomes. |
| Jas 3:16 | For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. | Connects sibling rivalry and deceit to disorder and evil, evident in Gen 27. |
Genesis 27 verses
Genesis 27 45 Meaning
Genesis 27:45 is Rebekah's distraught question to Jacob, revealing her profound fear and distress regarding the immediate and dire consequences of Jacob's deception. She foresees a double tragedy: Esau, in his fury, will kill Jacob for stealing the blessing, and then Esau himself would likely face the consequences of blood-guilt, leading to his exile or even death, possibly at the hand of a kinsman avenger. Her fear is of losing both her beloved sons, the one by murder and the other by its resultant punishment, on the same dreadful day.
Genesis 27 45 Context
Genesis chapter 27 details Jacob's elaborate deception of his aged, blind father, Isaac, with Rebekah's active orchestration and assistance, to usurp the blessing intended for Esau, the firstborn. Immediately after Jacob receives the blessing and Esau discovers the treachery, Esau's fury ignites into a deadly resolve: he plans to kill Jacob as soon as their father Isaac is dead (Gen 27:41). Rebekah learns of Esau's murderous intent (Gen 27:42). Her immediate reaction is fear, not just for Jacob, but for the catastrophic domino effect this act of revenge would unleash upon her family. This verse encapsulates her realization that Esau's murder of Jacob would then inevitably lead to Esau's punishment – either execution (which was a clear understanding of justice for murder, even pre-Mosaic law) or permanent exile, akin to Cain's banishment. Thus, she perceives the imminent loss of both her sons in rapid succession, resulting from the cycle of hatred and retribution sparked by their own family's deceit and favoritism. This personal and familial tragedy highlights the immediate and far-reaching consequences of sin within a family unit.
Genesis 27 45 Word analysis
- Why: (Hebrew: לָמָּה lammah) This interrogative expresses not a simple request for information, but deep lamentation, urgency, and distress. It conveys Rebekah's rhetorical appeal, emphasizing the profound catastrophe she anticipates. It implies a sense of futility or a desperate plea to avert a disaster.
- should I lose: (Hebrew: אָבַד avad, Piel perfect - to cause to perish, destroy, make to vanish). The Hebrew verb avad in the Piel stem here denotes a causing to perish, implying that the loss she fears is not merely a passive disappearance, but a profound and devastating bereavement that would emotionally and existentially destroy her. She foresees herself being rendered desolate and stripped of her sons, akin to an inner death. This strong verb highlights the complete and crushing nature of the anticipated tragedy for Rebekah.
- both of you: (Hebrew: שְׁנֵיכֶם shneychem) This emphasizes the double nature of the impending catastrophe. Rebekah correctly perceives that Esau killing Jacob would not only result in Jacob's death but also lead to the just execution or banishment of Esau as the murderer. This specific wording underlines her profound insight into the mechanics of blood-guilt and retribution within her culture, where the death of one son would inevitably precipitate the loss of the other, leaving her childless in a very direct and tragic sense.
- in one day: (Hebrew: בְּיוֹם אֶחָד b'yom echad) This phrase accentuates the suddenness, completeness, and perhaps the shocking brevity of the timeframe in which she expects to suffer this total loss. It implies that the tragedy will unfold rapidly, leaving her no time to recover or adjust. It magnifies the intensity of her distress, fearing a swift and immediate desolation rather than a drawn-out suffering. It highlights the simultaneous, crushing impact of a double bereavement.
Genesis 27 45 Bonus section
Rebekah's shrewd assessment of the consequences ("lose both of you in one day") reveals her not just as a mother driven by favoritism, but as a woman deeply familiar with the customs of her time regarding blood revenge and justice. The cultural concept of the "avenger of blood" (go'el haddam), while formally codified later in Mosaic Law, was deeply embedded in tribal consciousness concerning familial responsibility and restitution for bloodshed. Her immediate response to dispatch Jacob away was not merely to escape Esau's wrath but also to prevent Esau from becoming a murderer, thus sparing him from the dire fate that would follow. This action illustrates the severe gravity placed on taking a life and the societal expectation that justice must be meted out swiftly. It also indirectly set in motion Jacob's lengthy period of exile, shaping his character and the destiny of the patriarch through years of labor, struggle, and eventual transformation at the hand of God, demonstrating how human errors are often woven into divine tapestry.
Genesis 27 45 Commentary
Rebekah's urgent question to Jacob in Genesis 27:45 is a pivotal moment revealing her profound maternal anguish and sharp insight. Despite her earlier complicity in the deception, she displays a deep understanding of the spiritual and practical consequences of Esau's vengeful hatred. Her fear of losing "both" sons in "one day" encapsulates the reality of ancient near-eastern justice systems where murder necessitated a life for a life or exile. She intuitively grasps that Esau's killing of Jacob would obligate their family or society to mete out justice against Esau, thereby losing him too. This tragic perception underscores the painful harvest sown by familial deception and favoritism. Yet, it also subtly points to God's sovereign hand, working through human failures to protect the line of promise, as Jacob is sent away for his own safety, preparing him for the formation of the nation of Israel and the challenges that follow. Rebekah's words highlight that human sin and plotting, while bearing their bitter fruit, do not derail God's larger redemptive purpose.