Genesis 27 7

Genesis 27:7 kjv

Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

Genesis 27:7 nkjv

'Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.'

Genesis 27:7 niv

'Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.'

Genesis 27:7 esv

'Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.'

Genesis 27:7 nlt

'Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.'

Genesis 27 verses

Genesis 27 7 meaning

Isaac instructs Esau to procure hunted game and prepare a savory meal for him. This act of eating a preferred meal is presented as a crucial preliminary ritual, enabling Isaac to confer the solemn patriarchal blessing upon Esau. The blessing is to be given in the presence of the Lord, underscoring its sacred and binding nature, and is prompted by Isaac's belief that his death is imminent.

Genesis 27 7 Context

Genesis 27 opens with Isaac, old and blind, sensing his life's end approaching. His intention is to confer the sacred patriarchal blessing, which typically carried immense weight and legal finality, upon his favorite son, Esau. This decision runs contrary to God's earlier prophecy to Rebekah that "the older shall serve the younger" (Gen 25:23), and Esau's prior display of despising his birthright (Gen 25:29-34). Isaac's instruction in verse 7 serves as the direct command that sets in motion Rebekah and Jacob's subsequent deception to acquire the blessing for Jacob, becoming a pivotal moment in the lineage of the Abrahamic covenant.

Genesis 27 7 Word analysis

• Bring me (הָבִיא לִי, ha·vi'a li): An imperative verb, emphasizing Isaac's direct command and paternal authority. It denotes a firm expectation and initiation of the process on his part, setting the course for the events that follow.
• game (צַיִד, tsayid): Refers specifically to "hunted food" or "prey." This highlights Esau's distinctive skill and identity as "a skillful hunter, a man of the field" (Gen 25:27), contrasting with Jacob. It signifies the effort Esau must put forth to obtain the desired food, a labor that Isaac values.
• and prepare me (וַעֲשֵׂה לִי, va·'a·seh li): An instruction to "make" or "do" for him, indicating the necessary culinary transformation of the raw game into a cooked meal. It specifies a domestic task Esau must perform, even as a hunter.
• tasty food (מַטְעַמִּים, mat'amim): Derived from the root "to taste" (טַעַם, ta'am). It signifies delicacies, savory dishes, or a preferred gourmet meal. This is crucial as it emphasizes Isaac's specific desire for a particularly pleasing meal, not just any food, catering to his sensory preferences.
• that I may eat (בַּעֲבוּר אֹכֵלָה, ba'avur okhelah): A purpose clause, clearly linking the consumption of the food to the subsequent act of blessing. Eating this specific meal serves as a prerequisite or preparatory ritual in Isaac's mind, establishing a connection between the physical and spiritual acts.
• and bless you (וַאֲבָרֲכֶךָּ, va'avarachekha): From the verb בָּרַךְ (barak), meaning "to kneel," and in causative, "to bless." This is the central purpose of Isaac's instruction. It refers to the solemn pronouncement imparting favor, prosperity, and the transfer of ancestral inheritance and covenantal promises from father to son, held as a binding and irrevocable act.
• before the Lord (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifney Yahweh): Literally "before the face of Yahweh." This phrase invokes the divine presence as witness to the act. It indicates that the blessing is not merely a private family affair but a sacred, divinely ratified transaction, imbuing it with spiritual weight and ensuring its permanence.
• before I die (לִפְנֵי מוֹתִי, lifney moti): Expresses Isaac's perception of his imminent mortality. This belief lends a sense of urgency and finality to his command, as if it were his last will and testament regarding the patriarchal blessing. While mistaken about his immediate death (he lived another 80 years), this conviction shapes his actions and precipitates the drama that unfolds.

• "Bring me game and prepare me tasty food": This phrase underlines Isaac's particular desire, revealing his sensory inclination and his appreciation for Esau's hunting prowess. It establishes the specific object that Rebekah and Jacob will later replicate, indicating Isaac's clear criteria for the pre-blessing meal. This preference showcases human fallibility and earthly desires influencing profound spiritual actions.
• "that I may eat and bless you": This pairing explicitly connects the physical act of eating a pleasing meal with the profound spiritual act of blessing. It implies a ritualistic prerequisite, where physical satisfaction prepares Isaac for the weighty spiritual pronouncement. Such feasting often accompanied significant covenantal or relational transactions in ancient cultures, signifying agreement and commitment.
• "before the Lord before I die": This dual "before" construction intensely emphasizes the solemnity and perceived urgency of the blessing. The first "before the Lord" underscores its sacred, divinely witnessed, and binding nature. The second "before I die" reveals Isaac's personal conviction of impending death, which acts as the immediate catalyst for him to confer what he believes will be his final, irrevocable transfer of heritage. Despite Isaac's misperception, this urgency highlights the hand of God working through human choices and timelines to accomplish His pre-ordained purposes.

Genesis 27 7 Bonus section

• Isaac's sensory preference for taste (emphasized by "tasty food") and smell (as seen later in Gen 27:27 where he smells Jacob's garments) plays a critical role in Rebekah's ability to deceive him, as his other senses are failing.
• The cultural weight of an oral blessing, particularly from a dying patriarch, was paramount in the ancient Near East, acting much like a legal will or testament that was virtually irrevocable once pronounced.
• This verse subtly illustrates the contrast between human preference and divine election, setting the stage for God's purposes (Jacob) to triumph over human intent (Isaac's desire to bless Esau), despite the morally complex means employed.

Genesis 27 7 Commentary

Genesis 27:7 encapsulates Isaac's deeply personal desires and traditional customs that set in motion the chapter's profound drama. Isaac's request for a special, hunted meal from Esau reveals his sensory inclination and paternal preference, which contrasts with God's earlier divine election of Jacob. The specified "tasty food" acted as a catalyst, an earthly pleasure preceding a spiritual act of immense significance. The declaration that the blessing was to occur "before the Lord" imbues the act with divine witness and sacred permanence, signifying that this was no ordinary pronouncement but a holy transmission of Abraham's covenant. Isaac's conviction "before I die," though mistaken in timing, added urgency and the weight of a dying patriarch's final testament. Ultimately, this verse serves as a crucial starting point demonstrating how God's sovereign plan can unfold through complex human decisions, preferences, and even deceptions, fulfilling His divine will.