Genesis 27:4

27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then 1  I will eat it so that I may bless you 2  before I die.”

Genesis 27:25-29

27:25 Isaac 3  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. 4  Then I will bless you.” 5  So Jacob 6  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac 7  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob 8  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent 9  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, 10  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky 11 

and the richness 12  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be 13  lord 14  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. 15 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

1 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

2 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

3 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

4 tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

5 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

6 tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

7 tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

8 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

9 tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

10 tn Heb “see.”

11 tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

12 tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

13 tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

14 tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

15 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.