Genesis 27:3-4

27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ¹  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ²  I will eat it so that I may bless you ³  before I die.”

Genesis 27:9-10

27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ⁴  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ⁵  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ⁶  and ⁷  bless you before he dies.”

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¹ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

² tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

³ 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.

⁴ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

⁶ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

⁷ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.