ปฐมกาล 27:40 วิจารณ์

In this chapter we return to the typical story of the struggle between Esau and Jacob. Esau had profanely sold the birthright to Jacob; but Esau hopes he shall be never the poorer, nor Jacob the richer, for that bargain, while he preserves his interest in his father's affections, and so secures the blessing. Here therefore we find how he was justly punished for his contempt of the birthright (of which he foolishly deprived himself) with the loss of the blessing, of which Jacob fraudulently deprives him. Thus this story is explained, Heb 12:16, Heb 12:17, "Because he sold the birthright, when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected." For those that make light of the name and profession of religion, and throw them away for a trifle, thereby forfeit the powers and privileges of it. We have here, I. Isaac's purpose to entail the blessing upon Esau (Gen 27:1-5). II. Rebekah's plot to procure it for Jacob (Gen 27:6-17). III. Jacob's successful management of the plot, and his obtaining the blessing (Gen 27:18-29). IV. Esau's resentment of this, in which, 1. His great importunity with his father to obtain a blessing (Gen 27:30-40). 2. His great enmity to his brother for defrauding him of the first blessing (Gen 27:41, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 27 In this chapter we are informed, that Isaac, being old and dim sighted, sent for Esau to get him venison, that he might eat of it, and bless him before he died, Gen 27:1; that Rebekah hearing of this formed a scheme for Jacob to get the blessing before him, which she communicated to Jacob, to which he at first objected, but afterwards complied, Gen 27:5; and also how that he succeeded in the attempt, and got the blessing from his brother, Gen 27:18; and that this was confirmed to him by his father, even when his mistake was discovered upon Esau's coming, Gen 27:30; which occasioned a most bitter cry in Esau, a severe reflection on his brother, and an earnest expostulation with his father for a blessing, which he obtained, Gen 27:34; the consequence of this were hatred in Esau to Jacob, and an intention to kill him, which Rebekah hearing of, advised Jacob to flee to her brother Laban, Gen 27:41; and to facilitate this, complains to Isaac of Esau's wives, and suggests, that should Jacob marry among the same people, it would add to the distress of their lives; and therefore hints it to him, that it was necessary and proper he should go to her family for a wife, Gen 27:46; and whether Isaac sent him, as the following chapter shows.

And by thy sword shalt thou live,.... By what he could get by it; his land being so poor that he could not live upon it, but must be obliged to such methods for a livelihood; or his country being surrounded with enemies, his posterity would be obliged to defend themselves by the sword, and other weapons of war: and shalt serve thy brother; which is the sense and language of the oracle, Gen 25:23; and which Isaac perhaps now remembered, and had a clear understanding of it, and delivers out his prophetic blessing agreeably to it: and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion; not over the Israelites, the posterity of Jacob, which the Edomites, Esau's posterity, never had; but when they should get a greater degree of strength, power, authority, and dominion in the world: that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck; the Edomites should revolt from the posterity of Jacob, and shake off the yoke of bondage and subjection they had been long under; as they did in the times of Joram, king of Judah, and set up a king of their own, and continued in such a state of freedom a long time, see Kg2 8:20.

And the words: “You shall live by your sword” mean that the people never stop being in defensive or aggressive war with the nations living around them, as Scripture itself shows. And the sentence “You shall be the servant of your brother” indicates the age that still continues, the age in which the Savior was present and came to visit his own brothers according to the flesh, and the Savior the prophet here suggests to serve after humanity has become obedient. That is why he said: “There will come a time when you shall shake and break the yoke from your neck.” Which yoke, but the yoke that lies in the law? Provided that they do not live any more as slaves under the yoke of the law but believe in the gospel as free men, they can still be saved.

Nevertheless Esau brought it about by his demands and entreaties that he did receive a blessing but such a blessing as was in agreement and correspondence with the earlier one, namely, that he should serve his brother. Indeed, the one who could not command and rule the other ought to have served him, in order to be ruled by the one who was wiser. It was not the role of the holy patriarch to deliver his own son to the ignoble state of slavery. But since he had two sons, one without moderation and the other moderate and wise, in order to take care for both like a good father, he placed the moderate son over the immediate one, and he ordered the foolish one to obey the one who was wise. For the foolish man cannot of his own accord be a disciple of virtue or persevere in his intent, because the fool changes like the moon. Isaac was right to deny Esau freedom to make his own choices; else he might drift like a ship in the waves without a helmsman. But Isaac made him subject to his brother according to that which is written, “The unwise man is the slave of the wise man.” Therefore the patriarch was right to make him subject, so that he might amend his dispositions under rule and guidance. And so Isaac says, “By your sword shall you live; you shall serve your brother,” for holiness has mastery over cruelty and kindness excels over emotions that are harsh.

Everyone who does not possess the authority conferred by a clear conscience is a slave; whoever is crushed by fear or ensnared by pleasure or seduced by desires or provoked by wrath or felled by grief is a slave. In fact, every passion is servile, because “everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin,” and, what is worse, he is the slave of many sins. The person who is subject to vices has sold himself to many masters, so that he is scarcely permitted to go out of servitude. But take the one who is the master over his own will, judge over his counsels, agent of his judgment, the man who restrains the longing of his bodily passions and does well what he does. (Note that by acting well he acts rightly, and one who acts rightly acts without blame or reproach because he has power over his actions.) Such a person is assuredly free. For the one who does all things wisely and in complete accord with his will is the only free man. It is not accidental status that makes the slave but shameful and foolish conduct. Indeed, the wise servant rules the foolish master, and “their own servants will lend to the masters.” What will they lend? Not money, surely, but wisdom, just as the law also says, “You will lend to many nations and will not borrow.” For the Jew lent to the proselyte the prophecies of God’s law.

This then is what the patriarch Isaac says, “You shall serve your brother. But the time will be, when you shall shake off and loose his yoke from your neck.” He means that there will be two peoples, one the son of the slave girl, the other of the free woman—for the letter is a slave, whereas grace is free16—and that the people that attends to the letter is going to be a slave as long as it needs to follow the expounder of learning in the spirit. Then that will also come to pass which the apostle says, “that the remnant may be saved by reason of the election made by grace.” “You shall serve your brother,” but then you will perceive your advancement in servitude only when you begin to obey your brother voluntarily and not under compulsion.

(Verse 40.) And you shall serve your brother, and it shall come to pass when you shall have removed it, and shall have taken away his yoke from your neck. This signifies that the Edomites will serve the Jews, and that a time will come when they shall throw off the yoke of servitude from their neck and resist their dominion. However, according to the Seventy Interpreters, who said: 'But it shall come to pass when you shall have removed it, and shall have taken away his yoke from your neck,' it seems that the decision is uncertain and not yet complete.

Isaac, grown old and feeble, and apprehending the approach of death, desires his son Esau to provide some savory meat for him, that having eaten of it he might convey to him the blessing connected with the right of primogeniture, Gen 27:1-4. Rebekah hearing of it, relates the matter to Jacob, and directs him how to personate his brother, and by deceiving his father, obtain the blessing, Gen 27:5-10. Jacob hesitates, Gen 27:11, Gen 27:12; but being counseled and encouraged by his mother, he at last consents to use the means she prescribes, Gen 27:13, Gen 27:14. Rebekah disguises Jacob, and sends him to personate his brother, Gen 27:15-17. Jacob comes to his father, and professes himself to be Esau, Gen 27:18, Gen 27:19. Isaac doubts, questions, and examines him closely, but does not discover the deception, Gen 27:20-24. He eats of the savory meat, and confers the blessing upon Jacob, Gen 27:25-27. In what the blessing consisted, Gen 27:28, Gen 27:29. Esau arrives from the field with the meat he had gone to provide, and presents himself before his father, Gen 27:30, Gen 27:31. Isaac discovers the fraud of Jacob, and is much affected, Gen 27:32, Gen 27:33. Esau is greatly distressed on hearing that the blessing had been received by another, Gen 27:34. Isaac accuses Jacob of deceit, Gen 27:35. Esau expostulates, and prays for a blessing, Gen 27:36. Isaac describes the blessing which he has already conveyed, Gen 27:37. Esau weeps, and earnestly implores a blessing, Gen 27:38. Isaac pronounces a blessing on Esau, and prophecies that his posterity should, in process of time, cease to be tributary to the posterity of Jacob, Gen 27:39, Gen 27:40. Esau purposes to kill his brother, Gen 27:41. Rebekah hears of it, and counsels Jacob to take refuge with her brother Laban in Padanaram, Gen 27:42-45. She professes to be greatly alarmed, lest Jacob should take any of the Canaanites to wife, Gen 27:41.

By thy sword shalt thou live - This does not absolutely mean that the Edomites should have constant wars; but that they should be of a fierce and warlike disposition, gaining their sustenance by hunting, and by predatory excursions upon the possessions of others. Bishop Newton speaks on this subject with his usual good sense and judgment: "The elder branch, it is here foretold, should delight more in war and violence, but yet should be subdued by the younger. By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother. Esau might be said to live much by the sword; for he was a cunning hunter, a man of the field. He and his children got possession of Mount Seir by force and violence, expelling from thence the Horites, the former inhabitants. By what means they spread themselves farther among the Arabians is not known; but it appears that upon a sedition and separation several of the Edomites came and seized upon the south-west parts of Judea, during the Babylonish captivity, and settled there ever after. Before and after this they were almost continually at war with the Jews; upon every occasion they were ready to join with their enemies; and when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, they encouraged him utterly to destroy the city, saying, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundations thereof. Psa 137:7. And even long after they were subdued by the Jews, they retained the same martial spirit; for Josephus in his time gives them the character of 'a turbulent and disorderly nation, always erect to commotions, and rejoicing in changes; at the least adulation of those who beseech them, beginning war, and hasting to battles as to a feast.' And a little before the last siege of Jerusalem they came, at the entreaty of the Zealots, to assist them against the priests and people; and there, together with the Zealots, committed unheard-of cruelties, and barbarously murdered Annas, the high priest, from whose death Josephus dates the destruction of the city." See Dr. Dodd. And - when thou shalt have the dominion - It is here foretold that there was to be a time when the elder was to have dominion and shake off the yoke of the younger. The word תריד tarid, which we translate have dominion, is rather of doubtful meaning, as it may be deduced from three different roots, ירד yarad, to descend, to be brought down or brought low; דרה radah, to obtain rule or have dominion; and רוד rud, to complain; meaning either that when reduced very low God would magnify his power in their behalf, and deliver them from the yoke of their brethren; or when they should be increased so as to venture to set up a king over them, or when they mourned for their transgressions, God would turn their captivity. The Jerusalem Targum gives the words the following turn: "When the sons of Jacob attend to the law and observe the precepts, they shall impose the yoke of servitude upon thy neck; but when they shall turn away themselves from studying the law and neglect the precepts, thou shalt break off the yoke of servitude from thy neck." "It was David who imposed the yoke, and at that time the Jewish people observed the law; but the yoke was very galling to the Edomites from the first; and towards the end of Solomon's reign Hadad, the Edomite, of the blood royal, who had been carried into Egypt from his childhood, returned into his own country, and raised some disturbances, but was not able to recover his throne, his subjects being over-awed by the garrisons which David had placed among them; but in the reign of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. Jehoram made some attempts to subdue them again, but could not prevail; so the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day, Ch2 21:8, Ch2 21:10, and hereby this part of the prophecy was fulfilled about nine hundred years after it was delivered." See Bishop Newton. "Thus," says Bishop Newton, "have we traced, in our notes on this and the25th chapter, the accomplishment of this prophecy from the beginning; and we find that the nation of the Edomites has at several times been conquered by and made tributary to the Jews, but never the nation of the Jews to the Edomites; and the Jews have been the more considerable people, more known in the world, and more famous in history. We know indeed little more of the history of the Edomites than as it is connected with that of the Jews; and where is the name or nation now? They were swallowed up and lost, partly among the Nabathean Arabs, and partly among the Jews; and the very name, as Dr. Prideaux has observed, was abolished and disused about the end of the first century of the Christian era. Thus were they rewarded for insulting and oppressing their brethren the Jews; and hereby other prophecies were fulfilled, viz., Jer 49:7, etc.; Eze 25:12, etc.; Joe 3:19; Amo 1:11, etc.; and particularly Obadiah; for at this day we see the Jews subsisting as a distinct people, while Edom is no more, agreeably to the words of Obadiah, Oba 1:10 : For thy violence against thy brother Jacob, in the return of his posterity from Egypt, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. And again, Oba 1:18 : There shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. In what a most extensive and circumstantial manner has God fulfilled all these predictions! and what a proof is this of the Divine inspiration of the Pentateuch, and the omniscience of God!"

INFIRMITY OF ISAAC. (Gen. 27:1-27) when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim--He was in his hundred thirty-seventh year; and apprehending death to be near, Isaac prepared to make his last will--an act of the gravest importance, especially as it included the conveyance through a prophetic spirit of the patriarchal blessing.