Genesis Chapter 27: Jacob Deceives Isaac and Receives the Blessing

🔽 Click here to read the KJV 🔽

¹ And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
² And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
³ Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
⁴ And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
⁵ And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
⁶ And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
⁷ Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.
⁸ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
⁹ Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
¹⁰ And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
¹¹ And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
¹² My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
¹³ And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
¹⁴ And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
¹⁵ And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
¹⁶ And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
¹⁷ And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
¹⁸ And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
¹⁹ And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
²⁰ And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
²¹ And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
²² And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
²³ And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
²⁴ And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
²⁵ And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
²⁶ And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
²⁷ And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
²⁸ Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
²⁹ Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
³⁰ And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
³¹ And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
³² And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
³³ And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
³⁴ And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
³⁵ And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
³⁶ And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
³⁷ And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
³⁸ And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
³⁹ And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
⁴⁰ And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
⁴¹ And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
⁴² And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
⁴³ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
⁴⁴ And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
⁴⁵ 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?
⁴⁶ And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?


🌾 Deception, Blessing, and God’s Sovereign Choice 🌾

“And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?” – Genesis 27:18

Genesis 27 is a chapter filled with tension, deception, and divine orchestration. It details how Jacob, through his mother Rebekah’s guidance, deceives his father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for his elder brother Esau. Though the method is flawed, the blessing passed to Jacob aligns with God’s sovereign plan. This chapter reveals both the brokenness of man and the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His covenant purposes.

Isaac’s household becomes the center of conflict and deceit, yet God’s will moves forward. Though every character is deeply flawed in their actions, God’s promises continue to unfold through imperfect vessels. The narrative powerfully demonstrates that God’s plans are not thwarted by human schemes.

📜 Structure of Genesis Chapter 27

Verses 1–5: Isaac’s Desire to Bless Esau

Isaac, now old and blind, calls his eldest son Esau to prepare a savory meal so that he may bless him before dying. His intent to bless Esau, though heartfelt, opposes the divine word given in Genesis 25:23—that the elder shall serve the younger.

Verses 6–17: Rebekah’s Plot and Jacob’s Hesitation

Overhearing Isaac’s plan, Rebekah urges Jacob to impersonate Esau. She prepares the meal and dresses Jacob in Esau’s garments. Jacob expresses concern about being cursed if discovered, but Rebekah assures him the responsibility will fall on her.

Verses 18–29: Jacob Deceives Isaac and Receives the Blessing

Jacob brings the meal to Isaac and lies about his identity. Isaac is initially suspicious but is ultimately convinced through touch and smell. He blesses Jacob with prosperity, authority, and protection—words that echo God’s promises to Abraham.

Verses 30–40: Esau’s Return and Anguish

Just after Jacob leaves, Esau enters with his meal. When the truth is uncovered, Isaac trembles, realizing that the blessing has already been given. Esau weeps bitterly, and Isaac offers a lesser blessing, predicting Esau will serve his brother but eventually break the yoke.

Verses 41–46: Esau’s Hatred and Jacob’s Escape

Enraged, Esau plots to kill Jacob after Isaac dies. Rebekah, learning of this, sends Jacob away to her brother Laban in Haran. She frames this as a desire to protect Jacob from marrying a Hittite woman, masking the real reason.

💡 Key Themes

✨God’s Sovereignty Over Human Schemes

Though deception unfolds at every turn, God’s plan for Jacob’s blessing prevails, proving His sovereignty. “The counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” – Proverbs 19:21

✨Family Dysfunction and Favoritism

Each parent favors a different son, leading to strife and manipulation. The chapter is a sobering reminder of how divided households create deep wounds.

✨The Power of the Blessing

Isaac’s words carry covenantal weight, shaping destinies. The irreversible nature of his blessing emphasizes how seriously God views spoken promises.

👤 Key People

  • Isaac – Patriarch blinded physically and spiritually, yet God works through him.
  • Rebekah – A mother determined to secure the promise for her favored son, regardless of cost.
  • Jacob – The younger son whose name means “supplanter,” deceives but becomes the bearer of the covenant.
  • Esau – The elder son, rejected not by man but by divine will (see Romans 9:13).

🔥 Why This Chapter Matters

Genesis 27 teaches that God uses flawed people to fulfill His perfect plans. Though deceit is not condoned, the chapter reminds us that human failures cannot override divine purpose. God’s promises are carried out not because of man’s perfection, but because of His unwavering faithfulness.

💭 Let’s Reflect

  • Have you ever witnessed God bring something good even from brokenness or deception?
  • Are there areas in your life where you’ve tried to force God’s promises instead of waiting on Him?
  • What can you learn from the consequences each character faces in this story?

Ready to Go Deeper?

👉 Click here to begin reading Genesis Chapter 28

Or, if you’d like to jump to a specific chapter in Genesis, simply click the chapter number below:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 4344 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50