Genesis 27:42 · Bible study
Genesis 27:42 Commentary: Study: Rebekah's Choice and the Cost of the Blessing
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why Rebekah sends Jacob away to Laban rather than reconciling with Esau, and what this reveals about her trust in God's promise amid family crisis.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Rebekah learns of Esau's plan to kill Jacob after the stolen blessing, and she immediately warns Jacob and arranges his flight to Haran.
- Key words: Mithnachem (H5162), 'comforting himself', implying self-satisfaction in revenge; yuggad (H5046), 'was told', highlighting the intelligence that sparks the action.
- Main debate: Whether Rebekah's decision shows extraordinary faith in God's promise (Calvin, Henry) or continued manipulation that leads to painful exile (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
- Theological theme: God's covenant promise survives human sin and family brokenness, often through costly and painful means.
- Best use: A case study in the intersection of human responsibility and divine sovereignty, God works through messy families to fulfill His Word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the words of Esau her elder son are declared to Rebekah, and she sendeth and calleth for Jacob her younger son, and saith unto him, `Lo, Esau thy brother is comforting himself in regard to thee--to slay thee;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, comforts himself that he will kill thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
These things were told to Rebecca: and she sent and called Jacob, her son, and said to him: Behold Esau, thy brother, threateneth to kill thee.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y fueron dichas á Rebeca las palabras de Esaú su hijo mayor: y ella envió y llamó á Jacob su hijo menor, y díjole: He aquí, Esaú tu hermano se consuela acerca de ti con la idea de matarte.
E foram ditas a Rebeca as palavras de Esaú seu filho mais velho: e ela enviou e chamou a Jacó seu filho mais novo, e disse-lhe: Eis que, Esaú teu irmão se consola acerca de ti com a ideia de matar-te.
On rapporta à Rebecca les paroles d’ Ésaü, son fils aîné. Elle fit alors appeler Jacob, son fils cadet, et elle lui dit: Voici, Ésaü, ton frère, veut tirer vengeance de toi, en te tuant.
Da wurden Rebekka angesagt diese Worte ihres älteren Sohnes Esau; und sie schickte hin und ließ Jakob, ihren jüngeren Sohn, rufen und sprach zu ihm: Siehe, dein Bruder Esau droht dir, daß er dich erwürgen will.
Toen aan Rebekka deze woorden van Ezau, haar grootsten zoon, geboodschapt werden, zo zond zij heen, en ontbood Jakob, haar kleinsten zoon, en zeide tot hem: Zie, uw broeder Ezau troost zich over u, dat hij u doden zal.
Furon riferite a Rebecca le parole di Esaù, suo figliuolo maggiore; ed ella mandò a chiamare Giacobbe, suo figliuolo minore, e gli disse: “Ecco, Esaù, tuo fratello, si consola riguardo a te, proponendosi d’ucciderti.
I oznajmiono Rebece słowa Ezawa, syna jej starszego, która posławszy, wezwała Jakóba, syna swego młodszego, i rzekła do niego: Oto Ezaw, brat twój, cieszy się tem, iż cię zabije.
И пересказаны были Ревекке слова Исава, старшего сына ее; и она послала, и призвала младшего сына своего Иакова, и сказала ему: вот, Исав, брат твой, грозит убить тебя;
有人把 利百加大 兒子 以掃 的話 告訴 利百加，她就打發人去，叫了 她小 兒子 雅各來，對他 說：「 你哥哥 以掃 想要殺 你，報仇雪恨。
Then Rebekah, hearing what Esau had said, sent for Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, It seems that your brother Esau is purposing to put you to death.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 27:42
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Rebekah's response to Esau's murder plot demonstrates her unwavering commitment to the blessing. Calvin describes it as extraordinary faith: she does not try to pacify Esau by restoring the birthright but instead chooses to lose Jacob's presence rather than lose the blessing itself. Matthew Henry notes Esau's hate as 'causeless' and 'cruel', a pattern of persecutors thirsting for blood. On the Hebrew phrase mithnachem lecha, the Cambridge Bible explains that Esau 'hugs himself' with satisfaction at the prospect of revenge. Gill adds that Esau comforts himself by planning, so sweet is revenge to him. The consensus is that Rebekah acted decisively to preserve the covenant line, even at the cost of her son's long exile.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Faithful preservation: Rebekah refuses to return the blessing and sends Jacob away; Calvin calls this 'extraordinary faith' because she chooses exile over forfeiting the promise.
- Consequences of deception: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown sees the exile as 'the bitter fruits of her fraudulent device' — the logical outcome of her earlier sin.
- Maternal pragmatism with theology: Keil & Delitzsch emphasize both her concern for Jacob's safety and her use of the marriage issue to gain Isaac's support, suggesting a mix of faith and motherly cunning.
What is clear: Rebekah received credible information that Esau planned to kill Jacob, and she took immediate action to send Jacob away to protect his life and the covenant line.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Rebekah's motive | She acted to preserve Jacob's life and the blessing God had promised. | Calvin and Matthew Henry see pure faith; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown reads it as reaping the bitter fruits of her earlier fraud. Some modern readers ask if she was protecting her favorite son rather than trusting God. |
| Source of the information | Someone reported Esau's words to Rebekah. | Jewish commentators Jarchi and Jonathan say it was by the Holy Spirit; Aben Ezra thinks a human informant overheard Esau. Gill leaves both options open. |
| Esau's 'comfort' | Esau found emotional satisfaction in the thought of killing Jacob. | Clarke notes the Hebrew mithnachem may not literally mean 'comfort' but could imply meditation or resolve. Cambridge Bible says it means 'hugs himself', a strong emotional state. The exact nuance is debated among Hebrew lexicographers. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 27:42 occurs in the final scenes of a family torn apart by deceit. Isaac had intended to bless Esau, the firstborn, but Rebekah orchestrated Jacob's deception to secure the blessing for him. Once Esau discovers the fraud, his grief turns to murderous rage (v.41). In the ancient Near East, a father's blessing was considered legally binding and irrevocable, it carried the weight of a will and a divine oracle. Esau's threat to kill Jacob after Isaac's death was not empty; blood vengeance was a recognized practice, and a murderer would himself be subject to the avenger of blood (Keil & Delitzsch reference Genesis 9:6 and 2 Samuel 14:6-7). Rebekah's decision to send Jacob to her brother Laban in Haran served multiple purposes: it physically separated him from Esau, placed him under the protection of her own family, and, as the following verses show, gave Isaac a compelling reason to send him away for a proper marriage. The flight also fulfilled the pattern of Abraham's sojourning: God's chosen one becomes a wanderer. Rebekah likely remembered the oracle given before the twins' birth, that 'the elder shall serve the younger' (Genesis 25:23). Rather than see that divine word overturned by fratricide, she acted to preserve both Jacob's life and the promise.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources cite no significant textual variants for Genesis 27:42. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscript traditions, with minor differences in versification between the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint not affecting meaning.
Reception History
Early Jewish exegesis (Jarchi, Jonathan, Aben Ezra) debated the source of Rebekah's knowledge. Reformers like Calvin and the Geneva Bible saw in her actions a model of faith that suffers exile rather than compromise. Later Protestant commentators (Matthew Henry, Gill) emphasized the moral lessons: the destructiveness of hatred, the cost of parental scheming, and God's faithfulness despite human failure. In devotional tradition, this verse has been used to counsel those facing violent rejection: even when God's plan forces us to flee, the blessing goes with us.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Esau's comfort is a lie. He soothes himself with murder (v.42). His self-talk is poison (Psalm 64:5). Hatred always promises satisfaction and always delivers emptiness.
- Rebekah's choice is costly. She does not try to undo the blessing. She sends Jacob away, knowing she may never see him again. Faith in God's promise often means accepting painful exile
- God's purpose moves forward. What looks like a disaster, forced flight, broken family, becomes the road to Jacob's transformation. The same pattern reappears in Joseph's story (Genesis 37:18-20). God writes straight with crooked lines.
Five-point outline
- The anatomy of revenge: Esau speaks to his heart, hugs his hatred, plans murder (v.41-42).
- The intelligence network: Rebekah hears the threat, God often warns through human channels.
- The difficult summons: she calls Jacob and speaks hard truth (v.42).
- The protective strategy: flight to Haran, not fight (v.43-45).
- The hidden cost: she loses her son for twenty years. Faithfulness does not mean ease.
Illustration hooks
- An employee is passed over for a promotion after a co-worker manipulates the process. The slighted person nurses fantasies of revenge. How does their 'comfort' compare to Esau's?
- A parent must choose between protecting a child by moving away or staying near an estranged family member who threatens harm. The parent's deeper commitment is to the child's future, not to immediate peace.
- Someone in a church community is wrongly accused. Rather than fight to clear their name, they quietly step back for a season. Others assume guilt; the person trusts God with the outcome.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Rebekah right to send Jacob away, or should she have tried to reconcile the brothers?
- Does this passage mean that God sometimes uses deception and exile to accomplish His will?
- When is it faithful to flee a situation, and when is it cowardly?
Leading a Discussion
Rebekah hears that Esau plans to kill Jacob. Rather than confronting Esau or trying to undo the blessing, she arranges Jacob's escape. This moment raises hard questions about family loyalty, the consequences of our choices, and what it means to trust God's promises when everything goes wrong. Use these questions to explore the passage together.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 41-42 aloud. What does Esau's phrase 'comforts himself' reveal about his inner life? Where have you seen similar self-deception?
- Rebekah receives the news and acts immediately. What does her speed tell you about her priorities? What does she risk by sending Jacob away?
- Notice that Rebekah does not say, 'Let's give the blessing back.' Why not? What does that tell you about the nature of the blessing in her eyes?
- In verses 43-45, Rebekah says a 'few days', but Jacob stays twenty years. How do we often underestimate the long weight of our decisions, even good ones?
- Compare Rebekah's actions here with her role in the deception (Genesis 27:5-17). Is she acting in faith, or just digging herself deeper? How would you know?
- The cross-reference in Genesis 37:18-20 shows Joseph's brothers plotting to kill him. How is that story similar to this one? How is it different?
- If you were in Rebekah's shoes, would you have made the same call? What other options existed?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 37:18 | They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. |
| Genesis 37:20 | Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.” |
| Genesis 42:21 | They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.” |
| Genesis 42:22 | Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.” |
| I Samuel 30:5 | David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. |
| Job 20:12 | “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue, |
| Job 20:14 | yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him. |
| Psalms 64:5 | They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke examines the Hebrew phrase to show it literally means Esau took comfort in planning Jacob’s death. He notes this sense is natural for a man consumed by hatred, even if the original wording might not strictly demand it. The text reveals Esau finding pleasure in the prospect of avenging his wrongs against his brother.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights Rebekah's extraordinary faith: she could have ended the conflict by letting Esau reclaim the birthright, but instead she sends Jacob into exile so he keeps the blessing. For Calvin, this shows that genuine faith accepts hardship rather than surrendering God's promise, even when the reward seems distant.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew phrase translated "doth comfort himself" is a vivid idiom meaning to hug oneself or take satisfaction in the thought of killing. The commentator observes that the Septuagint and Latin versions mistranslate it as "threatens," missing this self-gratifying tone.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the ironic word "comforted" in Esau's speech. What Esau calls comfort for himself over losing the blessing is actually a grim plan to murder his brother Jacob. The note makes clear that Esau's consolation is found in his intention to kill.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Esau's murder plot was revealed to Rebekah either by the Holy Spirit, as some Jewish teachers hold, or by a confidant. He emphasizes that Esau comforts himself with the plan to kill Jacob, finding revenge so sweet that even gaining nothing from it brings him satisfaction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads this scene as the bitter aftermath of Rebekah's deception. The scheme she devised to gain Jacob the blessing forces her to send him away, and she likely never sees him again. Jacob himself, the intended beneficiary, later feels heaven's retributive justice through troubles in his own household.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights Esau's calculated plan to wait until after Isaac's death before killing Jacob, so that his father would not be hurt. To prevent this, Rebekah arranges Jacob's escape to Laban and secures Isaac's consent by presenting the trip as a way for Jacob to avoid marrying a local Hittite woman, without ever revealing Esau's murderous intent.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange presents the deception as a clash between two flawed human plans: Isaac's secret attempt to bless Esau against God's revealed choice, and Rebekah's dishonest effort to secure the blessing for Jacob. Both parents act from a lack of faith, yet God overrules their sins to accomplish His purpose. Jacob's compliance shows he values the spiritual blessing, while Esau's response reveals his worldly focus.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry compares Esau's hatred of Jacob to Cain's: it is causeless, springing only from envy of the blessing God gave his brother. He stresses the horror of Esau calling Jacob "brother" while vowing to kill him, showing that persecution is not restrained by the closest bonds.