20
Isaacיִצְחָקsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto his son,אֶל בְּנוֹ“Howמַהis itזֶּהthat you found itלִמְצֹאso quickly,מִהַרְתָּmy son?”בְּנִיHe said,וַיֹּאמֶר“BecauseכִּיYHWHיְהוָהyour Elohimאֱלֹהֶיךָmade it happenהִקְרָהbefore me.”לְפָנָי
Genesis 27:20
Study it in the app“Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because YHWH your Elohim made it happen before me.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 27:20, word by word
- Isaacיִצְחָקyitschak
Isaac
Isaac, the son promised to Abraham and Sarah, father of Esau and Jacob. His name means "he laughs" (Genesis 17:17, 19; 21:6).
Where else “yitschak” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- to his sonבְּנben
son
The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.
Where else “ben” appears- that you found itמְצֹאmetso
find
To come upon what one seeks, or something not expected.
Where else “metso” appears- so quicklyמִהַרְתָּmiharta
hurry
To act without delay, with haste and energy.
Where else “miharta” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- your Elohimאֱלֹהֶיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears- made it happenהִקְרָהhikra
befall
For an event to come upon someone without his seeking it.
Where else “hikra” appears- before meפָנָfana
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fana” appears
The context
19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.”
20 · This verse (above)
21Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, please, so that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
To study Genesis 27 in a group
1. What it says
How did Jacob receive Isaac’s blessing, and how did Esau react (vv. 18-34)?
2. What it means
What consequences did Jacob’s deceiving his father bring to the family (vv. 41-45)?
3. How I live it
How can you pursue what you need without resorting to deception?