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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 27:20

How is it … quickly Isaac's question implies a second shadow of doubt. This time it arises not from the voice, but from the disquieting thought of the extraordinary rapidity of the huntsman's good fortune.

Because the Lord thy God Jacob takes a third step in deceitfulness. To the lie and the vaunt of Genesis 27:19 he now adds the profanity of claiming the Divine assistance. But, at least, he says "the Lord thy God": his conscience does not quite permit him to say "the Lord my God."

sent me good speed Lit. "caused it opportunely to come into my presence," the same word as in Genesis 24:12. Lat. voluntas Dei fuit ut cito occurreret mihi quod volebam. The reference to the Divine Name adds to the deceit a taint of pious hypocrisy.

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See also Genesis 27:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Isaac Blessing His Sons The life of Isaac falls into three periods. During the first seventy-five years he is contemporary with his father. For sixty-one years more his son Jacob remains under the...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 27 THE STORY OF JACOB AND THE DECEPTION OF REBEKAH AND JACOB _ 1. Esau sent (Genesis 27:1)_ 2. Rebekah's deception (Genesis 27:5) 3. Jacob's deception (Genesis 27:18) 4. Jacob blessed ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    AT HIS MOTHER'S INSTIGATION, JACOB CHEATS Esau OF HIS FATHER'S BLESSING. Probably compiled from J and E. Since both presuppose it later, both must have told the story. There are doublets which point t...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _GENESIS 27:19_, &C. _JACOB SAID, I AM ESAU,_ &C.— In this discourse of Jacob's with his father, there are many palpable falsehoods, which can neither be imitated without sin, nor justified without pa...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART THIRTY-NINE THE STORY OF ISAAC: THE TWINS AND THE BLESSING (Genesis 27:1-45) _The Biblical Account 1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not se...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HE CAME UNTO HIS FATHER, AND SAID, MY FATHER: AND HE SAID, HERE AM I; WHO ART THOU, MY SON?_ He came unto his father. The scheme planned by the mother was to be executed by the son in the father...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    27:20 God (d-25) See ch. 1.1....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB BY SUBTILTY OBTAINS THE BLESSING Urged on by his mother, Jacob attempts by unworthy means to secure the blessing of the firstborn with all the privileges it involved. But the wrongdoing of the a...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Isaac himself had lied. He lied when he called Rebekah his sister. (See Genesis 26:7.) And in these verses, Jacob lies several times to Isaac....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 27 JACOB CHEATS HIS FATHER V1 Isaac was very old. His eyes had become so weak that he could not see. Then he called Esau, who was his older son....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    EXCURSUS G: UPON THE CHRONOLOGY OF JACOB’S LIFE (Genesis 27) The elaborate calculations of Lightfoot, and most Jewish and Christian commentators, intended to show that when Jacob set out upon his jour...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    BECAUSE THE LORD THY GOD BROUGHT IT TO ME. — Jacob does not keep up his acting well here, for it was not in accordance with Esau’s character to see anything providential in his success in hunting. Thi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֤אמֶר יִצְחָק֙ אֶל ־בְּנֹ֔ו מַה ־זֶּ֛ה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    JACOB'S FRAUD Genesis 27:1 "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever."- Psalms 33:11 THERE are some families whose miserable existence is almost entirely made up of malicious plottings and counter-...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JACOB GETS ESAU'S BLESSING Genesis 27:18 It is better not to attempt to justify Jacob in this act of treachery; but we may learn the deep and helpful lesson, that if God were able to make a saint out...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    From this point the history passes to center largely around Jacob. At the beginning, four persons stand out: Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob, and not one of them is admirable. Isaac is even more degen...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    REBEKAH HELPED JACOB GET THE BLESSING Rebekah overheard Isaac's instructions to Esau. She called for Jacob and told him to kill two choice kids from the flocks. She planned to prepare them in a way w...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Son_2:13; Son_4:12-13; Son_7:11-12. These scriptures prove the spirituality carried on through the whole of this transaction....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Jacob's history now begins [1]. Heir of the promises, and valuing them, he uses means to have them, evil and low in character. God answers his faith, and chastens his evil and unbelief. God could have...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND ISAAC SAID UNTO HIS SON,.... Supposing him to be Esau: HOW [IS IT] THAT THOU HAST FOUND [IT] SO QUICKLY, MY SON? that is, the venison; that he had met with it so soon in, the field, and got it dr...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _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._ Ver. 20. _How is it that thou hast found it so quick...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The Lord thy God brought it to me_ Is this Jacob? It is certainly written not for our imitation, but our admonition. Here we see how one lie draws on another. _Let him that standeth, take heed lest h...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Isaac sendeth Esau for venison. 5 Rebekah instructeth Iacob to obtaine the blessing. 15 Iacob vnder the person of Esau obteineth it. 30 Esau bringeth venison. 33 Isaac trembleth. 34 Esau compla...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Isaac Blesses Jacob...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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. Upon Isaac's surprised question: How is this? Thou wast qui...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SIXTH SECTION _Isaac’s preference for the natural first-born, and Esau. Rebekah and Jacob steal from him the theocratic blessing. Esau’s blessing. Esau’s hostility to Jacob. Rebekah’s preparation for...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB DECEIVES HIS FATHER In spite of Esau's wrong marriages, and in spite of God's word that Isaac's older son would serve the younger (ch.25:23). Isaac was ready to confer his chief blessing on Esa...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    TO ME: _ Heb._ before me...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    18-29 Jacob, with some difficulty, gained his point, and got the blessing. This blessing is in very general terms. No mention is made of the distinguishing mercies in the covenant with Abraham. This...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    These Chapter s present to us the history of Jacob at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God's purpose of infinite...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 27:20 Isaac H3327 said H559 (H8799) son H1121 found H4672 (H8800) quickly H4116 (H8765) son...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you my son?” Jacob comes, no doubt trembling, to his father, honing the skills of deception that he will use so effe...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Genesis 27:1. 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, her...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Fraudulent methods of Jacob in getting Isaac's blessing. Remorse of Esau. CHARACTERS: Isaac, Esau, Jacob, Rebekah. CONCLUSION: Human nature in prone to scheme to bring about what God would...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 27:1. _Isaac was old;_ in the hundred and thirty-seventh year of his age, the very year in which his brother Ishmael died. Jacob and Esau were also in their seventy-seventh year; but Isaac liv...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother_ REBEKAH’S CUNNING PLOT ACCEPTED AND CARRIED OUT BY JACOB I. REVEALS SOME QUALITIES OF JACOB’S CHARACTER. 1. He was a weak and pliable man....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 27:15. Goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau.] Heb. _The desirable garments._ The choicest garments belonging to Esau were put upon Jacob. From Genesis 27:27 it would appear t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 27:15 AND REBEKAH TOOK GOODLY RAIMENT OF HER ELDEST SON ESAU,—literally, the _robes of Esau her son the elder—the desirable_,_ _i.e. the handsome ones. The בֶּגֶד was an outer garm...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Genesis chapter twenty-seven? Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Because. Exodus 20:7 Job 13:7 to me. Heb. before me....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The Lord thy God brought it to me — Is this Jacob? It is certainly written not for our imitation, but our admonition, Let him that, standeth, take heed lest he fall. Now let us see how Isaac gave Jaco...

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