When first reading this Scripture without any knowledge of Jacob’s motives, one might suspect the following conclusion: Isaac wanted Esau to have the blessing because he was not only the

Spieser attempts to make the point Jacob uses. The crucial term “first born” is key in this story. The narrator carefully avoids identifying Esau as firstborn. He instead refers to Esau as the “elder son.” However, Esau uses the term “firstborn” again when he returns from his hunt. Jacob also uses the term firstborn to make his claim of being Esau easier. During this same passage it says, “ But he did not recognize him for his hands were, like Esau’s hands, hairy, and he blessed him. (Alter 140) This crucial verb of recognition will return to Jacob when he is deceived by his sons and then will also play through Judah and Tamar.

The strength in the story is an oracle to Rebekah, who is pregnant with twins. It is not only the center of power of the overture of the Jacob cycle, but also the entire foundation of sections 25-35 persisting as the matrix of Jacob’s energetic aspiration for power and precedence. (Brueggemann 232) Jacob struggles (even during birth) intrigues, and deceives in order to oust Esau from the position of firstborn. The blessing of the deceived Isaac confirms the prenatal oracle. The blessing left for Esau is almost a curse and also revolves on the axis of ruling and serving.

Jacob showed no reluctance when he received instructions from his mother to scam his father. However, he did show the fear of getting caught. Jacob brought to his mother’s attention that Esau was hairy, and he was not. It greatly concerned him that his father would feel his skin and curse him for trying to cheat his brother out of his blessing. Anxious for Jacob to have the blessing, Rebekah told her son to let his curse be on her. This brings up the question of why Rebekah is overwhelmingly obsessed with Jacob receiving the blessing? Could it be because Jacob is her favorite? Or is it because the Lord told her while the twins were in her womb that the elder shall serve the younger? Either way, she went through extreme measures to mislead her husband. Rebekah used the kid skins that Jacob fetched to use as the garments of Esau to make Isaac believe that Jacob was Esau. .

firstborn, but also his favorite. In order for Jacob to be obedient to his mother, and win the blessing of his father, he tricked him into believing that he was Esau. He wanted to receive the blessing so that he could prove that he was capable of completing all of his brother’s tasks. However, this is not what is going on at all in this passage. Even when the twins were in the womb of their mother Rebekah, they clashed (Genesis 25 23-24). When Rebekah asked the Lord why, he replied, “Two nations are in your womb, and two people of you shall be divided; one shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger” (Collins 38). This suggests that the future of Esau and Jacob was foretold before they were even born. At birth, Esau came out red with his body hair like a mantle (Alter 127). This description of Esau at birth is symbolic. Red was Hebrew for Edom, which was Esau’s other name. He was also described as being hairy like a mantle, which in Hebrew meant “Seir,” the place Esau settled. Jacob on the other hand was born gripping the heel of his brother. It was only logical that his parents named him Jacob, which means “heel” in Hebrew.

The term “two choice kids” also plays a significant role in Jacob’s web of deception. According to Alter, kids, a term used to describe a young goat, are continuous instruments of d

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