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V. 20. And Isaac was forty years
old-Not much is related concerning Isaac, but what had reference to
his father, while he lived, and to his sons afterward; for Isaac seems
not to have been a man of action, nor much tried, but to have spent
his day, in quietness and silence.
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V. 21. And Isaac intreated the Lord
for his wife-Though God had promised to multiply his family, he prayed
for it; for God's promises must not supersede but encourage our
prayers, and be improved as the ground of our faith. Though he had
prayed for this mercy many years, and it was not granted, yet he did
not leave off praying for it.
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V. 22. The children struggled within
her-The commotion was altogether extra-ordinary, and made her very
uneasy: If it be so, or, since it is so, why am I thus?-Before the
want of children was her trouble, now the struggle of the children is
no less so. And she went to enquire of the Lord-Some think Melchizedek
was now consulted as an oracle, or perhaps some Urim or Teraphim were
now used to enquire of God by, as afterwards in the breast-plate of
judgment. The word and prayer, by which we now enquire of the Lord,
give great relief to those that are upon any account perplexed: it is
a mighty ease to spread our case before the Lord, and ask council at
his mouth.
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V. 23. Two nations are in thy
womb-She was now big not only with two children, but two nations,
which should not only in their manners greatly differ from each other,
but in their interest contend with each other, and the issue of the
contest should be that the elder should serve the younger, which was
fulfilled in the subjection of the Edomites for many ages to the house
of David.
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V. 25. Esau when he was born was red
and hairy, as if he had been already a grown man, whence he had his
name Esau, made, reared already. This was an indication of a very
strong constitution, and gave cause to expect that he would be a very
robust, daring, active man. But Jacob was smooth and tender as other
children.
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V. 26. His hand took hold on Esau's
heel-This signified, 1. Jacob's pursuit of the birth-right and
blessing; from the first he reached forth to have catched hold of it,
and if possible to have prevented his brother. 2. His prevailing for
it at last: that in process of time he should gain his point. This
passage is referred to Ho 12:3, and from hence he had his name Jacob,
a supplanter.
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V. 27. Esau was an hunter-And a man that
knew how to live by his wits, for he was a cunning hunter. A man of
the field-All for the game, and never so well but as when he was in
pursuit of it. And Jacob was a plain man-An honest man, that dealt
fairly. And dwelt in tents -Either, 1. As a shepherd, loving that safe
and silent employment of keeping sheep, to which also he bred up his
children, Ge 46:34. Or, 2. As a student, he frequented the tents of
Melchizedek or Heber, as some understand it, to be taught by them
divine things.
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V. 28. And Isaac loved Esau-Isaac
though he was not a stirring man himself, yet he loved to have his son
active. Esau knew how to please him, and shewed a great respect for
him, by treating him often with venison, which won upon him more than
one would have thought. But Rebekah loved him whom God loved.
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V. 29. Sod-That is, boiled.
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V. 30. Edom-That is, red
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V. 31. Sell me this day thy birth-right-He
cannot be excused in taking advantage of Esau's necessity, yet neither
can Esau be excused who is profane, Heb 12:16, because for one morsel
of meat he sold his birth-right. The birth-right was typical of
spiritual privileges, those of the church of the first-born: Esau was
now tried how he would value those, and he shews himself sensible only
of present grievances: may he but get relief against them, he cares
not for his birth-right. If we look on Esau's birth-right as only a
temporal advantage, what he said had something of truth in it, that
our worldly enjoyments, even those we are most fond of, will stand us
in no stead in a dying hour. They will not put by the stroke of death,
nor ease the pangs, nor remove the sting. But being of a spiritual
nature, his undervaluing it, was the greatest profaneness imaginable.
It is egregious folly to part with our interest in God, and Christ,
and heaven, for the riches, honours, and pleasures of this world.
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V. 34. He did eat and drink, and
rise up and went his way-Without any serious reflections upon the ill
bargain he had made, or any shew of regret. Thus Esau despised his
birth-right-He used no means to get the bargain revoked, made no
appeal to his father about it but the bargain which his necessity had
made, (supposing it were so) his profaneness confirmed, and by his
subsequent neglect and contempt, he put the bargain past recall.
