The Meaning of Genesis 27:42 Explained

Genesis 27:42

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 27:42 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 27:30-45 - Esau's Grief And Anger
Esau apparently had awakened to realize the value of the blessing of the birthright which he had treated so lightly. His exceeding great and bitter cry expressed the anguish of one who awakes to discover that he has forfeited the best for a trifle. But obviously, he was only being held to his own original contract with Jacob. There are similar events in all lives when we take some irrevocable step under the sway of evil passion, and it affects the whole future. There is "no place for repentance"-i.e., no opportunity of altering the decisive effect, of that act. See Hebrews 12:17. We may obtain some lower and inferior blessing, as Esau did, acquiring something of the fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven, living by our sword, and finally, after long years, shaking the yoke from our neck, but we can never be what we might have been! We can never undo that moment of sowing to the flesh. See Galatians 6:7-8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 27

1  Isaac sends Esau for venison
6  Rebekah instructs Jacob to obtain the blessing
14  Jacob, feigning to be Esau, obtains it
30  Esau brings venison
33  Isaac trembles
34  Esau complains, and by importunity obtains a blessing
41  He threatens Jacob's life
42  Rebekah disappoints him, by sending Jacob away

What do the individual words in Genesis 27:42 mean?

And were told to Rebekah - the words of Esau her son older so she sent and called Jacob younger and said to him surely Esau your brother comforts himself concerning you to kill you
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְרִבְקָ֔ה אֶת־ דִּבְרֵ֥י עֵשָׂ֖ו בְּנָ֣הּ הַגָּדֹ֑ל וַתִּשְׁלַ֞ח וַתִּקְרָ֤א לְיַעֲקֹב֙ הַקָּטָ֔ן וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּה֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו אָחִ֔יךָ מִתְנַחֵ֥ם לְךָ֖ לְהָרְגֶֽךָ

וַיֻּגַּ֣ד  And  were  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְרִבְקָ֔ה  to  Rebekah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִבְקָה  
Sense: daughter of Bethuel, sister of Laban, wife of Isaac, and mother of Esau and Jacob.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֥י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
עֵשָׂ֖ו  of  Esau 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשָׂו  
Sense: eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob; sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob; progenitor of the Arab peoples.
בְּנָ֣הּ  her  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַגָּדֹ֑ל  older 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַתִּשְׁלַ֞ח  so  she  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וַתִּקְרָ֤א  and  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לְיַעֲקֹב֙  Jacob 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
הַקָּטָ֔ן  younger 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּה֙  surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עֵשָׂ֣ו  Esau 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשָׂו  
Sense: eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob; sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob; progenitor of the Arab peoples.
אָחִ֔יךָ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
מִתְנַחֵ֥ם  comforts  himself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
לְךָ֖  concerning  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
לְהָרְגֶֽךָ  to  kill  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.