Then Isaac trembled violently is literally “And Isaac was terrified with a very great terror.” Isaac knew the voice of Jacob in verse 22, and now Esau’s words of identification caused his father to realize that he had been deceived, and the shock caused him to tremble. The word translated trembled is used of the quaking or trembling of a mountain in Exo 19.18. In 1 Sam 14.15 it is used of both people and the earth.

It may be necessary to provide some kind of transition between Esau’s response in verse 32 and Isaac’s reaction; for example, “When Isaac found out that it was Esau, he began to shake and tremble.”

Who was it then who hunted game and brought it to me: the Hebrew text does not use question marks, and Revised Standard Version has placed the question mark at the wrong place. Translators should follow something similar to the punctuation of Good News Translation. Another possibility is given in the translation “Who … brought me this food that I just finished when you walked in? I gave him….”

I ate it all: the Revised Standard Version footnote shows that the Hebrew has “of all,” which probably means “I ate some of everything.”

—yes, and he shall be blessed: Isaac pulls himself together and remembers that what he has done cannot be undone; the blessing given to Jacob cannot be withdrawn. We may also render this statement, for example, “It is true, I have blessed him and he will remain blessed,” “Yes, it is finished and he has the final blessing,” “Hear me, I have blessed him and I can never take it away from him,” “I blessed him with my last talk and I can’t change it; it is his for ever.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

It is now Esau’s turn to express his anguish: he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry. Esau’s cry is one of shock and pain. Speiser translates “On hearing his father’s words, Esau burst into sobbing of the most violent and bitter kind.” Bible en français courant says “When … his heart overflowed with bitterness and he began to cry loudly.” A bitter cry is one that expresses deep sorrow and anguish.

In an effort to salvage something for himself, Esau begs his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. These words are uttered by Esau while he is crying. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “ ‘Father,’ he shouted, ‘bless me also.’ ” The repetition of me (literally “bless me, also me”) emphasizes Esau’s need and desire for a blessing. We may translate as does Bible en français courant, “Give me also a blessing, father!” In some languages it may be more natural to say, for example, “O my father, speak your words of blessing over me also.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

But he said: he is Isaac, and what follows is a negative response to Esau’s plea. The unspoken meaning of what Isaac goes on to say is “No, I can’t” or “No, it is impossible.” In some languages the translation will be clearer if some exclamation or expression is used to convey this.

Your brother came with guile: brother refers to Jacob, who is the younger twin brother, and should be translated by the appropriate brother term. Guile translates the noun form of a verb meaning “deceive” and used in 29.25, “deceived.” Came with guile may be rendered as in Good News Translation, or we may say, for example, “came here and tricked me.” In some languages to deceive is to “cover the eyes.”

Has taken away your blessing: in this context, where the object of the verb is not anything material, taken away has the sense of depriving the person of something. Your blessing means “the blessing that should have been for you.” We may also say, for example, “… got the blessing that I was going to give to you.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Esau’s reply is rhetorical: Is he not rightly named Jacob? For Jacob’s name see 25.26. Esau’s question may require a reply such as “He certainly is.” This question may also be rephrased as a statement; for example, “He is rightly called Jacob,” “With good reason they named him Jacob,” “He is not called Jacob for nothing.” In translation it may be helpful to use a cross reference to 25.26. If the cross reference will not be adequate to make Esau’s statement clear, it may be preferable to translate, for example, “Is he not called Jacob because he deceives people?” At 25.26 the Handbook recommended a footnote that explained the play on Jacob’s name. There his name was associated with the word for “heel.” Here there is a second association, and this time it is with the word “cheat” or “deceive.” The Handbook recommends a footnote here that is equivalent to that found in Good News Translation. On the other hand, translators may feel that the following statement made by Esau is sufficient to make clear the meaning of Jacob’s name. Another model translators may wish to consider is Bible en français courant: “His name Jacob, ‘he who cheats,’ suits him well, because he has cheated me twice.”

For he has supplanted me these two times: supplanted in this context means to take the place of someone else through fraud and deceit. The Hebrew word uses the same consonants as the name Jacob. In some languages it will be more natural to follow Good News Translation, “This is the second time that he has…,” than to translate Revised Standard Version literally.

Esau goes on to state what the two occasions were. The first is He took away … birthright. For birthright see discussion at 25.31. The second is introduced by and behold, an expression that emphasizes the importance of what is to be said. We may translate, for example, “and now look,” “and what is more,” “and see here.” Taken away my blessing is as in verse 35.

Have you not reserved a blessing for me? that is, “… saved,” “… kept back,” “… laid aside.” Esau accepts that his father cannot give the same blessing twice, but he is hopeful that something may be left for him. This is brought out more fully by some translations; for example, “Isn’t there one more blessing that you can give to me?” and “Are there no other things that you didn’t say before that you can ask God to give me?”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Behold, I have made him your lord: this is doubtless news that Esau is unprepared to hear. Behold serves here to introduce this unexpected announcement. Translators may have an expression, word, particle, or syntactic device that serves this function. Many modern translations do not have a suitable term or expression. For the translation of lord see verse 29. We may also translate, for example, “Listen carefully, I have made him your ruler,” “Look, I have made him to be the one who rules over you,” or “I have made him the boss over you.”

All his brothers I have given to him for servants: brothers is used here as in verse 29. We may also translate “I have made all his relatives to be his servants” or “I have ordered that all his relatives should serve him.” See Good News Translation.

With grain and wine I have sustained him: see verse 28. Sustained translates a verb meaning to “support,” “uphold,” “maintain.” Isaac has granted him grain and wine to maintain his superiority over his brothers. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “I have richly supplied him with grain and wine,” which is a good translation model.

What then can I do for you, my son? Isaac’s question is not to ask if there is something he can still do for Esau, but rather a rhetorical way of saying that he has given everything to Jacob and nothing remains; or as Bible en français courant says, “I can do nothing for you, my son.” See Good News Translation. In some languages this rhetorical question will require a response; for example, “What can I do for you, my son? Nothing at all,” or “How can I do anything for you, my son? I can do nothing.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Esau said to his father: note that Good News Translation translates this in a style suitable for the context: “Esau continued to plead with his father.”

If the blessing given to Jacob cannot be withdrawn, Esau hopes there may yet be a blessing for him.

Have you but one blessing…? is literally “Is one blessing [only] to you?” We may also render this question, for example, “Is that the only blessing you have?” “Don’t you have a second blessing for me?”

Bless me, even me also, O my father: see verse 34. Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the Hebrew text here. Before Esau cries, the Septuagint adds “but Isaac remained silent,” and this is followed by a few translations. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the Hebrew as {A}, and translators should follow the Hebrew text as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation. Even me also expresses Esau’s appeal to his father to give him a blessing. We may say, for example, “Give me a blessing too,” “Don’t withhold your blessing from me,” “I beg you, give me too your blessing.”

Esau lifted up his voice (and wept) is an idiom. It was used of Ishmael in 21.16. The meaning of the full expression is “he began to cry.” Bible en français courant translates well in this context: “He could not hold back his tears.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Isaac pronounces something resembling a blessing for Esau that is in clear contrast with verses 28-29. It has two parts. In the first part Esau is to be denied the fertile land with its dew or rain, but he is to have a place to live (verse 39). In the second part (verse 40) Esau will live in conflict with others and will serve his brother, but only for a time, and then he will be free from his brother’s control.

Then Isaac his father answered him: answered may be inappropriate in this context. Something like “spoke these words” may be more suitable.

Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be: Behold introduces here a statement that is something of a shock for Esau. In translation it may require an expression that invites close attention; for example, “Now listen” or “Hear what I say.” Translators will note that according to the Revised Standard Version footnote away from may also be interpreted to mean “of” (so also King James Version). Interpreted in this way the sense would be that Esau too is to receive rich, fertile fields. However, to give both sons the same wealth would conflict with the sense of the story, which is of depriving Esau of his birthright. And the different lifestyle foretold in the next verse is really based on the lack of resources for a settled life of farming. According to Speiser the Hebrew style remains awkward aside from this preposition. Esau, and so Edom, is to be deprived of possessions. The preferred understanding is as in the Revised Standard Version text and in Good News Translation.

Fatness of the earth is the same as in the blessing given to Jacob in verse 28 and refers to the fertile, productive lands or fields. The place where Esau will live is to be a long way from such rich lands. We may translate, for example, “you shall live far away from fertile fields” or “your home shall be a long way from fields that produce abundant crops.” However, in some areas these models will mean little more than saying “your house and gardens will be separated by some distance,” which is perfectly normal. If this is the case, it will be better to make clear that Esau is not to be given any fertile land. Accordingly we may say “you will have to live and work where the fields produce nothing.”

Away from the dew of heaven on high: see verse 28. The dryness or lack of rain that prevents crops from growing is the second feature of Esau’s “blessing.” Here we may say, for example, “and where God sends no dew upon the ground” or “where no rain falls from heaven.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”: it may be necessary to render said with “asked,” “inquired,” “questioned Jacob.” And since this is not the first time Isaac has asked this question, it will be more natural in many languages to say “he asked him again.” The wording follows that expressed already by Isaac in verse 21.

He answered: he is Jacob, which may need to be expressed as “Jacob answered him.” I am is literally “I.” In some languages this reply may be “Yes, sir,” “I am who you say,” “I am Esau.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .