Isaac’s doubts have not been laid to rest. He has used his sense of hearing and touch, and now he will use his sense of smell as the final test in verse 27.

Come near and kiss me, my son: Come near is the same as in verse 21. Kiss is used here for the first time in Genesis. It will be used again in chapters 29, 31, 33, 45, 48, and 50. Kiss in the biblical context is a gesture in which one places the lips against the cheek of the one being kissed. The kiss in the Old Testament generally takes place between close relatives and is used as a greeting or when saying farewell. In societies in which the kiss is not practiced, or where it suggests only erotic feelings, it will be necessary to use another gesture that will bring Jacob into close physical contact with Isaac. We may suggest, for example, “embrace me,” “hug me,” “put your arms around me.” If none of these is suitable, it may be necessary to say, for example, “put your face close to me” or “let me smell you.” Where footnotes are used and understood, it may be helpful to include a note that says, for example, “Kissing was a custom among the people of Israel, by which men of the same family showed their affection for each other.”

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 .