Genesis 27:40

Your tribe will always fight and steal from other people to get their food. Your brother’s tribe will be boss over your tribe. But one day, your tribe will fight back, and then your brother’s tribe will not be boss over your tribe any more.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

In Context

39Then his father Isaac said to him, “I’m telling you that you and the people born into your family later on, you will live in a place where the ground is dry. God won’t send any water to wet that land, and there won’t be any good food plants growing there.

41Esau was really angry, because Jacob tricked their father, and their father made Jacob the next leader for their family. So Esau hated Jacob. And Esau said to himself, “My father is going to die soon. When he dies, we will all cry for a time, and then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Read all of Genesis 27

Cross References

Genesis 27:29I’m asking God to make you boss over other nations, so that those other nations will work for you and show you respect. I’m asking God to make you boss over your relatives, so that they will show you respect. If anyone makes trouble for you, I’m asking God to curse them, but if anyone is good to you, I’m asking God to be good to them.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 27:31-41

The Blessing Pronounced on Jacob and Esau. ( b. c. 1760.) 30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 27:40