ESAU
286
ESAU
Isaac, however, had lost his sight — indeed, all his j senses were dull and feeble. It was therefore not ver}' diflioult to pass off Jacob upon him as Esau. Reliekah takes her measures, and, notwithstanding ! Jacob's fears, succeeds. Isaac, indeed, is not without suspicion, but a falsehood comes to aid Jacob in his otherwise discreditable personation of Esau. The blessing is pronounced, and thus the coveted property and ascendency are secured. The affectionate en- dearments which pass between the deceiver and the abused old blind father stand in painful contrast with the base trickery by which the mother and the son ac- complished their end. This episode in the history of Esau and Jacob is still more painful than the former, as it fully brings out those bitter family rivalries and divisions which were all but universal in ancient times, and which are still a disgrace to Eastern society. Esau, liowever, returns from the field, approaches his decrepid and sightless father, declaring who he is. "And Isaac trembled very exceedingh', and said, Who ? where is he that hath taken venison and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou earnest, and have blessed him ? j'ca, and he shall be blessed." On this Esau becomes agitated, and entreats a blessing for himself — "Bless me, even me also, O my father." Urging this entreat}' again and again, even with tears, Isaac at length said to him, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above ; 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 j'oke from off tliy neck" (Gen. xxvii). Thus, deprived forever of his birthright, in virtue of the irrevocable blessing, Esau but too naturally con- ceived and entertained a hatred of Jacob, and he vowed vengeance. But, fearing his aged f..ther's patriarchal authority, he sectetly congratulated himself: "The days of mourning for my father are at hand, then will I slay my brother Jacob"' (Gen. xxvii). Thus he im- agined that by one bloody deed he would regain all that had been taken from him by artifice. But he knew not a mother's watchful care. Not a sinister glance of his e3'es, not a hasty expression of his tongue, escaped Rebekah. Words to the above effect which Esau let drop were repeated to his mother, who there- upon felt that the life of her darling son, whose gentle nature and domestic habits had won her heart's affec- tions, was now in imminent peril ; and she prevailed on lier younger son to flee to his uncle Laban, who lived in Haran, there to remain until time, with its usual effect, should have mitigated Esau's wrath. B.C. 1927. The sins of l)oth mother and child were visited upon them by a long and painful separation, and all the attendant anxieties and dangers. By a charac- teristic piece of domestic polic\% Rebekah succeeded both in exciting Isaac's anger against Esau, and ob- taining his consent to Jacob's departure — "And Re- bekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daugliters of Hetli; if Jacob take a wife such as these, what good shall my life do me?" Her object was attained at once. The blessing was renewed to Jacob, and he received his father's commands to go to Padan-aram (Gen. xxvii, 4() ; xxviii, 1-5.)
When Esau heard that his father had commanded Jacob to take a Mifo of the daughters of his kinsman Laban, he also resolved to try whether bj' a new alli- ance he could propitiate his parents. He accordingly married his cousin INIahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (xxviii, 8, 9). This marriage a)ipears to have brought him into connection witli the Ishmaelitish tribes be- 3'ond the valley of Aral>a!i. He soon afterwards es- tablished himself in Mount Seir ; still ret:iining, how- ever, some interest in his father's property in South- ern Palestine. It is probable tliat his own liabits, and the idolatrous practices of hfs wives and rising family, continued to excite and even increase the anger of liis parents ; and that he, consequently, considered it more
prudent to remove his household to a distance. Ho was residing in Mount Seir when Jacob returned from Padan-aram, and had then become so rich and power- ful that the impressions of his brother's earlj' offences seem to have been almost completely effaced. Jacob, however, feared lest his elder brother might intercept him on his vfay, to take revenge for former injuries. He .accordingly sent messengers to Esau, in order, if possible, to disarm his wrath. Esau appears to have announced in reply that he would proceed to meet his returning brother. When, therefore, Jacob was in- formed that Esau was on his way for tins purpose with a band of four hundred men, he was greatly distressed, in fear of that hostility which his conscience told him he had done something to deserve. What, then, must have been his surprise when he saw Esau running with extended arms to greet and embrace him ? and Esau "fell on Ills neck, and kissed him, and they wept." .Jacol) had prepared a present for Esau, hoping thus to conciliate his favor ; but, with the generous ardor which characterizes, and somewliat of the disinterest- edness which adorns, natures like his, Esau at first courteously refused the gift: "I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself" (Gen. xxxiii). But doubts and fears still lurked in the mind of Jacob, and betrayed him into something of his old duplicity ; for, while he promises to go to Seir, he carefully declines liis brother's escort, and immediate- \y after his departure turns westward across the Jor- dan (Gen. xxxii, 7, 8, 11; xxxiii, 4, 12, 17). B.C. 1907. The wliole of this rencounter serves to show that, if Jacob had acquired riches, Esau had gained power and influence as well as property; and the homage which is paid to him indirectly and by impli- catii n on tlie part of Jacob, and directly, and in the most marked and respectful manner, by the females and children of Jacob's family, leads to the supposi- tion that lie had made himself supreme in the sur- rounding countr}' of Iduma^a. See Edom.