What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.”
Parallel translations
- WEB What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”
- KJV My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
- NKJV Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
- NASB Perhaps my father will touch me, then I will be like a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.”
- NLT What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob fears that if Isaac touches him, the deception will bring a curse instead of a blessing.
Overview
Jacob worries he will be exposed as a deceiver and earn a curse, again betraying anxiety over results rather than guilt over the lie. His words ironically acknowledge that deception deserves a curse. The scene underscores the moral hazard of the plan even as Jacob proceeds.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Deut 27:18‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Gen 27:36So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
- 1 Th 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
- Gen 25:27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
- Job 12:16True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
- 2 Cor 6:8through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine;
- Mal 1:14“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.
- Gen 9:25he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
- Gen 27:21–22Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau, or not?”
- Jer 48:10Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 27:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.