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.”
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.
- BSB 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.”
- 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.”
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 leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- Gen 27:36He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
- 1 Th 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
- Gen 25:27The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.
- Job 12:16With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
- 2 Cor 6:8by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;
- Mal 1:14“But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
- Gen 9:25He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
- Gen 27:21–22Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
- Jer 48:10“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
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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
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