1 ¶ And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and instructed him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Isaac's specific instructions to Jacob are to not take a Canaanite wife. Isaac repeats it many times because it is so important. Jacob has seen how the Canaanites lived and knew what they were all about. Archeologists today have found some Canaanite sites and discovered it was full of debauchery and degradation. They would corrupt Jacob.
2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take you a wife from then of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. Isaac said he is going to send Jacob back to his wife's family town and he can find a wife there.
3 And God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a multitude of people; Isaac is reiterating the blessing God gave to him.
4 And give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to thy seed with you; that you mayest inherit the land wherein you art a stranger, which God gave to Abraham. He starts where God started the blessing with Abraham. He wanted Jacob to understand that he was carrying something special from God with him. Isaac is giving Jacob a final blessing before he leaves, because Isaac would never see Jacob again. He instructs Jacob to conduct his life in a manner to which he has been charged.
5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Jacob leaves on his mission to go find a wife.
6 ¶ When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence;... |
