Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/118

 “Come hither  that  I may  feel  thee,  my  son,  and  may  prove whether thou  be  my  son  Esau  or  no.’'  Jacob  then  drew  near to his  father,  and  Isaac  touching  him  said:  “The  voice,  indeed, is the  voice  of  Jacob,  but  the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau.” And he  gave  him  his  blessing.

Scarcely had  Jacob  gone  out  when  Esau  came  with  the  game he had  taken  and  cooked  for  his  father. “Arise, my  father,  and eat,” said  he. Isaac, in  surprise,  asked  him:  “Who  art  thou?” and he  answered:  “I  am  thy  first-born  son  Esau.”  And  Isaac saw that  Jacob  had  deceived  him. Then Esau  roared  out  with a great cry,  saying:  “He  hath  already  taken  from  me  my  birthright, and  now  he  hath  robbed  me  of  my  father’s  blessing.” Then he  said  to  his  father:  “Hast  thou  kept  no  blessing  for  me?” And as  he  continued  to  cry  out  and  lament,  Isaac,  moved  with compassion, said  to  him:  “In  the  fat  of  the  earth,  and  in  the dew of  heaven  from  above,  shall  thy  blessing  be. Thou shalt live by  the  sword,  and  shalt  serve  thy  brother ;  but  the  time shall come  when  thou  shalt  shake  off  and  loose  his  yoke  from thy neck.”  From  this  time  Esau  hated  his  brother.

Jacob's selfishness.  Jacob  did  not  behave  either  nicely  or  rightly when he  turned  his  brother’s  desire  for  the  pottage  to  his  own  advantage, and asked  such  a high  price  for  it. He behaved  very  selfishly,  and not at  all  like  his  unselfish  grandfather,  Abraham.

Lies and  dissimulation.  Jacob  sinfully  deceived  his  father  in  a twofold  way. To begin  with,  he  told  a direct  lie;  but  he  also  lied  to his  father  in  another  way,  by  dissimulating,  putting  on  Esau’s  clothes which smelt  of  the  field,  and  covering  his  hands  with  the  hairy  skins. It is  quite  possible  to  lie  without  speaking  a word. When you  dissimulate,