Genesis 27:39

39. His father answered Isaac’s words now again take the form of prophecy, and, moved by the grief of his beloved son, and strong desire on his own part, he says:

Behold, of the fatness of the land shall be thy dwelling,

And of the dew of the heavens from above,

And upon thy sword shalt thou live,

And thy brother shalt thou serve,

And it shall be when thou shalt rove at large

That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck .

The fatness… of the dew These expressions are precisely like those used in the blessing of Jacob, (Genesis 27:28,) only reversed as to their order. But many of the best interpreters explain the preposition מן , as here used in a privative sense, away from, afar from the fatness and the dew, etc . This would give the whole oracle a double or doubtful meaning, one common expression, meaning in Jacob’s case a blessing and in Esau’s a curse . We exceedingly doubt that any such double entente is to be found in the prophecies of the Bible. It would imply a sort of duplicity on the part both of Isaac and of God, who inspired him to prophesy. It is true that God laid waste the mountains and heritage of Esau, (Malachi 1:3,) but this is also true of the mountains and heritage of Israel at this day; so that we might argue a like double intente in Isaac’s words to Jacob . Genesis 27:28. But Esau as well as Jacob for a long time enjoyed the blessing of fertile lands and refreshing dews, so that, in part, the brothers received like favours .