Genesis 28:1
in Genesis 28So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
KJV
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
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This verse in Genesis 28
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing--pronounced before unwittingly, now designedly, and with a cordial spirit. It is more explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir of the promise."
This site's exposition
Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women
on Genesis 28:1-2
Isaac gives Jacob the charge Abraham gave his servant in chapter 24, a wife from Bethuel's house and none from Canaan. Abraham sent a servant with ten camels and gifts to fetch Isaac's bride at 24:10. Isaac sends the heir himself. Jacob says at 32:10 that he crossed the Jordan with only his staff.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him. It may be asked, whether the reason why Isaac repeats anew the benediction which he had before pronounced, was that the former one had been of no force; whereas, if he was a prophet and interpreter of the will of God, what had once proceeded from his mouth ought to have been firm and perpetual.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The charge is like that in 2 Cor. vi. 14 , Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; and all that inherit the promises of the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, must keep this charge, which follows those promises, Save yourselves from this untoward generation, Acts ii. Those that are entitled to peculiar favours must be a peculiar people.
Isaac blessed him, and charged him - Those that have the blessing must keep the charge annexed to it, and not think to separate what God has joined. Two great promises Abraham was blessed with, and Isaac here entails them both upon Jacob. (1.) The promise of heirs, God make thee fruitful and multiply thee.
And Isaac called Jacob,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And Isaac called Jacob - See note on Gen 27:46. And blessed him - Now voluntarily and cheerfully confirmed to him the blessing, which he had before obtained through subtlety. It was necessary that he should have this confirmation previously to his departure; else, considering the way in which he had obtained both the birthright and the blessing, he might be doubtful, according to his own words, whether he might not have got a curse instead of a blessing. As the blessing now pronounced on Jacob was obtained without any deception on his part, it is likely that it produced a salutary effect upon his mind, might have led him to confession of his sin, and prepared his heart for those discoveries of God’s goodness with which he was favored at Luz.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- Jacob’s Journey to Haran 3. קהל qâhāl, “congregation.” 9. מחלת māchălat, Machalath, “sickness, or a harp.” 19. לוּז lûz, Luz, “almond.” The blessing of his sons was the last passage in the active life of Isaac, after which he retires from the scene. Jacob now becomes the leading figure in the sacred history. His spiritual character has yet come out to view. But even now we can discern the general distinction in the lives of the three patriarchs. Abraham’s is a life of authority and decision; Isaac’s, of submission and acquiescence; and Jacob’s, of trial and struggle.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Yitzchok called Yaakov and blessed him. He commanded him and said to him, Do not marry a woman of the daughters of Canaan.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֥א | vaiyikra' | and he summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| יִצְחָ֛ק | yitzchak | Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֖ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ | vayvarekh | and he blessed | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֹת֑וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙ | vaytzavehu | and he commanded him | H6680 → | 494 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִקַּ֥ח | tikach | you must take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אִשָּׁ֖ה | ʾishah | a wife | H802 → | 781 times |
| מִבְּנ֥וֹת | mibenot | from [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| כְּנָֽעַן׃ | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֥אand he summoned
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
יִצְחָ֛קIsaac
yitzchakH3327 →108 times
אֶֽל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְand he blessed
vayvarekhH1288 →330 times
אֹת֑וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙and he commanded him
vaytzavehuH6680 →494 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֔וֹto <the> him
lo
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִקַּ֥חyou must take
tikachH3947 →966 times
אִשָּׁ֖הa wife
ʾishahH802 →781 times
מִבְּנ֥וֹתfrom [the] daughters of
mibenotH1323 →588 times
כְּנָֽעַן׃Canaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 24:3and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…
it leads to
- Genesis 26:34–35
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 7:3–4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 28:8
And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- Nehemiah 13:25
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not…
- Genesis 26:34–35
Through
Genesis 6:2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
it leads to
- Psalms 82:6–7
I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’
- 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- Romans 9:7–8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Psalms 82:6–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.