And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

GENESIS 27:38KJV
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Genesis 27:38 (KJV)

What does Genesis 27:38 mean?

Genesis 27:38 shows Esau pleading with his father Isaac to give him a blessing after realizing that Jacob has already received the main blessing. Esau is deeply upset, raising his voice and weeping as he asks if there is any blessing left for him.

In this verse, Esau is speaking directly to his father Isaac, desperate and heartbroken after losing the blessing that was traditionally given to the firstborn son. The scene is tense and emotional, highlighting Esau’s pain and sense of loss. Esau’s loud weeping shows just how significant the blessing was in their family and culture.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 27:38

  • בְּרָכָה (berakhah, "blessing"): This word means more than just kind words; it refers to a formal, powerful pronouncement of favor and future prosperity. Esau’s repeated use of this word shows how much he values what he has lost.
  • בָּרֵךְ (barekh, "bless"): This verb is Esau’s urgent request for Isaac to act, not just to comfort him, but to actually pronounce some kind of meaningful blessing over him, even if the main one is gone.
  • וַיִּשָּׂא (vayyisa, "lifted up"): This phrase describes Esau lifting up his voice, a Hebrew way of saying he cried out loudly, showing the depth of his sorrow.
  • וַיֵּבְךְּ (vayyévkh, "wept"): This word for weeping is often used for deep, bitter crying, not just tears but a public display of grief.

Why Genesis 27:38 matters

  • Genesis 27:38 clears up that the blessing Isaac gave Jacob was not just a casual wish, but something seen as unique and powerful—so much so that Esau believes there might not be another like it.
  • The verse emphasizes the emotional weight of family blessings in the ancient world, showing how much Esau’s identity and hopes were tied to this tradition.
  • This moment sets up the strained relationship between Esau and Jacob, which shapes much of the story that follows in Genesis.

Where else these words appear

“blessing” Hebrew H1293 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
  • Deuteronomy 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
  • Psalms 109:17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

“Esau” Hebrew H6215 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
  • Genesis 28:8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
  • Genesis 36:13 And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 21:2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.