Bible Strands
Genesis 27:32
But his father Isaac replied, “Who are you?” “I am Esau, your firstborn son,” he answered.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Isaac questions the identity of the visitor who just served him game, prompting the visitor to declare himself as Esau. The exchange occurs immediately after the meal is presented and before Isaac recognizes the deception.
The words — The Hebrew מִי־אָתָּה (mi-’ātāh) literally renders “who [are] you,” while אֲנִי בִּנְךָ (’ănî binḵā) translates to “I [am your] son.” These phrases mark the precise verbal pivot where identity is claimed rather than verified.
The thread — Isaac’s question mirrors his earlier inquiry in Genesis 27:18, where he asked which son had approached him. The narrative returns to this verbal exchange as the deception tightens and the blessing sequence advances.
Why it lands — The text records a bare exchange of names and claims that precedes Isaac’s violent trembling and realization. A reader must note how spoken assertion replaces visual proof, driving the narrative forward without divine intervention at this moment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
Cross-references
- Genesis 27:18 So Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.” “Here I am!” he answered. “Which one are you, my son?”