Genesis 27:37

But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him your master and given him all his relatives as servants; I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?”

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Isaac addresses Esau immediately after Jacob has received the primary patriarchal blessing, closing the window for further material provision.

The words — The text employs גּבִיר (gevir), literally "lord," to establish Jacob's authority, and שׂמתיו (samti/v), meaning "I have appointed him," to mark the transfer of status as a completed action.

The thread — The provision of grain and new wine directly mirrors the blessing language in Genesis 27:28, while the master-servant arrangement foreshadows the political subjugation of Edom recorded in 2 Samuel 8:14.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to accept the finality of delegated authority and to stop seeking reversible remedies after a blessing has been irrevocably transferred.

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

וַיַּ֨עַןva/i.Ya.'anand/ he answered יִצְחָ֜קyitz.ChakIsaac וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said לְעֵשָׂ֗וle./'e.Savto/ Esau הֵ֣ןhenhere!גְּבִ֞ירge.Virlord שַׂמְתִּ֥יוsam.Ti/vI have appointed/ himלָךְ֙lo/Khto <the>/ youוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-all אֶחָ֗יו'e.Cha/vbrothers/ his נָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiI have givenלוֹ֙l/oto <the>/ himלַעֲבָדִ֔יםla./'a.va.Dimto/ servants וְדָגָ֥ןve./da.Ganand/ grain וְתִירֹ֖שׁve./ti.Roshand/ new wine סְמַכְתִּ֑יוse.makh.Ti/vI have sustained/ himוּלְכָ֣הu./le./Khahand/ for <the>/ youאֵפ֔וֹא'e.Fo'then מָ֥הmahwhat?אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה'e.'e.Sehwill I do בְּנִֽי׃be.N/iO son/ my

King James Version

And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Cross-references

Genesis 25:23 and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
Genesis 27:28 May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth—an abundance of grain and new wine.
2 Samuel 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
Romans 9:10 Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.

People named

IsaacEsau