Bible Strands
Genesis 27:6
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Rebekah speaks to her son Jacob immediately after listening to Isaac’s private instructions to Esau. This exchange occurs while Esau is out hunting, giving Rebekah the opportunity to act on what she overheard.
The words — The Hebrew שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי (sha.ma.ti) translates literally as "I have heard," stressing direct auditory confirmation rather than rumor. This verb grounds her statement in immediate, firsthand knowledge of Isaac’s exact words.
The thread — The underlying family tension appears in Genesis 25:28, where Isaac’s preference for Esau and Rebekah’s for Jacob is explicitly recorded. This verse continues that thread by showing Rebekah moving from passive listening to active intervention.
Why it lands — The text records a mother using intercepted information to redirect a patriarchal blessing. It asks the reader to observe how human planning operates within established familial divisions without offering moral evaluation.
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 Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
Cross-references
- Genesis 25:28 Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.