Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 11:20

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come." — Hebrews 11:20 (ASV)

Just as Abraham acted in view of things to come, so did Isaac. He blessed his two sons in terms that looked into the distant future (Genesis 27:27–29, 39–40). The author says nothing about Jacob’s deception of his old father. Perhaps one might object that the words Isaac spoke to Jacob he thought he was speaking to Esau, so that what he said did not really apply and was not an example of soundly based faith. But Isaac quickly recognized that the blessing belonged to Jacob (Genesis 27:33), and later he did bless Jacob with full knowledge of what he was doing (Genesis 28:1–4). In any case, the author is not interested in such details; it is enough that both blessings concerned “their future.” His concern is with the faith that undergirded the patriarch’s blessing. On each occasion Isaac spoke out of a firm conviction that a blessing given in accordance with God’s future purposes could not possibly fail. Fittingly, the sons are listed in the order in which they received the blessings, not that of their birth.