John Calvin Commentary Genesis 28

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him. It may be asked whether the reason Isaac repeats again the benediction he had previously pronounced was that the former one had been ineffective; given that, if he was a prophet and interpreter of the will of God, what had once proceeded from his mouth ought to have been firm and perpetual.

I answer, although the benediction was in itself efficacious, the faith of Jacob nevertheless required support of this kind. Just as the Lord, by frequently reiterating the same promises, detracts nothing either from Himself or from His word, but rather confirms the certainty of that word to His servants, so that their confidence would not at any time be shaken through the weakness of the flesh.

It must also be kept in mind what I have said: that Isaac prayed, not as a private person, but as one acting under a special command of God to transmit the covenant entrusted to him to his son Jacob. It was also of the greatest importance that Jacob should now, finally, be blessed by his father, knowingly and willingly, lest at a future time a doubt, arising from the recollection of his father’s mistake and his own fraud, might creep into his mind. Therefore Isaac, now purposely directing his words to his son Jacob, pronounces the blessing to be rightfully his, lest it should be thought that, having been previously deceived, he had uttered words in vain, by blessing someone under a false identity.

Arise, go to Padan-aram. In the first place, he commands him to take a wife from his mother's kindred. He might have sent for her by one of his servants, as Rebekah had been brought to him; but perhaps he took this course to avoid the envy of Esau, who might regard it as a reproach if more concern were shown about his brother’s marriage than about his own.

And God Almighty bless you. Here follows the form of blessing, which differs slightly in words from the former, but nevertheless serves the same purpose. First, he desires that Jacob would be blessed by God; that is, that his own offspring would be so increased and multiplied as to grow into a multitude of nations. Or, in other words, he desires that Jacob would produce many peoples who would unite into one body under the same head, as if he had said that many tribes should arise from him, who would form one people.

And this truly was, in some measure, fulfilled when Moses distributed the people into thirteen divisions. Nevertheless, Isaac looked for a further result: namely, that many would eventually be gathered together from various nations into his son's family, so that, in this manner, one assembly might be formed from a vast and previously scattered multitude.

For there is no doubt that he wished to hand down what he had received, since he immediately afterwards celebrates the memory of the original covenant, deriving his present blessing from it as its source. It is as if he had said that he transferred whatever right he had from his father to his son Jacob, so that the inheritance of life might remain with him, according to the covenant God made with Abraham.

Those who interpret this as being said by way of comparison, as if Isaac wished for those benefits that God had previously conferred on Abraham to be granted in the same manner to his son, diminish the meaning of the words. For since God, in making His covenant with Abraham, had attached this condition (that it should descend to his posterity), it was necessary to trace its beginning to Abraham's person as its root.

Therefore, Isaac makes his son Jacob the heir of Abraham, as successor to the blessing entrusted to Abraham and promised to his seed. This also appears more clearly from the following context, where he assigns to Jacob the dominion over the land, because it had been given to Abraham.

Moreover, we perceive in this part of the sentence with what consistency of faith the holy fathers rested on the word of the Lord. For otherwise, they would have found it a significant temptation to be driven about as strangers and pilgrims in the very land whose possession had been divinely assigned to them a hundred years before.

But we see that in their wanderings and their unsettled way of life, they valued what God had promised them no less highly than if they had already been in full enjoyment of it. And this is the true test of faith: when, relying on the word of God alone, though tossed on the waves of the world, we stand as firmly as if our home were already fixed in heaven.

Isaac expressly strengthens his son against this temptation when he calls the land, of which he makes him lord, "the land of his wanderings." For by these words he teaches him that it was possible he might be a wanderer all the days of his life. But this did not prevent God's promise from being so confirmed that Jacob, content with that alone, could patiently wait for the time of its fulfillment.

The plural form even seems to express something significant: namely, that Jacob would be a wanderer not just once, but in various ways and continually. However, since the Hebrew plural does not always carry such emphasis, I do not insist on this interpretation.

It is more noteworthy that Jacob's faith was tested by a severe and demanding trial, seeing that, for this very reason, the land is promised to him in word only, while in fact, he is cast far away from it. For he seems to be an object of ridicule when he is commanded to possess the dominion of the land, and yet must leave it, bid it farewell, and depart into distant exile.

When Esau saw. A brief narration concerning Esau is inserted here, which is useful to know, because we learn from it that the wicked, though they exalt themselves against God and, in contempt of His grace, please themselves by obtaining their desires, are still not able to despise that grace altogether.

So now, Esau is filled with a desire for the blessing; not that he aspires to it sincerely and from his heart, but perceiving it to be something valuable, he is driven to seek it, though reluctantly. A further fault is that he does not seek it as he ought, for he devises a new and strange method of reconciling God and his father to himself; and therefore, all his diligence is unprofitable.

At the same time, he does not seem to be concerned about pleasing God, so long as he can propitiate his father. Above all, it was his duty to cast aside his profane disposition, his perverse ways, and his corrupt fleshly desires, and then to bear with meekness the chastisement inflicted upon him. For genuine repentance would have dictated this sentiment to him: “Since I have until now made myself unworthy of the birthright, my brother is deservedly preferred before me. Nothing, therefore, remains for me but to humble myself; and since I am deprived of the honor of being the head, let it be enough for me to be at least one of the members of the Church.” And certainly, it would have been more desirable for him to remain in some obscure corner of the Church than, as one cut off and torn away from the elect people, to shine with proud preeminence on earth.

He aims, however, at nothing of this kind but attempts, by I know not what deceptions, to appease his father in whatever way he can. Moses, in this example, depicts all hypocrites vividly. For as often as the judgment of God presses them, though they are wounded by the pain of their punishment, they still do not seek a true remedy. For, having aimed at offering only one kind of satisfaction, they entirely neglect a simple and real conversion; and even in the satisfaction offered, they only make a pretense.

Whereas Esau ought to have repented thoroughly, he only tried to correct the single fault of his marriage—and this, too, in a most absurd manner. Yet another defect follows, for while he retains the wives who were so hateful to his parents, he supposes he has discharged his duty by marrying a third.

But by this method, neither was the trouble of his parents alleviated, nor was his house cleansed from guilt. And now truly, from where does he marry his third wife? From the race of Ishmael, whom we know to have been degenerate himself, and whose posterity had departed from the pure worship of God.

A remarkable proof of this is discernible at the present day in the pretended and treacherous intermeddlers, who imagine they can admirably adjust religious differences by simply adorning their too-gross corruptions with attractive colors.

The actual state of things compels them to confess that the vile errors and abuses of Popery have so far prevailed as to make a Reformation absolutely necessary. But they are unwilling for the filth of this Camarine marsh to be stirred; they only desire to conceal its impurities, and even that they do by compulsion.

For they had previously called their abominations the sacred worship of God; but since these are now dragged to light by the word of God, they therefore resort to novel deceptions.

They flatter themselves, however, in vain, seeing they are condemned here by Moses in the person of Esau. Away, then, with their impure, pretended reformation, which is neither simple nor sincere!

Moreover, since it is a disease inherent in the human race to willingly attempt to deceive God by some fictitious pretext, let us know that we do nothing effectively until we tear up our sins by the roots and thoroughly devote ourselves to God.

And Jacob went out. In the course of this history, we must especially observe how the Lord preserved his own Church in the person of one man. For Isaac, on account of his age, lay like a dry trunk; and although the living root of piety was concealed within his heart, yet no hope of further offspring remained in his exhausted and barren old age.

Esau, like a green and flourishing branch, had much of show and splendor, but his vigor was only momentary. Jacob, as a severed twig, was removed to a far distant land; not that, being ingrafted or planted there, he should acquire strength and greatness, but that, being moistened with the dew of heaven, he might put forth his shoots as into the air itself.

For the Lord wonderfully nourishes him and supplies him with strength, until he brings him back again to his father’s house. Meanwhile, let the reader diligently observe that while he who was blessed by God is cast into exile, an occasion for glorying was given to the reprobate Esau, who was left in possession of everything, so that he might securely reign without a rival.

Let us not, then, be disturbed if at any time the wicked sound their triumphs, as having gained their wishes, while we are oppressed. Moses mentions the name of Beersheba because, as it formed one of the boundaries of the land of Canaan and lay towards the great desert and the south, it was the more remote from the eastern region towards which Jacob was going.

He afterwards adds Charran (Genesis 29:1), where Abraham, when he left his own country, dwelt for some time. Now, it appears that not only the pious old man Terah, when he followed his son or accompanied him on his journey, came to Charran where he died; but that his other son Nahor, with his family, also came to the same place.

For we read in the eleventh chapter (Genesis 11:1) that Terah took his son Abraham, Lot his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law. From this we infer that Nahor, at that time, remained in Chaldea, his native country. But now, since Moses says that Laban dwelt at Charran, we may therefore conjecture that Nahor, in order that he might not appear guilty of the inhumanity of deserting his father, afterwards gathered together his goods and came to him.

Moses here, in a few words, declares what a severe and arduous journey the holy man (Jacob) had on account of its great length. To this, another circumstance is also added: namely, that he lay on the ground, under the open sky, without a companion, and without a habitation. But as Moses only briefly alludes to these facts, so I will also avoid prolixity, as the thing speaks for itself. Therefore, if at any time we think ourselves to be roughly treated, let us remember the example of the holy man as a reproof to our fastidiousness.