Genesis 27:40
New International Version
You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.”

New Living Translation
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck.”

English Standard Version
By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Berean Standard Bible
You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”

King James Bible
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

New King James Version
By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

New American Standard Bible
“And by your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck.”

NASB 1995
“By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck.”

NASB 1977
“And by your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Legacy Standard Bible
By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall be when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck.”

Amplified Bible
But you shall live by your sword, And serve your brother; However it shall come to pass when you break loose [from your anger and hatred], That you will tear his yoke off your neck [and you will be free of him].”

Christian Standard Bible
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck.

American Standard Version
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you shall live by your sword and you shall serve your brother, and if you are converted, his yoke will pass from your neck.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt live by thy sword, and shalt serve thy brother; and there shall be a time when thou shalt break and loosen his yoke from off thy neck.

Contemporary English Version
You will live by the power of your sword and be your brother's slave. But when you decide to be free, you will break loose."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live by the sword and shalt serve thy brother: and the time shall come, when thou shalt shake off and loose his yoke from thy neck.

English Revised Version
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You will use your sword to live, and you will serve your brother. But eventually you will gain your freedom and break his yoke off your neck."

Good News Translation
You will live by your sword, But be your brother's slave. Yet when you rebel, You will break away from his control."

International Standard Version
By your sword you'll live; but you'll serve your brother. But when you've become restless, you'll break off his yoke from your neck."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And by thy sword shalt thou live, And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.

Literal Standard Version
and by your sword you live, and your brother serves you; and it has come to pass, when you rule, that you have broken his yoke from off your neck.”

Majority Standard Bible
You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”

New American Bible
By your sword you will live, and your brother you will serve; But when you become restless, you will throw off his yoke from your neck.”

NET Bible
You will live by your sword but you will serve your brother. When you grow restless, you will tear off his yoke from your neck."

New Revised Standard Version
By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you break loose, you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

New Heart English Bible
By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."

Webster's Bible Translation
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother: and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

World English Bible
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.”

Young's Literal Translation
and by thy sword dost thou live, and thy brother dost thou serve; and it hath come to pass when thou rulest, that thou hast broken his yoke from off thy neck.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Stolen Blessing
39His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. 40You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.” 41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”…

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 27:29
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed."

Genesis 33:9
"I already have plenty, my brother," Esau replied. "Keep what belongs to you."

2 Kings 8:20
In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.

2 Kings 8:22
So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.


Treasury of Scripture

And by your sword shall you live, and shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass when you shall have the dominion, that you shall break his yoke from off your neck.

thy sword.

Genesis 32:6
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

serve.

Genesis 25:23
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

2 Samuel 8:14
And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

1 Kings 11:15-17
For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom; …

that thou.

2 Kings 8:20-22
In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves…

2 Chronicles 21:8,10
In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king…

2 Chronicles 28:17
For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

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Genesis 27
1. Isaac sends Esau for venison.
6. Rebekah instructs Jacob to obtain the blessing.
14. Jacob, feigning to be Esau, obtains it.
30. Esau brings venison.
33. Isaac trembles.
34. Esau complains, and by importunity obtains a blessing.
41. He threatens Jacob's life.
42. Rebekah disappoints him, by sending Jacob away.














(40) When thou shalt have the dominion.--This rendering of a rare and difficult Hebrew word is scarcely more than a guess made by two or three ancient Jewish commentators. Its real meaning here, and in Jeremiah 2:31, Hosea 11:12, is to toss the yoke--be restless and unquiet. The prophecy of Edom's subjection to his brother was literally fulfilled, as Idumaea was for ages a mere dependency upon Judah; but in the days first of Joram, and then of Ahaz, it revolted, and recovered its freedom. It was again conquered by Hyrcanus, the nephew of Judas Maccabaeus; nor was its subject condition altered by the fact that the dynasty of the Herods was of Edomite extraction. In troubled times, then, it broke the yoke from its neck; but generally Edom served his brother.

Verse 40. - And by thy sword shalt thou live, - literally, upon thy sword shalt thou be, i.e. thy maintenance shall depend on thy sword; a prediction that Esau s descendants should be a warlike and tumultuous people of predatory habits (cf. Josephus, B. 1, 4. 4) - and shalt serve thy brother; - a prediction afterwards fulfilled (cf. 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:16; 2 Kings 14:7-10; 2 Chronicles 20:22-25) - and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. The verb רוּד, used of beasts which have broken the yoke and wander freely about (Gesenius, Furst), appear to hint at an incessant restlessness on the part of Edom while under Israel's yoke which should eventually terminate in regaining their independence. The exact rendering of the clause is obscure, but perhaps means that when Edom should roam about as a freebooter (Lange), or should revolt (Alford), or should toss, shake, or struggle against the yoke (Vulgate, Keil, Hengstenberg, 'Speaker's Commentary), he should succeed. Other renderings are, when thou shalt bear rule (Kimchi), when thou shalt repent (Jarchi), when thou shalt be strong (Samaritan), when thou prevailest (Murphy), when thou shalt truly desire it (Kalisch), when thou shalt pull down (LXX.); because thou art restless (Havernick).

CHAPTER 27:41-46

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You shall live
תִֽחְיֶ֔ה (ṯiḥ·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

by
וְעַל־ (wə·‘al-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the sword,
חַרְבְּךָ֣ (ḥar·bə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

and serve
תַּעֲבֹ֑ד (ta·‘ă·ḇōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

your brother.
אָחִ֖יךָ (’ā·ḥî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

But when
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you rebel,
תָּרִ֔יד (tā·rîḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7300: To wander restlessly, roam

you will tear
וּפָרַקְתָּ֥ (ū·p̄ā·raq·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6561: To break off, crunch, to deliver

his yoke
עֻלּ֖וֹ (‘ul·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5923: A yoke

from
מֵעַ֥ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

your neck.”
צַוָּארֶֽךָ׃ (ṣaw·wā·re·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6677: The back of the neck


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OT Law: Genesis 27:40 By your sword will you live (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 27:39
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