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Jordan's avatar

Yes. A look into the Septuagint and the Book of Jubilees is quite revealing when it comes to Esau's blessing. One thing is for sure: Esau hated his blessing.

Thanks for the breakdown of this story. Keep sharing studies like this, Sarah! 👍

דָּוִד יוֹסֵף's avatar

Thank you for the indepth understanding of Jacob and Esau. Where can I find Jubilees? I generally have been using the ESV translation.

Thank you again.

Sarah's avatar

I’m currently hosting a Jubilees study in my EBL Substack chat. You are most welcome to join.

Each week we read 4 chapters, and I provide links for each Jubilee chapter in the chat.

Today, we read Jubilees chapter 26 (Isaac blessing Esau). You can read the first 26 chapters in the chat, and I will keep posting the rest throughout the summer.

דָּוִד יוֹסֵף's avatar

I believe I tried but got confused on how to use it. I'll try again

דָּוִד יוֹסֵף's avatar

Can you give me either a link or explain to me more about the book of Jubilee. I understand the Hebrew concept of a Jubilee being something that occurs every 50 Hebrew year?

Also are you Messianic Jew? Just asking, I have many Orthodox Jewish friends that I've worked with for many years.

Sarah's avatar

In a nut shell, the Book of Jubilees covers the history of mankind from Creation to Mt. Sinai. It's a companion to the Book of Genesis. The Book of Jubilees arranges the history in 50-year periods called Jubilees. That's why it received its name.

For more information, here's a short article on Jubilees that I wrote at the start of the study.

https://extrabiblicallibrarian.substack.com/p/jubilees-study-invite?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=5b5yug

And here's a collection of all the articles I've written about the book.

https://extrabiblicallibrarian.substack.com/t/jubilees

Craig's avatar

They 100% bring forth blessing!

Chaplain Bob Walker's avatar

Hey Sarah - nice Bible name by the way. What I do not get is Esau asked his father for a blessing and the Septuagint says it is a curse.

Genesis 27:38

“And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”

do you know why God hated Esau?

Esau despised his birthright which was a gift of God the double portion of inheritance and he married into the canaanite hittite line which he knew was cursed.

David Millward's avatar

Divine Providence

My wife was reading Malachi and asked me why God hated Esau.

After explaining it to her I opened Substack and your message appeared.

!!!!

Sarah's avatar

It's such an encouragement to hear that.

All praise to Elohim!

Sarah's avatar

I agree that the use of the word “blessing” is ironic in Esau’s situation. We see a similar occurrence in Genesis 49 when Jacob “blessed” his 12 sons. Not all of the 12 received “blessings,” some were cursed.

And yes, God hated Esau because he refused to follow God’s commands and value what God values. Jacob, on the other hand, was committed to the covenant and obedient to his parents. (I explore the twins’ characters through Genesis and Jubilees in Jacob and Esau Part 1.)

Chaplain Bob Walker's avatar

I have not read Jubilees since the 90's

there is a reason the Lord said to kill all the canaanites

Sarah's avatar

Agreed. Jubilees 10 sheds further light into the reason.