Genesis 27:9

Gen 27:9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

Ver. 9. Savoury meat for thy father, &c.] She knew his diet, and could fit his tooth. The wife is to take care to please (μεριμνα) her husband; to use her wits, and busy her thoughts how to give him content in diet, and other things of the world, as the apostle hath it. {1Co 7:34} It was devilish policy in Agrippina, the mother of Nero - and it came home to her - to temper the poison that she gave her husband Claudius the emperor, in the meat he most delighted in, {a} and then to make a jest of it. Let us be sure to bring God such service as he loveth. He will eat, not only our "honey," but our "honeycomb"; he will drink, not only our "wine," but our "milk"; {Son 5:1} take in good part unperfect performances, so the heart be upright. But displeasing service is a double dishonour. The fat of rams was rejected with infinite disdain, where the hands are full of blood, the heart of sin. {Isa 1:11; Isa 1:15} The philosopher {b} could complain of his countrymen, that when they went to offer sacrifice to health, they did then banquet most riotously against health.

{a} Dixit Nero boletos θεων βρωμα ειναι, quod Claudius boleto in numerum Deorum relatus esset. - Dio.

{b} Diog. Laert.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This subtlety is blameworthy because she should have tarried till God had performed his promise.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(9) Two good kids.—These would be about equal to one antelope or animal of the larger game. After Isaac had eaten of the flesh, so solemn an occasion would doubtless be marked by a feast for those, at least in the foremost tents, if not for all the household and followers of Isaac.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Go now to the flock,.... To the flock he had the care of, and that immediately, for the case required haste:

and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; two young kids that were fat, as Jonathan and Ben Melech interpret it; and, though two may seem to be too much to be dressed for Isaac only; it may be observed, that Rebekah intended only to take out some of the choicest and most tender and delicate parts of them, and which would best suit her purpose, and which she would make most like to venison; and the rest could be disposed of for the use of the family: and, if it should be questioned whether Rebekah had a right to do this without her husband's leave, the Jewish writers have an answer ready; that, in her dowry or matrimonial contract, Isaac had allowed her to take two kids of the goats every day (p):

and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth; such as would pass with him for venison: Jarchi says, that the taste of a kid is like the taste of a young roe or fawn; however, by seasoning, the natural taste might be altered so as not to be distinguished, as we find it was; and such as have the best skill in venison may be imposed upon and deceived by more ways than one, as well as Isaac was.

(p) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 65. fol. 57. 4. Jarchi in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It is observable, that as Jacob deceived his father by a kid, so his sons deceived him by the same creature, Gen 37:31-33.

I will make them savoury meat, out of their most tender and delicate parts; wherewith it was not difficult to deceive Isaac, partly because of the likeness of the flesh, especially being altered by convenient sauce; and partly because the same old age which had dimmed Isaac’s sight had also dulled his other senses.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Go now to the flock — Isaac had said to Esau: “Go out to the field.” Gen_27:3. The flock was nearer at hand.

Two good kids — A bountiful meal is provided. One kid would have been more than sufficient for Isaac, but the two made the feast a sort of covenant meal, and somewhat of the nature of a sacrifice on the part of him who was to receive the blessing.

I will make them savoury meat — Rebekah knows how to cook and season kids that Isaac will not distinguish them from the game of Esau.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 9, 10. Go now to the flock, and fetch me literally, take for me, i.e. for my purposes (cf. Gen_15:9) from thence two good kids of the goats. According to Jarchi kids were selected as being the nearest approach to the flesh of wild animals. Two were specified, it has been thought, either to extract from both the choicest morsels (Menochius), or to have the appearance of animals taken in hunting (Rosenm or to make an ample provision as of venison (Lunge), or to make a second experiment, if the first failed (Willet). And I will make them probably concealing any difference in taste by means of condiments, though Isaac s palate would not be sensitive in consequence of age and debility savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth (vide ver. 4): and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat (literally, and he shall eat), and that he may bless thee r rbu) in order that, from the idea of passing over to that which one desires to attain; less fully in ver. 4before his death. Clearly Rebekah was anticipating Isaac"s early dissolution, else why this indecent haste to forestall Esau? There is no reason to surmise that she believed any connection to subsist between the eating and the benediction, though she probably imagined that the supposed prompt obedience of Isaac"s son would stimulate his feeble heart to speak (Rosenm

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

וקח לי AND TAKE FOR ME — (The words may mean “Take that which belongs to me”) — these are mine and not the proceeds of theft. Isaac had made provision in her marriage contract that she should receive daily two kids of the goats (Genesis Rabbah 65:14).

שני גדיי עזים TWO KIDS OF THE GOATS — Did then two kids of the goats form a meal for Isaac? But the explanation is: it being Passover he offered one as his Paschal sacrifice and of the other he prepared the savoury food. So is it stated in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32).

כאשר אהב SUCH AS HE LOVETH (Genesis 27:5) — For the taste of a kid is similar to the taste of a deer.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

טובים, fat ones. We find that Avraham (18,7) also offered the angels calves which were רך וטוב, “tender and fat.” When we read about the seven good cows Pharaoh saw in his dream (41,26), the word for “fat” is also טובות.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.