Genesis 27:9 Meaning and Explanation
Genesis 27:9 is a short verse, but it plays an important role in one of the Bible’s most significant family narratives. Rebekah tells her son Jacob to go to the flock, select two good young goats, and bring them to her. She will prepare a meal for Isaac according to his preferred taste.
The verse itself describes the practical preparation of food, but its importance becomes clearer when it is read in the context of Genesis 27.
“Go now to the flock”
Rebekah begins with a direct instruction: “Go now to the flock.”
The flock was the family’s livestock, and Jacob apparently had access to it. Rebekah is not asking Jacob to obtain something from a distant place. She tells him to go directly to the animals under their care.
The word “now” conveys urgency. Rebekah has already explained her plan to Jacob, and she wants him to act quickly. Her instructions are practical and specific: Jacob must obtain the animals, while she will take responsibility for preparing the food.
This also demonstrates how carefully the plan was being organized. Every part had a purpose. The meal would be prepared in a particular way because Isaac loved a certain kind of food.
“Fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats”
Rebekah tells Jacob to bring two good young goats.
In modern English, “kids” can mean children, but in this verse the word refers to young goats. Several Bible translations render the phrase as “two choice young goats,” “two good young goats,” or “two fine young goats.”
The Hebrew wording emphasizes good or suitable young goats. Rebekah wants animals appropriate for preparing the meal.
Why two goats?
The text itself does not explicitly explain why two were required. Commentators have offered different possibilities, including using selected portions from the animals or preparing a substantial meal for the occasion. The important point is that Rebekah intentionally selected good animals for the meal.
The choice of the animals also shows that this was not an ordinary meal. Rebekah was preparing something intended to satisfy Isaac’s particular preference.
“I will make them savoury meat”
Rebekah next says that she will prepare the goats as “savoury meat.”
The expression means a tasty, flavorful, or specially prepared meal. Modern translations variously use expressions such as “delicious food,” “savory dish,” “tasty food,” and “delicious meal.”
The food was being prepared specifically for Isaac.
This detail is important because food becomes part of the larger strategy described in Genesis 27. Isaac had requested a meal prepared from game because he wanted to eat before giving his blessing. Rebekah therefore planned a meal that would resemble the type of food Isaac expected.
The preparation of food itself was not morally wrong. Food and hospitality were ordinary parts of family life. The problem arises from the purpose for which the meal was being prepared: it became part of Jacob’s attempt to receive the blessing intended for Esau.
“For thy father, such as he loveth”
The final phrase explains Rebekah’s objective: “such as he loveth.”
She knew Isaac’s preferences. She understood what kind of food pleased him and intended to prepare it accordingly.
This reveals something about the relationship between Rebekah and Isaac. She knew her husband’s tastes very well. The phrase also connects this verse with the beginning of Genesis 27, where Isaac asks Esau to prepare the kind of food he loves before blessing him.
Thus, Rebekah is deliberately reproducing the circumstances Isaac had requested.
Genesis 27:9 in Its Context
To understand the verse properly, it is important not to isolate it from Genesis 27.
Isaac was old and his eyesight had become poor. He called Esau, his elder son, and asked him to hunt game and prepare a meal. After eating, Isaac intended to bless Esau.
Rebekah heard the conversation.
She remembered God’s earlier statement concerning the two sons, Jacob and Esau, and she wanted Jacob to receive the blessing. She therefore developed a plan. Jacob would obtain the goats, Rebekah would prepare the meal, and Jacob would approach Isaac while appearing to be Esau.
Genesis 27:9 is therefore the practical center of the plan. The goats provide the food that will be presented to Isaac.
The following verses make the purpose even clearer: Rebekah tells Jacob to take the prepared food to his father so that Isaac will eat and then bless him.
The story ultimately involves deception. Jacob disguises himself as Esau, and Isaac is deceived because of his failing eyesight and because Jacob uses additional means to make himself resemble his brother.
It is therefore important to distinguish between God’s providential purposes and the human methods used by the people in the story. The narrative does not necessarily present every action of Rebekah and Jacob as morally exemplary simply because Jacob eventually receives the blessing.
Spiritual and Moral Lessons from Genesis 27:9
1. Knowing someone’s preferences can be powerful
Rebekah knew exactly what Isaac liked to eat. The verse shows how closely she understood his preferences.
Knowledge of another person’s likes and dislikes can be used positively through love, care, hospitality, and service. But the same knowledge can also be misused for manipulation.
The surrounding story therefore encourages readers to consider not only what they do but also why they do it.
2. A good objective does not automatically justify a wrong method
One of the major lessons of Genesis 27 is the danger of achieving something through deception.
Rebekah believed that Jacob was supposed to receive the blessing. Yet instead of waiting for events to unfold honestly, she arranged a deceptive scheme.
This creates an important biblical lesson: confidence in God’s purposes should not become an excuse for dishonesty.
A person may believe that the desired outcome is right while still choosing the wrong method to obtain it.
3. Family relationships can become complicated
Genesis 27 portrays a deeply divided family.
Isaac favors Esau, while Rebekah favors Jacob. The parents’ preferences contribute to tension between the brothers. Genesis 27:9 sits within this larger family conflict.
The story reminds readers that favoritism, secrecy, manipulation, and deception can produce consequences that extend far beyond one moment.
4. Small actions can contribute to major events
At first glance, Genesis 27:9 seems like nothing more than an instruction about cooking.
Rebekah tells Jacob to bring two young goats.
Yet this apparently ordinary action becomes part of a major turning point in the family’s history. It eventually contributes to Jacob receiving Isaac’s blessing and to the conflict between Jacob and Esau.
This illustrates how seemingly small decisions can have significant consequences.
Genesis 27:9 Explanation in Urdu
پیدائش 27:9 میں رِبقہ اپنے بیٹے یعقوب سے کہتی ہے کہ وہ ریوڑ میں جائے اور وہاں سے دو اچھے بکری کے بچے لے آئے، تاکہ وہ ان سے اس کے باپ اسحاق کے لیے ایسا لذیذ کھانا تیار کرے جو اسے پسند تھا۔ KJV میں یہ الفاظ ہیں: “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.”
“Go now to the flock” — “اب ریوڑ کے پاس جا”
رِبقہ یعقوب کو فوراً ریوڑ کے پاس جانے کا حکم دیتی ہے۔ اس سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ منصوبہ پہلے ہی طے ہو چکا تھا اور اب اس پر عمل کرنے کا مرحلہ تھا۔
یعقوب کو کوئی مشکل یا دور کا کام نہیں دیا گیا۔ اسے گھر کے ریوڑ میں سے مناسب جانور لینے تھے۔
یہاں “now” یعنی “اب” یا “فوراً” کا مفہوم اہم ہے، کیونکہ پورے واقعے میں جلدی اور منصوبہ بندی دونوں نظر آتی ہیں۔
“Fetch me… two good kids of the goats” — “میرے لیے دو اچھے بکری کے بچے لے آ”
یہاں “kids” سے مراد بچے نہیں بلکہ بکری کے کم عمر بچے ہیں۔ مختلف جدید تراجم انہیں “choice young goats” یا “good young goats” کہتے ہیں۔
رِبقہ عام جانور نہیں بلکہ اچھے اور مناسب بکری کے بچے منتخب کروانا چاہتی ہے۔ اس سے ظاہر ہوتا ہے کہ کھانا خاص طور پر اسحاق کے لیے تیار کیا جا رہا تھا۔
دو جانور کیوں مانگے گئے، اس کی واضح وجہ آیت میں نہیں بتائی گئی۔ تفسیری روایات میں اس بارے میں مختلف وضاحتیں ملتی ہیں، لیکن بنیادی بات یہ ہے کہ رِبقہ خاص موقع کے لیے مناسب گوشت تیار کرنا چاہتی تھی۔
“I will make them savoury meat” — “میں ان سے لذیذ کھانا بناؤں گی”
“Savoury meat” سے مراد ایسا گوشت یا کھانا ہے جو مزیدار، ذائقہ دار اور خاص طریقے سے تیار کیا گیا ہو۔
رِبقہ جانتی تھی کہ اسحاق کو کس قسم کا کھانا پسند ہے۔ وہ اسی پسند کے مطابق کھانا تیار کرنا چاہتی تھی۔
یہ بات اس وقت زیادہ اہم ہو جاتی ہے جب ہم باب 27 کے شروع کے واقعات کو دیکھتے ہیں۔ اسحاق نے عیسو سے شکار کا گوشت لا کر اپنی پسند کا کھانا تیار کرنے کو کہا تھا۔ اس کے بعد وہ اسے برکت دینا چاہتا تھا۔
رِبقہ نے یہ بات سن لی اور یعقوب کے لیے ایک منصوبہ بنایا۔
“For thy father, such as he loveth” — “تیرے باپ کے لیے، جیسا وہ پسند کرتا ہے”
یہ جملہ ظاہر کرتا ہے کہ رِبقہ اپنے شوہر کی پسند سے اچھی طرح واقف تھی۔
وہ جانتی تھی کہ اسحاق کو کس قسم کا کھانا پسند ہے، اس لیے وہ ایسا کھانا تیار کرنے کا ارادہ رکھتی تھی جس سے اسحاق خوش ہو۔
لیکن یہاں سے کہانی کا اخلاقی پہلو بھی سامنے آتا ہے۔
رِبقہ کا کھانا تیار کرنا بذاتِ خود غلط کام نہیں تھا۔ مسئلہ یہ تھا کہ یہ کھانا ایک ایسے منصوبے کا حصہ بن گیا جس میں یعقوب کو عیسو ظاہر کرکے اسحاق سے برکت حاصل کرنے کی کوشش کی گئی۔
Genesis 27:9 کا مرکزی سبق
اس آیت کا سب سے اہم سبق یہ ہے کہ درست مقصد کے لیے بھی غلط طریقہ اختیار نہیں کرنا چاہیے۔
رِبقہ کو یقین تھا کہ یعقوب کو خاص برکت ملنی ہے، لیکن اس نے اس مقصد کے حصول کے لیے دھوکے کا راستہ اختیار کیا۔ نتیجتاً خاندان کے اندر مزید کشیدگی پیدا ہوئی۔
یہ واقعہ ہمیں یاد دلاتا ہے کہ انسان کو اپنے فیصلوں میں سچائی، دیانت اور صبر کو اہمیت دینی چاہیے۔
Genesis 27:9 صرف کھانا تیار کرنے کی ایک ہدایت نہیں ہے۔ یہ ایک بڑے واقعے کا حصہ ہے جس میں یعقوب، عیسو، اسحاق اور رِبقہ کے خاندانی تعلقات، پسند، راز، دھوکا اور برکت سب ایک دوسرے سے جڑ جاتے ہیں۔