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.
You will live by fighting with your sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will come when you gain power, and then you will break free from his control over you.
Isaac is telling Esau that while he'll initially serve his brother Jacob, he will eventually break free and gain independence through his own strength.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of Isaac's blessing to Esau after Jacob had already deceived his father and stolen the primary blessing meant for the firstborn. Isaac is giving Esau a secondary blessing that acknowledges his future as a warrior and his temporary subjugation to Jacob. This prophecy was later fulfilled when Esau's descendants, the Edomites, eventually gained independence from Jacob's descendants, the Israelites.
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