By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is that Isaac wasn't just assigning some vague good fortune; he was invoking blessings that would shape the future destinies of nations, even those stretching beyond his sons' lifetimes. This wasn't guesswork, but a profound act of faith in God's promises, trusting that his words, divinely inspired, would bring about what they declared, even the unseen future.
By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the story of Isaac, Abraham's son, a profound moment unfolds where he confers blessings upon his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. This act occurs in Genesis chapter 27, amidst deception and confusion, as Isaac, frail and nearly blind, intends to bless his elder son, Esau, but is tricked by Jacob. The author of Hebrews highlights this event, not just as a family matter, but as a powerful demonstration of faith looking beyond the present to God's unfolding promises.
Isaac was an old man, and his sons were grown. What did he see that went beyond their immediate circumstances?
Isaac’s blessing of Jacob and Esau wasn't just about their current lives. The text highlights that he invoked blessings 'concerning things to come.' This wasn't a hopeful guess; it was an act of faith. Isaac trusted that God's promises would unfold far beyond his own lifetime, impacting generations yet unborn. His faith gave him a divine perspective, allowing him to see and declare future realities as if they were already present. This perspective is a hallmark of faith – seeing the invisible, the future, through the lens of God's promises.
The story of Isaac blessing Jacob is famously marked by deceit. How can this act still be considered faith?
It's easy to read this and wonder how Isaac’s blessing could be an act of faith when he was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of Esau. The key here is that Isaac's faith wasn't based on his perfect understanding or a flawlessly executed plan. Even when deceived, he held a deep conviction in God’s sovereign plan. His faith was in God’s ability to bring about His promises, even through flawed human actions and deception. When Isaac later realized his mistake, he confirmed Jacob's blessing, showing his ultimate trust in God's unfolding purpose.
When Isaac spoke, he wasn't just offering good wishes; he was declaring future realities. What does this tell us about faith?
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The blessings Isaac pronounced were prophetic. They weren't mere human sentiments but divinely inspired declarations that revealed the future destinies of his sons and their descendants. This highlights a profound aspect of faith: it can be a prophetic voice. Through faith, believers can speak with confidence about God’s future plans and promises, aligning their words with His will. This wasn't about Isaac controlling the future, but about him being a willing instrument through whom God revealed it. His faith made him receptive to God's voice and bold in uttering His decrees.
Understand the original words
eulogeō · Greek Verb
Spoken words of divine favor or empowerment bestowed upon another, reflecting the authority of the speaker as a representative of God's covenantal grace.
Isaac's blessing was an act of faith in God's promises, demonstrating that his confidence lay not in his sons' current actions, but in God's unfolding plan for the future of his descendants.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham receives covenant promises
God makes foundational promises to Abraham concerning his descendants, land, and a future nation through whom all nations would be blessed.
c. 1750 BC
Isaac is born
Isaac is born as the son of promise to Abraham and Sarah, representing a continuation of God's covenant.
c. 1715 BC
Isaac marries Rebekah
Isaac marries Rebekah, and they later have twin sons, Esau and Jacob.
c. 1670 BC— this verse
Isaac blesses Jacob and Esau
Isaac, old and blind, blesses his sons Jacob and Esau. Through faith, he pronounces prophetic blessings concerning their future descendants and their relationship, emphasizing the younger son Jacob's preeminence.
c. 1670 BC
Jacob flees to Haran
Following the deception to obtain the blessing, Jacob flees to Haran to escape Esau's wrath and to find a wife.
c. 1630 BC
Jacob returns to Canaan
Jacob returns to Canaan with his family, and later wrestles with God, being renamed Israel, signifying his lineage's pivotal role.
This is the primary account of Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau, showing the actual words he spoke and the future that unfolded from them.
Genesis 27:39-40These verses reveal the blessing Isaac gave to Esau, which, though seemingly diminished, involved future provisions and ultimate freedom from Jacob's dominion.
Romans 9:11-13Paul references the story of Jacob and Esau to explain God's sovereign choice, highlighting that God's purposes transcend human actions and lineage.
Genesis 17:5-6This passage shows God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would become nations and kings, the very future Isaac was invoking by faith for Jacob and Esau.
vincentHebrews 11:20: "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."
Blessed (εὐλόγησεν)See on John 12:13.Concerning things to come (καὶ περὶ μελλόντων)A.V. Omits καὶ which gives an emphasis to the following words. Isaac pronounced a blessing, and that concerning things to come; things beyond the lifetime of Jacob and Esau. See Genesis 27:29, Genesis 27:39. The blessing was an act of faith. Isaac's confidence in the power of his blessing to convey the good which it promised w…
cambridgeHebrews 11:20: "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."
20 . By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau ] It is true that the blessing of Esau when rightly translated, “Behold thy dwelling shall be away from the fatness of the earth and away from the dew of blessing” ( Genesis 27:39 ) reads more like a curse; but the next verse (40) involves a promise of ultimate freedom, and Esau obtained the blessings of that lower and less spiritual life for which he was alone fitted by…
What's striking here is that Isaac wasn't just assigning some vague good fortune; he was invoking blessings that would shape the future destinies of nations, even those stretching beyond his sons' lifetimes. This wasn't guesswork, but a profound act of faith in God's promises, trusting that his words, divinely inspired, would bring about what they declared, even the unseen future.
In the story of Isaac, Abraham's son, a profound moment unfolds where he confers blessings upon his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. This act occurs in Genesis chapter 27, amidst deception and confusion, as Isaac, frail and nearly blind, intends to bless his elder son, Esau, but is tricked by Jacob. The author of Hebrews highlights this event, not just as a family matter, but as a powerful demonstration of faith looking beyond the present to God's unfolding promises.
In the story of Isaac, Abraham's son, a profound moment unfolds where he confers blessings upon his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. This act occurs in Genesis chapter 27, amidst deception and confusion, as Isaac, frail and nearly blind, intends to bless his elder son, Esau, but is tricked by Jacob. The author of Hebrews highlights this event, not just as a family matter, but as a powerful demonstration of faith looking beyond the present to God's unfolding promises.
"By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau." — What's striking here is that Isaac wasn't just assigning some vague good fortune; he was invoking blessings that would shape the future destinies of nations, even those stretching beyond his sons' li…
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Last reviewed October 2026