The Meaning of Genesis 27:40 Explained

Genesis 27:40

KJV: 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.

YLT: and by thy sword dost thou live, and thy brother dost thou serve; and it hath come to pass when thou rulest, that thou hast broken his yoke from off thy neck.'

Darby: And by thy sword shalt thou live; And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou rovest about, That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

ASV: And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother. And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 27:40 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 27:30-45 - Esau's Grief And Anger
Esau apparently had awakened to realize the value of the blessing of the birthright which he had treated so lightly. His exceeding great and bitter cry expressed the anguish of one who awakes to discover that he has forfeited the best for a trifle. But obviously, he was only being held to his own original contract with Jacob. There are similar events in all lives when we take some irrevocable step under the sway of evil passion, and it affects the whole future. There is "no place for repentance"-i.e., no opportunity of altering the decisive effect, of that act. See Hebrews 12:17. We may obtain some lower and inferior blessing, as Esau did, acquiring something of the fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven, living by our sword, and finally, after long years, shaking the yoke from our neck, but we can never be what we might have been! We can never undo that moment of sowing to the flesh. See Galatians 6:7-8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 27

1  Isaac sends Esau for venison
6  Rebekah instructs Jacob to obtain the blessing
14  Jacob, feigning to be Esau, obtains it
30  Esau brings venison
33  Isaac trembles
34  Esau complains, and by importunity obtains a blessing
41  He threatens Jacob's life
42  Rebekah disappoints him, by sending Jacob away

What do the individual words in Genesis 27:40 mean?

And by your sword you shall live and your brother you shall serve and it shall come to pass when you become restless that you shall break his yoke from your neck
וְעַל־ חַרְבְּךָ֣ תִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְאֶת־ אָחִ֖יךָ תַּעֲבֹ֑ד וְהָיָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּרִ֔יד וּפָרַקְתָּ֥ עֻלּ֖וֹ מֵעַ֥ל צַוָּארֶֽךָ

וְעַל־  And  by 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
חַרְבְּךָ֣  your  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
תִֽחְיֶ֔ה  you  shall  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
אָחִ֖יךָ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
תַּעֲבֹ֑ד  you  shall  serve 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
וְהָיָה֙  and  it  shall  come  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תָּרִ֔יד  you  become  restless 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רוּד  
Sense: to wander restlessly, roam.
וּפָרַקְתָּ֥  that  you  shall  break 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַק  
Sense: to tear apart or away, tear off, break away.
עֻלּ֖וֹ  his  yoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹל  
Sense: yoke.
צַוָּארֶֽךָ  your  neck 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צַוָּאר 
Sense: neck, back of neck.