Genesis 27:6
ESV
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "I heard your father speak to your brother Esau,
NIV
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau,
NASB
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, 'Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying,
CSB
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau. He said,
NLT
she said to her son Jacob, 'Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau,
KJV
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
NKJV
So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
What does Genesis 27:6 mean?
Rebekah has overheard Isaac's plan to give his blessing to his firstborn son Esau (Genesis 27:1–4). It will include the promise that the blessed son will be lord over his brothers (Genesis 27:29). This not only conflicts with Esau's earlier sale of his birthright (Genesis 25:29–34), it conflicts with a prophecy Rebekah received from the Lord when she was pregnant with the twins. God had told her clearly that the older one would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23), not the other way around. Since Rebekah blatantly prefers Jacob (Genesis 25:28), she immediately begins a plan to subvert her husband's agenda.Rebekah immediately calls Jacob. She will do whatever she can to ensure that Jacob receives the blessing, whether Isaac likes it or not. This is not the first time someone in Genesis has attempted to "help" God by scheming to force His will, as they saw it (Genesis 16:1–5). Unfortunately, this will once again result in hurt feelings and a split family (Genesis 21:9–11).
Genesis 27:1–29 describes how the Abrahamic family blessing came to second-born Jacob, instead of his firstborn brother, Esau. Isaac intends to give the blessing to his favored son, Esau. Rebekah commands Jacob to impersonate Esau, instead, in order to get the blessing for himself. Isaac almost catches on but is convinced by the smell of Esau on Jacob's borrowed clothes, and the hairy, Esau-like goat's skin on Jacob's hands. Isaac gives to Jacob the future-defining blessing of God.
Isaac's plan to pass the family blessing on to his favorite son, Esau, is thwarted by the deception of Isaac's wife Rebekah, and his other son Jacob. Old and blind, Isaac fails to recognize that the man claiming to be Esau is actually Jacob in a clever disguise. His prayer of blessing for wealth and rule over his brothers will remain valid though it is given under false pretense. Esau will be left with a blessing that sounds like a curse and a plan to murder his brother. Jacob will be forced to run for his life.
