Literary Devices – Bereshit 27
Key Words
Tanakh Lab indicates that the most frequent words in Bereshit 27 are בֵּן ,אָב, ברך and אָח, reflecting the narrative’s focus on the complex family dynamics surrounding the bestowal of blessing.
Blessing
- Blessing – Not surprisingly, given the focus of the chapter, the root "ברך" and noun "ברכה" together are among the most prevalent words in the chapter.1
- Articles – See I. Yaniv's article מלים מנחות במעגל חייו של יעקב which traces the roles of blessings throughout Yaakov's life, from this chapter through to his blessing of his children in Bereshit 49.
Family Relationships
The word "בֵּן" (son) appears 25 times, "אָב" (father) 24 times and "אָח" (brother) 23 times, highlighting the family relationships around which the story revolves. Interestingly, despite Rivka's masterminding the drama, the noun "אֵם" (mother) appears only five times in the narrative. Perhaps this reflects her subtle, hidden involvement which takes place only behind the scenes.
Food
- When looking at the relative usage of words here versus in the rest of Tanakh, two other words emerge as being significant: "מַטְעַמִּים" and "צַיִד".2 The role that food plays the giving of blessing is somewhat surprising and invites questioning.
- Compare how R"Y Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambam and R. D"Z Hoffman each understand why Yitzchak made the blessing contingent on bringing him a meal.
Wordplay
Examples
The chapter contains several examples of wordplay surrounding the names of the brothers:
- Da'at Mikra3 notes that the description of Esav as an אִישׁ שָׂעִר (Bereshit 27:11)4 foreshadows his possession of the land of Seir (שעיר) and serves as a play on words.
- Esav describes Yaakov’s deceit through a play on his name:"הֲכִי קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וַיַּעְקְבֵנִי זֶה פַעֲמַיִם" (Bereshit 27:36).5
- There is a wordplay between the phrases "אֶת בְּכֹרָתִי לָקָח” and "עַתָּה לָקַח בִּרְכָתִי” in verse 36. See Repetition of Sounds, by Professor Yonatan Grossman, for an interpretation that suggests that this wordplay serves as a subtle vindication of Yaakov’s actions.
Articles
See Repetition of Sounds, by Professor Yonatan Grossman, which discusses aural triggers and how repetition of sounds might contribute to the meaning of a text. As an example, he points to Bereshit 27:36, suggesting that the wordplay between the sounds "בְּכֹרָתִי" and "בִּרְכָתִי" serves as a subtle vindication of Yaakov’s actions. Though Esav intends to accuse Yaakov, he actually reveals that since Yaakov bought the birthright, he is entitled to the blessing.
Parallelism
Biblical parallelism refers to the literary structure in which adjacent phrases parallel each other. An example of parallelism is found in Yitzchak’s blessing of Yaakov:6
- וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם / וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ / וְרֹב דָּגָן וְתִירֹשׁ.
- יַעַבְדוּךָ עַמִּים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ לְאֻמִּים / הֱוֵה גְבִיר לְאַחֶיךָ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ בְּנֵי אִמֶּךָ
- אֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר / וּמְבָרְכֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ
Consecutive Verbs
When Tanakh uses several verbs in succession, it might intend to highlight speed and energy of action.
- This convention appears in 27:14 (“He went, took, and brought them for his mother”), to describe Yaakov’s alacrity in carrying out his mother’s instructions. It calls to mind the string of verbs in 25:34 with which Esav consummates the exchange of the lentil stew for the birthright.
Characterization
Tanakh rarely describes a personality outright; instead, it paints character through subtle hints.
- Esav – Robert Alter, in his commentary on Bereshit, points out that Rivka’s knowledge of Esav’s plot against Yaakov (27:42), despite the verses recording only his internal thoughts on the matter, indicates that he was unable to refrain from spilling his
- Articles – See Robert Alter’s article Character in the Bible, as well as his chapter on characterization in The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York, 1981):114-130, for exploration of methods of characterization in Tanakh.