Resolute

Jacob, after 14 years in the house of Eber, returns to his parents, unaware that Esau’s long-forgotten rage is reignited at the sight of him. As Esau plots Jacob’s death, Rebekah urgently warns her younger son, urging him to flee to safety with Laban. Defiant, Jacob refuses to leave until Isaac himself sends him, prompting Rebekah to weave a plan to convince her aging husband. Isaac, upon Rebekah’s plea, blesses Jacob, sending him away with hopes of finding a righteous wife and promising that God’s protection will lead Jacob back in peace, while Rebekah, torn with sorrow, weeps for her beloved son.

Major Characters

Minor Characters

Insignificant Characters

GENESIS

26%

JASHER

26%

JUBILEES

48%

Exposition

J: 45 | Y: 2186 | Jacob leaves the house of Eber
Jasher 29:20

Rising Action

Esau plots to kill Jacob
Genesis 27:41, Jasher 29:21-22, Jubilees 26:35

Rebekah tells Jacob to flee for his life to Haran
Genesis 27:42-45, Jasher 29:23, Jubilees 27:1-3

Climax

Jacob resists and doesn’t fear Esau
Jubilees 27:4-7

Rebekah speaks to Isaac
Jubilees 27:8

Isaac blesses and charges Jacob
Genesis 28:1-4, Jasher 29:24-29, Jubilees 27:9-11

Falling Action

Jacob leaves for Padanaram on his way to Haran
Genesis 28:5, 10, Jasher 29:30, Jubilees 27:12, 19a

Resolution

Rebekah weeps for Jacob and Isaac comforts her
Jubilees 27:13-18

Jubilee: 45

Year: 2186

Jacob leaves the house of Eber

Jasher 29:20-21

20 And at the end of fourteen years of Jacob’s residing in the house of Eber, Jacob desired to see his father and mother, and Jacob came to the house of his father and mother to Hebron, and Esau had in those days forgotten what Jacob had done to him in having taken the blessing from him in those days.
21 And when Esau saw Jacob coming to his father and mother he remembered what Jacob had done to him, and he was greatly incensed against him and he sought to slay him.

Genesis 27:41

41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

Jasher 29:22

22 And Isaac the son of Abraham was old and advanced in days, and Esau said, Now my father’s time is drawing nigh that he must die, and when he shall die I will slay my brother Jacob.

Jubilees 26:35

35 And Esau kept threatening Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him, and he: said in his heart: ‘May the days of mourning for my father now come, so that I may slay my brother Jacob.’

Rebekah tells Jacob to flee for his life to Haran

Genesis 27:42-45

42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
45 Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

Jasher 29:23

23 And this was told to Rebecca, and she hastened and sent and called for Jacob her son, and she said unto him, Arise, go and flee to Haran to my brother Laban, and remain there for some time, until thy brother’s anger be turned from thee and then shalt thou come back.

Jubilees 27:1-3

1 And the words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebecca in a dream, and Rebecca sent and called Jacob her younger son,
2 and said unto him: ‘Behold Esau thy brother will take vengeance on thee so as to kill thee.
3 Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise and flee thou to Laban, my brother, to Haran, and tarry with him a few days until thy brother’s anger turns away, and he remove his anger from thee, and forget all that thou hast done; then I will send and fetch thee from thence.’

Jacob resists and doesn’t fear Esau

Jubilees 27:4-7

4 And Jacob said: ‘I am not afraid; if he wishes to kill me, I will kill him.’
5 But she said unto him: ‘Let me not be bereft of both my sons on one day.’
6 And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother: ‘Behold, thou knowest that my father has become old, and does not see because his eyes are dull, and if I leave him it will be evil in his eyes, because I leave him and go away from you, and my father will be angry, and will curse me. I will not go; when he sends me, then only will I go.’
7 And Rebecca said to Jacob: ‘I will go in and speak to him, and he will send thee away.’

Rebekah speaks to Isaac

Jubilees 27:8

8 And Rebecca went in and said to Isaac: ‘I loathe my life because of the two daughters of Heth, whom Esau has taken him as wives; and if Jacob take a wife from among the daughters of the land such as these, for what purpose do I further live, for the daughters of Canaan are evil.’

Isaac blesses and charges Jacob

Genesis 28:1-2

1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

Jasher 29:24-25

24 And Isaac called unto Jacob and said unto him, Take not a wife from the daughters of Canaan, for thus did our father Abraham command us according to the word of the Lord which he had commanded him, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; if thy children keep my covenant that I have made with thee, then will I also perform to thy children that which I have spoken unto thee and I will not forsake them.
25 Now therefore my son hearken to my voice, to all that I shall command thee, and refrain from taking a wife from amongst the daughters of Canaan; arise, go to Haran to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father, and take unto thee a wife from there from the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

Jubilees 27:9-10

9 And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and admonished him and said unto him: ‘Do not take thee a wife of any of the daughters of Canaan;
10 arise and go to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother’s father, and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, thy mother’s brother.

Jasher 29:26-28

26 Therefore take heed lest thou shouldst forget the Lord thy God and all his ways in the land to which thou goest, and shouldst get connected with the people of the land and pursue vanity and forsake the Lord thy God.
27 But when thou comest to the land serve there the Lord, do not turn to the right or to the left from the way which I commanded thee and which thou didst learn.
28 And may the Almighty God grant thee favor in the sight of the people of the earth, that thou mayest take there a wife according to thy choice; one who is good and upright in the ways of the Lord.

Genesis 28:3-4

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Jasher 29:29

29 And may God give unto thee and thy seed the blessing of thy father Abraham, and make thee fruitful and multiply thee, and mayest thou become a multitude of people in the land whither thou goest, and may God cause thee to return to this land, the land of thy father’s dwelling, with children and with great riches, with joy and with pleasure.

Jubilees 27:11

11 And God Almighty bless thee and increase and multiply thee that thou mayest become a company of nations, and give thee the blessings of my father Abraham, to thee and to thy seed after thee, that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings and all the land which God gave to Abraham: go, my son, in peace.’

Jacob leaves for Padanaram on his way to Haran

Genesis 28:5

5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

Jasher 29:30

30 And Isaac finished commanding Jacob and blessing him, and he gave him many gifts, together with silver and gold, and he sent him away; and Jacob hearkened to his father and mother; he kissed them and arose and went to Padan-aram; and Jacob was seventy-seven years old when he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba.

Jubilees 27:12

12 And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Mesopotamia, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebecca, Jacob’s mother.

Genesis 28:10

10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

Jubilees 27:19a

19a And Jacob went from the Well of the Oath to go to Haran on the first year of the second week in the forty-fourth jubilee,

Rebekah weeps for Jacob and Isaac comforts her

Jubilees 27:13-18

13 And it came to pass after Jacob had arisen to go to Mesopotamia that the spirit of Rebecca was grieved after her son, and she wept.
14 And Isaac said to Rebecca: ‘My sister, weep not on account of Jacob, my son; for he goeth in peace, and in peace will he return.
15 The Most High God will preserve him from all evil, and will be with him; for He will not forsake him all his days;
16 For I know that his ways will be prospered in all things wherever he goes, until he return in peace to us, and we see him in peace.
17 Fear not on his account, my sister, for he is on the upright path and he is a perfect man: and he is faithful and will not perish. Weep not.’
18 And Isaac comforted Rebecca on account of her son Jacob, and blessed him.

No notes.

Exposition

J: 45 | Y: 2186 | Jacob leaves the house of Eber
Jasher 29:20
And at the end of 14 years of Jacob’s residing in the house of Eber, Jacob desired to see his father and mother, and Jacob came to the house of his father and mother to Hebron, and Esau had in those days forgotten what Jacob had done to him in having taken the blessing from him in those days.

Rising Action

Esau plots to kill Jacob
Genesis 27:41, Jasher 29:21-22, Jubilees 26:35
And when Esau saw Jacob coming to his father and mother he remembered what Jacob had done to him, and he was greatly incensed against him and he sought to slay him. And Isaac the son of Abraham was old and advanced in days, and Esau said, “Now my father’s time is drawing near that he must die, and when he will die I will slay my brother Jacob.”

Rebekah tells Jacob to flee for his life to Haran
Genesis 27:42-45, Jasher 29:23, Jubilees 27:1-3
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau, as touching you, does comfort himself, purposing to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turn away; Until your brother’s anger turn away from you, and he forgets that which you have done to him: then I will send, and fetch you from there: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?”

Climax

Jacob resists and doesn’t fear Esau
Jubilees 27:4-7
And Jacob said: “I am not afraid; if he wishes to kill me, I will kill him.”

But she said to him: “Let me not be bereft of both my sons on one day.”

And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother: “Behold, you know that my father has become old, and does not see because his eyes are dull, and if I leave him it will be evil in his eyes, because I leave him and go away from you, and my father will be angry and will curse me. I will not go. When he sends me, then only will I go.”

And Rebecca said to Jacob, “I will go in and speak to him, and he will send you away.”

Rebekah speaks to Isaac
Jubilees 27:8
And Rebecca went in and said to Isaac: “I loathe my life because of the 2 daughters of Heth, whom Esau has taken him as wives; and if Jacob takes a wife from among the daughters of the land such as these, for what purpose do I further live, for the daughters of Canaan are evil.”

Isaac blesses and charges Jacob
Genesis 28:1-4, Jasher 29:24-29, Jubilees 27:9-11
And Isaac called to Jacob and said to him, “Take not a wife from the daughters of Canaan, for thus did our father Abraham command us according to the word of the Lord which he had commanded him, saying, ‘To your seed will I give this land; if your children keep my covenant that I have made with you, then will I also perform to your children that which I have spoken to you and I will not forsake them.’ Now, therefore, my son listen to my voice, to all that I will command you, and refrain from taking a wife from among the daughters of Canaan; arise, go to Haran in Padanaram in Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take to you a wife from there from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. Therefore take heed unless you should forget the Lord your God and all his ways in the land to which you go, and should get connected with the people of the land and pursue vanity and forsake the Lord your God. But when you come to the land serve there the Lord, do not turn to the right or to the left from the way which I commanded you and which you did learn. And may the Almighty God grant you favor in the sight of the people of the earth, that you may take there a wife according to your choice; one who is good and upright in the ways of the Lord. And may God give to you and your seed the blessing of your father Abraham, and make you fruitful and multiply you, and may you become a multitude of people in the land where you go, and may God cause you to return to this land, the land of your father’s dwelling, with children, and with great riches, with joy and with pleasure.”

Falling Action

Jacob leaves for Padanaram on his way to Haran
Genesis 28:5, 10, Jasher 29:30, Jubilees 27:12, 19a
And Isaac finished commanding Jacob and blessing him, and he gave him many gifts, together with silver and gold, and he sent him away; and Jacob listened to his father and mother; he kissed them and arose and went to Padan-aram in Mesopotamia to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother; and Jacob was 77 years old when he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba.

And Jacob went from the Well of the Oath in Beersheba to go to Haran on the 1st year of the 2nd week in the 44th jubilee.

Resolution

Rebekah weeps for Jacob and Isaac comforts her
Jubilees 27:13-18
And it came to pass after Jacob had arisen to go to Mesopotamia that the spirit of Rebecca was grieved after her son, and she wept. And Isaac said to Rebecca: “My sister, weep not on account of Jacob, my son; for he goes in peace, and in peace will he return. The Most High God will preserve him from all evil, and will be with him; for He will not forsake him all his days; For I know that his ways will be prospered in all things wherever he goes, until he return in peace to us, and we see him in peace. Fear not on his account, my sister, for he is on the upright path and he is a perfect man: and he is faithful and will not perish. Weep not.”

And Isaac comforted Rebecca on account of her son Jacob and blessed him.

This chart shows who was alive in years 2186-2187.
Years with question marks are estimates.