Isaac trembled because the blessing — the double portion of the material estate — had already been given to Jacob, and Esau, who cared nothing for spiritual things but everything for that material inheritance, now stood before him.
Scripture records that Isaac 'trembled very exceedingly' when he realized the venison had already been brought and the blessing already spoken over Jacob (Genesis 27:33). Les Feldick's teaching shows why that mattered so much: Esau was never upset about the spiritual birthright, but he was shaken over losing the blessing, which was the double portion of the herds and flocks (Clip 2). Les also shows who Esau was when he arrived — a man destitute of faith, profane and immoral, whose lack of faith was evident throughout his whole being (Clips 2, 4, 5).
Genesis 27:33 — This is the verse where Isaac trembled after realizing he had already pronounced the blessing over Jacob.
Genesis 27:36 — Esau's anguished cry reveals that the loss of the blessing — not the birthright — was what devastated him.
Hebrews 12:16-17 — Scripture's assessment of Esau as a profane, faithless man who sold his birthright and sought the blessing with tears.
Genesis 25:33-34 — The record of Esau selling his birthright for food, showing how little he valued the spiritual inheritance.
Why did Isaac tremble? Scripture's answer is direct. In Genesis 27:33, after Esau identified himself as the firstborn and asked for the blessing, Isaac answered, 'Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me? and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.' The text says Isaac 'trembled very exceedingly' — because the blessing was already spoken over Jacob, and it could not be taken back. Esau's own cry in Genesis 27:36 shows what had been lost: 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' The New Testament adds Scripture's verdict on Esau in Hebrews 12:16-17: he was 'a fornicator, or profane person... who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright,' and afterward, 'when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.'
Les Feldick approaches the moment by contrasting the birthright with the blessing. The birthright, he explains, was 'the spiritual blessing that back in the ancients was a part and parcel of the eldest son,' associated with the coming of the Messiah through Abraham's line (Clips 3, 7). Because Esau was 'destitute of faith,' that spiritual inheritance meant nothing to him — he glibly sold it for a bowl of bean soup (Clips 1, 3, 5, 7). But the blessing was a different matter. It was not spiritual; it was 'the double portion of the herds and the flocks' — the material estate (Clip 2). That is why, Les says, 'when Esau got all shook up, when he was more or less robbed of the blessing' — losing the material double portion was something he could not accept (Clip 2). Les even pictures the outdoor scene: Esau coming in exhausted and hungry, his gastric juices stirred by the aroma of Jacob's bean soup, and Jacob catching him in a weak moment — though, as Les notes, 'it wouldn't have made any difference' (Clip 6). Les then points to Hebrews 12, which he says 'tells us more about Esau than anything in the Old Testament' (Clip 5). There, Esau is called a fornicator and a profane person (Clips 2, 4). When he sought the blessing with tears, he was rejected — not because God was cruel, but because, Les explains, Esau 'never got to the place that he could understand why he missed the blessing... because he could not believe what God had said. He was a man who had no faith' (Clip 4). For Les, the whole of this teaching illuminates the Genesis 27 scene: the double-portion blessing was already irrevocably Jacob's, and the Esau who came to Isaac was a man whose lack of faith showed throughout his whole being (Clip 5).
Les teaches that the birthright belonged to the firstborn and was the spiritual blessing connected with the coming Messiah — the line of promise to Abraham (Clips 3, 7). To Esau that was worthless: hungry from the hunt, he saw no profit in it, and he sold it for a bowl of bean soup (Clips 1, 7; Genesis 33:34). The blessing, however, was 'the double portion of the herds and the flocks' — the material inheritance (Clip 2). Esau did not care about the spiritual, but losing the material double portion was something he could not accept (Clip 2).
Hebrews 12:16 calls Esau a 'fornicator' and a 'profane person... who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.' Les says this tells us Esau was not only destitute of faith, but immoral (Clip 2). More than that, Les teaches that Esau's lack of faith was not isolated — 'when there's no faith, then of course it shows throughout their whole being' (Clip 5). And when Esau came for the blessing that remained, the writer of Hebrews says he was rejected, 'for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears' (Hebrews 12:17). Les explains that Esau wept over the loss, but never understood why he lost it: he could not believe what God had said (Clip 4).
Yes. In Genesis 27:33, after Esau reveals who he is and asks for the blessing, the text says Isaac 'trembled very exceedingly.' His own words give the cause: the venison was already brought by Jacob, he had already eaten and blessed him — 'yea, and he shall be blessed.' The blessing had been spoken over Jacob and it was irreversible. That is the direct biblical reason for the trembling.
What Does the Bible Say About Deception? Jacob, Esau, and the Stolen Blessing.
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Esau's Birthright Sold for Soup
Les shows that Esau gave up his spiritual birthright for a bowl of bean soup because he was destitute of faith, while Jacob, rascal though he was, valued being in the line of promise.
The Material Blessing Esau Cared About
Les explains that Esau was not upset about losing the birthright — he was shaken over losing the blessing, which was the double portion of the herds and flocks, and he was also a fornicator.
Esau's Lack of Faith in Spiritual Things
Esau had no faith and no concern for the spiritual inheritance, which is why the birthright was worthless to him and he preferred a bowl of soup.
Esau Rejected Despite Tears
Les teaches that Esau sought the blessing with tears but was rejected because he never understood why he missed it — he could not believe what God had said; he was a man with no faith.
No Faith Shows Through the Whole Man
Les emphasizes that when a man has no faith, it shows throughout his whole being, and Hebrews 12 tells us more about Esau than any Old Testament passage.
Esau's Weak Moment
Les pictures Esau exhausted and hungry from the hunt, with Jacob catching him in a weak moment to buy the birthright — though he adds that it would not have made any difference.
The Spiritual Birthright Defined
Les explains that the birthright was the spiritual blessing of the eldest son, and Esau gave it up glibly for food because he had no faith.
Genesis 27:33: And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me? and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
This is the verse that directly records Isaac's trembling and names the cause — the blessing was already Jacob's.
Genesis 27:36: And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Esau's anguished cry shows that the loss of the blessing — not the birthright — was what devastated him.
Genesis 25:32: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Esau's own words reveal that he saw no profit in the spiritual birthright, which Les quotes in discussing the sale.
Genesis 25:33-34: And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
The record of Esau selling his firstborn rights for food, showing how little he valued the spiritual inheritance.
Hebrews 12:16-17: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
The New Testament description of Esau as profane and rejected, which Les says tells us more about Esau than anything in the Old Testament.
Genesis 27:33 says Isaac trembled because he had already eaten the venison and blessed Jacob — 'yea, and he shall be blessed.' The blessing had been spoken and could not be taken back, and now the wrong son stood before him.
Yes. Les teaches that the birthright was spiritual and meant nothing to Esau, but the blessing was the double portion of the herds and flocks — the material estate — and Esau did not like the idea of losing it.
Les explains that Esau sought the blessing with tears, but he was rejected because he could not believe what God had said — he was a man without faith and never understood why he missed the blessing.
Hebrews 12:16 calls Esau a fornicator and a profane person — one who treated sacred things as worthless, trading his birthright for one morsel of meat. Les adds that his lack of faith showed throughout his whole being.
Watch the Teaching: What Does the Bible Say About Deception? Jacob, Esau, and the Stolen Blessing.