Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 27:15 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 15. 15And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Rebekah takes Esau's desirable garments kept in the house and puts them on Jacob. The clothing is used as identity evidence, especially through its feel and smell, not as sacred or magical apparel.
Read It With
- Genesis 27:6–29
Read verses 15–17 and 21–27. The next verses add goat skins; Isaac later feels Jacob, recognizes the voice conflict, and finally smells the garments. Reading only verse 15 can invite unsupported theories about priestly, royal, birthright, or magical clothing.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Esau's clothing adds authentic identity evidence after the food has been prepared.
Read Genesis 27:14–17 together
Why these verses belong together: The food, Esau's garments, goat skins, and final handoff prepare the complete impersonation.
Verse 14. 14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
Verse 15. 15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
Verse 16. 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
Verse 17. 17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
'Goodly raiment' does not mean morally good, priestly, royal, birthright-bearing, or magical garments.
The fact that the clothes were in Rebekah's house does not reveal every household arrangement or prove ownership.
What Remains True
Objects connected with a person's identity should not be used to impersonate them or fabricate consent.
How It Can Shape Life
- Protect identifying clothing, documents, devices, credentials, and signatures from being used to make another person appear present or approving.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 27:6–29 — Rebekah and Jacob Obtain Isaac's BlessingSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit boundary, commands, objection, disguise, lies, sensory tests, blessing, and later narrative connections.
Exact location: Genesis 27:6–29 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 25:23, 28–34; 27:1–5, 30–45; 28:1–22; 29:15–30; 37:31–35; and 49:1–28
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Obedience language, deceiver wording, curse and blessing, garments, recognition, false divine attribution, voice and hands, kiss and smell, agricultural abundance, service, and reciprocal curse-blessing formula.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 27:6–29; lemmas and morphology for shama beqol, taah, kelalah, berakhah, beged and khamad, nakar, qarah, qol and yad, nashaq, reakh, tal, shemen, dagan, tirosh, avad, havah, arar, and barakh
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Before-the-LORD report, obey language, deceiver nuance, garment wording, providence claim, blessing sequence, and agricultural and dominance language.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 27:6–29 and translator notes, especially verses 7–13, 15, 20, 23, and 27–29
Open NET Genesis 27 ↗