Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

Jacob was a plain man
Genesis 25:27

"And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27) derives from תמם tâmam (Strong's #8552) a verb meaning "to be complete in number, time or character", indeed it is used in an early biblical context, in Job 22:3, to describe walking "uprightly" in parallel to the term צדק tsâdhaq (Strong's #6663) meaning "righteous". So it is confusing when the KJV translates 9 times as "perfect", twice as "undefiled" and once as "upright" but uniquely only in our verse under consideration as "plain". The NAS prefers "blameless", "guiltless", "complete" and "perfect" to its unique translation in the aforementioned verse as "peaceful". Why the exceptions to the general meaning of the word?

Since Genesis 25:27 is the first of 13 uses of the word we need to explore other biblical contexts. Perhaps the closest historical context is the book of Job, set, as seems likely, in a pre-Mosaic era (there is no mention of the Law, Israel or the Land). Job 1:1,8; 2:3 has God positively praising and describing Job as "blameless" (tâm) and "upright" (ישר yâshâr, Strong's #3477), why cannot the same words be used of Jacob the future founder of Israel who wrestled physically with God whilst Job wrestled in speech and dialogue with God.

Four more times in Job tâm is used; once, like the verb above in Job 22:3, paralleled with "righteous", twice in opposition to "wicked" and "evildoers". So it is clear here that the word describes someone's character as beyond reproach and unbending under test or temptation.

Twice the word is used in Psalms. In Psalm 37:37 it is again paired with "upright" yâshâr just as in Job 1:1,8; 2:3. Again in its sole occurrence in the book of Proverbs 29:10 it occurs with "upright" yâshâr in opposition to the "bloodthirsty".

The only other occurrences are in the Song of Songs (5:2; 6:9) where the word is used to describe the physical perfection of the lover "My dove, my perfect one". The dove was the only bird to be considered "clean", a physical token of uprightness, for sacrifice under the Mosaic legislation (Leviticus 5:7).

Returning to the commentators the following are a selection of those that pay the incongruity in the verse sufficient attention.

Luther regarded Jacob as a "a pious man". Calvin, in contrast, almost praises Esau for his vigour and independence and ridicules Jacob's mild character and apparent addiction "to domestic leisure" with a disposition having "nothing worthy of commendation".

Speiser in The Anchor Bible prefers the phrase "a retiring man" but goes against his own Akkadian parallels where similar language about tent-dwelling is used to describe the semi-nomadic background of many kings, hardly "retiring" characters. Jacob was a go-getter, heel grabbing, God wrestling, man had Job like endurance with his 20 years of service for Laban all for the love of Rachel.

Von Rad's Genesis sees in the term a prejudiced but positive evaluation of a farmer's way of life. He sees tâm as depicting Jacob as "orderly" and "respectable". He reads far too much in to the phrase though when he says that the "adjective (tâm) means actually belonging to the solidarity of community life with its moral regulations, a solidarity that the hunter does not know…".

Kidner in IVP's Genesis describes Jacob as "sound" or "solid", along the lines of reliable or unshakeable, perhaps. A few commentators were happy with "harmless" but Driver, The Book of Genesis, draws attention to the correct meaning as "perfect" and points out that this "would hardly be applicable to the crafty Jacob", instead he settles on "quiet, settled, orderly" as opposed to the "wild and restless huntsman" brother. Skinner, Genesis, ICC, is similar opting for "orderly, well-disposed" in contrast to Esau.

Hamilton in The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50, NICOT thinks of Jacob as a "wholesome man who is content to stay inside". He says that Jacob is "anything but blameless" so the normal use of tâm is not warranted here. He goes on to suggest an alternate verbal root tîym, found in Arabic, meaning "to be kept in subjection" and speaking of domestic slavery as opposed to Esau's liberty outside. Delitzsch also cited the Arabic usage of a loving bond and translates as "amiable". Hamilton does end up finally agreeing that the word should be used as it is in Job 1:8 having been persuaded by Evans' arguments in "The Patriarch Jacob - An innocent Man", Bible Review 2/1 (1986) pp.32-37.

Along the lines of "wholesome", or rather "whole, complete", the Aramaic Targums may have been thinking for Hebrew's 'îysh tâm becomes in Aramaic gebhar shelîym. This emphasises Jacob's integrity, peace and completeness. Indeed the end of the "perfect" man is shâlôwm "peace" according to Psalm 37:37.

Hirsch describes Jacob as "single-minded", which for a Jewish teacher is odd as it is the closest to the Greek Septuagint meaning rather than the Hebrew. Other Jewish commentators, such as those in the Talmud, understand Jacob as staying at home to study Torah, although the Torah proper had not yet been given then and Jacob seems an unlikely stay-at-home student! Rashi called Jacob a man of integrity and the Talmud regards him as an eminent man of truth (Makkot 24a).

Curiously, Young's Literal Translation does not translate literally as "perfect" but uses "plain". Only the Bishop's Bible of 1568 translates as "a perfect man" unlike Tyndale (1525) or Miles Coverdale (1535) who prefer "simple man" or the "plain man" of the KJV (1611).

To avoid the literal translation is to allow our negative interpretation of Jacob's character to interfere with the narrator's who has the hindsight of God's blessing and election of Jacob to contend with. Perhaps there are parallels with Job and his friends' inability to accept his "perfection" and uprightness as they seemed inconsistent with his non-blessed circumstances. In the same way we can't bring ourselves to regard Jacob in a similarly positive light because of his other deeds, but God chooses whom he chooses and calls righteous those whom he regards as having his zeal, such as Phineas, rather than just those who appear nice or good.

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KJ Went has taught biblical Hebrew, hermeneutics and Jewish background to early Christianity. The "Biblical Hebrew made easy" course can be found at www.biblicalhebrew.com.

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