A Fertile Land

Was Edom Blessed with having Fatness of the Land or cursed by being AWAY from it? (9 March, 2015, 18 Adar, 5775)

Continued from Esau Comes of Age

Isaac blessed Esau with fertile well-watered lands to dwell in:

[Genesis 27:39] AND ISAAC HIS FATHER ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, BEHOLD, THY DWELLING SHALL BE THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH, AND OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN FROM ABOVE;

We are concerned with the expression,
THY DWELLING SHALL BE [of] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH [Genesis 27:39].

It does NOT say:

THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH

Nevertheless quite a few Christian Translations of the Bible have such a rendering:

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Some of the Versions that used the Mistaken Translation of Genesis 27:39 are:

English Standard Version
Then  Isaac  his father answered and said to him: 'Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high.' 

New American Standard Bible
Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, "Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, And away from the dew of heaven from above." 

New International Version
His father Isaac answered him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above.

New Living Translation
Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above." 

Some of the Versions   that understood   Genesis 27:39 Correctly are: 

Jubilee Bible 2000
Then Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of the heavens from above. 

Jubilee Bible 2000
Then Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of the heavens from above,

King James 2000 Bible
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, your dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

American King James Version
And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, your dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

American Standard Version
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,

Darby Bible Translation
And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above;

English Revised Version
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above;

Webster's Bible Translation
And Isaac his father answered, and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

World English Bible
Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above.

Young's Literal Translation
And Isaac his father answereth and saith unto him, 'Lo, of the fatness of the earth is thy dwelling, and of the dew of the heavens from above;. 

The simple meaning of the Hebrew verse is that Esau would enjoy the fatness of the earth and not be deprived of it.. 

The Septuagent also agrees with this.

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One early source that may have this . error is . the Book of Jubilees ch.26:
http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/26.htm

And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac answered and said unto him:
'Behold, far from the dew of the earth shall be thy dwelling,
And far from the dew of heaven from above.

This is from the Greek and, assuming the online translation is correct, it is still only Apocrypha. The Book of Jubilees may have been written in Greek in about 100 BCE BUT the version we have has been reworked from different sources and parts of it may be of a late date.  For all we know the translation we have, quoted above, of Genesis 27:39 may not have even been in the original. Even if it was (which seems somewhat doubtful), we may assume that the change in the expression under discussion from "of the fatness"  to "away from the fatness" is due to a rationalization of reality. In historical times there was a land known as Idumea or Edom to the southwest of Judah. This was a relatively arid area and describing it as being "of the fatness of the earth" may have seemed somewhat contradictory. The verse was therefore re-interpreted to say "away from the fatness". 

The "Pulpit Commentary" expands on this:

Verse 39. - And Isaac his father (moved by the tearful earnestness of Esau) answered and said unto him, - still speaking under inspiration, though it is doubtful whether what he spoke was a real, or only an apparent, blessing - (vide infra) - Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. Literally, from ( ) the fatnesses (or fat places) of the earth, and from the dew of area;  a substantial repetition of the temporal blessing bestowed on Jacob (ver. 28), with certain important variations, such as the omission of plenty of corn and wine at the close, and of the name of Elohim at the commencement, of the benediction (Vulgate, Luther, Calvin, Ainsworth, Rosenmuller, 'Speaker's Commentary'); though, by assigning to the preposition a privative rather than a partitive sense, it is readily transformed into "a modified curse" - behold, away from the fatnesses o/the earth, &c., shall thy dwelling be, meaning that, in contrast to the land of Canaan, the descendants of Esau should be located in a sterile region (Tuch, Knobel, Kurtz, Delitzseh, Keil, Kalisch, Murphy). In support of this latter rendering it is urged

(1) that it is grammatically admissible;

(2) that it corresponds with the present aspect of Idumaea, which is "on the whole a dreary and unproductive land;"

(3) that it agrees with the preceding statement that every blessing had already been bestowed upon Jacob; and

(4) that it explains the play upon the words "fatness" and "dew," which are here chosen to describe a state of matter exactly the opposite to that which was declared to be the lot of Jacob. On the other hand, it is felt to be somewhat arbitrary to assign to the preposition a partitive sense in ver. 28 and a privative in ver. 39. Though called in later times (Malachi 1:3) a waste and desolate region, it may not have been originally so, or only in comparison with Canaan; while according to modern travelers the glens and mountain terraces of Edom, covered with rich soil, only want an industrious population to convert the entire region into "one of the wealthiest, as it is one of the most picturesque, countries in the world."

The Pulpit Commentary would have us understood that the rendering "away from the fatness" is indeed a relatively recent rendition authored by Biblical Critics who cannot be relied upon. It claims that such an alteration in the understood meaning is grammatically admissible but we do not see it that way and find the proposition  doubtful if not incredulous. 

The simple meaning is that it should “of the fatness of the earth” and so it was understood by the Sages and Commentators throughout the ages. 

Just for the record,  it can be said that the Land of Idumea- Edom was once much more fertile than it now is. Also the descendants of Edom were to be found in several areas. A passage in an inscription from the ancient city of Ugarit on the north Syrian coast speaks of the well-watered land of Edom.  This apparently is referring to Idume in Northern Syria.  There were regions  belonging to Edom in the north. An area (usually ruled from Assyria)  by the Habor River in Northern Syria was once  known as "Idam Araz" meaning "Land of Edom" as noted by the researcher Michael Banyai. Edomites were prominent in the hierarchies of Babylon, Ugarit, Assyria, and Phoenician Tyre.

Later Germany and Italy were to become Edomite areas and both have (or had) very fertile lands. 

A researcher who in the past  has done good work has argued for the acceptance of Genesis  27:39.

This person has evidently not checked the facts sufficiently in this case nor thought the matter through. He may yet regret his current position so we shall refer to him as  "Bob".

Bob argues for the phrase in Genesis 27:39 as reading: 

THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH. 

Bob bases his argument on a wish to identify Turkey as Edom. 

# Turkey, as their predecessors from the kingdom of Seir, consists of the stony Anatolian Plateau (97%) and, as a barren stony land, virtually unfit for agriculture. This description perfectly corresponds with the prophetic blessing Esau received from his father Isaac. One cannot simply dismiss the very words of the Bible.#

In reply we point out that,

Turkey today has a population of ca. 78 million people. They may not be rich but few are starving. About a third of the people are involved with agriculture. Agricultural products and foodstuffs are amongst its main exports and are not imported.

See:
Economy of Turkey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Turkey

This would hardly seem to deserve being described as "a barren stony land, virtually unfit for agriculture".

That is apart from the fact that we do not consider Turkey today a major Edomite country.

Bob referred us to:

#  A ranking authority on Anglo-Israelism...  Professor E. Odlum, M.A., B.Sc., F.R.C., Inst., etc. [who ] says in his book, "God's
Covenant Man:   British Israel":  "Let all who read these words know that Edom is Turkey.". 209.  Herbert W. Armstrong also identified Edom as Turkey and Assur as Germany. #  

Odlum is famous as having misleadingly identified   (in 1932) the Japanese as Israelites and apparently added to his sins by describing the land of Turkey as agriculturally worthless.  

Bob continued his   argument  in favor of a misreading of Genesis 27:39 with the following:

I. The context of verse 37 shows that Isaac had already given all positive blessings to Jacob: "And what shall I do
now for you my son?" asked Isaac.

II.  The simple logic tells that there was no reason to give Esau almost identical blessing (with exception of corn-oil and
wine) previously given to Jacob.

III. We have to keep in mind that these blessings came from God through Isaac. God knew (Genesis 25:23) what evil, bloody suffering, and destruction Esau will bring upon His people Israel and could not bestow on Esau such material goodness, almost identical   to Jacob's.

IV.  If we accept Edom as a Continental Europe, even those exceptions I mentioned, (oil and wine), are of plenty in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, which makes these blessings absolutely
identical. God just simply could not reward Esau with all of these.

V.  And how are these blessings represent dwelling of Edom Kingdom on Mount Seir? I do not mention Turkey! It just  makes no sense. Even Jewish Encyclopedia wonders:"Contrary to the promise of Isaac that Esau's dwelling would be of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven (Gen. xxvii. 39), Edom was a rocky and calcareous  country, (Jewish Encyclopedia on Esau).

In reply we shall answer point by point: 

(1) The Initial reticence of Isaac.  When Esau returned and came unto his father Jacob had already received the blessing. Esau asked that he too be blessed and Isaac replied:

[Genesis 27:37] AND ISAAC ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO ESAU, BEHOLD, I HAVE MADE HIM THY LORD, AND ALL HIS BRETHREN HAVE I GIVEN TO HIM FOR SERVANTS; AND WITH CORN AND WINE HAVE I SUSTAINED HIM: AND WHAT SHALL I DO NOW UNTO THEE, MY SON? 

The word translated here as "servants"  in Hebrew is Avadim literally meaning "slaves".  The Commentator  Rashi  notes from this that Esau  and the others had been delivered as  slaves  to Jacob. Legally all that a slave possesses belongs to his master. Isaac was saying that though he could (as he later did) give a blessing to Esau ultimately that too would accrue to Jacob. 

(2) Similarity of the Blessings. The blessing given to Jacob indeed parallels that given to Esau. 

[Genesis 27:27] AND HE [i.e. Jacob] CAME NEAR, AND KISSED HIM: AND HE SMELLED THE SMELL OF HIS RAIMENT, AND BLESSED HIM, AND SAID, SEE, THE SMELL OF MY SON IS AS THE SMELL OF A FIELD WHICH THE LORD HATH BLESSED:

Here we have field associated with the blessing of God. Esau was also called man of the field.

Here is the blessing to Jacob:

[Genesis 27:28] THEREFORE GOD GIVE THEE OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN, AND THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH, AND PLENTY OF CORN AND WINE:

[Genesis 27:29] LET PEOPLE SERVE THEE, AND NATIONS BOW DOWN TO THEE: BE LORD OVER THY BRETHREN, AND LET THY MOTHER'S SONS BOW DOWN TO THEE: CURSED BE EVERY ONE THAT CURSETH  THEE, AND BLESSED BE HE THAT BLESSETH THEE.

 Here is the blessing of Isaac to Esau:

[Genesis 27:39] AND ISAAC HIS FATHER ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, BEHOLD, THY DWELLING SHALL BE THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH, AND OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN FROM ABOVE;

[Genesis 27:40] AND BY THY SWORD SHALT THOU LIVE, AND SHALT SERVE THY BROTHER; AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHEN THOU SHALT HAVE THE DOMINION, THAT THOU SHALT BREAK HIS YOKE FROM OFF THY NECK. 

The two blessings are similar. The blessing to Esau lacks the mention of God being the giver and also the mention of corn and wine. Esau and Jacob were destined to be rivals and in many ways to develop in parallel directions.  It stands to reason that similar starting points may also have been part of the deal.

(3) Esau was a Bad Boy, Why Should He have been Blessed? Esau was destined to do much evil and cause great suffering but that was not all he did.  There were other nations such as  Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, etc, who were also not paragons of virtue but they became great nations and benefited from it. Why should Edom have been different? 

(4) Why Should Esau receive Almost as Much as Jacob? Zephyr protests that according to our understanding the blessing to Esau is not that much different from the one to Jacob. This point seems  the same as (2).  We shall show how Esau and Israel especially Joseph were destined to be involved with each other and to share similar stages of development.  This does not detract from the blessings Israel (and especially Joseph) was to receive. On the contrary.

 (5) Edom is not Turkey and Turkey is not that barren. The historically small kingdom of Idumea may not have been a verdant paradise but who knows? Apart from that most of the descendants of Edom went to other areas that were fertile.

The Jewish Encyclopedia, quoted by Bob,  was a work of scholarship but many of its entries are questionable and given to anti-Jewish exploitation.

Concerning Idumea the Jewish Encyclopedia tells us: 

After the conquest of Judah by the Babylonians, the Edomites were allowed to settle in southern Palestine. At the same time they were driven by the Nabataians from Idumea. In southern Palestine they prospered for more than four centuries. Judas Maccabeus conquered their territory for a time (B.C. 163; "Ant." xii. 8, §§ 1, 6). They were again subdued by John Hyrcanus (c. 125 B.C.), by whom they were forced to observe Jewish rites and laws (ib. xiii. 9,  § 1; xiv. 4,  § 4). They were then incorporated with the Jewish nation, and their country was called by the Greeks and Romans "Idumea" (Mark iii. 8; Ptolemy, "Geography," v. 16).

This may be inaccurate but we will leave it as a possibility for the time being. The Torah (Deuteronomy 23:7-8) does  allow for the conversion of Edomites and their eventual incorporation into the Israelite nations so concerning some of them  it may have happened. 

The  Jewish Encyclopedia was a work of German Jewish scholarship:

Jewish Encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Encyclopedia
# The Jewish Encyclopedia is an English language encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls, under the full title The Jewish encyclopedia; a descriptive record of the history, religion, literature, and customs of the Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews....

# The Jewish Encyclopedia is an English language work, but the vast majority of the encyclopedia's contemporary sources are German language sources, since this was the mother tongue of the Wissenschaft scholars and the lingua franca of scholarship in general in that period.

Yair Davidiy notes: Some of my own ancestors were evidently German Jews. Before the German Gentiles killed and burnt them the German Jewish scholars had an unfortunate tendency to anticipate the view points of their future executioners.

Conclusion:

The blessing of Isaac to Esau included the promise:

THY DWELLING SHALL BE [of] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH [Genesis 27:39].

It did NOT say:

THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH. 

Esau/Edom  was to become a great and materially blessed warrior country know for the intellectual powers of its wise men (Jeremiah 49:7, Obadiah 1:8). This still applies.

See Also: 
Esau. Blessed or Cursed? An Answer by Yair Davidiy to Alexander Zephyr