29 And let thy fnothet^s sons bow down to thee. . The Debek
Tov asks : They had but one father, why did he not say, "The
children of thy father " ? The Chizkuni replies : Isaac thought
Rebekah being yet young, she would marry another husband
and would have other children, therefore he said, "Thy
mother's sons," even those which she will have by another
husband.
Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that
blesseth thee. Rashi asks : Why is it by Balaam first written,
" Blessed is he that blesseth thee," and afterwards, " Cursed is
he that curseth thee " ? 1 The reply is : In this world it goes
first hard with the righteous, and afterwards it goes well with
them, therefore said Isaac first, "Cursed is he that curseth
thee," and afterwards, " Blessed is he that blesseth thee ; " but
with the wicked, it first goes well with them, and then bad,
therefore said Balaam first, " Blessed is he that blesseth thee,"
and afterwards, " Cursed is he that curseth thee."

The ChizkQni remarks : Although Isaac held Esau to be a
righteous man, yet he knew that he was a quarrelsome one,
and many hated him and would curse him, therefore he said

' Num. xxiv. 9.
GENESIS XXVII. 22-33. 165

first, " Cursed be those that curse thee," because those that
cursed were more numerous than those that blessed.
