Hebrews 11:20 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Isaac is the next example instanced in of the same Divine faith, described, Hebrews 11:1; only here exercised on the special revelation of God to him concerning his seed. By this faith he did not only wish and pray blessings, but prophetically applied them to his two sons, to Jacob and Israel his seed the covenant blessings, and to Esau and the Edomites his seed the temporary blessings, God designed them, Genesis 27:27,39. Both these were things to come, and to be communicated to their seeds hundreds of years after. As the things to come that concerned Jacob, which were not seen, but hoped for from God's revelation of them, were, plenty, dominion over brethren, blessings above the power of a curse, even the spiritual and covenanted ones of Abraham and Isaac with him, Genesis 27:28,29. The things to come concerning Esau and his seed, were only earthly, temporal blessings, escape out of servitude in time, common good things at the highest, Genesis 27:39,40. By faith Isaac foresaw all these future events, foretold them, and applied their several portions to them from the mouth of God, and they were to a tittle fulfilled, 2 Samuel 8:11, and 2 Kings 8:20, as to the Edomites; as in the whole Old Testament unto Jacob, and to his seed literal and spiritual.