God give thee, &c.— It is here foretold, and in Genesis 27:39 of these two brethren, that, as to situation and other temporal advantages, they should be much alike. It was said to Jacob, God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: and much the same is said to Esau, Genesis 27:39. Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. The spiritual blessing, indeed, or the promise of the blessed Seed, could be given only to one; but temporal good things might be communicated to both. Mount Seir, with the adjacent country, was at first the possession of the Edomites: they afterwards extended themselves farther into Arabia, as they did also into the southern parts of Judea. But wherever they were situated, we find, in fact, that the Edomites, in temporal advantages, were for many ages little inferior to the Israelites. Esau had cattle, and beasts, and substance in abundance, and he went to dwell in Seir of his own accord: but he would hardly have removed thither with so many cattle, had it been such a barren and desolate country as some would represent it. (ch. Genesis 36:6-8.) The Edomites had dukes and kings reigning over them, while the Israelites were slaves in AEgypt. When the Israelites, in their return out of AEgypt, desired leave to pass through the territories of Edom, it appears that the country abounded with fruitful fields and vineyards; Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells, Numbers 20:17. If the country be barren and unfruitful now, so neither is Judea what formerly it was. The face of any country is much changed in a long course of years; and it is totally a different thing when a country is regularly cultivated by inhabitants living under a settled government, than when tyranny prevails, and the land is left desolate. It is frequently seen that God, as the Psalmist says, (Psalms 107:34.) turneth a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
The dew of heaven— In those warm countries where rain commonly falls but at two seasons of the year, viz. about April and October, hence called the former and the latter rain, Deuteronomy 11:14 the copious fall of the morning and evening dews in a great measure supplied the place of rain; though the name dew may well be supposed to include rain, which is only a more copious dew. But as both are so necessary to fructify the earth, especially in thirsty climates, hence they are represented in Scripture as emblems of plenty, prosperity, and the blessing of God, Deuteronomy 13:18. Micah 5:7. Zechariah 8:12. And, on the other hand, the withholding of these denotes barrenness, distress, and the curse of God, 2 Samuel 1:21.Haggai 1:10.
The fatness of the earth— What Homer calls ουθαρ αρουρης, and Virgil, uber glebae. Under this, therefore, and the former expression, Isaac wishes his son all the blessings which a plentiful country can produce. For, as Le Clerc observes, if the dews and seasonable rains of heaven fall upon a fertile soil, nothing but human industry is wanting to the plentiful enjoyment of all temporal good things. And this prophetic prayer was remarkably answered, by God's settling the Israelites in the possession of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.