A profound and emotional dialogue unfolds as God declares His eternal love for the Israelites, prompting the people to question the true nature and origin of this affection. Their inquiry operates on several levels. On a practical level, they seek to understand how this love is actually demonstrated in everyday reality [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that the people are searching for the underlying cause of God's love: does He love them for who they are, or simply because of the merit of their ancestors? [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. This question also carries a deep philosophical wonder. Love typically exists between beings that are similar and close to one another. How, then, is it possible for an infinite Creator to love a physical, earthly nation? [אהבת יהונתן].
God responds by pointing to the historical relationship between Jacob and Esau as the ultimate proof of His independent love for the Israelites. The two were twin brothers who shared the exact same parents and lineage. If God's love for the Israelites stemmed exclusively from the merit of their ancestors, Esau should have received an equal share of that love. The fact that God exclusively chose Jacob demonstrates that He loves the Israelites in their own right [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].
One might wonder why it is necessary to highlight the choice of the righteous Jacob over the wicked Esau, as the preference seems obvious. Yet, God could have easily directed the ancestral blessings toward Esau in order to rehabilitate him and guide him toward holiness. Instead, out of an immense love for Jacob, God chose to leave Esau as he was and grant the full blessing to Israel [צוארי שלל]. Furthermore, this love was established before either brother had performed a single deed. While they were still in the womb, the choice of Jacob was firmly decreed by Divine will [חומת אנך]. This supernatural selection was heavily reflected in their innate characters. Although twins are generally expected to be similar, God created them as absolute opposites from birth. Esau was turbulent and physically driven, while Jacob was peaceful and spiritually focused. This profound difference answers the philosophical paradox of how God can love a physical nation: Jacob's soul is deeply rooted in the upper spiritual realms, standing in stark contrast to the purely earthly nature of his brother [אברבנאל, אהבת יהונתן].
As for how this love actually manifests in the physical world, the primary approach among commentators is that it is expressed through the inheritance of the land. God granted Jacob the highly coveted Land of Israel, while banishing Esau to a desolate mountain region due to his wickedness and out of respect for their father [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. Taking a different perspective, [אברבנאל] argues that this love is not merely about territory, but is revealed through the eternal historical struggle between the two brothers. God consistently stands by Jacob's side; whenever the Israelites elevate themselves spiritually, God subdues the descendants of Esau and dismantles their power, thereby guaranteeing the eternal survival of the Jewish people.