Is effeminacy a problem?

[HeirofSalvation]

I take that as you don't...so sure! In Hebrew culture the tents were divided into 2 main sections, one for the men and one for the women. The head of the family (the patriarch) would sit at the opening of the tent watching the women and overseeing the community and their family's daily activities. The men would be in the fields, or doing what men did during that time. The women would stay in the tents doing what women did at that time.

Jacob was a girly man, one of the reasons Isaac's favorite was Esau. I take it he would have been your favorite basd on this thread as well.

Do we gather from Scripture Jacob was sinning by being effeminate? I don't see it.

I also find it funny that many theologians who hold to the machismo view twist Jacob into one who decided to stay in the tent and study the Torah...or gleen wisdom from Isaac. That goes completely against what the Hebrew reader would understand that to mean contextually and historically, not to mention makes no sense in Esau being the favorite son.

These are descriptive, and probably accurate statements about Jacob....I agree with you that he was (at least in some ways) "effeminate" but I maintain they are certainly not prescriptive statements about him. Studying Jacob, he is almost comically un-likeable, and I think intentionally so. I think the LAST thing we are supposed to do is take Jacob's natural and sinful ways and emulate them....we are to emulate his unshakeable faith....and unshakeable reliance upon God for his well-being. God chose Jacob, not for who he was but in spite of who he was. If anything, I would argue that bringing up Jacob in the context of this discussion demonstrates the contrary point that to act or to be "effiminate" is un-advised.