Reading the characterization of Jacob as "a simple man" (, "ish tam") in Alter suggested that the Hebrew adjective "simple" (, "tam") suggests integrity or even innocence. Alter pointed out that in Biblical idiom, as in the heart can be "crooked" (, "‘akov"), the same root as Jacob's name, and the idiomatic antonym is "pureness" or "innocence" — , "tam" — of heart, as in Alter concluded that there may well be a complicating irony in the use of this epithet for Jacob in as Jacob's behavior is far from simple or innocent as Jacob bargains for Esau's birthright in the very next scene.