Genesis 33
33
Jacob Meets Esau
1Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave women. 2He put the slaves and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground#Gn 18:2; 42:6; 43:26 seven times until he approached his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept.#Gn 45:14 5When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”
He answered, “The children God has graciously given your servant.”#Gn 48:9; Ps 127:3; Is 8:18 6Then the slaves and their children approached him and bowed down. 7Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8So Esau said, “What do you mean by this whole procession#33:8 Lit camp I met?” #Gn 32:13–16
“To find favor with you, my lord,”#Gn 32:5 he answered.
9“I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”
10But Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from me. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me. 11Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged him until he accepted.
12Then Esau said, “Let’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”
13Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing flocks and herds. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die. 14Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a pace suited to the livestock and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
15Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.”
But he replied, “Why do that? Please indulge me,#33:15 Lit May I find favor in your eyes my lord.”#Gn 34:11; 47:25; Ru 2:13
16That day Esau started on his way back to Seir, 17but Jacob went to Succoth. He built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.#33:17 = Stalls or Huts#Jos 13:27; Jdg 8:5; Ps 60:6
18After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely#Gn 28:21 at Shechem#Jos 24:1; Jdg 9:1; Ps 60:6; Ac 7:16 in the land of Canaan and camped in front of the city. 19He purchased a section of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.#33:19 Lit 100 qesitahs; the value of this currency is unknown#Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5 20And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of Israel.#33:20 = El-Elohe-Israel
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Genesis 33
33
1And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5And when Esau raised his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; 7Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10Jacob said, “No, I pray you, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, with such favor have you received me. 11Accept, I pray you, my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go before you.” 13But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the flocks and herds giving suck are a care to me; and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. 14Let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle which are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the men who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17But Jacob journeyed to Succoth,#33.17 That is Booths and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram; and he camped before the city. 19And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money#33.19 Heb a hundred qesitah the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.#33.20 That is God, the God of Israel
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America