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
1Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. 2He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?”
He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. 7Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”
Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”
10Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.
12Esau said, “Let’s take our journey, and let’s go, and I will go before you.”
13Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 14Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.”
15Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.”
He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.#33:17 succoth means shelters or booths.
18Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city. 19He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.#33:20 El Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or “The God of Israel is mighty”.
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