Genesis 33
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 33
Jacob and Esau Meet.[a] 1 Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men. So he divided his children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants, 2 putting the maidservants and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He himself went on ahead of them, bowing to the ground seven times, until he reached his brother. 4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and flinging himself on his neck, kissed him as he wept.
5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “They are the children with whom God has graciously favored your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants and their children came forward and bowed low; 7 next, Leah and her children came forward and bowed low; lastly, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed low. 8 Then Esau asked, “What did you intend with all those herds that I encountered?” Jacob answered, “It was to gain my lord’s favor.” 9 Esau replied, “I have plenty; my brother, you should keep what is yours.” 10 “No, I beg you!” said Jacob. “If you will do me the favor, accept this gift from me, since to see your face is for me like seeing the face of God—and you have received me so kindly. 11 Accept the gift I have brought you. For God has been generous toward me, and I have an abundance.” Since he urged him strongly, Esau accepted.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us break camp and be on our way; I will travel in front of you.” 13 But Jacob replied: “As my lord knows, the children are too young. And the flocks and herds that are nursing are a concern to me; if overdriven for even a single day, the whole flock will die. 14 Let my lord, then, go before his servant, while I proceed more slowly at the pace of the livestock before me and at the pace of my children, until I join my lord in Seir.” 15 Esau replied, “Let me at least put at your disposal some of the people who are with me.” But Jacob said, “Why is this that I am treated so kindly, my lord?” 16 So on that day Esau went on his way back to Seir, 17 and Jacob broke camp for Succoth.[b] There Jacob built a home for himself and made booths for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth.
18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram. He encamped in sight of the city.(A) 19 The plot of ground on which he had pitched his tent he bought for a hundred pieces of money[c] from the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem.(B) 20 He set up an altar there and invoked “El, the God of Israel.”(C)
Footnotes
- 33:1–20 The truly frightening confrontation seems to have already occurred in Jacob’s meeting the divine stranger in the previous chapter. In contrast, this meeting brings reconciliation. Esau, impulsive but largehearted, kisses the cunning Jacob and calls him brother (v. 9). Jacob in return asks Esau to accept his blessing (berakah, translated “gift,” v. 11), giving back at least symbolically what he had taken many years before and responding to Esau’s erstwhile complaint (“he has taken away my blessing,” 27:36). Verses 12–17 show that the reconciliation is not total and, further, that Jacob does not intend to share the ancestral land with his brother.
- 33:17 Succoth: an important town near the confluence of the Jabbok and the Jordan (Jos 13:27; Jgs 8:5–16; 1 Kgs 7:46). Booths: in Hebrew, sukkot, of the same sound as the name of the town.
- 33:19 Pieces of money: in Hebrew, qesita, a monetary unit of which the value is unknown. Descendants of Hamor: Hamorites, “the people of Hamor”; cf. Jgs 9:28. Hamor was regarded as the eponymous ancestor of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Shechem.
Genesis 33
1599 Geneva Bible
33 4 Esau and Jacob meet and are agreed. 11 Esau receiveth his gifts. 19 Jacob buyeth a possession, 20 And buildeth an altar.
1 And as Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men: and he [a]divided the children to Leah, and unto Rachel, and to the two maids.
2 And he put the maids, and their children foremost, and Leah, and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 So he went before them and [b]bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women, and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he answered, They are the children whom God of his grace hath given thy servant.
6 Then came the maids near, they and their children, and [c]bowed themselves.
7 Leah also with her children came near and made obeisance: and after Joseph and Rachel drew near, and did reverence.
8 Then he said, What meanest thou by all this drove, which I met? Who answered, I have sent it, that I may find favor in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother: keep that thou hast to thyself.
10 But Jacob answered, Nay, I pray thee, if I have found grace now in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for [d]I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, because thou hast accepted me.
11 I pray thee take my [e]blessing, that is brought thee: for God hath had mercy on me, and therefore I have all things: for he [f]compelled him, and he took it.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before thee.
13 Then he answered him, My lord knoweth, that the children are tender, and the ewes and kine with young under mine hand: and if they should overdrive them one day, all the flock would die.
14 Let now my lord go before his servant, and I will drive softly, according to the pace of the cattle, which is before me, and as the children be able to endure, until [g]I come to my lord unto Seir.
15 Then Esau said, I will leave then some of my folk with thee. And he answered, What needeth this? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
16 ¶ So Esau returned, and went his way that same day unto Seir.
17 And Jacob went forward toward Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore he called the name of the place [h]Succoth.
18 Afterward, Jacob came safe to Shechem a city, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from [i]Padan Aram, and pitched before the city.
19 And there he bought a parcel of ground, where he pitched his tent, at the hand of the sons of Hamor Shechem’s father, for an hundred [j]pieces of money.
20 And he set up there an altar, and called [k]it, The mighty God of Israel.
Footnotes
- Genesis 33:1 That if the one part were assailed, the other might escape.
- Genesis 33:3 By this gesture he partly did reverence to his brother, and partly prayed to God to mitigate Esau’s wrath.
- Genesis 33:6 Jacob and his family are the image of the Church under the yoke of tyrants which for fear are brought to subjection.
- Genesis 33:10 In that that his brother embraced him so lovingly, contrary to his expectation, he accepted it as a plain sign of God’s presence.
- Genesis 33:11 Or, gift.
- Genesis 33:11 By earnest entreaty.
- Genesis 33:14 He promised that which (as seemeth) his mind was not to perform.
- Genesis 33:17 Or, tent.
- Genesis 33:18 Or, Mesopotamia.
- Genesis 33:19 Or, lambs, or money so marked.
- Genesis 33:20 He calleth the sign, the thing which it signifieth, in token that God had mightily delivered him.
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