Genesis 33:18-20
New English Translation
18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near[a] the city. 19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it[b] from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 pieces of money.[c] 20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.”[d]
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- Genesis 33:18 tn Heb “in front of.”
- Genesis 33:19 tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
- Genesis 33:19 tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qesitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).
- Genesis 33:20 tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.
Genesis 33:18-20
Common English Bible
Dinah and the conflict at Shechem
18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan on his trip from Paddan-aram, and he camped in front of the city. 19 He bought the section of the field where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred qesitahs.[a] 20 Then he set up an altar there and named it El Elohe Israel.[b]
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- Genesis 33:19 A monetary weight
- Genesis 33:20 Or El, God of Israel
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