Chuàngshìjì 33

1 Yǎgè jǔmù guānkàn , jiàn Yǐsǎo lái le , hòutou gēn zhe sì bǎi rén , tā jiù bǎ háizi men fēnkāi jiāo gĕi Lìyà , Lājié , hé liǎng gè shǐnǚ ,

2 Bìngqiĕ jiào liǎng gè shǐnǚ hé tāmen de háizi zaì qiántou , Lìyà hé tāde háizi zaì hòutou , Lājié hé Yūesè zaì jìn hòutou .

3 Tā zìjǐ zaì tāmen qiántou guò qù , yī lián qī cì fǔfú zaì dì cái jiù jìn tā gēge .

4 Yǐsǎo paó lái yíngjiē tā , jiāng tā bào zhù , yòu lōu zhe tāde jǐngxiàng , yǔ tā qīnzuǐ, liǎng gèrén jiù kū le .

5 Yǐsǎo jǔmù kànjian fùrén háizi , jiù shuō , zhèxie hé nǐ tóngxíng de shì shuí ne , Yǎgè shuō , zhèxie háizi shì shén shī ēn gĕi nǐde púrén de .

6 Yúshì liǎng gè shǐnǚ hé tāmen de háizi qián lái xià baì .

7 Lìyà hé tāde háizi yĕ qián lái xià baì . suíhòu Yūesè hé Lājié yĕ qián lái xià baì .

8 Yǐsǎo shuō , wǒ suǒ yùjiàn de zhèxie qún chù shì shénme yìsi ne , Yǎgè shuō , shì yào zaì wǒ zhǔ miànqián mĕng ēn de .

9 Yǐsǎo shuō , xiōngdi a , wǒde yǐjing gòu le , nǐde réng guī nǐ ba .

10 Yǎgè shuō , bú rán , wǒ ruò zaì nǐ yǎnqián mĕng ēn , jiù qiú nǐ cóng wǒ shǒu lǐ shōu xià zhè lǐwù . yīnwei wǒ jiàn le nǐde miàn , rútóng jiàn le shén de miàn , bìngqiĕ nǐ róngnà le wǒ .

11 Qiú nǐ shōu xià wǒ daì lái gĕi nǐde lǐwù . yīnwei shén ēn daì wǒ , shǐ wǒ chōngzú . Yǎgè zaì sān dì qiú tā , tā cái shōu xià le .

12 Yǐsǎo shuō , wǒmen kĕyǐ qǐshēn qián wàng , wǒ zaì nǐ qiántou zǒu .

13 Yǎgè duì tā shuō , wǒ zhǔ zhīdào háizi men nián yòu jiāonèn , niú yáng yĕ zhèngzaì rǔ de shíhou , ruò shì cuī gǎn yī tiān , qún chù dōu bì sǐ le .

14 Qiú wǒ zhǔ zaì púrén qiántou zǒu , wǒ yào liàng zhe zaì wǒ miànqián qún chù hé háizi de lìliang màn màn dì qián xíng , zhí zǒu dào Xīĕr wǒ zhǔ nàli .

15 Yǐsǎo shuō , róng wǒ bǎ gēnsuí wǒde rén liú jǐ gè zaì nǐ zhèlǐ . Yǎgè shuō , hébì ne , zhǐyào zaì wǒ zhǔ yǎnqián mĕng ēn jiù shì le .

16 Yúshì , Yǐsǎo dàng rì qǐ xíng , huí wàng Xīĕr qù le .

17 Yǎgè jiù wàng Shūgē qù , zaì nàli wèi zìjǐ gaìzào fángwū , yòu wèi shēngchù dā péng . yīncǐ nà dìfang míng jiào Shūgē ( jiù shì péng de yìsi ) .

18 Yǎgè cóng Bādànyàlán huí lái de shíhou , píng píngān ān dì dào le Jiānán dì de Shìjiàn chéng , zaì chéng dōng zhī dā zhàngpéng ,

19 Jiù yòng yī bǎi kuaì yínzi xiàng Shìjiàn de fùqin , Hāmā de zǐsūn mǎi le zhī zhàngpéng de nà kuaì dì ,

20 Zaì nàli zhù le yī zuò tán , qǐmíng jiào YīlìyīluóyīYǐsèliè ( jiù shì shén , Yǐsèliè shén de yìsi ) .

Chuàngshìjì 33 Commentary

Chapter 33

The friendly meeting of Jacob and Esau. (1-16) Jacob comes to Succoth and Shalem, He builds an altar. (17-20)

Verses 1-16 Jacob, having by prayer committed his case to God, went on his way. Come what will, nothing can come amiss to him whose heart is fixed, trusting in God. Jacob bowed to Esau. A humble, submissive behaviour goes far towards turning away wrath. Esau embraced Jacob. God has the hearts of all men in his hands, and can turn them when and how he pleases. It is not in vain to trust in God, and to call upon him in the day of trouble. And when a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Esau receives Jacob as a brother, and much tenderness passes between them. Esau asks, Who are those with thee? To this common question, Jacob spoke like himself, like a man whose eyes are ever directed towards the Lord. Jacob urged Esau, though his fear was over, and he took his present. It is well when men's religion makes them generous, free-hearted, and open-handed. But Jacob declined Esau's offer to accompany him. It is not desirable to be too intimate with superior ungodly relations, who will expect us to join in their vanities, or at least to wink at them, though they blame, and perhaps mock at, our religion. Such will either be a snare to us, or offended with us. We shall venture the loss of all things, rather than endanger our souls, if we know their value; rather than renounce Christ, if we truly love him. And let Jacob's care and tender attention to his family and flocks remind us of the good Shepherd of our souls, who gathers the lambs with his arm, and carries them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young, ( Isaiah 40:11 ) . As parents, teachers or pastors, we should all follow his example.

Verses 17-20 Jacob did not content himself with words of thanks for God's favour to him, but gave real thanks. Also he kept up religion, and the worship of God in his family. Where we have a tent, God must have an altar. Jacob dedicated this altar to the honour of El-elohe-Israel, God, the God of Israel; to the honour of God, the only living and true God; and to the honour of the God of Israel, as a God in covenant with him. Israel's God is Israel's glory. Blessed be his name, he is still the mighty God, the God of Israel. May we praise his name, and rejoice in his love, through our pilgrimage here on earth, and for ever in the heavenly Canaan.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 33

In this chapter we find Esau meeting Jacob in a friendly manner, contrary to his fears and expectation, having set his family in order in case of the worst, Ge 33:1-4; putting questions to Jacob concerning the women and children with him, who make their obeisance to him as Jacob had done before, Ge 33:5-7; and concerning the drove he met, which was a present to him, and which he refused at first to take, but at the urgency of Jacob accepted of it, Ge 33:8-11; proposing to travel with him, unto which Jacob desired to be excused, he, with the women, children, and flocks, not being able to keep pace with him, Ge 33:12-14, and to leave some of his men with him to guard him, which Jacob judged unnecessary, upon which they parted friendly, Ge 33:15,16; and the chapter is concluded with an account of Jacob's journey, first to Succoth, then to Shalem, where he pitched his tent, bought a field and built an altar, Ge 33:17-20.