Genesis 33:1

Jacob Meets Esau and Settles at Shechem

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, Esau [was] coming and four hundred men [were] with him. And he divided the children among Leah and among Rachel, and among the two of his female servants.

Genesis 33:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 33:1

And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked
After he had passed over the brook, and was come to his wives and children; which was done either accidentally or on purpose, to see if he could espy his brother coming: some think this denotes his cheerfulness and courage, and that he was now not distressed and dejected, as he had been before: and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men;
see ( Genesis 32:6 ) ; and he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the
two handmaids;
some think he made four divisions of them; Leah and her children, Rachel and her son, Bilhah and hers, and Zilpah and hers: but others are of opinion there were but three: the two handmaids and their children in one division, Leah and her children in another, and Rachel and her son in the third; which seems to be confirmed in ( Genesis 33:2 ) , though the word for "divide" signifies to halve or divide into two parts; according to which, the division then must be of the two wives and their children in one company, and of the two handmaids and theirs in the other: and this Jacob did partly for decency and partly for safety.

Genesis 33:1 In-Context

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, Esau [was] coming and four hundred men [were] with him. And he divided the children among Leah and among Rachel, and among the two of his female servants.

2 And he put the female slaves and their children first, then Leah and her children next, then Rachel with Joseph last.

3 And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

5 Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, "Who [are] these with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, Jacob