Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

1 Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, 1Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.
2 He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and 2bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and 3fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "4The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
6 Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down.
7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down.
8 And he said, "What do you mean by 5all this company which I have met?" And he said, "6To find favor in the sight of my lord."
9 But Esau said, "7I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own."
10 Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.
11 "Please take my 8gift which has been brought to you, 9because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty." Thus he urged him and he took it.
12 Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you."
13 But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die.
14 "Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until * I come to my lord at 10Seir."
15 Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? 11Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."
16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
17 Jacob journeyed to 12Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore * the place is named * Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of 13Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from 14Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.
19 15He bought the piece of land where * he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money.
20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Cross References 15

  • 1. Genesis 32:6
  • 2. Genesis 42:6; Genesis 43:26
  • 3. Genesis 45:14, 15
  • 4. Genesis 48:9; Psalms 127:3; Isaiah 8:18
  • 5. Genesis 32:13-16
  • 6. Genesis 32:5
  • 7. Genesis 27:39, 40
  • 8. 1 Samuel 25:27
  • 9. Genesis 30:43
  • 10. Genesis 32:3
  • 11. Ruth 2:13
  • 12. Joshua 13:27; Judges 8:5, 14; Psalms 60:6
  • 13. Genesis 12:6; Joshua 24:1; Judges 9:1
  • 14. Genesis 25:20; Genesis 28:2
  • 15. Joshua 24:32; John 4:5

Footnotes 15

Genesis 33 Commentaries

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