Genesi 33:1-6

1 POI Giacobbe alzò gli occhi, e riguardò; ed ecco Esaù veniva, menando seco quattrocent’uomini. Ed egli spartì i fanciulli in tre schiere, sotto Lea, sotto Rachele, e sotto le due serve.

2 E mise le serve e i lor figliuoli davanti; e Lea e i suoi figliuoli appresso; e Rachele e Giuseppe gli ultimi.

3 Ed egli passò davanti a loro, e s’inchinò sette volte a terra, finchè fu presso al suo fratello.

4 Ed Esaù gli corse incontro, e l’abbracciò, e gli si gittò al collo, e lo baciò; ed amendue piansero.

5 Ed Esaù alzò gli occhi, e vide quelle donne e que’ fanciulli, e disse: Che ti son costoro? E Giacobbe disse: Sono i fanciulli che Iddio ha donati al tuo servitore.

6 E le serve si accostarono, coi loro figliuoli, e s’inchinarono.

Genesi 33:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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.