Genesis 33:1-9

1 Iacob lyfte vp his eyes and sawe hys brother Esau come and with him .iiij. hundred men. And he deuyded the childern vnto Lea and vnto Rahel and vnto ye ij. maydens.

2 And he put the maydens ad their childern formest ad Lea and hir childern after and Rahel ad Ioseph hindermost.

3 And he went before them and fell on the grownde, vij. tymes vntill he came vnto his brother.

4 Esau ranne agaynst him and enbraced hym and fell on his necke and kyssed him and they wepte.

5 And he lifte vp his eyes and sawe the wyves and their childern and sayde: what are these which thou there hast? And he sayde: they are the childern which God hath geuen thy seruaunte.

6 Than came the maydens forth ad dyd their obaysaunce.

7 Lea also and hir childern came and dyd their obaysaunce. And last of all came Ioseph and Rahel and dyd their obaysaunce.

8 And he sayde: what meanyst thou with all ye drooues which I mett. And he answered: to fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde.

9 And Esau sayde: I haue ynough my brother kepe that thou hast vnto thy silf.

Genesis 33:1-9 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.