Genèse 33:3

3 Lui-même passa devant eux; et il se prosterna en terre sept fois, jusqu'à ce qu'il fût près de son frère.

Genèse 33:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 33:3

And he passed over before them
At the head of them, as the master of the family, exposing himself to the greatest danger for them, and in order to protect and defend them in the best manner he could, or to endeavour to soften the mind of his brother by an address, should there be any occasion for it: and bowed himself to the ground seven times;
in a civil way, as was the manner in the eastern countries towards great personages; and this he did to Esau as being his elder brother, and as superior to him in grandeur and wealth, being lord of a considerable country; and at the same time religious adoration might be made to God; while he thus bowed to the ground, his heart might be going up to God in prayer, that he would appear for him at this instant, and deliver him and his family from perishing by his brother; and so the Targum of Jonathan introduces this clause,

``praying, and asking mercies of the Lord, and bowed''

seven times, perhaps, may not design an exact number, but that he bowed many times as he came along: until he came near to his brother;
he kept bowing all the way he came until they were within a small space of one another.

Genèse 33:3 In-Context

1 Jacob leva les yeux, et regarda; et voici, Esaü arrivait, avec quatre cents hommes. Il répartit les enfants entre Léa, Rachel, et les deux servantes.

2 Il plaça en tête les servantes avec leurs enfants, puis Léa avec ses enfants, et enfin Rachel avec Joseph.

3 Lui-même passa devant eux; et il se prosterna en terre sept fois, jusqu'à ce qu'il fût près de son frère.

4 Esaü courut à sa rencontre; il l'embrassa, se jeta à son cou, et le baisa. Et ils pleurèrent.

5 Esaü, levant les yeux, vit les femmes et les enfants, et il dit: Qui sont ceux que tu as là? Et Jacob répondit: Ce sont les enfants que Dieu a accordés à ton serviteur.