Genèse 33:1

1 Et Jacob leva les yeux et regarda. Et voici, Ésaü venait, et quatre cents hommes avec lui. Alors il répartit les enfants entre Léa, Rachel, et les deux servantes.

Genèse 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.

Genèse 33:1 In-Context

1 Et Jacob leva les yeux et regarda. Et voici, Ésaü venait, et quatre cents hommes avec lui. Alors il répartit les enfants entre Léa, Rachel, et les deux servantes.

2 Et il plaça en tête les servantes et leurs enfants; Léa et ses enfants ensuite, et Rachel et Joseph au dernier rang.

3 Quant à lui, il passa devant eux, et se prosterna en terre sept fois, jusqu'à ce qu'il se fût approché de son frère.

4 Mais Ésaü courut au-devant de lui, et l'embrassa, et se jeta à son cou, et le baisa, et ils pleurèrent.

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