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Genesis Chapter
Thirty-three
Genesis 33 Outlines
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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
Genesis 33:1;
putting questions to Jacob concerning the women and children with him
who make
their obeisance to him as Jacob had done before
Genesis 33:5; 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
Genesis 33:8;
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
Genesis 33:12
and
to leave some of his men with him to guard him
which Jacob judged unnecessary
upon which they parted friendly
Genesis 33:15; 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
Genesis 33:17.
Genesis 33:1. Now
Jacob lifted his eyes and looked
and there
Esau was coming
and with him were
four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah
Rachel
and the two
maidservants.
YLT 1And Jacob lifteth up his
eyes
and looketh
and lo
Esau is coming
and with him four hundred men; and
he divideth the children unto Leah
and unto Rachel
and unto the two
maid-servants;
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.
Genesis 33:2. 2 And
he put the maidservants and their children in front
Leah and her children
behind
and Rachel and Joseph last.
YLT 2and he setteth the
maid-servants and their children first
and Leah and her children behind
and
Rachel and Joseph last.
And he put the
handmaids and their children foremost
....
In the first division
as
being less honourable and less beloved by him:
and Leah and
her children after;
still according to the
degree of honour and affection due unto them; Leah being a wife that was
imposed and forced upon him:
and Rachel and
Joseph hindermost;
being most beloved by him
and therefore most careful of them; Rachel being his principal and lawful wife
and who had the greatest share in his affection
and Joseph his only child by
her.
Genesis 33:3. 3 Then
he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times
until
he came near to his brother.
YLT 3And he himself passed over
before them
and boweth himself to the earth seven times
until his drawing
nigh unto his brother
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
&c.'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.
Genesis 33:4. 4 But
Esau ran to meet him
and embraced him
and fell on his neck and kissed him
and they wept.
YLT 4and Esau runneth to meet
him
and embraceth him
and falleth on his neck
and kisseth him
and they
weep;
And Esau ran to
meet him
....
If he rode on any
creature
which is likely
he alighted from it on sight of his brother Jacob
and to express his joy on that occasion
and affection for him
made all the
haste he could to meet him
as did the father of the prodigal
Luke 15:20
and embraced
him;
in his arms
with the
greatest respect and tenderness:
and fell on his
neck;
laid his head on his neck
where it remained for a while
not being able to lift it up
and speak unto
him; the word is in the dual number
and signifies
as Ben Melech thinks
the
two sides of the neck
the right and the left; and he might lay his head first
on one side
and then on the other
to show the greatness of his affection:
and kissed him;
in token of the same:
there are three pricks over this word in the original more than ordinary
directing the attention of the reader to it
as something wonderful and worthy
of observation: the Jewish writersF14Zohar in Gen. fol. 99. 1.
Bereshit Rabba
sect. 78. fol. 68. 3. Jarchi in loc. are divided about it; some
think that this points at the insincerity of Esau in kissing his brother when
he hated him; others
on the contrary
to his sincerity and heartiness in it
and which was matter of admiration
that he who laid up hatred in his heart
against his brother
and had bore him a grudge for so many years
and it may be
came out now
with an intention to destroy him
should have his heart so turned
toward him
as to behave in this affectionate manner
which must be owing to the
power of God working upon his heart
changing his mind
and making him thus
soft
flexible
and compassionate; and to Jacob's humble submission to him
subservient to divine Providence as a means; and thus as he before had power
with God in prayer on this same account
the effect of which he now perceived
so he had power with men
with his brother
as it was intimated to him he
should:
and they wept;
they "both"
wept
as the Septuagint version adds
both Jacob and Esau
for joy at the sight
of each other
and both seriously; and especially there can be no doubt of
Jacob
who must be glad of this reconciliation
if it was only outward
since
hereby his life
and the lives of his wives and children
would be spared.
Genesis 33:5. 5 And
he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children
and said
“Who are
these with you?” So he said
“The children whom God has graciously given your
servant.”
YLT 5and he lifteth up his eyes
and seeth the women and the children
and saith
`What [are] these to thee?'
And he saith
`The children with whom God hath favoured thy servant.'
And he lift up
his eyes
and saw the women and children
....
After the salutation had
passed between him and his brother Jacob
he looked
and saw behind him women
and children
Jacob's two wives and his two handmaids
and twelve children he
had by them:
and said
who are
those with thee?
who do those women and
children belong to that follow thee? for Jacob had made no mention of his wives
and children
when he sent his messengers to him
Genesis 32:5; and
therefore Esau might very well ask this question
which Jacob replied to:
and he said
the children which God hath graciously given thy servant;
he speaks of his children
as gifts of God
and as instances and pledges of his favour and good will to
him
which he thankfully acknowledges; and at the same time speaks very
respectfully to his brother
and in great condescension and humility owns
himself his servant
but says nothing of his wives; not that he was ashamed
as
Abarbinel suggests
that he should have four wives
when his brother
who had less
regard for religion
had but three; but he mentions his children as being near
kin to Esau
and by whom he might conclude who the women were
and of whom also
he might give a particular account
though the Scripture is silent about it;
since Leah and Rachel were his own first cousins
Genesis 29:10; and
who they were no doubt he told him
as they came to pay their respects to him
as follows.
Genesis 33:6. 6 Then
the maidservants came near
they and their children
and bowed down.
YLT 6And the maid-servants draw
nigh
they and their children
and bow themselves;
Then the
handmaids came near
they and their children
....
Being foremost
and next
to
Jacob
as Bilhah and her two sons
Dan and Naphtali
and Zilpah and her two
sons
Gad and Asher:
and they bowed
themselves;
in token of respect to
Esau
as Jacob had done before them
and set them an example
and no doubt
instructed them to do it.
Genesis 33:7. 7 And
Leah also came near with her children
and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph
and Rachel came near
and they bowed down.
YLT 7and Leah also draweth nigh
and her children
and they bow themselves; and afterwards Joseph hath drawn
nigh with Rachel
and they bow themselves.
And Leah also
with her children came near
and bowed themselves
....
Who were in the next
division or company; their children were seven
Reuben
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Issachar
Zebulun
and Dinah
six sons and one daughter:
and after came
Joseph near and Rachel
and they bowed themselves;
it is observed that Joseph
is mentioned before his mother; it may be
because they might put him before
her in the procession
for greater safety; or she might present him to Esau
being a child of little more than six years of age
and teach him how to make
his obeisance to him
which she also did herself.
Genesis 33:8. 8 Then
Esau said
“What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And
he said
“These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”
YLT 8And he saith
`What to thee
[is] all this camp which I have met?' and he saith
`To find grace in the eyes
of my lord.'
And he said
what meanest thou by all this drove which I met?....
Not as being ignorant of
the design of it; for no doubt the several drovers
according to their
instructions from Jacob
had acquainted him with it; but he chose not to take
the present on what they said
but was willing to have it from Jacob's own
mouth
and that he might have the opportunity of refusing it:
and he said
these
are to find grace in the sight of my lord;
to gain his favour and
good will; and which
as it was a token of Jacob's good will to him
so
by his
acceptance of it
he would know that he bore the same to him also. It was usual
in the eastern countries to carry presents to friends
and especially to great
men
whenever visits were paid
as all travellers in general testify to be
still the usage in those parts
to this day.
Genesis 33:9. 9 But
Esau said
“I have enough
my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
YLT 9And Esau saith
`I have
abundance
my brother
let it be to thyself that which thou hast.'
And Esau said
I have enough
my brother
....
Or "I have much"F15יש לי רב
"est mihi multum"
Pagninus
Montanus
Drusius; "plurima"
V. L. "quamplurima"
Vatablus.
and stand in no need of this
present
or have much more than thou hast:
keep that thou
hast unto thyself;
for the use of himself and
family
which is large; in this Esau showed himself not only not a covetous
man
but that he was truly reconciled to his brother
and needed not anything
from him
to make up the difference between them.
Genesis 33:10. 10 And
Jacob said
“No
please
if I have now found favor in your sight
then receive
my present from my hand
inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen
the face of God
and you were pleased with me.
YLT 10And Jacob saith
`Nay
I
pray thee
if
I pray thee
I have found grace in thine eyes
then thou hast
received my present from my hand
because that I have seen thy face
as the seeing
of the face of God
and thou art pleased with me;
And Jacob said
nay
I pray thee
....
Do not say so
as the
Targum of Jonathan supplies it
or do not refuse my present:
if now I have
found grace in thy sight
then receive my present at my hand;
signifying
that the
acceptance of his present would be a token to him
and give him full
satisfaction that he bore a good will to him
and did not retain anger and
resentment against him:
for therefore I
have seen thy face
as though I had seen the face of God;
or of princes
as Onkelos
as the face of some great personage
as he was; or as the face of an angel
very pleasant and lovely; or as the face of God himself
he observing the love
and favour of God to him
in working upon the heart of Esau
and causing him to
carry it so lovingly to him; wherefore for this reason receive it
because I
have had such an agreeable sight of thee:
and thou wast
pleased with me;
accepted of me
and kindly
received me:
Genesis 33:11. 11 Please
take my blessing that is brought to you
because God has dealt graciously with
me
and because I have enough.” So he urged him
and he took it.
YLT 11receive
I pray thee
my
blessing
which is brought to thee
because God hath favoured me
and because I
have all [things];' and he presseth on him
and he receiveth
Take
I pray
thee
my blessing that is brought to thee
....
The present he had sent
him
now carrying home to his house
which was a part of what God had blessed
Jacob with; and which he from a beneficent generous spirit gave his brother
wishing the blessing of God to go along with it; it was an insinuation
and so
he would have it taken
that he wished him all happiness and prosperity:
because God
hath dealt graciously with me;
in giving him so much
substance
and now in giving him so much favour in the sight of Esau
whom he
dreaded:
and because I
have enough;
a sufficiency of all good
things
being thoroughly contented with his state and circumstance; or "I
have all things"F16יש לי כל "sunt mihi
omnia"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Vatablus
Drusius
Cartwright.
all
kind of good things
everything that was necessary for him; the expression is
stronger than Esau's; and indeed Jacob had besides a large share of temporal
mercies
all spiritual ones; God was his covenant God and Father
Christ was
his Redeemer
the Spirit his sanctifier; he had all grace bestowed on him
and
was an heir of glory:
and he urged
him
and he took it:
being pressing on him
or
importunate with him
he accepted of his present.
Genesis 33:12. 12 Then
Esau said
“Let us take our journey; let us go
and I will go before you.”
YLT 12and saith
`Let us journey
and go on
and I go on before thee.'
And he said
let us take our journey
and let us go
....
To Seir
where Esau lived
and whither he invited Jacob to stop a while
and refresh himself and his
family:
and I will go
before thee;
to show him the way to his
palace
and to protect him on the road from all dangers; or "besides
thee"F17לנגדך "e regione
tui"
Montanus
Fagius
Drusius; "a latere tuo"
Vatablus;
"juxta te"
Cartwright.
alongside of him
keeping equal pace with
him
thereby showing great honour and respect
as well as in order to converse
with him as they
travelled.
Genesis 33:13. 13 But
Jacob said to him
“My lord knows that the children are weak
and the
flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should
drive them hard one day
all the flock will die.
YLT 13And he saith unto him
`My
lord knoweth that the children [are] tender
and the suckling flock and the
herd [are] with me; when they have beaten them one day
then hath all the flock
died.
And he said
unto him
my lord knoweth the children are tender
....
The eldest being but
thirteen years of age
and the youngest about six; and Esau might easily
perceive by their stature that they were young and tender
and not able to bear
either riding or walking very fast:
and the flocks
and herds with young are with me;
or "upon me"F18עלי "super me"
Montanus
Vatablus
"incumbere mihi"
Junius & Tremellius
so Aben Ezra. ; the charge
of them was upon him
it was incumbent on him to take care of them
and
especially in the circumstances in which they were
being big with young
both
sheep and kine; or "suckling"
giving milk to their young
as the
Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan
and so having lambs and calves
some of them
perhaps just yeaned and calved
they required more attendance and greater care
in driving them
not being able to travel far in a day:
and if men
should overdrive them one day
all the flock will die;
if he
and the servants
under him
should push them on too fast
beyond their strength
even but one
day
all in the above circumstances would be in danger of being lost through
overmuch fatigue and weariness.
Genesis 33:14. 14 Please
let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace
which the livestock that go before me
and the children
are able to endure
until I come to my lord in Seir.”
YLT 14Let my lord
I pray thee
pass over before his servant
and I -- I lead on gently
according to the foot
of the work which [is] before me
and to the foot of the children
until that I
come unto my lord
to Seir.'
Let my lord
I
pray thee
pass over before his servant
....
He desired in a very
respectable manner that he would not keep his pace in complaisance to him
but
proceed on in his journey
and go on with his men
and he with his family and
flocks would follow after as fast as he could
and their circumstances would
admit of:
and I will lead
on softly;
slowly
gently
easily
step by step:
according as
the cattle that goeth before me
and the children be able to endure;
or "according to the
foot"F19לרגל "ad pedem"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Drusius
Cartwright. of them; of the cattle
whom
he calls the "work"F20המלאכה
"operis"
Montanus
Munster
Fagius
Drusius
Cartwright
Schmidt.
because his business lay in the care of them
and these were the chief of his
substance; and of the children
as the feet of each of them were able to
travel; or because of them
for the sake of them
as Aben Ezra
consulting
their strength
he proposed to move on gently
like both a wise
careful
and
tender father of his family
and shepherd of his flock:
until I come
unto my lord unto Seir;
whither
no doubt
he
intended to come when he parted with Esau; but for reasons which after appeared
to him he declined it: or more probably he did go thither then
or quickly
after; though the Scripture makes no mention of it
he might go with some of
his servants directly
and send his family
flocks
and herds
under the care
of other servants
forward on their journey
and quickly come up to them again;
for that he should tell a lie is not likely
nor does he seem to be under any
temptation to it: and besides
it would have been dangerous to have disobliged
his brother when on his borders
who could easily have come upon him again with
four hundred men
and picked a quarrel with him for breach of promise
and
destroyed him and his at once.
Genesis 33:15. 15 And
Esau said
“Now let me leave with you some of the people who are
with me.”` But he said
“What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of
my lord.”
YLT 15And Esau saith
`Let me
I
pray thee
place with thee some of the people who [are] with me;' and he said
`Why [is] this? I find grace in the eyes of my lord.'
And Esau said
let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me
....
To show him the way
and
guard him on the road
and he appear the more honourable when he entered into
Seir:
and he said
what needeth it?
Jacob saw not the
necessity of it; he knew the direct way very probably; he thought himself in no
danger
since he was at peace with Esau
and he did not affect the grandeur of
an equipage:
let me find
grace in the sight of my lord;
having his favour and good
will
that was enough for him; and among the rest of the favours he received
from him
he begged this might be added
that he might be excused retaining any
of his retinue with him.
Genesis 33:16. 16 So
Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
YLT 16And turn back on that day
doth Esau on his way to Seir;
So Esau
returned that day on his way unto Seir.
Took his leave of Jacob the
same day he met him
and proceeded on in his journey towards Seir; whether he
arrived there the same day is not certain
probably it was more than a day's
journey.
Genesis 33:17. 17 And
Jacob journeyed to Succoth
built himself a house
and made booths for his
livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.[a]
YLT 17and Jacob hath journeyed to
Succoth
and buildeth to himself a house
and for his cattle hath made booths
therefore hath he called the name of the place Succoth.
And Jacob
journeyed to Succoth
....
Perhaps after he had been
at Seir
and stayed there some little time. Succoth was on the other side of
Jordan
so called by anticipation
for it had its name from what follows; as
yet there was no city built here
or at least of this name; afterwards there
was
it lay in a valley
and belonged to Sihon king of Heshbon
and was given
to the tribe of Gad
Joshua 13:27; it is
mentioned along with Penuel
and was not far from it
Judges 8:8. It is
said to be but two miles distant from itF21Bunting's Travels
p. 72.
but one would think it should be more:
and built him
an house
and made booths for his cattle;
an house for himself and
family
and booths or tents for his servants or shepherds
and for the cattle
they had the care of
some for one
and some for the other. This he did with an
intention to stay some time here
as it should seem; and the Targum of Jonathan
says he continued here a whole year
and Jarchi eighteen months
a winter and
two summers; but this is all uncertain:
therefore the
name of the place is called Succoth;
from the booths or tents
built here
which this word signifies.
Genesis 33:18. 18 Then
Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem
which is in the land of
Canaan
when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city.
YLT 18And Jacob cometh in to
Shalem
a city of Shechem
which [is] in the land of Canaan
in his coming from
Padan-Aram
and encampeth before the city
And Jacob came
to Shalem
a city of Shechem
....
Not Salem
of which
Melchizedek was king
much less Jerusalem
for it was forty miles from itF23Bunting's
Travels
p. 75. ; more likely Salim near Aenon
where John was baptizing
John 3:23; though
it perhaps is the same with Shechem; for the words may be read
he "came
to Shalem
the city Shechem"
a city which Hamor had built
and called by
the name of his son Shechem
the same with Sychar
John 4:5; this was
on this side Jordan
and therefore Jacob must have passed over that river
though no mention is made of it; it is said to be about eight miles from
SuccothF24Ib. p. 72. : though some think Shalem is not the name of a
place
but an appellative
and to be rendered "safe and
sound"
or "whole"; and so the JewishF25Targum Jon.
Jarchi
Aben Ezra & Ben Gersom in loc. writers generally understand it of
his coming in peace
health
and safety:
which is
in the land of Canaan;
it belonged to that tribe
of the Canaanites called Hivites; for Hamor
the father of Shechem
from whom
it had its name
was an Hivite
Genesis 34:2
so
that Jacob was now got into the land of Canaan
his own country
and where his
kindred dwelt:
when he came
from Padanaram;
from Mesopotamia
from
Haran there; Shechem was the first place in the land of Canaan he came to
when
he came from thence
and whither he came in the greatest safety
he himself
wives
children
and servants
in good health
without any loss of any of his
cattle and substance; and without any ill thing befalling: him all the way
thither
being delivered from Laban and Esau
and from every danger
and from
every enemy: and to signify this is this clause added
which may seem otherwise
superfluous:
and pitched his
tent before the city;
the city of Shechem
not
in it
but near it.
Genesis 33:19. 19 And
he bought the parcel of land
where he had pitched his tent
from the children
of Hamor
Shechem’s father
for one hundred pieces of money.
YLT 19and he buyeth the portion
of the field where he hath stretched out his tent
from the hand of the sons of
Hamor
father of Shechem
for a hundred kesitah;
And he bought a
parcel of a field
....
Not the whole
but a part
of it; this he did
though he was heir of the whole country
because
as yet
the time was not come for him or his to take possession of it:
where he had
spread his tent;
the ground that it stood
upon
and what was adjoining to it
for the use of his cattle: this he bought
at the hand of
the children of Hamor;
of some one of them
in
whose possession it was
and perhaps with the consent of the rest
and before
them
as witnesses:
for an hundred
pieces of money;
Onkelos
the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
Samaritan
Syriac
and Arabic versions render it a hundred lambs
or sheep
cattle being used to be given in exchange for things in trade and
commerce; but as money was in use before the times of Jacob
and Stephen
expresses it as a "sum of money"
Acts 7:16; and this
best agrees with the use of the word in Job 42:11
the only
place besides this
excepting Joshua 24:32
in
which it is used
it seems best so to interpret it here; and the pieces of
money might be such as were of the value of a lamb or sheep
or rather had the
figure of one impressed upon them. Laban
from whom Jacob might have them
or
his neighbours
and also Jacob himself
being shepherds
might choose thus to
impress their money; but the exact value of these pieces cannot be ascertained:
the Jewish writers generally interpret them of a "meah"
which was
the value of one penny of our money
and twenty of them went to a shekel; so
that a hundred of these must make a very small and contemptible sum to purchase
a piece of ground with.
Genesis 33:20. 20 Then
he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.[b]
YLT 20and he setteth up there an
altar
and proclaimeth at it God -- the God of Israel.
And he erected
there an altar
....
To offer sacrifice upon to
God
by way of thanksgiving
for the many mercies he had received since he went
out of the land of Canaan
whither he was now returned; and especially for his
safety in journeying hither from Padanaram
and for deliverance from Laban and Esau
and for all other favours that he and his had been partakers of. And this he
also erected for the sake of religious worship
to be continued in his family;
he intending to reside here for some time
as appears by the purchase he had
made
and as it is certain he did:
and called it
Elelohe-Israel:
God
the God of Israel;
that is
he called the altar the altar of God
who is the God of Israel
who
had been his God
his preserver and protector; and had lately given him the
name of Israel
and had made good what answered to it
and was designed by it
that as he had had power with God
and prevailed
so he should with man; and as
a memorial of all these favours and mercies
he erected this altar
and devoted
it to God and his service
and called it by this name: or "he called upon
God
the God of Israel"
as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; he
prayed unto him at the time he offered sacrifice on the altar
and gave him
praise for all the great and good things he had done for him. Jacob must have stayed
at Succoth
and at this place
many years
especially at the latter; since
when he came into those parts
Dinah was a child of little more than six years
of age
and Simeon and Levi were very young
not above eleven or twelve years
of age; and yet
before he left Shechem
Dinah was marriageable
and Simeon and
Levi were grown strong and able bodied men
and did a most strange exploit in
slaying all the males in Shechem
as recorded in the next chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Genesis 33:17
Literally Booths
b.
Genesis 33:20
Literally God
the God of Israel