Genesis 33

1

Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants.

2

He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

3

He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 3. Forward, before his family; like a good father, exposing himself to the greatest danger. Menochius.—Seven times, to testify his great humility and respect for his brother. How, then, can any one find fault with Catholics, if they bow down before the cross thrice on Good Friday, to testify their great veneration for their expiring Lord?

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4

Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.

5

He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

6

Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.

7

Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

8

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 8. Favour. Esau had already heard from the servants. But he asks again, meaning to excuse himself from receiving them. Bible.—This civil and unexpected behaviour, filled the breast of Jacob with such gratitude and love, that he made use of an hyperbole, I have seen, and so forth… of God. Chal. “of a prince,” Syr. “of an angel,” Elohim. See 2 Kennicott. 19:27. Esther 15:16. Calmet.—A little present. Hebrew monee, or mincha, calculated to shew the subjection of the giver. Menochius.

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9

Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”

10

Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.

11

Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.

12

Esau said, “Let’s take our journey, and let’s go, and I will go before you.”

13

Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 13. Young, boves fœtus, giving milk, having calved lately, Septuagint Bochart. Calmet.

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14

Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 14. In Seir; not immediately, but as soon as it might be convenient. This time perhaps never arrived. Saint Augustine q. 106.

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15

Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

16

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

17

Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

succoth means shelters or booths.

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18

Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 18. The town of Salem, which was the first town of Chanaan that he came near after his return. It was afterwards called Sichem, and Sichar. J. 4:5 and Naplosa. Salim, mentioned John 3:23, was probably more to the east. Some translate, “He came quite sound to the city of Sichem;” where, Demetrius says, he dwelt ten years, Eus. præp. ix. 21, having stopped at Socoth six months. Calmet.—This seems very probable, as Dina met with her misfortune a little before he left the country; and as she was six years old when she came from Haran, she would be about 15 when she began to go a visiting, and so forth Calmet. 34:1. Bible.

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19

He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 19. Lambs. Hebrew Kossite, or Kesita, a word which occurs also, Joshua 24:32, and Job 42:11; and may signify lambs, or a species of money, marked perhaps with their figure. It may also denote pearls, coral, a vessel, or purse of good money. S. Stephen, Acts 7:19 mentions the price of money. But he probably speaks of the bargain made by Abraham with Ephron, son of Heth, for which some have substituted Hemor, the son of Sichem. Kista in the Chal. means a vessel or measure; and we learn from Herodotus iii. 130, that the Persians were accustomed to keep their money in this manner. In the Chal. Syr. and Arabic languages, there are words derived from the same root as Kesita, which mean purity, perfection; and thus what Jacob gave was good current money; ( Calmet.) or such things as we received among merchants.

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20

He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 20. The most, and so forth El Elohe Yisrael. By this name he dignified the altar, consecrating his field and all his possessions to God, and acknowledging that all was his gift. Bible.

EXPLANATION

El Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or “The God of Israel is mighty”.

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