Genesis 33
33
Jacob and Esau Meet.#The truly frightening confrontation seems to have already occurred in Jacob’s meeting the divine stranger in the previous chapter. In contrast, this meeting brings reconciliation. Esau, impulsive but largehearted, kisses the cunning Jacob and calls him brother (v. 9). Jacob in return asks Esau to accept his blessing (berakah, translated “gift,” v. 11), giving back at least symbolically what he had taken many years before and responding to Esau’s erstwhile complaint (“he has taken away my blessing,” 27:36). Verses 12–17 show that the reconciliation is not total and, further, that Jacob does not intend to share the ancestral land with his brother. 1Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men. So he divided his children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants, 2putting the maidservants and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3He himself went on ahead of them, bowing to the ground seven times, until he reached his brother. 4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and flinging himself on his neck, kissed him as he wept.
5Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “They are the children with whom God has graciously favored your servant.” 6Then the maidservants and their children came forward and bowed low; 7next, Leah and her children came forward and bowed low; lastly, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed low. 8Then Esau asked, “What did you intend with all those herds that I encountered?” Jacob answered, “It was to gain my lord’s favor.” 9Esau replied, “I have plenty; my brother, you should keep what is yours.” 10“No, I beg you!” said Jacob. “If you will do me the favor, accept this gift from me, since to see your face is for me like seeing the face of God—and you have received me so kindly. 11Accept the gift I have brought you. For God has been generous toward me, and I have an abundance.” Since he urged him strongly, Esau accepted.
12Then Esau said, “Let us break camp and be on our way; I will travel in front of you.” 13But Jacob replied: “As my lord knows, the children are too young. And the flocks and herds that are nursing are a concern to me; if overdriven for even a single day, the whole flock will die. 14Let my lord, then, go before his servant, while I proceed more slowly at the pace of the livestock before me and at the pace of my children, until I join my lord in Seir.” 15Esau replied, “Let me at least put at your disposal some of the people who are with me.” But Jacob said, “Why is this that I am treated so kindly, my lord?” 16So on that day Esau went on his way back to Seir, 17and Jacob broke camp for Succoth.#Succoth: an important town near the confluence of the Jabbok and the Jordan (Jos 13:27; Jgs 8:5–16; 1 Kgs 7:46). Booths: in Hebrew, sukkot, of the same sound as the name of the town. There Jacob built a home for himself and made booths for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth.
18Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram. He encamped in sight of the city.#Gn 12:6; Jn 4:5. 19The plot of ground on which he had pitched his tent he bought for a hundred pieces of money#Pieces of money: in Hebrew, qesita, a monetary unit of which the value is unknown. Descendants of Hamor: Hamorites, “the people of Hamor”; cf. Jgs 9:28. Hamor was regarded as the eponymous ancestor of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Shechem. from the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem.#Jos 24:32; Jn 4:5; Acts 7:16. 20He set up an altar there and invoked “El, the God of Israel.”#Jgs 6:24.
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Genesis 33: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Genesis 33
33
1And as Iaakob lift vp his eyes, and looked, behold, Esau came, and with him foure hundreth men: and he deuided the children to Leah, and to Rahel, and to the two maides. 2And he put the maides, and their children formost, and Leah, and her children after, and Rahel, and Ioseph hindermost. 3So he went before them and bowed him selfe to the ground seuen times, vntill he came neere to his brother. 4Then Esau ranne to meete him, and embraced him, and fell on his necke, and kissed him, and they wept. 5And he lift vp his eyes, and sawe the women, and the children, and saide, Who are these with thee? And he answered, They are ye childre whome God of his grace hath giuen thy seruant. 6Then came the maides neere, they, and their children, and bowed themselues. 7Leah also with her children came neere and made obeysance: and after Ioseph and Rahel drew neere, and did reuerence. 8Then he said, What meanest thou by all this droue, which I met? Who answered, I haue sent it, that I may finde fauour in the sight of my lorde: 9And Esau said, I haue ynough, my brother: keepe that thou hast to thy selfe. 10But Iaakob answered, Nay, I pray thee: if I haue found grace nowe in thy sight, then receiue my present at mine hande: for I haue seene thy face, as though I had seene the face of God, because thou hast accepted me. 11I pray thee take my blessing, that is brought thee: for God hath had mercie on me, and therefore I haue all things: so he compelled him, and he tooke it. 12And he saide, Let vs take our iourney and go, and I will goe before thee. 13Then he answered him, My lord knoweth, that the children are tender, and the ewes and kine with yong vnder mine hande: and if they should ouerdriue them one day, all the flocke would die. 14Let now my lord go before his seruant, and I will driue softly, according to ye pase of ye cattel, which is before me, and as the children be able to endure, vntill I come to my lord vnto Seir. 15Then Esau said, I will leaue then some of my folke with thee. And he answered, what needeth this? let me finde grace in the sight of my lorde. 16So Esau returned, and went his way that same day vnto Seir. 17And Iaakob went forwarde towarde Succoth, and built him an house, and made boothes for his cattell: therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. 18Afterward, Iaakob came safe to Sheche a citie, which is in the lande of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram, and pitched before the citie. 19And there he bought a parcell of ground, where hee pitched his tent, at the hande of the sonnes of Hamor Shechems father, for an hundreth pieces of money. 20And he set vp there an altar, and called it, The mightie God of Israel.
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