33
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. He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 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.” Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”
Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
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 us take our journey, and let us 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. 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.”
15 Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the folk 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.+
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. 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. 20 He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.+
+1:1The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).+1:29“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.+2:4“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.+2:12or, aromatic resin+2:18or, suitable for, or appropriate for.+3:24cherubim are powerful angelic creatures, messengers of God with wings. See Ezekiel 10.+4:1or, lay with, or, had relations with+4:1or, became pregnant+5:2“Adam” and “Man” are spelled with the exact same consonants in Hebrew, so this can be correctly translated either way.+6:4or, giants+6:15A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.+7:20A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.+12:7or, seed+13:16or, seed+15:2The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai”.+15:3or, seed+15:5or, seed+15:13or, seed+15:18or, seed+16:10or, seed+16:14Beer Lahai Roi means “well of the one who lives and sees me”.+17:7or, seed+17:7or, seed+17:8or, seed+17:9or, seed+17:10or, seed+17:12or, seed+17:19Isaac means “he laughs”.+17:19or, seed+18:61 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks+19:22Zoar means “little”.+19:32or, seed+19:34or, seed+21:3Isaac means “He laughs”.+21:12or, seed+21:13or, seed+21:31Beersheba can mean “well of the oath” or “well of seven”.+22:14or, Yahweh-Jireh, or, Yahweh-Seeing+22:17or, seed+22:17or, seed+22:18or, seed+23:15A shekel is about 10 grams, so 400 shekels would be about 4 kg. or 8.8 pounds.+23:16A shekel is about 10 grams, so 400 shekels would be about 4 kg. or 8.8 pounds.+24:7or, seed+24:22A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.+24:60or, seed+25:30“Edom” means “red”.+26:3or, seed+26:4or, seed+26:4or, seed+26:4or, seed+26:24or, seed+26:33Shibah means “oath” or “seven”.+26:33Beersheba means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven”+28:4or, seed+28:13or, seed+28:14or, seed+28:14or, seed+30:24Joseph means “may he add”.+31:19teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.+31:34teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.+31:47“Jegar Sahadutha” means “Witness Heap” in Aramaic.+31:47“Galeed” means “Witness Heap” in Hebrew.+32:12or, seed+32:30Peniel means “face of God”.+33:17succoth means shelters or booths.+33:20El Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or “The God of Israel is mighty”.