The document recounts the reunion of Jacob and Esau, highlighting Jacob's careful preparations and deep apprehension as he approaches his brother with his family. Despite Jacob's fears of hostility given Esau's arrival with four hundred men, Esau actually welcomes him with affection, ultimately accepting Jacob's gift as a sign of goodwill. This encounter emphasizes themes of reconciliation, the complexities of familial relationships, and the protective instincts of a father in a moment of potential danger.

1. GE ESIS 33 COMME TARY
EDITED BY GLE PEASE
Jacob Meets Esau
1 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming
with his four hundred men; so he divided the
children among Leah, Rachel and the two female
servants.
BAR ES, "Gen_33:1-3
Jacob, upon seeing Esau approach with his four hundred men, advances with
circumspection and lowly obeisance. He divided his family, arranged them according to
their preciousness in his eyes, and walks himself in front. In drawing near, he bows
seven times, in token of complete submission to his older brother. Esau, the wild hunter,
is completely softened, and manifests the warmest affection, which is reciprocated by
Jacob. The puncta extraordinaria over ‫וישׁקהוּ‬ vayıshēqēhû, “and kissed him,” seemingly
intimating a doubt of the reading or of the sincerity of Esau, are wholly unwarranted.
Esau then observes the women and children, and inquires who they are. Jacob replies
that God had granted, graciously bestowed on him, these children. They approach in
succession, and do obeisance. Esau now inquires of the caravan or horde he had already
met. He had heard the announcement of the servants; but he awaited the confirmation
of the master. “To find grace in the eyes of my lord.” Jacob values highly the good-will of
his brother. The acceptance of this present is the security for that good-will, and for all
the safety and protection which it involved. Esau at first declines the gift, but on being
urged by Jacob accepts it, and thereby relieves Jacob of all his anxiety. His brother is
now his friend indeed. “Therefore, have I seen thy face,” that I might give thee this token
of my affection. “As if I had seen the face of God.” The unexpected kindness with which
his brother had received him was a type and proof of the kindness of the All-provident,
by whom it had been added to all his other mercies. My blessing; my gift which
embodies my good wishes. I have all; not only enough, but all that I can wish.
CLARKE, "Behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men - It has
been generally supposed that Esau came with an intention to destroy his brother, and for
that purpose brought with him four hundred armed men. But, 1. There is no kind of
evidence of this pretended hostility. 2. There is no proof that the four hundred men that
Esau brought with him were at all armed. 3. But there is every proof that he acted
towards his brother Jacob with all openness and candour, and with such a forgetfulness
of past injuries as none but a great mind could have been capable of. Why then should
the character of this man be perpetually vilified? Here is the secret. With some people,

2. on the most ungrounded assumption, Esau is a reprobate, and the type and figure of all
reprobates, and therefore he must be everything that is bad. This serves a system; but,
whether true or false in itself, it has neither countenance nor support from the character
or conduct of Esau.
GILL, "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 Gen_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 Gen_
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.
HE RY, "Here, I. Jacob discovered Esau's approach, Gen_33:1. Some think that his
lifting up his eyes denotes his cheerfulness and confidence, in opposition to a dejected
countenance; having by prayer committed his case to God, he went on his way, and his
countenance was no more sad, 1Sa_1:18. Note, Those that have cast their care upon God
may look before them with satisfaction and composure of mind, cheerfully expecting the
issue, whatever it may be; come what will, nothing can come amiss to him whose heart is
fixed, trusting in God. Jacob sets himself upon his watch-tower to see what answer God
will give to his prayers, Hab_2:1.
II. He put his family into the best order he could to receive him, whether he should
come as a friend or as an enemy, consulting their decency if he came as a friend and their
safety if he came as an enemy, Gen_33:1, Gen_33:2. Observe what a different figure
these two brothers made. Esau is attended with a guard of 400 men, and looks big;
Jacob is followed by a cumbersome train of women and children that are his care, and he
looks tender and solicitous for their safety; and yet Jacob had the birthright, and was to
have the dominion, and was every way the better man. Note, It is no disparagement to
very great and good men to give a personal attendance to their families, and to their
family affairs. Jacob, at the head of his household, set a better example than Esau at the
head of his regiment.
JAMIESO , "Gen_33:1-11. Kindness of Jacob and Esau.
behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men — Jacob having crossed
the ford and ranged his wives and children in order - the dearest last, that they might be
the least exposed to danger - awaited the expected interview. His faith was strengthened
and his fears gone (Psa_27:3). Having had power to prevail with God, he was confident
of the same power with man, according to the promise (compare Gen_32:28).

3. HAWKER, "The passing over of Jacob, before his family, should remind us of Christ’s
unequalled love, in the moment of danger, amidst his disciples in the garden. Joh_18:8.
CALVI , "1.And Jacob lifted up his eyes. We have said how greatly Jacob feared
for himself from his brother; but now when Esau himself approaches, his terror is
not only renewed, but increased. For although he goes forth like a courageous and
spirited combatant to this contest, he is still not exempt from a sense of danger;
whence it follows, that he is not free, either from anxiety or fear. For his cruel
brother had still the same cause of hatred against him as before. And it was not
probable, that, after he had left his father’s house, and had been living as he
pleased, he had become more mild. Therefore, as in a doubtful affair, and one of
great danger, Jacob placed his wives and children in the order described; that, if
Esau should attempt anything hostile, the whole seed might not perish, but part
might have time for flight. The only thing which appears to be done by him out of
order is, that he prefers Rachel and her son Joseph to all the rest; whereas the
substance of the benediction is really in Judah. But his excuse in reference to Judah
is, that the oracle had not yet been revealed; nor, in fact, was made known till
shortly before his death, in order that he might become at once its witness and its
herald. Meanwhile, it is not to be denied, that he was excessively indulgent to
Rachel. It is, indeed, a proof of distinguished courage, that, from a desire to
preserve a part of his seed, he precedes his companies, and offers himself as a
victim, if necessity demanded it. For there is no doubt that the promise of God was
his authority and his guide in this design; nor would he have been able, unless
sustained by the contident expectation of celestial life, thus bravely to meet death. It
happens, indeed, sometimes, that a father, regardless of himself, will expose his life
to danger for his children: but holy Jacob’s reason was different; for the promise of
God was so deeply fixed in his mind, that he, disregarding the earth, looked up
towards heaven. But while he follows the word of God, yet by the affection of the
flesh, he is slightly drawn aside from the right way. For the faith of the holy fathers
was not so pure, in all respects, but that they were liable to swerve to one side or the
other. evertheless, the Spirit always so far prevailed, that the infirmity of the flesh
might not divert them from their aim, but that they might hold on their course. So
much the more ought every one of us to be suspicious of himself, lest he should deem
himself perfectly pure, because he intends to act rightly; for the flesh ever mingles
itself with our holy purpose, and many faults and corruptions steal in upon us. But
God deals kindly with us, and does not impute faults of this kind to us.
COFFMA , "It seems incredible that critics would attempt to split this chapter as
to its alleged sources, there being no rational basis whatever for it. If one should
accept the theory that the names for God are determinative, then the chapter clearly
belongs to the imaginary document "E"; but if one favors the dictum that "maid-
servant" is a Jehovist word, then it belongs to so-called "J." However, the chapter is
clearly a unit, demanding the conclusion reached by Aalders that, "neither of those
reasons for assigning a passage to a `source' carries any weight."[1] (See our
refutation of the whole documentary speculation in the Introduction.)

4. We have here the dramatic and beautiful reunion of the twin brothers Jacob and
Esau, whose lives were to figure so prominently in the history of human redemption.
The fears and apprehensions of Jacob had been somewhat allayed by the precious
experience at Peniel, or Penuel ("The latter being nothing more than an old form of
the same word"[2]). However, there appeared to remain a certain degree of
uncertainty as the meeting drew near.
"And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with
him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel,
and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children
foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost."
What was the reason for Jacob's arrangement of these divisions in his family,
divisions that surely separated them in the order of his love for them? Two reasons
have been suggested: (1) he did this to provide greater safety for Rachel and Joseph,
or (2) he had in mind the order of their being presented to Esau, intending to
present them in ascending climactic order. Either reason, or both, might easily have
motivated Jacob's action.
"With him four hundred men ..." Previously, we referred to these men as "armed,"
that being the almost unanimous opinion of scholars, but it should be pointed out
that the text does OT say that. And the widespread notion that Esau was
approaching Jacob with a "small army," intent on destroying him, is more
consistent with the guilty fears of Jacob than with anything in the Bible.
There is no evidence of this alleged hostility. There is no proof that the four hundred
men with Esau were armed. There is every proof that he acted toward his brother
with all openness and candor, and with such a forgetfulness of past injuries as none
but a great mind could have been capable of.[3]
Despite this, the question persists that, "If they were not armed, what were they
for?" They were not herdsmen, because the text makes it clear that they were
capable of swifter travel than was Jacob with his flocks. They were not members of
Esau's family, or else they would have been introduced as were Jacob's. Could they
have been some kind of a "welcoming committee" gathered by Esau to welcome his
long absent brother? We are left with the strong suspicion that, after all, they were
soldiers.
COKE, "Genesis 33:1. And Jacob lifted up, &c.— It is not said how long time after
the event recorded at the end of the former chapter it was that this interview
happened: Esau's behaviour is extremely affecting and tender; and the tears of love
which flowed from both the brothers' eyes do credit to their feelings. Esau's refusal
of the present shewed his freedom from covetousness; I have enough, said he,
Genesis 33:9. I have enough, answered Jacob, Genesis 33:11 all things needful for
me, Happy they whose desires are thus limited, who can say, I have enough!
TRAPP, "Genesis 33:1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau

5. came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and
unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
Ver. 1. He divided the children.] Carnal fear oft expels man’s wisdom, and leaves
him shiftless. But Jacob, after he had prayed and prevailed, was not so moped as not
to know what to do in that great danger: he masters his fears, and makes use of two
the likeliest means: (1.) The marshalling of his wives and children in best manner,
for the saving of the last, at least; (2.) The marching before them himself, and doing
low obeisance. So Esther, when she had prayed, resolved to venture to the king,
whatever came of it. And our Saviour, though before fearful, yet, after he had
prayed in the garden, goes forth and meets his enemies in the face, asking them,
"Whom seek ye?". [John 18:4] Great is the power of prayer to steel the heart
against whatsoever amazements.
PULPIT, "Genesis 33:1, Genesis 33:2
And Jacob, having the day before dispatched his conciliatory gift to Esau, turned
his back upon the Jabbok, having crossed to the south bank, if the previous night
had been spent upon its north side, passed over the rising ground of Peniel, and
advanced to meet his brother, richly laden with the heavenly blessing he had won in
his mysterious conflict with Elohim, and to all appearance free from those
paralyzing fears which, previous to the midnight struggle, the prospect of meeting
Esau had inspired. Having already prevailed with God, he had an inward
assurance, begotten by the words of his celestial antagonist, that he would likewise
prevail with man, and so he lifted up his eyes (vide on Genesis 13:10), and looked,
and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men (vide Genesis 32:6). And
he (i.e. Jacob) divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two
handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, thus omitting no wise precaution to insure safety for
at least a portion of his household, in case Esau should be still incensed and resolved
on a hostile attack. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and
Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost, as being most
beloved (Kalisch, Murphy, Lange, and others) or most beautiful (Bush).
CO STABLE 1-17, "Jacob arranged his family to preserve those who were most
precious to him if his brother proved to be violently hostile (Genesis 33:1-3).
"This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph
that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful
to the family to see that they were expendable." [ ote: The ET Bible note on 33:2.]
His going ahead of them to meet Esau shows the new Israel overcoming the fear that
had formerly dominated the old Jacob. His plan does not seem to me to reflect lack
of trust in God as much as carefulness and personal responsibility. However, Jacob
was obviously fearful and weak as he anticipated meeting his brother. Faith does
not mean trusting God to work for us in spite of our irresponsibility; that is
presumption. Faith means trusting God to work for us when we have acted
responsibly realizing that without His help we will fail. His insistence on giving
presents to Esau may have been an attempt to return to him the blessing that should

6. have been his, to undo his sins of earlier years (cf. Genesis 33:11). [ ote: Wenham,
Genesis 16-50, pp. 298-99.]
Jacob gave God the glory for giving him his family; he confessed that his family was
a gift from God (Genesis 33:4-5). This attitude is evidence of a basic change in
Jacob's approach to life. [ ote: For some interesting insights into eastern behavior
as reflected in Genesis 33:4, see Imad Shehadeh, "Contrasts between Eastern and
Western Cultures," Exegesis and Exposition 2:1 (Summer 1987):3-12.] Whereas he
had previously been dishonest and devious, now he was honest and forthright about
his intentions (Genesis 33:10).
" ow that they are reunited, Esau desires a fraternal relationship, but Jacob is
unable to move beyond a formal relationship.
"Only the restraining intervention of God kept Laban from retaliation against
Jacob (Genesis 31:24; Genesis 31:29). Esau is apparently in no need of a similar
divine check. His own good nature acts as a check on him. Since his rage and hate of
ch. 27, Esau himself has undergone his own transformation. o longer is he
controlled by vile passions." [ ote: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 345.]
"I see your face as one sees the face of God," means "I see in your face, as
expressive of your whole attitude toward me, the friendliness of God. I see this
friendliness demonstrated in His making you friendly toward me" (Genesis 33:10;
cf. 1 Samuel 29:9; 2 Samuel 14:17). Jacob had seen God's gracious face and had
been spared at Peniel, and he now saw Esau's gracious face and was spared.
Jacob's "language shows that he saw the two encounters with his Lord and his
brother, as two levels of a single event: cf. 10b with Genesis 32:30." [ ote: Kidner,
p. 171. Cf. von Rad, pp. 327-28.]
Jacob's reasons for declining Esau's offer of an escort evidently did not spring from
fear (Genesis 33:14-15). He gave a legitimate explanation of why it would be better
for him to travel separately: the condition of his animals. Jacob may have been
counting on God's protection and therefore felt no need of Esau's men. Alternatively
Jacob may have mistrusted Esau having been deceived himself and having been
deceptive. [ ote: von Rad, p. 328.] Still another view is that Jacob was returning to
the Promised Land on God's orders, and that did not include going to Seir. [ ote:
Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 299.]
His reference to visiting Esau in Seir (Genesis 33:14) does not mean that Jacob
planned to go directly to Seir, where he did not go immediately. He could have been
deceiving his brother again. Perhaps Jacob meant that he would visit his brother in
his own land in the future. Scripture does not record whether Jacob ever made such
a trip.
Jacob and his family settled first at Succoth ("Booths") east of the Jordan River
(Genesis 33:17). Evidently he lived there for some time since he built a house and
huts for his livestock.
This incident illustrates the truth of Proverbs 16:7, "When a man's ways are

7. pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."
"At almost every point in this story, Esau emerges as the more appealing, more
humane, and more virtuous of the two brothers." [ ote: Hamilton, The Book . . .
Chapters 18-50, p. 347.]
"This is only the second-and it is the last-conversation between Esau and Jacob
mentioned in Genesis. On the first occasion (Genesis 25:29-34) Esau failed to
perceive Jacob's capacity for exploitation. On the second occasion he fails to
perceive Jacob's hesitancy and lack of excitement about going to Seir. In both cases,
Jacob succeeds in deceiving Esau." [ ote: Ibid., p. 348.]
GRA T 1-20, "THE BROTHERS MEET AGAI
Jacob's trepidation is not eased when he sees that Esau has passed by all the droves
and is coming with his four hundred men to meet Jacob. He even divides his family
at this time, putting the maids and their children first, then Leah and her children,
followed by Rachel and Joseph, for whom he was plainly the most concerned (vs.1-
2).
ow he must meet Esau, and with a servility that is not becoming to a brother, he
bows himself seven times to the ground (v.3). Of course it was conscience and fear
that made him do this, but Esau had no such attitude. He ran to meet his brother,
embraced him and kissed him. Then both of them wept. Time had made a difference
with Esau particularly. What a relief for Jacob! Indeed, family feuds should never
be allowed to continue long without a reconciliation. Only an unusually hard heart
could maintain bitter rancor against a brother for long years.
Esau then needs an introduction to Jacob's wives and children and each in turn are
presented in the order that Jacob had previously arranged. Actually, if he had more
confidence in Esau, he would have presented Rachel and Joseph first, for they were
most important to him (vs.6-6). Then Esau asks the meaning of all the droves that he
met. Jacob does not conceal the fact that this was not a gift given because of his love
to his brother, but tells him honestly that he was giving them to him in order to find
favor from Esau, -- whom he calls "my lord" -- virtually as a bribe to secure his
good-will! (v.8).
But even Esau was not looking for any such thing: he tells him that he has enough,
therefore that Jacob should keep what belonged to him (v.9).
Jacob insists that, since Esau's attitude was favorable toward him, he wants Esau to
take his present. His words to Esau are far too flattering and exaggerated, when he
says that seeing Esau was like seeing the face of God (v.10). If this meeting had been
like his parting with Laban, he would not have spoken of Esau's face being like the
face of God. But he urges Esau to accept his gift, and Esau does so (v.11). Though
we read of Jacob giving this large gift to Esau, we never read of his keeping his
promise to give one tenth of his possessions to God!

8. ow that they have met on friendly terms, Esau proposes to Jacob that they travel
together to Seir, Esau going before (v.12), but Jacob replies, quite plausibly, that he
and his large company could not keep pace with Esau's four hundred men. The
flocks and herds with young must not be over driven, and his children also were
young. Therefore he asks that Esau go on and that he (Jacob) would proceed at a
slower pace to come to Esau's residence at Seir (vs.13-14). Jacob continues to call
Esau his "lord," but he had no intention of obeying Esau's will that he should go to
Seir, even though he told him he would do so. When Esau wants to leave some of his
company with Jacob to accompany him to Seir, Jacob only responds that there was
no need for this.
Why did Jacob not act in simplicity of faith? He could have simply told Esau the
truth, that God had directed him to return to Bethel. Was he afraid that Esau might
be put out by Jacob's not coming to visit with him at least? But would Esau not be
more put out by Jacob's deceiving him as he did?
Perhaps one reason for Jacob's deceit was that he was not prepared to fully obey
God at the time, for he did not continue to Bethel, but came as far as Succoth, where
he built a house and made shelters for his flock and herds (v.17). Rather than going
to Bethel (God's house) he built a house for himself. This was only half-way
obedience, and evidently it did not satisfy his own conscience, for he left all these
buildings behind and journeyed to Shalem, a city of Shechem. Shalem means
"peace," and Jacob was not at peace at Succoth, but finds it apparently at Shalem.
Shechem means "shoulder", and implies that peace cannot be enjoyed apart from
our taking responsibility on our shoulders. Here he does not build a house, but
pitches his tent. At least he seems to realize that, in being away from Bethel, he
should maintain pilgrim character.
Still, this was also only a half-way measure, and there he bought "a parcel of a
field," typical of "a part of the world," not a large part, but nevertheless involving
him in a compromise that brought some sad results, so that he actually paid far
more for this than only his hundred pieces of silver. He erected there an altar, but it
was not because of God's word he did so. He erected there an altar, but it was not
because of God's word he did so. God told him later to make an altar at Bethel. He
names this one at Shalem "El-Elohe-Israel," meaning "God, the God of Israel." For
it was still not god's honor primarily that he was seeking, but his own blessing. At
Bethel his altar's name was "El Bethel," "God of the house of God," for then he
finally learned that God's glory was more important than Jacob's blessing. God is
the God of His own house, not merely the God of Israel.
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him
The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau
I. IT ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHARACTERS OF THE TWO
BROTHERS.
1. Esau was generous and forgiving.

9. 2. In Jacob there are traces of his old subtlety.
II. IT ILLUSTRATES THE POWER OF HUMAN FORGIVENESS.
III. IT ILLUSTRATES THE TYRANNY OF OLD SINS. All was forgiven, but there was no
longer any confidence. So the effects of past sin remain.
IV. IT ILLUSTRATES THE POWER OF GODLINESS. Jacob’s humility before his
brother was but a sign of his humility before God. His satisfaction to Esau is a sign also
of his reconciliation with God. (T. H. Leale.)
The brothers reconciled
I. A RECONCILIATION AFTER A LONG SEPARATION,
II. A MOST DESIRABLE RECONCILIATION.
1. Because of the happiness of their aged parents.
2. On account of their own families.
3. On account of their own spiritual well-being.
III. A RECONCILIATION WHICH BROUGHT TO SIGHT THE BEST TRAITS OF
THEIR CHARACTER.
1. Prayerfulness.
2. Humility.
3. Disinterestedness. (Homilist.)
Forgiveness of injuries
1. The most obvious motive to forgive is the pleasure of forgiving and the pain of
resenting. Therefore, as the apostle says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand, we may say, Forgive, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Forgive while
forgiveness is worth having; forgive while there remains enough of life for the
renewal of kindness; forgive while you have something else to bestow on repentance
than lingering looks and faltering words. And what does this solemn Christian
injunction of forgiving do but eradicate from the mind the most painful and most
unquiet of all passions? What wretchedness to clamour out for ever, “I will pursue, I
will overtake; my right hand shall dash in pieces mine enemy”; to sacrifice all the
quiet happiness of life, to sicken on the bosom of joy, still, after the lapse of years, to
feel, to see, and to suffer with the freshness of yesterday; and in the midst of
blessings to exclaim, All this availeth me nothing while Mordecai, the Jew, sitteth at
the king’s gate.
2. Are we sure, too, that the cause of our resentment is just? Have we collected the
most ample evidence? Have we examined it with the closest attention? Have we
subjected it to impartial revision? Have we suspected our passions? Have we
questioned our self-love?
3. Men are so far, generally, from being ashamed of not forgiving injuries, that they
often glory in revenge; they believe it to be united with courage and with watchful,
dignified pride. Yet, after all, what talents or what virtue can an unforgiving

10. disposition possibly imply? Who is most likely longest to retain the sense of injured
dignity? He who has given no pledge to his fellow-creatures that he is good and
amiable? who does not feel that he is invulnerable? who is least fortified by a long
tenor of just intentions and wise actions? What man who had ever trodden one step
in the paths of religion would vex the sunshine of his existence with all the
inquietudes of resentment? would ingraft upon his life the labour of hating, and
hovel year after year over expiring injuries? Who is there that bears about him a
heart of flesh that would put away a brother or a friend who knelt to him for mercy?
4. Other men, who have no desire to be thought magnanimous because they revenge,
are still apprehensive of being considered as timid if they forgive and resent to
maintain a character for spirit; but it is certainly extremely possible to combine
temperate resistance to present injustice with a tendency to forgive what is past; to
be firm in the maintenance of just rights while we abstain from any greater injury to
our enemies than is necessary to maintain them, and hold ourselves ready for
forgiveness when they are maintained. (Sydney Smith, M. A.)
Needless fears
Now think, brethren, what a revulsion of feeling there would be in Jacob’s heart. He
would think, “Have I been all these years vexing myself for this!” Here was the thing, so
happy and pleasant and kindly when it came, that had many a time broken his night’s
rest at Haran just to think of it; that had been a dull gnawing at his heart, making him
uneasy and restless in cheerful company; that had been the drop of gall in every cup he
tasted—all these years! And one thing we may be almost sure of: that in all his picturing
out of this dreaded meeting, thinking of it as coming in twenty sad ways, if there was one
thing he never pictured out, it would be just the meeting as it actually came! The thing
you expect is, in this world, the last thing that is likely to befall you.
1. How needless are our fears! In how many cases we conjure up things to vex and
alarm us! For one-and-twenty years Jacob had kept himself unhappy through the
fear of a meeting which, when it came, proved one of the happiest things that ever
befell him in all his life. Now, have not you many a time looked forward with great
anxiety to something that was coming, and then, when it came, found that all your
anxiety had been perfectly needless? We all have it in our power to make ourselves
miserable if we look far into the years before us and calculate their probabilities of
evil, and steadily anticipate the worst. It is not expedient to calculate too far ahead.
Oh that we had all more faith, Christian friends, in God’s sure promise made to every
true Christian, that as the day, so shall the strength be! We have all known the
anticipated ills of life—the danger that looked so big, the duty that looked so
arduous, the entanglement that we could not see our way through prove to have been
nothing more than spectres on the horizon; and when at length we reached them, all
their difficulty had vanished into air, leaving us to think how foolish we had been for
having so needlessly set up phantoms to disturb our quiet. I remember well how a
good and able man, who died not long ago, told me many times of his fears as to
what he would do in a certain contingency which both he and I thought was quite
sure to come sooner or later. I know that the anticipation of it cost him some of the
most anxious hours of a very anxious, though useful, life. But his fears proved just as
vain as Jacob’s in the prospect of meeting Esau. He was taken from this world before
what he dreaded had cast its most distant shadow. God, in His own way, delivered
that man from the event he had feared. Some people are of an anxious, despondent

11. temperament, ready rather to anticipate evil than to look for good. But all of us,
brethren, need more faith in God. How comprehensive a prayer that is, asking so
much for time and for eternity, “Lord, increase our faith!” We bear a far heavier
burden than we need bear. If we had the faith which we ought to have, and which the
Holy Spirit is ready to work in us, we should cast all our care on God, who careth for
us.
2. In those seasons of anxiety and foreboding which, through our weak faith and our
remaining sinfulness, will come to us all, we should remember what Jacob did, and
where Jacob found relief. He turned to God in prayer. He went and told God all his
fear, and asked deliverance from God. And not once, but many times; through a long
night of terrible alarm and apprehension he wrestled in urgent prayer. And see what
he got by it. He got relief of heart, certainly: of that we are sure. Perhaps he got more.
We cannot say how far those prayers went to turn Esau’s heart, and to make him
meet Jacob in that kindly spirit. When we are overwhelmed, fearful, perplexed,
anxious, let us go to God, and humbly and earnestly tell Him all we are thinking and
fearing, and ask Him to deliver us and comfort us. “Call upon Me in the day of
trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” If ever there were words
confirmed by the experience of Christian people, you have them here. Perhaps our
prayer may cause the trouble we bear or we dread to go away. Perhaps the stroke
that seemed sure to fall may be withheld; perhaps the hope that seemed sure to be
blighted may be fulfilled after all: perhaps the blessing that seemed sure to be taken
away from us may be spared us yet. Perhaps, through our prayer, it may be with us
as it was with Jacob: when we come up to the time, the trial, the duty, we feared, we
may find that there is nothing about it to be afraid of. But our prayer may be
answered in a way that is better and happier still. It may please God to allow all that
we feared to befall us. It may please Him to disappoint the hope, to frustrate the
work, to continue the long disease, to bring the beloved one down to the grave; but
with all that to resign our heart, to make us humble and content, to sanctify the trial
to work in us a patience, a faith, a humility, a charity, a sympathy, that are worth, a
thousand times over, all worldly happiness and success. Oh what an attainment it is,
which Christians sometimes reach, to feel, if only for a little while, that our whole
heart’s wish is that our blessed Saviour’s will be done and His glory be advanced; and
that, as for us, we are content to go where He leads us, and to do and bear what He
sends, sure that the way by which He leads us is the right way, and that it will bring
us to our home at last! And prayer will bring us to this, if anything will. Do not, with
the gnawing anxiety at your heart, sit sullenly and try to bear your burden alone. Go
with a lowly heart and roll your burden on the strong arm of God Almighty! Oh how
it will lighten your heart to tell Him, simply, all your fears! You will come back, like
Jacob, from your Saviour’s footstool, calmed and cheered. And even if the stroke
should fall, even if we come out of our trial somewhat stricken and subdued, not
quite the people we were—as Jacob came lamed from that long night of prevailing
prayer—we shall be thankful and content if the stroke be sanctified to us: as he (we
may be sure) would never murmur as he halted on through life. One word to prevent
misapprehension. All this peace and hope is spoken only to Christian people. “There
is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked,” or to any who have no part in Christ. We
can speak no comfort to such in their fears. There is too good reason for that dull
foreboding of evil they bear through life. Their fears are not needless. (A. K. H. Boyd,
D. D.)

12. The brothers reconciled
I. THE APPROACH OF THE BROTHERS.
1. Of Esau. At the head of four hundred armed men. Probably at the first meditating
revenge, or to make a great display of his power. But Jacob was a man of prayer. Had
often asked God to guard and keep him. Had the night before this meeting so
mightily prevailed in prayer that his name had been altered. In answer to the prayers
of Jacob, the revengeful feelings of Esau depart. As he draws nigh, Esau feels his
heart drawn out in love towards his brother.
2. Of Jacob. Full of hope and confidence. Lame, and yet strong. He is now the
prevailer. The sun shining upon him, and, better still, God lifts upon him the light of
His countenance. He had sent forward the present, and now places himself in
advance of all the rest. He—the prevailer—does not fear to meet the first storm of his
brother’s rage.
II. RECONCILIATION OF THE BROTHERS. Esau, the offended and injured, instead of
taking vengeance on Jacob, having his heart softened by the grace of God, runs towards
Jacob. Does not proudly wait for Jacob to approach, and then upbraid him for his past
conduct. Ran towards him. Then spoke not a single word. Could not. Too full of joy at
once more meeting his long-lost brother. They throw themselves in one another’s arms.
The kiss of reconciliation. Tears of joy, gratitude. Tears too, it may be, of penitence on
both sides. Each needed to be forgiven by the other. Each had done wrong. Jacob, in that
he had deprived his brother of the birthright and the blessing; and Esau, in that he had
left his father’s house, and harboured wrong feelings against his brother, and been the
cause of his long exile. Persons offended with each other have often much need of each
other’s forgiveness. The pardon should be on both sides. He who forgives should also
seek forgiveness.
III. THE CONDUCT OF THE BROTHERS.
1. Of Jacob. He entreats Esau to accept his present. Will take no denial. Thus shows
the sincerity of his affection. Is unwilling that Esau should at all go out of his way to
guard him. Has sufficient trust in God alone.
2. Of Esau. At length, to please his brother, accepts the present he makes. It is often
as kind to accept as to make a present. He kindly received the wives and children of
Jacob. Goes on the way before Jacob to make the way clear. Acts as his brother’s
guide and vanguard. Shows his forgiveness by deeds as well as by words. Without
practical kindness words are “sounding brass,” &c.
Learn:
1. In all angry partings, remember that a future meeting will come.
2. God can still the raging of the fiercest storm of passion and revenge.
3. The reconciliation of brethren, a fit and beautiful sight.
4. We have all sinned against God, and need His forgiveness.
5. By causing Esau to forgive his brother, God shows how ready He is to forgive us.
6. Our elder Brother, Jesus, has obtained a full pardon for us. (J. C. Gray.)

13. The contrast
Reposing, therefore, with confidence on the promised protection of his God, Jacob
crossed the brook at sunrise, and, rejoining his family, went calmly on his way. A short
time appears to have brought on the crisis of his trial: “Jacob lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men.” It is not difficult to
conceive the rush of contending feelings that would agitate his breast when the hostile
party came in sight; nor to imagine to what a height the tumult of his thoughts would
increase as the two bands approached each other. Grace does not make us stoics. It
controls and regulates the natural affections by subordinating them to higher principles;
but men of the warmest piety, while they are preserved from an exuberant and
inordinate indulgence of the affections, are generally possessed of the most tender and
benevolent spirit. Excessive natural affection is a common, and in no respects a
sublimated, feeling. But the leading point on which I wish at this time to fix your
attention is the manifest superiority of character discoverable in Jacob when compared
with his elder brother—a superiority evidently not arising from superior intellect or
other natural advantages, but originating in his religious principles and habits. A fair
and unprejudiced examination of the case before us will show that the godly man, the
faithful servant of God through Jesus Christ, has a superiority of character to other men,
both in principle and in practice.
1. He possesses a superiority of principle. To examine this more closely—
(1) The first idea included in this conviction is the sense of demerit. “Gracious
dealing” implies undeserved kindness on the part of God, and, consequently,
defect and demerit on the part of His creature. And where such convictions
dwell, it is impossible but that the individual must view the actions and thoughts
of any one day of his life with abhorrence, and the dealings of God with him,
from first to last, as characterized only by grace and long-suffering mercy.
(2) Such a conviction includes the idea of a review of God’s mercies to the soul.
“God has dealt graciously with me.”
(3) But to the lively recollection in the Christian’s mind of God’s merciful
dealings with him we must add the grateful acknowledgment of them. The
undeserved kindness of God throughout a whole life, manifested in an infinite
variety of necessities and trials, cannot pass in review before the mind without
emotion.
(4) This is an habitual feeling. It is not a cold philosophical speculation. It is not
a rational deduction that because God is great and we are less than nothing,
therefore we, of course, must be indebted to Him, and therefore we are; but it is
the emotional, affectionate consciousness of obligation. And it will be invariably
found that this is the character of true piety; that there is this living and
influential sense of the mercy of God; and that this it is, especially, which, coming
into play continually as the leading principle of action, does make its possessor a
far superior character to those who are merely left to have their conduct
regulated by the operation of natural principles and affections. This will become
more evident as we proceed to notice—
2. The superiority of the religious man’s conduct as originating in this principle. A
principle so powerful could not be in action without producing very manifest results.
Nor is it; for the man who truly believes the redemption of the gospel “lives no longer
to himself, but unto Him who died for him.” We do not say that there is no virtue
among men without the influence of revealed religion. All the virtues of the natural

14. character are of a much lower origin. They are spurious and defective in the motive
and principle from which they spring. They are frequently constitutional. Taken,
however, at their highest point, such manifestations of virtuous principle are fleeting
and uncertain. Let us notice, by way of illustration, the two instances of moral virtue
which arise out of the present event of Jacob’s life—those of content and liberality.
(1) Content. There are many persons who are tolerably satisfied with their
condition. They are not always repining or envying. They are at rest, because they
do not think; because they are well assured that they cannot alter them if they
would; and they call this content. “I have enough.” But how different is all this
from that Christian content which originates, not in carelessness or sensual
indifference, but in a calm, extended, fair, and manly view of the whole
circumstances of the case. “Yea, God hath dealt graciously with me, and I have
enough.” This indicates no listless inattention to the real state of things, no
reckless indifference, no resolute insusceptibility; but it is peace in the midst of,
and in the calm contemplation of, every vicissitude.
(2) Again, if we look to the virtue of liberality, as it is exhibited in Jacob, it differs
from the liberality of the men of the world.
Let us now endeavour to draw some plain practical instructions from the whole.
1. In the first place, it will be evident where we must look for the spring of superior
virtue; not in the spontaneous emotions of a man’s own heart, not in the strong
stimulus of occasional circumstances, not in the influence of human opinion, not in
the rewarded efforts of heroic resolution, but in the right appreciation of a dying
Saviour’s love. All other principles will fail in their own time and way.
2. Observe, this contrast of the character of Esau and Jacob will enable men of
excellent moral habits to discriminate between the virtue of habit and the virtue of
principle.
3. This subject speaks with peculiar force to the covetous man. True Christianity
imparts, in a high degree, the graces of content and liberality. A greedy pursuit of
gain is utterly inconsistent with the self-denying spirit of the gospel. This alone ought
to be felt as a cutting rebuke for the love of money. (E. Craig.)
The reconciliation
I. THE FRIENDLY MEETING.
II. THE PRUDENT SEPARATION. Perhaps Jacob was still a little afraid of the
impetuosity of his brother. But the deepest reason why Jacob politely declined Esau’s
offer of help and companionship was, we may well believe, a religious one. He saw that
the aims which Esau would have in view and the habits of Esau’s life would not suit what
he (Jacob) wished to keep in mind and do. Besides, he felt that God intended him to
keep apart from his brother, and to train his family in the special knowledge of the
covenant with Abraham, and of all the promises which God had given. “Can two walk
together, except they be agreed?”
III. THE MEMORIAL OF GRATITUDE. Implying—
1. Thankfulness. God had enriched, guided, defended, comforted him.
2. Faith. Jacob would trust and worship God.

15. 3. Hope. God, who had blessed him hitherto, would help him now and in his further
career. (W. S. Smith, B. D.)
Needlessness of anxiety
The present was quite unnecessary; the plan useless. God “appeased” Esau, as He had
already appeased Laban. Thus it is He ever delights to rebuke our poor, coward,
unbelieving hearts, and put to flight all our fears, Instead of the dreaded sword of Esau,
Jacob meets his embrace and kiss; instead of strife and conflict, they mingle their tears.
Such are God’s ways. Who would not trust Him? Who would not honour Him with the
heart’s fullest confidence? Why is it that, notwithstanding all the sweet evidence of His
faithfulness to those who put their trust in Him, we are so ready, on every fresh
occasion, to doubt and hesitate? The answer is simple, we are not sufficiently acquainted
with God. “Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace” (Job_22:21). This is true,
whether in reference to the unconverted sinner or to the child of God. The true
knowledge of God, real acquaintance with Him, is life and peace. (C. H. M.)
Lessons
1. God’s promise falls not short in making men yield to His saints.
2. Where God moveth, even wicked men will make speed and run to show kindness
to His servants.
3. The hardest hearts melt in affection when God toucheth them.
4. When men please God, enemies are made friends to them (Pro_16:7).
5. Where greatest danger is feared, God turns it to greatest love.
6. It is natural for brethren, good and bad, to melt in tears upon providential turns
and meetings (Gen_33:4). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Lessons
1. Brotherly respect unto brethren will work kind inquisition after their relations.
2. Love makes queries to know such relations as are to be beloved.
3. Truth, piety, and humility become all the answers to be made unto queries of love
by God’s servants.
4. Children are to be acknowledged the fruit of God’s mercy and goodness to His
(Psa_127:3).
5. The anger of enraged men is turned into love and tenderness best by self-denying
submission. The reed overcomes the wind by yielding; the oaks fall by resisting
(Gen_33:5).
6. It becometh family relations to keep order designed by their head.
7. Orderly approach and submission is the way to gain acceptance with great men.
8. Providence works by motions of creatures to turn hearts from fury to love (Gen_

16. 33:6-7). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
The reconciliation of Esau and Jacob
1. Brotherly love is a precious thing; let it be guarded well. Be just, and true, and kind
to one another; and let a spirit of forbearance and forgiveness prevail.
2. We see here a striking example of prayer. Wrong as Jacob had been before, he was
right in this.
3. Jacob sets us an example also of wisdom and prudence. He prayed; yet he used all
the means in his power.
4. The very word reconciliation cannot but remind us of the great reconciliation—
that between the sinner and God. If God, in answer to prayer, disposed Esau to be
reconciled to his brother, surely He Himself will not refuse pardon, reconciliation,
and acceptance to one who has offended Him.
5. God will give His Holy Spirit to those that ask Him; and in this office, among
others, as the spirit of peace. He will help those of one family to live together in
peace, to bear and forbear, to love as brethren. Nay, more: He can, by the same
mighty influence, create a new heart in those who have as yet been far from Him. (F.
Bourdillon.)
K&D 1-4, "Meeting with Esau. - As Jacob went forward, he saw Esau coming to meet
him with his 400 mean. He then arranged his wives and children in such a manner, that
the maids with their children went first, Leah with hers in the middle, and Rachel with
Joseph behind, thus forming a long procession. But he himself went in front, and met
Esau with sevenfold obeisance. ‫ה‬ ָ‫צ‬ ְ‫ר‬ፍ ‫חוּ‬ ַ ְ‫שׁ‬ִ‫י‬ does not denote complete prostration, like
‫ה‬ ָ‫צ‬ ְ‫ר‬ፍ ‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ַ ፍ in Gen_19:1, but a deep Oriental bow, in which the head approaches the
ground, but does not touch it. By this manifestation of deep reverence, Jacob hoped to
win his brother's heart. He humbled himself before him as the elder, with the feeling
that he had formerly sinned against him. Esau, on the other hand, “had a comparatively
better, but not so tender a conscience.” At the sight of Jacob he was carried away by the
natural feelings of brotherly affection, and running up to him, embraced him, fell on his
neck, and kissed him; and they both wept. The puncta extraordinaria above ‫הוּ‬ ֵ‫ק‬ ָ ִ‫י‬ are
probably intended to mark the word as suspicious. They “are like a note of interrogation,
questioning the genuineness of this kiss; but without any reason” (Del.). Even if there
was still some malice in Esau's heart, it was overcome by the humility with which his
brother met him, so that he allowed free course to the generous emotions of his heart; all
the more, because the “roving life” which suited his nature had procured him such
wealth and power, that he was quite equal to his brother in earthly possessions.

17. 2 He put the female servants and their children in
front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and
Joseph in the rear.
CLARKE, "He put the handmaids and their children foremost - There is
something so artificial in this arrangement of Jacob’s family, that it must have had some
peculiar design. Was Jacob still apprehensive of danger, and put those foremost whom
he least esteemed, that if the foremost met with any evil, those who were behind might
escape on their swift beasts? Gen_32:7, Gen_32:8. Or did he intend to keep his choicest
treasure to the last, and exhibit his beautiful Rachel and favourite Joseph after Esau had
seen all the rest, in order to make the deeper impression on his mind?
GILL, "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.
BE SO , "Genesis 33:2-3. He put Rachel and Joseph hinder-most — Giving those
that were dearest to him most opportunity to escape. He passed over before them —
Exposing himself to the first and greatest danger for the security of his wives and
children. He bowed himself to the ground — Thus doing obeisance to Esau as an
elder brother, though he feared him as an enemy.
KRETZMA , "v. 2. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and
Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. The division of the
caravan was care fully planned. Jacob "himself, as the head of the family, as its
protector and representative, takes the lead; then follow the handmaids with their
children; then Leah with hers; and at last, Rachel with Joseph. This inverted order,
by which the most loved came last, is not merely chosen from a careful and wise
prudence, but at the same time the free expression of the place which they occupied
in his affections. "

18. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to
the ground seven times as he approached his
brother.
GILL, "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.
HE RY, "III. At their meeting, the expressions of kindness were interchanged in the
best manner that could be between them.
1. Jacob bowed to Esau, Gen_33:3. Though he feared Esau as an enemy, yet he did
obeisance to him as an elder brother, knowing and remembering perhaps that when
Abel was preferred in God's acceptance before his elder brother Cain, yet God undertook
for him to Cain that he should not be wanting in the duty and respect owing by a
younger brother. Unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him, Gen_4:7.
Note, (1.) The way to recover peace where it has been broken is to do our duty, and pay
our respects, upon all occasions, as if it had never been broken. It is the remembering
and repeating of matters that separates friends and perpetuates the separation. (2.) A
humble submissive carriage goes a great way towards the turning away of wrath. Many
preserve themselves by humbling themselves: the bullet flies over him that stoops.
JAMIESO , "he bowed himself ... seven times — The manner of doing this is by
looking towards a superior and bowing with the upper part of the body brought parallel
to the ground, then advancing a few steps and bowing again, and repeating his obeisance
till, at the seventh time, the suppliant stands in the immediate presence of his superior.
The members of his family did the same. This was a token of profound respect, and,
though very marked, it would appear natural; for Esau being the elder brother, was,
according to the custom of the East, entitled to respectful treatment from his younger
brother. His attendants would be struck by it, and according to Eastern habits, would
magnify it in the hearing of their master.

19. CALVI , "3.And bowed himself to the ground seven times. This, indeed, he might
do for the sake of giving honor: for we know that the people of the east are addicted
to far more ceremonies than are in use with us. To me, however, it seems more
probable, that Jacob did not pay this honor simply to his brother, but that he
worshipped God, partly to give him thanks, and partly to implore him to render his
brother propitious; for he is said to have bowed down seven times before he
approached his brother. Therefore, before he came in sight of his brother, he had
already given the token of reverence or worship. Hence we may conjecture, as I
have said, that this homage was paid to God and not to man: yet this is not at
variance with the fact, that he also approached as a suppliant, for the purpose of
assuaging his brother’s ferocity by his humiliation. (112) If any one object, that in
this manner he depreciated his right of primogeniture; the answer is easy, that the
holy man, by the eyes of faith, was looking higher; for he knew that the effect of the
benediction was deferred to its proper season, and was, therefore, now like the
decaying seed under the earth. Therefore, although he was despoiled of his
patrimony, and lay contemptible at his brother’s feet; yet since he knew that his
birthright was secured to him, he was contented with this latent right, counted
honors and riches as nothing, and did not shrink from being regarded as an inferior
in the presence of his brother.
COFFMA , ""Bowed ... seven times ..." The manner of this was, "not in immediate
succession, but bowing and advancing, until he came near his brother."[4] Willis
summarizes the steps that each brother took in the reconciliation:
JACOB: (1) he bowed before him seven times (Genesis 33:3); (2) he called himself
Esau's servant twice (Genesis 33:5,14); (3) referred to Esau as his "lord" four times
(Genesis 33:8,13,14); (4) dispatched ahead of time a most impressive present; (5)
insisted that Esau keep it (Genesis 33:8-11); and (6) declared that seeing Esau's face
was like seeing the face of God (Genesis 33:10).
ESAU: (1) came with a company to welcome Jacob; (2) ran to meet him; (3)
embraced him; (4) fell on his neck; (5) kissed him; (6) invited Jacob to keep the
present; (7) offered to accompany him; (8) offered to leave a guard to protect him;
(9) addressed him as "my brother" (Genesis 33:9); and (10) graciously accepted the
present, which in the customs of the day amounted to a pact of friendship.[5]
In view of the above, we cannot accept Skinner's declaration that, "Esau's intention
was hostile, and Jacob gained a diplomatic victory over him."[6] It need not be
thought that Jacob's bowing to Esau, calling him "lord," and referring to himself as
"thy servant," etc., was in any manner a renunciation on Jacob's part of the
preeminence that God had given him in the matter of the covenant people. Such
effusive actions on Jacob's part were merely in keeping with the customs of the day
usually followed when one approached and addressed a powerful leader, or ruler.
In thus recognizing Esau, we may be sure that Jacob pleased him. The Tel el-
Amarna tablets, dated in the fourteenth century B.C., record that, "One

20. approaching a king always bowed seven times in so doing."[7]
Aalders apparently gave the correct analysis of this meeting, writing that, "Esau's
hostility had vanished; that `army' of four hundred men had no hostile intention; all
that Esau had in mind was to provide a display of his own success."[8]
"And he kissed him ..." "In the Masoretic Bibles, each letter is noted with a point
over it to make it emphatic."[9] So much for the fact. The conclusions that scholars
draw from this fact, however, are amazingly opposed. Clarke thought that they thus
emphasized this passage to "show the change that had taken place in Esau, and to
stress the sincerity with which he greeted Jacob."[10] Keil interpreted the points as
"marking the passage suspicious"![11] Our conclusion should be that it is
precarious to formulate an interpretation based upon such a thing. That Esau really
forgave Jacob seems too obvious to deny, and we agree with Francisco that, "Such
forgiveness is hardly a possible virtue without the providence of God."[12] Thus, we
must conclude that God had been working on Esau as well as upon Jacob during the
intervening twenty years of their long separation.
TRAPP, "Ver. 3. And he passed over before them.] As a good captain and shepherd,
ready to be sacrificed for the safety of his charge. So the Captain of our salvation,
the Arch-shepherd, Christ. So should the under-shepherds, the captains, as
ministers are called, fight in the front, and bear the brunt of the battle, "not loving
their lives unto the death, so they may finish their course with joy," [Acts 20:24] de
scuto magis quam de vita solliciti, as Epaminondas. The diamond in the priests’
breastplate showed what should be their hardness and hardiness, for the people’s
welfare.
ELLICOTT, "(3) He passed over before them.—While providing some small chance
of escape for his wives and children, arranged according to their rank, Jacob
manfully went first and placed himself entirely in Esau’s power. He endeavoured,
nevertheless, by his sevenfold obeisance in acknowledgment of Esau’s superiority, to
propitiate him; for the cause of the quarrel had been Jacob’s usurpation of Esau’s
right of precedence as the first born. This bowing in the East is made by bending the
body forward with the arms crossed, and the right hand held over the heart.
KRETZMA , "v. 3. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the
ground seven times, in the Oriental manner, in which men stoop over forward until
their forehead practically touches the ground, a sign of the deepest reverence, until
he came near to his brother. The six fold repetition of the deep obeisance was a form
of humiliation which indicated that he wanted to atone fully for any offense against
his brother Esau, that he was willing to show him the utmost reverence.
PETT, "Jacob Meets With His Brother Esau (Genesis 32:3 to Genesis 33:17).
This section is built around two covenants. The covenant made with God at Peniel
and the covenant of peace made between Esau and Jacob. It is probable that the
covenant with God was the central one. But Jacob being a careful man (compare

21. Genesis 25:33 and the passage built around it) would certainly want on record the
details of his covenant of peace with Esau.
Even after so long a time Jacob is wary of his brother Esau. He does not know what
fate Esau plans for him nor what will be his reaction to his return. But we note that
he is aware of his brother’s whereabouts. He has clearly kept in touch with his
family who have kept him informed.
For Esau, recognising that he now had no part in the rulership of the family tribe
(27:39-40), had aligned himself by marriage with the confederate tribes of Ishmael
(Genesis 28:9). He moved to the desert region and there built up his own tribe, no
doubt with Ishmael’s assistance and had thus became a minor ruler over a band of
warriors with whom he lived out the active life that he had always desired. With
their assistance he was able to build up his wealth. Many rich caravans would pass
near their territory on the King’s Highway (see umbers 20:14-21) which by one
means or another would contribute to their treasury (either by toll or by robbery)
and they necessarily built up flocks and herds for their own survival.
Eventually they would gain ascendancy over neighbouring peoples until the land
becomes known as the land of Edom (Genesis 36:16-17; Genesis 36:21; Genesis
36:31) i.e. of Esau (Genesis 25:30; Genesis 36:1; Genesis 36:19; Genesis 36:43),
although originally called the land of Seir (here and Genesis 37:30). The latter name
is connected with the Horites who originally lived there (Genesis 36:20) who were
clearly absorbed into the clan or confederacy.
Verse 3
‘And he himself went before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times
until he came near to his brother.’
Bowing seven times was reserved for extremely important people who demanded
great subservience. The petty princes of Palestine ‘bowed seven times’ to Pharaoh in
the Amarna letters (14th century BC). Usually a single bow would be given (Genesis
18:2; Genesis 19:1). Jacob was giving Esau royal treatment.
ISBET, "A HAPPY REU IO
‘He came near to his brother.’
Genesis 33:3
Here is one of the affecting scenes in which Scripture abounds, the stalwart hunter
rushing into his brother’s arms, and kissing him, and both weeping at such a
meeting after a separation of twenty years. Cf. the demonstrations of affection
between Joseph and Benjamin, David and Jonathan, the prodigal and his father.
I. Jacob’s piety is manifested in his recognition of God’s goodness.—The name of
God does not once, in the whole Scripture record, issue from Esau’s lips, whereas
Jacob distinctly avers here again that God has been the source of his prosperity,
‘because God hath dealt graciously with me’ (ver. 11). This is the clue to the
difference in the characters of the brothers, and to the different blessings and
Scriptural eminence accorded them. Speak of the propriety of acknowledging God’s

22. hand in all events.
II. In the reconcilement of his brother Jacob sees a fulfilment of the Angel’s
promise.—Esau’s face reflects the ‘face of God,’ by whose interposition and favour
such amicable relations were reestablished. Conquering in the determination to
secure God’s blessing, Jacob conquered in the trial that succeeded. This seems the
meaning of verse 10. Compare it with verses 28 and 30 of chapter 32. ‘A brother
offended is harder to be won than a strong city,’ but Jacob, the Divinely-benisoned
man, stormed with success the heart’s citadel.
III. The acceptance of the present was a pledge of complete reconciliation.—An act
of hostility would then be a gross breach of Oriental etiquette. ‘A gift is as a
precious stone (stone of grace) in the eyes of him that hath it.’ ‘A gift in secret
pacifieth anger.’ To return thanks ‘unto God for His unspeakable gift,’ is to be
reconciled unto Him thereby, and to have in Jesus Christ a ‘propitiation for sin.’
IV. But Jacob was too rash in promising.—‘Pass on ahead,’ said he, ‘and let me be,
and I will come unto my Lord at Seir’ (ver. 14). Well, we read that Jacob came by
and bye to Succoth, and afterwards he came in peace to Shechem, and there he
pitched his tent and built his altar; but unto Mount Seir, with its jagged rocks and
cliffs, and its stunted bushes and its straggling trees, there is no trace that Jacob
ever came. o doubt he fully intended to go there; the promise was uttered in
genuine good faith, but like many another promise, given in a glowing hour, the
days passed by and it was not redeemed. ote the truthfulness of Scripture in never
ignoring the failures of its heroes. The Bible would long since have been a forgotten
book, if it had portrayed its leading actors as immaculate. There are few things so
morally important as the habit of always living within our word. Jacob did not do
that, but Jesus did. The performance of Jesus always excelled the promise. And
while we thank God for all that He wrought through Jacob, and are the wiser and
better for being in his company, we thank Him still more that it is another Prince in
whose footsteps we are called to follow.
Illustration
(1) ‘There are many things in life worse in the anticipation than in the reality. We
cannot expect deliverances to happen unless we are right with God. There must
have been the meeting with God by the Jabbok ford in the evening if there shall be
the affectionate embrace between the brothers on the coming day. Our ways must
please the Lord before we can expect Him to make even our enemies to be at peace
with us. We must have power with God before we can have power with man and
prevail. Too often we allow our peace to be broken by taking up weapons in our
own defence. We run hither and thither in agitation and alarm. But there is a more
excellent way—that of leaving the entire burden of dealing with our assailants in the
hands of God. He is best able to vindicate us. Commit yourselves to Him that
judgeth righteously. Fret not to do evil; and you will find that He who guides the
course of streams and rivers can so affect the thought and heart that He will make
“Esau” whom you dread one who will be willing to defend and succour you.’

23. (2) ‘Why do I not fear to meet my brother men? Have I not wronged them? In what
I have failed to do, if not in what I have done. Let me not blame Jacob. Let me
rather pray for a conscience as sensitive as his, and as righteous a fear of
retribution! And, O God, let me be to-day a true brother to men!’
PULPIT, "And he (the introduction of the pronoun giving emphasis to the
statement) passed over before them (i.e. passed on in front of them, thus
chivalrously putting himself in the place of danger), and bowed himself to the
ground—not completely prostrating the body, as Abraham did in Genesis 19:1, but
bending forward till the upper part of it became parallel with the ground, a mode of
expressing deep reverence and respect, which may be seen to life in Oriental
countries at the p, resent day—seven times (not in immediate succession, but bowing
and advancing), until he came near to his brother. The conduct of Jacob was
dictated neither by artful hypocrisy nor by unmanly timidity; but by true politeness
and a sincere desire to conciliate. And as such it was accepted by Esau, who ran to
meet him, and, his better feelings kindling at the sight of his long-absent brother,
embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him—as Joseph afterwards did to
Benjamin (Genesis 45:14, Genesis 45:15), though the puncta extraordinaria of the
Masorites over the word "kissed" seem to indicate either that in their judgment
Esau was incapable of such fraternal affection (Delitzsch, Kalisch), or that the word
was suspicious, Origen appearing not to have found it in his codices (Rosenmüller,
Keil), unless indeed the conjecture be correct that the word was marked to draw
attention to the power of God's grace in changing Esau's heart (Ainsworth). And
they wept—the LXX. adding both. "All this is beautiful, natural, Oriental".
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him;
he threw his arms around his neck and kissed
him. And they wept.
CLARKE, "Esau ran to meet him - How sincere and genuine is this conduct of
Esau, and at the same time how magnanimous! He had buried all his resentment, and
forgotten all his injuries; and receives his brother with the strongest demonstrations, not
only of forgiveness, but of fraternal affection.
And kissed him - ‫וישקהו‬ vaiyishshakehu. In the Masoretic Bibles each letter of this
word is noted with a point over it to make it emphatic. And by this kind of notation the
rabbins wished to draw the attention of the reader to the change that had taken place in
Esau, and the sincerity with which he received his brother Jacob. A Hindoo when he
meets a friend after absence throws his arms round him, and his head across his

24. shoulders, twice over the right shoulder and once over the left, with other ceremonies
according to the rank of the parties.
GILL, "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, Luk_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 writers (n) 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.
HE RY, "2. Esau embraced Jacob (Gen_33:4): He ran to meet him, not in passion,
but in love; and, as one heartily reconciled to him, he received him with all the
endearments imaginable, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him. Some think
that when Esau came out to meet Jacob it was with no bad design, but that he brought
his 400 men only for state, that he might pay so much the greater respect to his
returning brother. It is certain that Jacob understood the report of his messengers
otherwise, Gen_32:5, Gen_32:6. Jacob was a man of prudence and fortitude, and we
cannot suppose him to admit of a groundless fear to such a degree as he did this, nor
that the Spirit of God would stir him up to pray such a prayer as he did for deliverance
from a merely imaginary danger: and, if there was not some wonderful change wrought
upon the spirit of Esau at this time, I see not how wrestling Jacob could be said to obtain
such power with men as to denominate him a prince. Note, (1.) God had the hearts of all
men in his hands, and can turn them when and how he pleases, by a secret, silent, but
resistless power. He can, of a sudden, convert enemies into friends, as he did two Sauls,

25. one by restraining grace (1Sa_26:21, 1Sa_26:25), the other by renewing grace, Act_9:21,
Act_9:22. (2.) It is not in vain to trust in God, and to call upon him in the day of trouble;
those that do so often find the issue much better than they expected.
3. They both wept. Jacob wept for joy, to be thus kindly received by his brother whom
he had feared; and Esau perhaps wept for grief and shame, to think of the bad design he
had conceived against his brother, which he found himself strangely and unaccountably
prevented from executing.
JAMIESO , "Esau ran to meet him — What a sudden and surprising change!
Whether the sight of the princely present and the profound homage of Jacob had
produced this effect, or it proceeded from the impulsive character of Esau, the cherished
enmity of twenty years in a moment disappeared; the weapons of war were laid aside,
and the warmest tokens of mutual affection reciprocated between the brothers. But
doubtless, the efficient cause was the secret, subduing influence of grace (Pro_21:1),
which converted Esau from an enemy into a friend.
HAWKER, "See what grace can accomplish! Read that Scripture, Pro_16:7.
CALVI , "4.And Esau ran to meet him. That Esau meets his brother with
unexpected benevolence and kindness, is the effect of the special favor of God.
Therefore, by this method, God proved that he has the hearts of men in his hand, to
soften their hardness, and to mitigate their cruelty as often as he pleases: in short,
that he tames them as wild beasts are wont to be tamed; and then, that he hearkened
to the prayers of his servant Jacob. Wherefore, if at any time the threats of enemies
alarm us, let us learn to resort to this sacred anchor. God, indeed, works in various
ways, and does not always incline cruel minds to humanity; but, while they rage, he
restrains them from doing harm by his own power: but if it is right, he can as easily
render them placable towards us; and we here see that Esau became so towards his
brother Jacob. It is also possible, that even while cruelty was pent up within, the
feeling of humanity may have had a temporary ascendancy. And as we see that the
Egyptians were constrained, for a moment, to the exercise of humanity, although
they were rendered nothing better than before, as their madness, which soon
afterwards broke out, bears witness: so it is credible that the malice of Esau was
now under constraint; and not only so, but that his mind was divinely moved to put
on fraternal affection. For even in the reprobate, God’s established order of nature
prevails, not indeed in an even tenor, but as far as he restrains them, to the end that
they may not mingle all things in one common slaughter. And this is most necessary
for the preservation of the human race. For few are so governed by the spirit of
adoption, as sincerely to cultivate mutual charity among themselves, as brethren.
Therefore, that men spare each other, and do not furiously rush on each other’s
destruction, arises from no other cause than the secret providence of God, which
watches for the protection of mankind. But to God the life of his own faithful people
is still more precious, so that he vouchsafes to them peculiar care. Wherefore it is no
wonder, that for the sake of his servant Jacob, he should have composed the fierce
mind of Esau to gentleness.

26. BE SO , "Genesis 33:4. Esau ran to meet him — ot in anger, but in love: so
wonderfully and suddenly had God, who hath the hearts of all men in his hands,
and can turn them when and how he pleases, changed his heart; and of an
implacable enemy, made him a kind and affectionate friend! Embraced him, fell on
his neck, and kissed him — God is the God of nature, and to be without natural
affection is to be without God. They wept — Jacob wept for joy to be thus kindly
received; Esau, perhaps, with grief and shame, to think of the ill design he had
conceived against his brother.
COKE, "Genesis 33:4. Embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him— They
who are more intimately acquainted, or of equal age or dignity, among the Easterns,
mutually kiss the hand, the head, or shoulder of each other. Dr. Shaw, in his learned
Observations on Scripture, p. 237, has not applied this observation to any passage in
the Bible; but it cannot be amiss to remark that such passages as, like the present,
speak of falling on the neck and kissing a person, seem to have a reference to the
eastern way of kissing the shoulder in an embrace; although in the present case it is
evident there was much more than bare ceremony. See ch. Genesis 45:14. Acts
20:37. Luke 15:20.
TRAPP, "Ver. 4. And kissed him.] The word kissed hath a prick over every letter in
the original: to note, say the Hebrew doctors, that this was a false and hypocritical
kiss, a Judas-kiss. {Hebrew Text ote} Kαταφιλειν ου εστι φιλειν, saith Philo: Amos
non semper est in osculo. But our interpreters are agreed that this kiss was a sign
that his heart was changed from his former hatred, (a) and that those extraordinary
pricks do denote the wonder of God’s work therein; which is further confirmed in
that they both wept, which could not easily be counterfeit, though they were in
Ishmael, that notable hypocrite, [Jeremiah 41:6] and in the emperor Andronicus,
who, when he had injuriously caused many of the nobility to be put to death,
pretended himself sorry for them, and that with tears plentifully running down his
aged cheeks, as if he had been the most sorrowful man alive. So the Egyptian
crocodile, having killed some living beast, lieth upon the dead body, and washeth the
head thereof with her warm tears, which she afterward devoureth, with the dead
body. (b) We judge more charitably of Esau here. And yet we cannot be of their
mind, that herehence conclude his true conversion and salvation. We must take heed
we neither make censure’s whip nor charity’s cloak too long: we may offend in both,
and incur the curse, as well by "calling evil good," as "good evil". [Isaiah 5:20]
Latomus of Lovain wrote, that there was no other a faith in Abraham than in
Cicero. Another wrote a long defence and commendation of Cicero, and makes him
a very good Christian, and true penitentiary, because he saith, somewhere,
Reprehendo peccata mea, quid Pompeio conflsus, eiusque partes secutus fuerim. I
believe neither of them. (c)
ELLICOTT, "(4) Esau ran to meet him.—Whatever may have been Esau’s
intention when he started, no sooner does he see his brother than the old times of
their childhood return to his heart, and he is overcome with love; nor does he ever
seem afterwards to have wavered in his fraternal affection. We have had a proof

27. before (in Genesis 27:38) of Esau being a man of warm feelings, and similarly now
he is again overmastered by his loving impulses. It is curious that the Hebrew word
for “he kissed him” has had what are called extraordinary vowels attached to it, and
the Masorites are supposed to signify thereby that Esau’s kiss was not a sign of
genuine love. For such an ill-natured supposition there is no warrant whatsoever.
KRETZMA , "v. 4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him; and they wept. If Esau had still been cherishing his old
grudge when he left his home, this was now fully overcome and removed by the
humility of his brother. His brotherly feeling took hold of him at this point, and in a
spontaneous outburst of affection he embraced him and kissed him, whereupon
these two gray headed men, separated for a score of years, are overcome with joy
and burst into weeping. In this moment Esau became a different man, who willingly
bowed himself under the will of the Lord and showed truly noble traits of character.
PETT, "Esau had dismounted which must have been a great relief to Jacob. Esau is
clearly genuinely pleased to see his brother and feels very emotionally about it. But
we cannot doubt that Jacob’s tears had within them something of relief.
Esau’s pleasure appears to be real. He has long forgotten any falling out and is
happy to see his brother. He runs to embrace him. He is quite satisfied with his life
as it is and holds no grudges. This is one of the many things in Esau we must
admire. Yet the fact that he cares so little about what he has lost demonstrates how
little the covenant promises meant to him. He would not really have been suitable to
carry on the succession.
SIMEO , "RECO CILIATIO OF ESAU A D JACOB
Genesis 33:4. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck,
and kissed him: and they wept.
SUCH are the dispositions of men in general, that they cannot pass any considerable
time without feeling in themselves, and exciting in others, some malignant tempers.
The more nearly men come in contact with each other, the more do they disagree.
ations are most inveterate against those who are most in their vicinity. Societies
are for the most part distracted by opposing interests. Families are rarely to be
found, where the demon of Discord has not raised his throne: yea, even the dearest
friends and relatives are too often filled with animosity against each other. Happy
would it be, if disagreements were found only among the ungodly: but they not
unfrequently enter into the very church of God, and kindle even in good men a most
unhallowed fire. Paul and Barnabas were a lamentable instance of human weakness
in this respect. But on the present occasion we are called to consider, not a quarrel,
but a reconciliation. The quarrel indeed had been rancorous in the extreme; but the
reconciliation, as described in the text, was most cordial and most affecting.
We would call your attention to a few observations arising from the circumstances
before us—

28. I. The resentments of brethren are usually exceeding deep—
[If a stranger injure us in any respect, the irritation produced by the offence is, for
the most part, of very short duration. But if a brother, or a friend, and more
especially a person with whom we have been united in the bonds of the Spirit,
provoke us to anger, the wound is more severe, and the impression more lasting. In
many cases the difficulty of effecting a reconciliation is so great, as almost to
preclude a hope of restoring the former amity. One who was thoroughly conversant
with human nature, has told us, that “a brother offended is harder to be won than a
strong city.” We should be ready to imagine that in proportion as the previous
union was close and affectionate, the restoration of that union would be easy; and
that the spirits which had suffered a momentary separation, would, like the flesh
which has been lacerated, join together again readily, and, as it were, of their own
accord. But the reverse of this is true: nor is it difficult to be accounted for. The
disappointment of the two parties is greater. From strangers we expect nothing: and
if we find rudeness or selfishness or any other evil quality, though we may be
offended at it, we are not disappointed. But from friends, and especially religious
friends, we expect all that is kind and amiable; and therefore we are the more
keenly affected when any thing of a contrary aspect occurs. Moreover the
aggravating circumstances are more numerous. Between friends there are a
thousand little circumstances taken into the account, which could find no place
among strangers, and which. in fact, often operate more forcibly on the mind than
the more immediate subject in dispute. Above all, the foundations of their regard
are overthrown. Each thinks himself in the right. Each thought highly of the
honour, the integrity, the friendship, or perhaps the piety of the other: and behold,
each imagines that the other’s conduct towards him has violated all these principles,
and given him reason to fear, that he was deceived in his judgment of the other; or
at least, that he was not deserving of that high opinion which he had entertained of
him.
From some such considerations as these, the alienation of the parties from each
other, if not more fierce and violent, is usually more fixed and settled, in proportion
to their previous intimacy and connexion.]
But,
II. However deep the resentment of any one may be, we may hope by proper
means to overcome it—
We cannot have a better pattern in this respect than that which Jacob set before us.
The means we should use, are,
1. Prayer to God—
[God has access to the hearts of men, and “can turn them whithersoever he will.”
The instances wherein he has exerted his influence upon them, to induce them either

29. to relieve his friends, or to punish his enemies, are innumerable. By prayer his aid is
obtained. It was by prayer that Jacob prevailed. He had experienced the seasonable
and effectual interposition of the Deity when Laban pursued him with such wrath
and bitterness: he therefore again applied to the same almighty Friend, and again
found him “ready to save.” Prayer, if fervent and believing, shall be as effectual as
ever: there is nothing for the obtaining of which it shall not prevail. To this then we
should have recourse in the first instance. othing should be undertaken without
this. We should not neglect other means; but our chief dependence should be placed
on this; because nothing but the blessing of God can give success to any means we
use.]
2. A conciliatory conduct to man—
[ othing could be more conciliatory, nothing more ingenious, than the device of
Jacob, in sending so many presents to his brother, in so many distinct and separate
parts, and with the same information so humbly and so continually repeated in his
ears. Vehement as Esau’s anger was, it could not withstand all this kindness,
humility, and gentleness. The submission of his brother perfectly disarmed him: and
“the gift in his bosom pacified his strong wrath [ ote: Proverbs 21:14.].”
Thus we may hope to “overcome evil with good [ ote: Romans 12:21.].” As stones
are melted by being subjected to the action of intense heat, so are the hardest of men
melted by love: it “heaps coals of fire upon their head [ ote: Romans 12:20.],” and
turns their rancorous hostilities into self-condemning accusations [ ote: 1 Samuel
24:16-17.]. We say not indeed that the victory shall be certain and uniform in all
cases; for even the Saviour’s meekness did not prevail to assuage the malice of his
enemies: but, as a means, we may reasonably expect it to conduce to that end. As a
proud, distant, and vindictive carriage serves to confirm the hatred of an adversary,
so, on the other hand, a kind, gentle, and submissive deportment has a direct
tendency to effect a reconciliation with him.]
ot that a short and transient care will suffice: on the contrary,
III. When once a reconciliation is effected, extreme caution is necessary to
preserve and maintain it—
A wound that has been lately closed, may easily be rent open again: and friendship
that has been dissolved by any means, does not speedily regain its former stability.
To cement affection, much attention is required. We must aim at it,
1. By mutual kindnesses and endearments—
[Exceeding tender was the interview between the brothers, after their long absence,
and alienation from each other. or should we deem it beneath us to yield thus to
the emotions of love, or to express our regards by salutations and tears. These may
possibly be counterfeited by a consummate hypocrite: but, in general, they are the
involuntary effusions of a loving heart. And as denoting cordiality, they have the

30. strongest tendency to unite discordant minds, and to efface from the memory all
painful recollections.]
2. By abstaining from all mention of past grievances—
[The revival of things which have been matters in dispute, generally revive the
feelings which the dispute occasioned. And, as few are ever found to acknowledge
that the fault or error has been wholly on their own side, recriminations will arise
from accusations, and the breach perhaps be made wider than ever. To bury
matters in oblivion is the readiest way to the maintenance of peace. In this respect
the reconciled brothers acted wisely: explanations would only have led to evil
consequences; and therefore they avoided them altogether. And we in similar
circumstances shall do well to follow their example.]
3. By guarding against that kind or degree of intercourse that may rekindle
animosities—
[There are some whose dispositions are so opposite, that they cannot long move in
harmony with each other: “not being agreed, they cannot walk comfortably
together.” It is thus particularly with those whose spiritual views are different: for,
“what communion hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial?” It was prudent
in Jacob to decline the proffered civilities of Esau, when he saw the mutual sacrifices
that would be necessary in order to carry them into effect: it was prudent that Esau
with his four hundred armed men should prosecute their journey without needless
incumbrances and delays; and that Jacob should be left at liberty to consult the
comfort of his children, and the benefit of his flocks. Had the two endeavoured to
make concessions, and to accommodate themselves to each other, neither would
have been happy; and their renewed amity would have been endangered. Thus,
where the dispositions and habits are so dissimilar as to bid defiance, as it were, to
mutual concessions, the best way to preserve peace is to interfere with each other as
little as possible.]
Application—
[Are there any who are involved in disputes and quarrels? Follow after peace: and
be forbearing and forgiving to others, if ever you would that God should be so to
you [ ote: Matthew 18:35]. Are there any who desire reconciliation with an
offended friend? Be willing rather to make, than to exact, submission: and let
generosity and kindness be exercised to the uttermost, to soften the resentments
which have been harboured against you. And lastly, are there any who have an
opportunity of promoting peace? Embrace it gladly, and exert yourselves with
impartiality. And instead of widening a breach. by carrying tales, endeavour to heal
it by all possible offices of love. Let the quarrels of brethren be regarded as a fire,
which it is every one’s duty and desire to extinguish. Thus shall you yourselves have
the blessing promised to peace-makers, and be numbered among the children of
God [ ote: Matthew 5:9.].]

31. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and
children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has
graciously given your servant.”
GILL, "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, Gen_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,
Gen_29:10; and who they were no doubt he told him, as they came to pay their respects
to him, as follows.
HE RY, "We have here the discourse between the two brothers at their meeting,
which is very free and friendly, without the least intimation of the old quarrel. It was the
best way to say nothing of it. They converse,
I. About Jacob's retinue, Gen_33:5-7. Eleven or twelve little ones, the eldest of them
no fourteen years old, followed Jacob closely: Who are these? says Esau. Jacob had sent
him an account of the increase of his estate (Gen_32:5), but made no mention of his
children; perhaps because he would not expose them to his rage if he should meet him as
an enemy, or would please him with the unexpected sight if he should meet him as a
friend: Esau therefore had reason to ask, Who are those with thee? to which common

32. question Jacob returns a serious answer, such as became his character: They are the
children which God hath graciously given they servant. It had been a sufficient answer
to the question, and fit enough to be given to profane Esau, if he had only said, “They are
my children;” but then Jacob would not have spoken like himself, like a man whose eyes
were ever towards the Lord. Note, It becomes us not only to do common actions, but to
speak of them, after a godly sort, 3Jo_1:6. Jacob speaks of his children, 1. As God's
gifts; they are a heritage of the Lord, Psa_128:3; Psa_112:9; Psa_107:41. 2. As choice
gifts; he hath graciously given them. Though they were many, and now much his care,
and as yet but slenderly provided for, yet he accounts them great blessings. His wives
and children, hereupon, come up in order, and pay their duty to Esau, as he had done
before them (Gen_33:6, Gen_33:7); for it becomes the family to show respect to those to
whom the master of the family shows respect.
JAMIESO , "Who are those with thee? — It might have been enough to say,
They are my children; but Jacob was a pious man, and he could not give even a common
answer but in the language of piety (Psa_127:3; Psa_113:9; Psa_107:41).
HAWKER, "Jacob had now about twelve children; and the eldest could not be much
above fourteen years of age. A delightful little troop! But observe to whose mercy he
refers all: Psa_127:3.
CALVI , "5.And he lifted up his eyes. Moses relates the conversation held between
the brothers. And as Esau had testified his fraternal affection by tears and
embraces, there is no doubt that he inquires after the children in a spirit of
congratulation. The answer of Jacob breathes piety as well as modesty; for when he
replies, that his numerous seed had been given him by God, he acknowledges and
confesses that children are not so produced by nature as to subvert the truth of the
declaration, that the fruit of the womb is a reward and gift of God. And truly, since
the fecundity of brute animals is the gift of God, how much more is this the case
with men, who are created after his own image. Let parents then learn to consider,
and to celebrate the singular kindness of God, in their offspring. It is the language
of modesty, when Jacob calls himself the servant of his brother. Here again it is
proper to recall to memory what I have lately touched upon, that the holy man
caught at nothing either of earthly advantage or honor in the birthright; because the
hidden grace of God was abundantly sufficient for him, until the appointed time of
manifestation. And it becomes us also, according to his example, while we sojourn in
this world, to depend upon the word of the Lord; that we may not deem it
wearisome, to be held wrapped in the shadow of death, until our real life be
manifested. For although apparently our condition is miserable and accursed, yet
the Lord blesses us with his word; and, on this account only, pronounces us happy,
because he owns us as sons.
BE SO , "Genesis 33:5. Who are these with thee? — Jacob had sent Esau an
account of the increase of his estate, but had made no mention of his children,
perhaps because he would not expose them to his rage if he should meet him as an
enemy. Esau, therefore, had reason to make this inquiry: to which Jacob returned a

33. serious answer: They are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant
— He speaks of his children as God’s gifts; a heritage of the Lord, and as choice
gifts, graciously given him. Though they were many, and but slenderly provided for,
yet he accounts them great blessings.
TRAPP, "Ver. 5. The children which God hath graciously given.] Sept., Eχαριτατο.
For children are God’s gifts, as David taught Solomon. [Psalms 127:3] It is well
observed, that good Jacob before a bad man, speaks religiously, "God of his grace,"
&c.; and Esau, as bad as he was, makes no jest of it. There is no surer sign of a
profane heart, than to jeer at good expressions; than which, nothing now-a-days is
more familiar. Carnal spirits cannot hear savoury words, but they turn them off
with a scorn, as Pilate did our Saviour, speaking of the truth, with that scornful
profane question, "What is truth?" Shall these scoffers be counted Christians?
Could any that heard Elijah mocking the service and servants of Baal, believe that
Baal was God in his esteem? Shall not Esau rise up in judgment against such
profane persons? And shall not Jacob disclaim all such profligate professors for
having any relation to him, that dare not speak religiously, for fear of some Esau in
company? that are ashamed to seem what they are, with Zedekiah, lest they that are
fallen to the Chaldeans should mock them?
PETT, "When Esau sees the women and children he is impressed. To have many
children was a sign of someone’s importance. But even here Jacob is wary. The
children are of course Esau’s nephews and nieces, blood relatives, while the wives
are less meaningful for him. So it is to the children that he refers. We notice his
continuing subservience. He is still being cautious.
PULPIT, "And he (i.e. Esau) lifted up his eyes,—corresponding to the act of Jacob
(Genesis 33:1), and expressive of surprise—and saw the women and the children;
and said, Who art those with thee? (literally, to thee, i.e. whom thou hast). And he
(Jacob) said, The children which God (Elohim; vide infra on Genesis 33:10) hath
graciously given—the verb ‫ַן‬‫נ‬ָ‫ח‬ being construed with a double accusative, as in 21:22;
Psalms 19:1-14 :29—thy servant.
K&D 5-7, "When his eyes fell upon the women and children, he inquired respecting
them, “Whom hast thou here?” And Jacob replied, “The children with whom Elohim
hath favoured me.” Upon this, the mothers and their children approached in order,
making reverential obeisance. ‫ן‬ַ‫נ‬ ָ‫ח‬ with double acc. “graciously to present.” Elohim: “to
avoid reminding Esau of the blessing of Jehovah, which had occasioned his absence”
(Del.).

34. 6 Then the female servants and their children
approached and bowed down.
GILL, "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.
CALVI , "6.Then the handmaidens came near. The wives of Jacob, having left
their country, had come as exiles into a distant land. ow, at their first entrance, the
terror of death meets them; and when they prostrate themselves in the presence of
Esau, they do not know whether they are not doing homage to their executioner.
This trial was very severe to them, and grievously tormented the mind of the holy
man: but it was right that his obedience should be thus tried, that he might become
an example to us all. Moreover, the Holy Spirit here places a mirror before us, in
which we may contemplate the state of the Church as it appears in the world. For
though many tokens of the divine favor are manifest in the family of Jacob;
nevertheless we perceive no dignity in him while lying with unmerited contempt in
the presence of a profane man. Jacob also himself thinks that he is well treated, if he
may be permitted by his brother, as a matter of favor, to dwell in the land of which
he was the heir and lord. Therefore let us bear it patiently, if, at this day also, the
glory of the Church, being covered with a sordid veil, is an object of derision to the
wicked.
7 ext, Leah and her children came and bowed
down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and
they too bowed down.
GILL, "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:

35. 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.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these
flocks and herds I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
GILL, "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.
HAWKER, "It is one thing to have enough of this world’s goods, and it is another to
have the Lord himself for our portion. Gen_27:39.
CALVI , "8.What meanest thou by all this drove ? He does not inquire as if he
were altogether ignorant; seeing he had heard from the servants, that oxen and
camels and asses and other cattle were sent him as a present; but for the purpose of
refusing the gift offered to him: for when anything does not please us, we are wont
to make inquiry as concerning a thing unknown to us. Jacob, however; is urgent;
nor does he cease to ask, till he induces his brother to receive the gift: for this was as
a pledge of reconciliation. Besides, for the purpose of persuading his brother, he
declares, that it would be taken as a great kindness not to refuse what was given.
For we do not willingly receive anything but what we certainly know to be offered to
us freely and with a ready mind. And because it is not possible that we should
willingly honor any but those we love, Jacob says that he rejoiced in the sigh of his

36. brother as if he had seen God or an angel: by which words he means, not only that
he truly loved his brother, but also that he held him in esteem. But it may seem, that
he does wrong to God, in comparing Him with a reprobate man; and that he speaks
falsely, because had the choice been given him, he would have desired nothing more
earnestly than to avoid this meeting with his brother. Both these knots are easily
untied. It is an accustomed form of speaking among the Hebrews, to call whatever is
excellent, divine. And certainly Esau being thus changed, was no obscure figure of
the favor of God: so that Jacob might properly say, that he had been exhilarated by
that friendly and fraternal reception, as if he had seen God or an angel; that is, as if
God had given some sign of his presence. And, indeed, he does not speak feignedly,
nor pretend something different from what he has in his mind. For, being himself
perfectly free from all hatred, it was his chief wish, to discharge whatever duty he
could towards his brother; provided that Esau, in return, would show himself a
brother to him.
COFFMA , ""What meanest thou by all this company which I met ..." This is such
an obvious reference to the present which Jacob had dispatched in three droves to
Esau the day before that one may only marvel that Peake would refer it to one of the
"two companies" into which Jacob had split his group (Genesis 32:7), also inferring
that Esau extorted another half of all Jacob had, taking it away from him. He wrote:
"Esau inquires as to the meaning of the camp (one of the two companies) he had
already met; and on the spur of the moment Jacob offered it (the half of all
possessions). The question was a broad hint; and then there were the four hundred
men ... Of course he took it. Jacob paid a heavy price, but it was worth it. His
brother was appeased; half his property was left, and he and his family were safe ...
Jacob had probably already in his mind written off the loss of half his property
anyway.[13]
"Take my gift ... that is brought to thee ..." (Genesis 33:11). This makes it absolutely
clear and certain that the gift under consideration in this passage has nothing to do
with the "companies" into which Jacob split his people, but it is a reference to the
droves, with the men driving them, who had brought the present to Esau the day
before. Keil understood this: "The camp which Esau mentioned was the present of
cattle that were sent to meet him."[14] As to why Esau referred to them as "a camp"
merely indicated that the drivers of some 580 livestock, at least a day's journey
ahead of the meeting, had actually made camp, pending the arrival of Jacob and the
meeting of the brothers. Of course, the drivers of the "present" had been
commanded to tell Esau that they were a present for him; but Esau respected the
fact that he needed to ask Jacob personally about such a gift.
"And he urged him, and he took it ..." The reason Jacob so urgently pressed his gift
upon Esau was that, "If Esau had refused to accept it, Jacob would never have been
in peace. The refusal to accept a gift means permanent enmity ... The gift was a
token of reconciliation and everlasting peace. It healed the wound and repaired the
breach."[15] In the Orient until this day, the receiving of a gift is understood as a
pledge of friendship.

37. "I have enough ..." (Genesis 33:9,11). Our version thus translates the expression as
having been made by both brothers. Actually, however, the words are different in
the Hebrew. "Esau said, I have much ([~raab]); and Jacob said, I have everything
([~qowl])."[16] Thus, there may have been a difference in the attitude of the
brothers toward their possessions.
"I have seen thy face as one seeth the face of God ..." "Jacob recognized through
Esau's reconciled countenance that the God of Peniel was making his face shine
upon him."[17]
ELLICOTT, "(8) What meanest thou by all this drove . . .? Heb., What is all this
camp of thine that I met? From the time of Jacob’s coming to Mahanaim, the word
mahaneh, “camp,” is used in a very remarkable way. It is the word translated bands
in Genesis 32:7, and company in Genesis 32:8; Genesis 32:21. It is the proper word
for an encampment of pastoral people with their flocks, and might be used not
unnaturally of the five droves; for they would remind Esau of the cattle driven in at
evening to the place where they were to pass the night.
PETT, "Esau here refers to the droves which had been sent in front (Genesis 32:13-
21), some of which at least he had come across. Jacob makes no pretence. They were
as gifts to an important person in order to ensure favourable treatment. ote the use
of ‘my lord.’ The watchful subservience is still there. Outwardly all is well but Jacob
is well aware that what is on the surface is not necessarily the reality. He judges the
straightforward Esau by his own standards.
K&D, "And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
Esau then inquired about the camp that had met him, i.e., the presents of cattle that
were sent to meet him, and refused to accept them, until Jacob's urgent persuasion
eventually induced him to do so.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my
brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
GILL, "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother,.... Or "I have much" (o), and
stand in no need of this present, or have much more than thou hast:

38. 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.
HE RY, "II. About the present he had sent him.
1. Esau modestly refused it because he had enough, and did not need it, Gen_33:9. Note,
Those who wish to be considered men of honour will not seem to be mercenary in their
friendship: whatever influence Jacob's present had upon Esau to pacify him, he would
not have it thought that it had any, and therefore he refused it. His reason is I have
enough, I have much (so the word is), so much that he was not willing to take any thing
that was his brother's. Note, (1.) Many that come short of spiritual blessings, and are out
of covenant, yet have much of this world's wealth. Esau had what was promised him, the
fatness of the earth and a livelihood by his sword. (2.) It is a good thing for those that
have much to know that they have enough, though they have not so much as some
others have. Even Esau can say, I have enough. (3.) Those that are content with what
they have must show it by not coveting what others have. Esau, for his part, needs it not,
either to supply him, for he was rich, or to pacify him, for he was reconciled: we should
take heed lest at any time our covetousness impose upon the courtesy of others, and
meanly take advantage of their generosity.
10 “ o, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found
favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to
see your face is like seeing the face of God, now
that you have received me favorably.
CLARKE, "Receive my present at my hand - Jacob could not be certain that he
had found favor with Esau, unless the present had been received; for in accepting it Esau
necessarily became his friend, according to the custom of those times, and in that
country. In the eastern countries, if your present be received by your superior, you may
rely on his friendship; if it be not received, you have every thing to fear. It is on this
ground that Jacob was so urgent with Esau to receive his present, because he knew that
after this he must treat him as a friend.
GILL, "And Jacob said, nay, I pray thee,.... Do not say so, as the Targum of
Jonathan supplies it, or do not refuse my present:

39. 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:
HE RY, "2. Jacob affectionately urges him to accept it, and prevails, Gen_33:10,
Gen_33:11. Jacob sent it, through fear (Gen_32:20), but, the fear being over, he now
importunes his acceptance of it for love, to show that he desired his brother's friendship,
and did not merely dread his wrath; two things he urges: - (1.) The satisfaction he had in
his brother's favour, of which he thought himself bound to make this thankful
acknowledgment. It is a very high compliment that he passes upon him: I have seen thy
face, as though I had seen the face of God, that is, “I have seen thee reconciled to me,
and at peace with me, as I desire to see God reconciled.” Or the meaning is that Jacob
saw God's favour to him in Esau's: it was a token for good to him that God had accepted
his prayers. Note, Creature-comforts are comforts indeed to us when they are granted as
answers to prayer, and are tokens of our acceptance with God. Again, It is matter of
great joy to those that are of a peaceable and affectionate disposition to recover the
friendship of those relations with whom they have been at variance. (2.) The competency
he had of this world's goods: God has dealt graciously with me. Note, If what we have in
this world increase under our hands, we must take notice of it with thankfulness, to the
glory of God, and own that therein he has dealt graciously with us, better than we
deserve. It is he that gives power to get wealth, Deu_8:18. He adds, “And I have
enough; I have all,” so the word is. Esau's enough was much, but Jacob's enough was all.
Note, a godly man, though he have but little in the world, yet may truly say, “I have all,”
[1.] Because he has the God of all, and has all in him; all is yours if you be Christ's, 1Co_
3:22. [2.] Because he has the comfort of all. I have all, and abound, Phi_4:18. He that
thinks he has all is sure he has enough. He has all in prospect; he will have all shortly,
when he comes to heaven: upon this principle Jacob urged Esau, and he took his
present. Note, It is an excellent thing when men's religion makes them generous, free-
hearted, and open-handed, scorning to do a thing that is paltry and sneaking.
HAWKER 10-11, "There is a difference in the expression of enough, in this verse, from
the same expression in Gen_33:9. Jacob’s enough means, I have all. And so he had,
according to Paul’s explanation of covenant blessings. See 1Co_3:22-23; Php_4:18-19.
CALVI , "10.Receive my present at my hand. This noun may be taken passively as
well as actively. If understood actively, the sense will be, “Accept the present by
which I desire to testify my goodwill towards thee.” If understood passively, it may
be referred to God, as if Jacob had said, “Those things which the Lord has bestowed
upon me by his grace, I liberally impart to thee, that thou mayest be, in some

40. measure, a partaker with me of that divine blessing which I have received.” But not
to insist upon a word, Jacob immediately afterwards clearly avows that whatever he
possesses, is not the fruit of his labor or industry, but has been received by him
through the grace of God, and by this reasoning he attempts to induce his brother to
accept the gift; as if he had said, “The Lord has poured upon me an abundance, of
which some part, without any loss to me, may overflow to thee.” And though Jacob
thus speaks under the impulse of present circumstances, he yet makes an ingenuous
confession by which he celebrates the grace of God. early the same words are on
the tongues of all; but there are few who truly ascribe to God what they possess: the
greater part sacrifice to their own industry. Scarcely one in a hundred is convinced,
that whatever is good flows from the gratuitous favor of God; and yet by nature this
sense is engraven upon our minds, but we obliterate it by our ingratitude. It has
appeared already, how labourious was the life of Jacob: nevertheless, though he had
suffered the greatest annoyances, he celebrates only the mercy of God.
ELLICOTT, "(10) For therefore I have seen thy face.—The latter half of the verse
would more correctly be translated, inasmuch as I have seen thy face as one seeth
the face of Elohim, and thou hast received me graciously. To the Hebrew the
thought of God was not terrifying, and so the vision of God’s face was the sight of
something good and glorious. There is much of Oriental hyperbole in comparing the
sight of Esau to the beholding of the face of Deity, but it clearly conveyed the idea
that Esau was using his power as generously and lovingly as is the wont of God; and
God was so much nearer to the Hebrew in those simple days than he is to men now
that science has revealed to them the immensity of His attributes, that there was no
irreverence in the comparison.
The behaviour of Esau is very generous. He wished to spare his brother so large a
present, and therefore leads the conversation to it, knowing, of course, what was the
meaning of the five herds, as their drivers had delivered to him Jacob’s message. To
have refused it, however, would have been a mark of hostility, especially as Jacob
represented it as the gift of an inferior for the purpose of obtaining the favour of one
from whom he had feared danger. But Esau expostulates with his brother. He too
was rich, and Jacob should keep what was his own. But Jacob still urges its
acceptance as the proof of goodwill, magnifies the value of Esau’s favour, and
declares that by God’s goodness he has still abundance, even after giving his brother
so princely a present. It is called “blessing” because it was considered lucky to
receive a gift, and of all good-luck God was the giver. (Comp. 1 Samuel 25:27; 1
Samuel 30:26.)
K&D, "“For therefore,” sc., to be able to offer thee this present, “have I come to see
thy face, as man seeth the face of God, and thou hast received me favourably.” The
thought is this: In thy countenance I have been met with divine (heavenly) friendliness
(cf. 1Sa_29:9; 2Sa_14:17). Jacob might say this without cringing, since he “must have
discerned the work of God in the unexpected change in his brother's disposition towards
him, and in his brother's friendliness a reflection of this divine.”

41. COKE, "Genesis 33:10. ay, I pray thee, &c.— Houbigant translates this verse,
" ot so, I pray thee. If I am in any favour with thee, thou wilt receive this present at
my hand, (for I have seen thy face, as if I had seen the face of God,) and thou wilt
accept me;" i.e.. thou wilt receive my present as a token of my love, as a proof of
reconciliation and friendship; for I am happy in the assurance of it, having met thee
propitious to me, and well inclined, as God himself is to those who address him; and
I have such pleasure in this meeting, as a sincere soul finds in obtaining from God
himself tokens of his love and favour. Thus Esther says to king Ahasuerus, "I saw
thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy
majesty; for wonderful art thou, O Lord, and thy countenance is full of grace."
Apoc. Esther 5:12-13. But I fear there is a degree of flattery in all this which is
unworthy the saints of the Most High; though some allowance perhaps must be
made for the eastern manner of speaking.
REFLECTIO S.—At last the danger approaches, and now he finds indeed that
God will take care of him in his perilous situation. ote; Those who have confidence
in God, may cheerfully wait the issue of every trial. Observe,
1. Jacob's order of march. If flight should be needful, the most beloved were
hindmost and likeliest to escape.
2. His approach to Esau, full of deep respect to him as his superior. He mentions
nothing of the birth-right, but pays the duty he owed to him as an elder brother.
ote; (1.) It is wise to keep out of view whatever would open old sores. (2.) A
submissive conduct, which notwithstanding should be within the bounds of reason,
mollifies offended pride.
The unexpected reception he met with. ote; God hath the hearts of all men in his
hands. How often, through God's blessing, do we find the issue of our trials much
better than our fears suggested? Instead of fierce wrath, kisses of kindness; and for
drops of blood in anger, tears of joy mingle on their cheeks! Happy meeting! May
every difference among brethren be thus accommodated!
othing but friendship now breathed in Esau's discourse. His inquiries are as kind,
as Jacob's answers are respectful. He inquires,
1. Regarding his children. They are, says Jacob, the children which God hath
graciously given thy servant. ote; A good man, when he speaks of ordinary things,
may be known by the constant remembrance he hath of God.
2. Regarding the droves of cattle. They are a present for his lord Esau. Esau pleads
his abundance; he has enough. Jacob presses his acceptance, as a thankful
acknowledgment of his favourable countenance towards him, which he esteems the
greatest blessing next to the Divine regard. Esau acquiesces; and thus their
friendship is cemented. ote; (1.) When a man has enough of his own, he ought
civilly to refuse needless obligations. (2.) A Christian's heart, like Jacob's, is ever
open and generous. (3.) Whatever we gain in the world, we should always remember

42. that it is the blessing of the Lord which maketh rich. (4.) We are to take care that
the pride of not being obliged, does not make us slight the favours of our friends.
PETT 10-11, "Jacob continues to urge Esau to accept his gift. He knows that if the
gift is accepted graciously he will be that much safer. In the light of the customs of
the time even Esau would not accept a gift and then indulge in hostility. But there is
in it a sense of gratitude to God who has brought about this situation. He had seen
God face to face and God had blessed him. ow he sees in this friendly meeting a
part of that blessing, and he desires to pass some of the blessing on. Besides, he
urges, he is very wealthy. The suggestion is that such a small gift means nothing to
him. To his relief Esau accepts the gift.
“I have seen your face as one sees the face of God.” In context this can only have in
mind his struggle at Penuel. Esau, who does not know what he is referring to,
probably see is as a rather extreme compliment. He is like God to Jacob. But
inwardly Jacob is full of praise to God and reflects it in these words. He remembers
that significant meeting and sees it reflected here in his friendly reception. He had
seen the face of God, and had been reassured of his safety, so now he can look on the
face of Esau with equanimity.
“God has dealt graciously with me.” To Esau this indicates that his wealth has built
up satisfactorily, thanks to God’s help. But Jacob is probably equally thinking of
this present change in his fortunes, different from what he had expected.
PULPIT, "And Jacob said, ay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight,
then receive my present at my hand: for therefore— ‫ַלּ‬ ִ‫ִע‬‫פ‬, because (Gesenius,
Rosenmüller, Quarry), or, for this purpose (Keil, Kalisch, Hengetenberg, Lange,
Ewald. Vide Genesis 18:5 ; Genesis 19:8; Genesis 38:26)—I have seen thy face, as
though I had seen the face of God,—literally, as a vision of the face of Elohim, in
which language Jacob neither uses adulation towards his brother (Tostatius), nor
calls him a god in the sense in which heathen potentates are styled deities (Vatablus,
Arabic, Chaldee), nor simply uses a superlative expression to indicate the majesty
(Menochius) or benevolence (Ainsworth) of Esau's countenance, contended with
him at the Jabbok (Bush); but either that he had received from Esau the same
friendly welcome that one coming into God's presence would receive from him
(Rosenmüller, Keil, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'), or that he had come into
Esau's presence with the same feelings of penitence as if he had been coming before
God (Kalisch), or that, as he had already seen the face of God and his life was
preserved, so now he had seen the face of Esau, and the anticipated destruction had
not been inflicted on him (Quarry), either of which accords with the words that
follow—and thou wast pleased with me—literally, thou hast graciously received me,
the unexpressed thought being, as already I have been favorably accepted by
Elohim. Hence Jacob with greater urgency renews his entreaty that Esau would not
decline his proffered gift, saying, Take, I pray thee, my blessing (i.e. my present, the
word signifying, as in 1 Samuel 25:27; 1 Samuel 30:26; 2 Kings 5:15, a gift by which
one seeks to express good will) that is brought to thee;—or, which has been caused

43. to come to thee, adding, as a special reason to induce him to accept—because God
hath dealt graciously with me,—Elohim, it has been thought, is used here and in
Genesis 33:5 by Jacob instead of Jehovah, either "to avoid reminding Esau of the
blessing of Jehovah which had occasioned his absence" (Delitzsch, Keil), or, "
because Jehovah was exalted far above the level of Esau's superficial religion"
Hengstenberg); but it is just possible that by its employment Jacob only wished to
acknowledge the Divine hand in the remarkable prosperity which had attended him
in Haran—and because I have enough—literally, there is to me all, i.e. everything I
can wish (Murphy), all things as the heir of the promise (Keil). The expression is
stronger than that used by Esau (Genesis 33:9), and is regarded by some
(Ainsworth) as indicating a more contented spirit than that evinced by Esau. And he
urged him. In Eastern countries the acceptance of a gift is equivalent to the striking
of a covenant of friendship. If your present be received by your superior yon may
rely on his friendship; if it be declined you have everything to fear. It was on this
ground that Jacob was so urgent in pressing Esau to accept his present (cf. A.
Clarke in loco). And he took it, and so gave Jacob an assurance of his complete
reconciliation.
11 Please accept the present that was brought to
you, for God has been gracious to me and I have
all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau
accepted it.
GILL, "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" (p), 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:

44. and he urged him, and he took it: being pressing on him, or importunate with him,
he accepted of his present.
JAMIESO , "He urged him and he took it — In the East the acceptance by a
superior is a proof of friendship, and by an enemy, of reconciliation. It was on both
accounts Jacob was so anxious that his brother should receive the cattle; and in Esau’s
acceptance he had the strongest proofs of a good feeling being established that Eastern
notions admit of.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll
accompany you.”
BAR ES, "Gen_33:12-16
They now part for the present. “I will qo with thee;” as an escort or vanguard. Jacob
explains that this would be inconvenient for both parties, as his tender children and
suckling cattle could not keep pace with Esau’s men, who were used to the road. “At the
pace of the cattle;” as fast as the business (‫מלאכה‬ melā'kâh) of traveling with cattle will
permit. Unto Selr. Jacob is travelling to the land of Kenaan, and to the residence of his
father. But, on arriving there, it will be his first duty to return the fraternal visit of Esau.
The very circumstance that he sent messengers to apprise his brother of his arrival,
implies that he was prepared to cultivate friendly relations with him. Jacob also declines
the offer of some of the men that Esau had with him. He had, doubtless, enough of
hands to manage his remaining flock, and he now relied more than ever on the
protection of that God who had ever proved himself a faithful and effectual guardian.
GILL, "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" (q), 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.
HE RY 12-14, "III. About the progress of their journey. 1. Esau offers himself to be his

45. guide and companion, in token of sincere reconciliation, Gen_33:12. We never find that
Jacob and Esau were so sociable with one another, and so affectionate, as they were now.
Note, As for God his work is perfect. He made Esau, not only not an enemy, but a friend.
This bone that had been broken, being well set, became stronger than ever. Esau has
become fond of Jacob's company, courts him to Mount Seir: let us never despair of any,
nor distrust God in whose hand all hearts are. Yet Jacob saw cause modestly to refuse
this offer (Gen_33:13, Gen_33:14), wherein he shows a tender concern for his own
family and flocks, like a good shepherd and a good father. He must consider the
children, and the flocks, with young, and not lead the one, nor drive the other, too fast.
This prudence and tenderness of Jacob ought to be imitated by those that have the care
and charge of young people in the things of God. They must not be over-driven, at first,
by heavy tasks in religious services, but led, as they can bear, having their work made as
easy to them as possible. Christ, the good Shepherd, does so, Isa_40:11. Now Jacob will
not desire Esau to slacken his pace, nor force his family to quicken theirs, nor leave
them, to keep company with his brother, as many would have done, that love any society
better than their own house; but he desires Esau to march before, and promises to follow
him leisurely, as he could get forward. Note, It is an unreasonable thing to tie others to
our rate; we may come with comfort, at last, to the same journey's end, though we do not
journey together, either in the same path or with the same pace. There may be those
with whom we cannot fall in and yet with whom we need not fall out by the way. Jacob
intimates to him that it was his present design to come to him to Mount Seir; and we
may presume he did so, after he had settled his family and concerns elsewhere, though
that visit is not recorded. Note, When we have happily recovered peace with our friends
we must take care to cultivate it, and not to be behind-hand with them in civilities.
JAMIESO , "Gen_33:12-20. The parting.
And he said, Let us take our journey — Esau proposed to accompany Jacob and
his family through the country, both as a mark of friendship and as an escort to guard
them. But the proposal was prudently declined. Jacob did not need any worldly state or
equipage. Notwithstanding the present cordiality, the brothers were so different in
spirit, character, and habits - the one so much a man of the world, and the other a man
of God, that there was great risk of something occurring to disturb the harmony. Jacob
having alleged a very reasonable excuse for the tardiness of his movements, the brothers
parted in peace.
CALVI , "12.Let us take our journey. Although Esau was inclined to benevolence,
Jacob still distrusts him: not that he fears to be ensnared, or that he suspects perfidy
to lie hidden under the garb of friendship; but that he cautiously avoids new
occasions of offense: for a proud and ferocious man might easily be exasperated
again by light causes. ow, though just reason for fear was not wanting to the holy
man, yet I dare not deny that his anxiety was excessive. He suspected the liberality
of Esau; but did he not know that a God was standing between them, who, as he was
convinced by clear and undoubted experience, watched for his salvation? For,
whence such an incredible change of mind in Esau, unless he had been divinely
transformed from a wolf into a lamb? Let us then learn, from this example, to
restrain our anxieties, lest when God has provided for us, we tremble, as in an affair
of doubt.
COFFMA , "The brothers parted amicably in this scene. The offer of an escort by

46. Esau was probably in good faith, but it would have been an embarrassment to
Jacob. And, besides, there could have developed friction between his men and those
of Esau. When Esau understood Jacob's unwillingness to receive it, he left off
suggestions and returned on the way to Seir.
"Until I come unto my lord unto Seir ..." The meaning of this, like that of many
things in the passage, is disputed. Some credit Jacob with a deceptive falsehood
here, alleging that he never had any intention of going to Seir. It is more likely that
Esau had invited Jacob to visit him in Seir, and that this is Jacob's promise to do so,
a promise that he might very well have kept. "They could, and no doubt did,
continue to see each other."[18] That Esau fully understood this is likely. After all,
he had not invited him to bring his cattle and all his family to Seir, which would
have been what Jacob did if he had followed Esau to Seir at this time. There is no
justification for the judgment that, "Jacob here made a promise he had no intention
of keeping."[19]
PETT, "Esau is well meaning and offers his protection. He is unaware of his
brother’s fears, although no doubt amused at his seeming subservience. But then, he
thinks, that is Jacob. But his intentions are all good. They will go on together. He
may well, however, have been secretly hoping that Jacob would not accept his offer.
The laws of kinship demanded the offer. It was not necessarily intended to be
accepted.
PULPIT, "And he (i.e. Esau) said (in further token of his amity), Let us take our
journey, and let us go,—but whether he intended to accompany Jacob on his way
(Keil, Kalisch, et alii) or invited Jacob to go with him to Mount Seir (Ainsworth,
Clericus) is uncertain. On the first hypothesis it is difficult to explain how Esau
came to be traveling in the same direction as his brother, while the adoption of the
second will serve in some measure to elucidate Jacob's language in Genesis 33:2. But
whichever way the words of Esau are understood, they amounted to an offer to be
an escort to Jacob through the desert regions with which his excursions had made
him familiar, since he added, and I will go before thee—i.e. to lead the way.
K&D 12-15, "Lastly, Esau proposed to accompany Jacob on his journey. But Jacob
politely declined not only his own company, but also the escort, which Esau afterwards
offered him, of a portion of his attendants; the latter as being unnecessary, the former as
likely to be injurious to his flocks. This did not spring from any feeling of distrust; and
the ground assigned was no mere pretext. He needed no military guard, “for he knew
that he was defended by the hosts of God;” and the reason given was a very good one:
“My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds that are
milking (‫ּות‬‫ל‬ ָ‫ע‬ from ‫,עוּל‬ giving milk or suckling) are upon me” (‫י‬ ַ‫ל‬ ָ‫:)ע‬ i.e., because they are
giving milk they are an object of especial anxiety to me; “and if one should overdrive
them a single day, all the sheep would die.” A caravan, with delicate children and cattle
that required care, could not possibly keep pace with Esau and his horsemen, without
taking harm. And Jacob could not expect his brother to accommodate himself to the rate
at which he was travelling. For this reason he wished Esau to go on first; and he would

47. drive gently behind, “according to the foot of the cattle (‫ה‬ ָ‫אכ‬ ָ‫ל‬ ְ‫מ‬ possessions = cattle), and
according to the foot of the children,” i.e., “according to the pace at which the cattle and
the children could go” (Luther). “Till I come to my lord to Seir:” these words are not to
be understood as meaning that he intended to go direct to Seir; consequently they were
not a wilful deception for the purpose of getting rid of Esau. Jacob's destination was
Canaan, and in Canaan probably Hebron, where his father Isaac still lived. From thence
he may have thought of paying a visit to Esau in Seir. Whether he carried out this
intention or not, we cannot tell; for we have not a record of all that Jacob did, but only of
the principal events of his life. We afterwards find them both meeting together as friends
at their father's funeral (Gen_35:29). Again, the attitude of inferiority which Jacob
assumed in his conversation with Esau, addressing him as lord, and speaking of himself
as servant, was simply an act of courtesy suited to the circumstances, in which he paid to
Esau the respect due to the head of a powerful band; since he could not conscientiously
have maintained the attitude of a brother, when inwardly and spiritually, in spite of
Esau's friendly meeting, they were so completely separated the one from the other.
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that
the children are tender and that I must care for
the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If
they are driven hard just one day, all the animals
will die.
GILL, "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" (r); 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

48. day, all in the above circumstances would be in danger of being lost through overmuch
fatigue and weariness.
CALVI , "13.My lord knoweth. The things which Jacob alleges, as grounds of
excuse, are true; nevertheless he introduces them under false pretexts; except,
perhaps, as regards the statement, that he was unwilling to be burdensome and
troublesome to his brother. But since he afterwards turns his journey in another
direction, it appears that he feigned something foreign to what was really in his
mind. He says that he brings with him many encumbrances, and therefore requests
his brother to precede him. “I will follow ” (he says) “at the feet of the children; ”
that is, I will proceed gently as the pace of the children will bear; and thus I will
follow at my leisure, until I come to thee in Mount Seir. In these words he promises
what he was not intending to do; for, leaving his brother, he journeyed to a different
place. (113) But truth is so precious to God, that he will not allow us to lie or
deceive, even when no injury follows. Wherefore, we must take care, when any fear
of danger occupies our minds, that we do not turn aside to these subterfuges.
TRAPP, "Ver. 13. If men should over-drive.] A pattern of a good pastor, ever to
have an eye to the weak ones; and so to regard all in his flock, as he overdrive not
any. "Who hath despised the day of small things?" [Zechariah 4:10] Weak ones are
to be received, "but not to doubtful disputations." [Romans 14:1] ovices are not to
be put upon the austerities of religion. [Matthew 9:15] Christ preached "as they
were able to hear." [Mark 4:33] Peter was specially charged to look to the "lambs."
[John 21:15] Christ "bears them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with
young." [Isaiah 40:11]
PETT 13-14, "We may gather from this that Esau has invited Jacob to join him in
Seir where he is at present residing. This would simply entail continuing South
along the east side of the Jordan. But Jacob has no intention of going to Seir
immediately. He shudders at the thought of what might happen to him there.
However, there is possibly more to it than this. It is all very well to move around
protected by four hundred men, but the four hundred men have to be fed and he
could hardly refuse the wherewithal, and besides, he must be aware that they have
possibly sullied their reputation before the inhabitants of the land on their journey
here. He would not want to be connected in men’s eyes with their doings.
Besides such men do not like to remain idle, and Esau least of all. He might soon
regret his good intentions, and what then?
So he points out how slow the journey is going to be. (He had been a bit quicker
when fleeing from Laban). He will not delay Esau who must surely have something
better to do than journey at the pace of shepherds. Let him go on and he will join at
some stage him in Seir.
PULPIT, "And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender

49. (Joseph at this time being little over six years of age), and the flocks and herds with
young (literally, giving milk; ‫ַלוֹת‬‫ע‬, from ‫,עוּל‬ to give suck) are with me,—literally,
upon me, i.e. are an object of my special care, because of their condition
(Rosenmüller, Keil)—and if men should over-drive them literally, and they (sc. the
shepherds) will over-drive them, i.e. in order to keep pace with Esau's armed
followers they must do so, and in that case, if they were to do so for only—one day,
all the flock (literally, and all the flock) will die. Thomson says that Oriental
shepherds gently lead along the mothers when in the condition spoken of by Jacob,
knowing well that even one day's over-driving would be fatal to them, and, from the
fact that Jacob's ewes were giving milk, infers that it was winter time, since then
alone the flocks are in that condition—an inference which he further confirms by
observing that at Succoth Jacob constructed booths for their protection.
14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while
I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and
herds before me and the pace of the children, until
I come to my lord in Seir.”
CLARKE, "Until I come unto my lord unto Seir - It is very likely that Jacob was
perfectly sincere in his expressed purpose of visiting Esau at Seir, but it is as likely that
circumstances afterwards occurred that rendered it either improper or impracticable;
and we find that Esau afterwards removed to Canaan, and he and Jacob dwelt there
together for several years. See Gen_36:6.
GILL, "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" (s) of them; of the cattle, whom he calls the "work"
(t), 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:

50. 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.
JAMIESO , "until I come unto my lord — It seems to have been Jacob’s
intention, passing round the Dead Sea, to visit his brother in Seir, and thus, without
crossing the Jordan, go to Beer-sheba to Isaac; but he changed his plan, and whether the
intention was carried out then or at a future period has not been recorded.
COKE, "Genesis 33:14. Until I come unto my lord, &c.— Jacob declines the offer of
Esau's or his servants' attendance, as his large train could move but slow, especially
the cattle and younger children, and promises a visit to Esau in convenient time; but
as the Scripture mentions not this visit, some have supposed that Jacob never made
or designed to make it, treating his brother in this insincere manner, in order to get
rid of him. But there are no reasonable grounds for this ungenerous supposition: the
Scripture relates not all the actions of the persons whose main history it gives; and
Jacob might have visited Esau, and most probably did, though it be not related, any
more than his visit to his father, which we can never doubt but that he made as soon
as he had an opportunity. Some have imagined that Jacob, fixing his family at
Succoth, Genesis 33:17 went thence himself to Esau at Seir, as well as to his father
Isaac at Gerar, it not being probable that he would drive all his cattle, and take all
his family with him.
KRETZMA , "v. 14. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant; and I
will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be
able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir, which he hoped to visit some
day. The objections of Jacob to his brother's plan were well founded and backed up
by his experience in handling cattle for many years. His intention to travel only as
fast as the feet of the cattle were able to progress was based upon the fact that a
single day's overdriving, with the attendant total exhaustion, would result in an
entire loss.
PULPIT, "Let my lord, I pray thee,—it is perhaps too much to explain Jacob's
obsequious and deferential address to his brother (my lord) as the sign of a guilty
conscience (Kalisch, Alford), when possibly politeness and humility will suffice—
pass over—not cross the Jordan (Afford), since Esau was not journeying to Canaan;
but simply pass on, as in Genesis 33:3—before his servant: and I will lead on softly
(literally, I will go on at my slow pace), according as the cattle that goeth before me

51. and the children be able to endure,—literally, according to the foot, i.e. the pace, of
the property (here, cattle), and according to the foot of the children; i.e. as fast as
flocks and children can be made with safety to travel—until I come unto my lord
unto Seir. It is apparent that Jacob at first intended to accept Esau's invitation to
visit him at Seir, either immediately (Clericus, Kalisch), or, as is more probable,
afterwards (Keil, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'), though, if afterwards, the
historian has preserved no record of any such journey, while, if presently such was
his intention, he must have been providentially led, from some cause not mentioned,
to alter his determination (Bush, Inglis, Clarke), unless we either think that he really
went to Seir, though it is not here stated (Patrick), or entertain the, in the
circumstances, almost incredible hypothesis that Jacob practiced a deception on his
generous brother in order to get rid of him, by promising what he never meant to
fulfill, viz; to visit him at Mount Seir (Calvin), or leave it doubtful whether it is the
old Jacob or the new Israel who speaks (Lange).
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men
with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find
favor in the eyes of my lord.”
GILL, "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.
HE RY, " Esau offers some of his men to be his guard and convoy, Gen_33:15. He
saw Jacob but poorly attended, no servants but his husbandmen and shepherds, no
pages or footmen; and therefore, thinking he was as desirous as himself (if he could
afford it) to take state upon him, and look great, he would needs lend him some of his
retinue, to attend upon him, that he might appear like Esau's brother; but Jacob humbly
refuses his offer, only desiring he would not take it amiss that he did not accept it: What

52. needeth it? (1.) Jacob is humble, and needs it not for state; he desires not to make a fair
show in the flesh, by encumbering himself with a needless retinue. Note, It is the vanity
of pomp and grandeur that they are attended with a great deal of which it may be said,
What needeth it? (2.) Jacob is under the divine protection, and needs it not for safety.
Note, Those are sufficiently guarded that have God for their guard and are under a
convoy of his hosts, as Jacob was. Those need not be beholden to an arm of flesh that
have God for their arm every morning. Jacob adds, “Only let me find grace in the sight
of my lord; having thy favour, I have all I need, all I desire from thee.” If Jacob thus
valued the good-will of a brother, much more reason have we to reckon that we have
enough if we have the good-will of our God.
KRETZMA , "v. 15. And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee, set at thy
disposal, some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? Let me
find grace in the sight of my lord. So Jacob courteously, but firmly, refused even a
small company of protecting Bedouins. There was no need of it, and therefore Jacob
did not want to bother Esau nor put himself under heavy obligations to him. Jacob
knew, for one thing, that the host of the Lord's angels was with him. But he also did
not want to become too intimate with the people of Esau, who undoubtedly did not
all share their leader's sentiments. Christians will try to live peaceably with all men,
but they will always avoid an intimate union with such as are distinct from them in
spiritual matters.
PETT, "Esau recognises the wisdom of what Jacob says, and is probably somewhat
relieved. But at least he feels he can leave some of his people to help with the herding
and provide further protection, although this may again have been a gesture
between kinsfolk.
But Jacob certainly does not want to have Esau’s men there ensuring that they go to
Seir. or is he certain what secret instructions they might be given. He is still all
suspicion. He judges others by his own complicated make up. But the fact that he is
able to make a case (‘what is the need’) demonstrates that he has a reasonably
satisfactory band of men himself.
“Let me find favour in the sight of my lord.” A polite way of requesting that his
wishes be honoured.
“So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.” o doubt both were relieved. The
one because he would not be tied down to a laborious and boring task and, having
fulfilled his family obligations, was now free to go his way unhindered. The other
because he was free from what he would have seen as a constant threat, and would
not have to go to Seir after all.
Seir was a mountainous area South of the Dead Sea. It was well suited to Esau’s
men who no doubt saw it as a good land. It was away from strong cities and larger
groupings of peoples, provided a safe refuge when he had been on his raids, and yet
provided sufficient reasonably fertile land for feeding herds and planting crops for
the maintenance of the group. But this was not Jacob’s idea of the ideal land at all.

53. He believed firmly in the promises of Yahweh and they did not relate to Seir. And
he preferred to be peaceable rather than belligerent. And who could tell when
Esau’s attitude might change? He could always provide some excuse in the distant
future as to why he had not continued his journey southward.
(As mentioned previously, Esau spent part of his time with the family tribe, assisting
the blind Isaac and overseeing the tending of his own herds and flocks at crucial
times, and part of the time in Seir ‘in the time when men go forth to battle’ (2
Samuel 11:1), adventuring with his men. He was connected by marriage to the
Hivites who dwelt there (Genesis 36:2). It is hardly conceivable that a doting son like
Esau has shown himself to be would leave Isaac totally alone without assistance
when Jacob was absent, and the fact that Esau’s whereabouts is known
demonstrates that he keeps close connections with his family while enjoying his
wilder life with his men)
PULPIT, "And Esau said, Let me now leave (literally, set, or place) with thee (as an
escort or guard) some of the folk—i.e. armed followers (vide Genesis 33:1)—that are
with me. But of even this proposal Jacob appears to have been apprehensive. And
he said, What needeth it! (literally, For what, or wherefore, this?) let me find grace
in the sight of my lord—meaning either, I am satisfied, since thou art gracious to me
(Vatablus),—ἱκανὸν ὅτι ευ}ron xa&rin e)nanti&on sou ku&rie (LXX.); hoc uno
tantum indigeo, ut inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo (Vulgate),—or, be gracious to
me in this also, and leave none of thy followers (Ainsworth, Patrick), though the two
clauses might perhaps be connected thus: "Wherefore do I thus find grace in the
eyes of my lord?" (Kalisch).
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to
Seir.
GILL, "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.
HE RY 16-20, "Here, 1. Jacob comes to Succoth. Having in a friendly manner parted
with Esau, who had gone to his own country (Gen_33:16), he comes to a place where, it
should seem, he rested for some time, set up booths for his cattle, and other
conveniences for himself and family. The place was afterwards known by the name of
Succoth, a city in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan (it signifies booths), that
when his posterity afterwards dwelt in houses of stone, they might remember that the

54. Syrian ready to perish was their father, who was glad of booths (Deu_26:5); such was
the rock whence they were hewn. 2. He comes to Shechem; we read it, to Shalem, a city
of Shechem; the critics generally incline to read it appellatively: he came safely, or in
peace, to the city of Shechem. After a perilous journey, in which he had met with many
difficulties, he came safely, at last, into Canaan. Note, Diseases and dangers should teach
us how to value health and safety, and should help to enlarge our hearts in thankfulness,
when our going out and coming in have been signally preserved. Here, (1.) He buys a
field, Gen_33:19. Though the land of Canaan was his by promise, yet, the time for taking
possession not having yet come, he is content to pay for his own, to prevent disputes
with the present occupants. Note, Dominion is not founded in grace. Those that have
heaven on free-cost must not expect to have earth so. (2.) He builds an altar, Gen_33:20.
[1.] In thankfulness to God, for the good hand of his providence over him. He did not
content himself with verbal acknowledgments of God's favour to him, but made real
ones: [2.] That he might keep up religion, and the worship of God, in his family. Note,
Where we have a tent God must have an altar, where we have a house he must have a
church in it. He dedicated this altar, where we have a house he must have a church in it.
He dedicated this altar to the honour of El-elohe-Israel - God, the God of Israel, to the
honour of God, in general, the only living and true God, the best of beings and first of
causes; and to the honour of the God of Israel, as a God in covenant with him. Note, In
our worship of God we must be guided and governed by the joint-discoveries both of
natural and revealed religion. God had lately called him by the name of Israel, and now
he calls God the God of Israel; though he is styled a prince with God, God shall still be a
prince with him, his Lord and his God. Note, Our honours then become honours indeed
to us when they are consecrated to God's honour; Israel's God is Israel's glory.
PULPIT, "So (literally, and, complying with his brother's request) Esau returned
that day on his way unto Seir—from which he had come to meet Jacob (vide Genesis
32:3). And Jacob journeyed to Succoth. Succoth, so called here by anticipation, and
afterwards belonging to the tribe of Gad, was situated in the valley of the Jordan, on
the east side of the river, and to the south of the Jabbok (Joshua 13:27; 8:4, 8:5),
and consequently is not to be identified with Sakut, on the western side of the
Jordan, ten miles north of the Jabbok, and opposite the Wady Yabis; but is to be
sought for at the ford opposite the Wady-el-Fariah, "down which the little stream
from Shechem drains into the Jordan". And built him an house. This was an
indication that Jacob purposed some considerable stay at Succoth; and, indeed, if a
period of repose was not now demanded by the state of Jacob's health after his long
servitude with Laban, his exhausting conflict with the angel, and his exciting
interview with Esau (Lange), an interval of some years appears to be imperatively
required by the exigencies of the ensuing narrative concerning Dinah, who could not
at this time have been much over six years of age (Murphy, Afford, Gosman, et alii).
And made booths for his cattle. Porter states that he has frequently men such booths
(Succoth, from saccac, to entwine) occupied by the Bedawin of the Jordan valley,
and describes them as rude huts of reeds, sometimes covered with long grass, and
sometimes with a piece of tent (vide Kitto's 'Cyclop.,' ut supra). Therefore the name
of the place is called (literally, he called the name of the place) Succoth—i.e. booths.
K&D 16-17, "Esau set off the same day for Mount Seir, whilst Jacob proceeded to
Succoth, where he built himself a house and made succoth for his flocks, i.e., probably

55. not huts of branches and shrubs, but hurdles or folds made of twigs woven together.
According to Jos_13:27, Succoth was in the valley of the Jordan, and was allotted to the
tribe of Gad, as part of the district of the Jordan, “on the other side Jordan eastward;”
and this is confirmed by Jdg_8:4-5, and by Jerome (quaest. ad h. l.): Sochoth usque
hodie civitas trans Jordanem in parte Scythopoleos. Consequently it cannot be
identified with the Sâcut on the western side of the Jordan, to the south of Beisan, above
the Wady el Mâlih. - How long Jacob remained in Succoth cannot be determined; but we
may conclude that he stayed there some years from the circumstance, that by erecting a
house and huts he prepared for a lengthened stay. The motives which induced him to
remain there are also unknown to us. But when Knobel adduces the fact, that Jacob
came to Canaan for the purpose of visiting Isaac (Gen_31:18), as a reason why it is
improbable that he continued long at Succoth, he forgets that Jacob could visit his father
from Succoth just as well as from Shechem, and that, with the number of people and
cattle that he had about him, it was impossible that he should join and subordinate
himself to Isaac's household, after having attained through his past life and the promises
of God a position of patriarchal independence.
17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he
built a place for himself and made shelters for his
livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.
[a]
BAR ES, "Gen_33:17
“Sukkoth” was south of the Jabbok, and east of the Jordan, as we learn from Jdg_8:4-
9. From the same passage it appears to have been nearer the Jordan than Penuel, which
was at the ford of Jahbok. Sukkoth cannot therefore, be identified with Sakut, which
Robinson finds on the other side of the Jordan, about ten miles north of the mouth of
the Jabbok. “And built him a house.” This indicates a permanent residence. Booths, or
folds, composed of upright stakes wattled together, and sheltered with leafy branches.
The closed space in the text is properly introduced here, to indicate the pause in the
narrative, while Jacob sojourned in this place. Dinah, who is not noticed on the journey,
was now not more than six years of age. Six or seven years more, therefore, must have
elapsed before the melancholy events of the next chapter took place. In the interval,
Jacob may have visited his father, and even returned the visit of Esau.
CLARKE, "Journeyed to Succoth - So called from ‫סכת‬ succoth, the booths or

56. tents which Jacob erected there for the resting and convenience of his family, who in all
probability continued there for some considerable time.
GILL, "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, Jos_13:27; it is mentioned along with
Penuel, and was not far from it, Jdg_8:8. It is said to be but two miles distant from it
(u), 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.
JAMIESO , "Jacob journeyed to Succoth — that is, “booths,” that being the first
station at which Jacob halted on his arrival in Canaan. His posterity, when dwelling in
houses of stone, built a city there and called it Succoth, to commemorate the fact that
their ancestor, “a Syrian ready to perish” [Deu_26:5], was glad to dwell in booths.
HAWKER, "Succoth, so called from the booths erected there. Heb_11:9. Observe: this is
not the Succoth mentioned in Exo_13:20, but Jdg_8:5.
CALVI , "17.And Jacob journeyed to Succoth. In the word Succoth, as Moses
shortly afterwards shows, there is a prolepsis. It is probable that Jacob rested there
for some days, that he might refresh his family and his flock after the toil of a long
journey; for he had found no quiet resting-place till he came thither. And therefore
he gave to that place the name of Succoth, or “Tents,” because he had not dared
firmly to plant his foot elsewhere. For though he had pitched tents in many other
places; yet on this alone he fixes the memorial of divine grace, because now at length
it was granted to him that he might remain in some abode. But since it was not
commodious as a dwelling-place, Jacob proceeded farther till he came to Sichem.
ow, whereas the city has its recent name from the son of Hamor, its former name is
also mentioned, (Genesis 32:18;) for I agree with the interpreters who think Salem
to be a proper name. Although I do not contend, if any one prefers a different
interpretation; namely, that Jacob came in safety to Sichem. (114) But though this
city may have been called Salem, we must nevertheless observe, that it was different
from the city afterwards called Jerusalem; as there were also two cities which bore
the name of Succoth. As respects the subject in hand, the purchase of land which
Moses records in the nineteenth verse, may seem to have been absurd. For Abraham
would buy nothing all his life but a sepulcher; and Isaac his son, waiving all
immediate possession of lands, was contented with that paternal inheritance; for

57. God had constituted them lords and heirs of the land, with this condition, that they
should be strangers in it unto death. Jacob therefore may seem to have done wrong
in buying a field for himself with money, instead of waiting the proper time. I
answer, that Moses has not expressed all that ought to come freely into the mind of
the reader. Certainly from the price we may readily gather that the holy man was
not covetous. He pays a hundred pieces of money; could he acquire for himself large
estates at so small a price, or anything more shall some nook in which he might live
without molestation? Besides, Moses expressly relates that he bought that part on
which he had pitched his tent opposite the city. Therefore he possessed neither
meadows, nor vineyards, nor stable land. But since the inhabitants did not grant
him an abode near the city, he made an agreement with them, and purchased peace
at a small price. (115) This necessity was his excuse; so that no one might say, that
he had bought from man what he ought to have expected as the free gift of God: or
that, when he ought to have embraced, by hope, the dominion of the promised land,
he had been in too great haste to enjoy it.
BE SO , "Genesis 33:17. Jacob journeyed to Succoth — A place afterward known
by that name, in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan; here he rested for the
present, set up booths for his cattle, and built a house; doubtless some slight
building, because he intended not to stay there; with other conveniences for himself
and family. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth — That is, booths, that
when his posterity afterward dwelt in houses of stone, they might remember that the
Syrian, ready to perish, was their father, who was glad of booths, Deuteronomy
26:5.
Genesis 33:18-19. Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem — Or rather, as the
Hebrew may be rendered, he came safe, or in peace, to the city of Shechem. After a
perilous journey, in which he had met with many difficulties, he came safe at last
into Canaan. He bought a parcel of a field — For his present possession and use; for
the right which he already had to it was only in reversion, after the time that God
had appointed. Of the children of Hamor — That is, subjects, called children, to
signify the duty which they owed to him, and the care and affection he owed to
them. Shechem’s father — He only of Hamor’s sons is mentioned, because he was
more honourable than the rest of his brethren, (Genesis 34:19,) and so might
probably transact this affair with Jacob, the rest consenting thereto.
TRAPP, "Ver. 17. Built him an house, and made booths.] So did his posterity, at
their going out of Egypt, [Exodus 12:37] and, for a perpetual memorial thereof,
were appointed to keep a yearly feast of booths or tabernacles, [Leviticus 23:34]
made of green boughs of trees, in praise of God, who had now vouchsafed them
better houses. And here one would wonder, saith a divine, (a) that all along, during
the reign of David and Solomon, who gave a pattern of, and built the temple, and all
those succeeding reformers, there should something be omitted about this feast of
tabernacles, till their return from Babylon: yet so it was. [ ehemiah 8:16-17] This
feast was kept, as it is thought, by Solomon, [2 Chronicles 7:8] and by these same
Jews, [Ezra 3:4] yet not in this manner. ow [ ehemiah 8:14] they had learned, by
sad experience, to keep it aright, in dwelling in booths, by having been lately

58. strangers out of their own land: to signify which, and profess themselves strangers -
as this "Syrian ready to perish their father" [Deuteronomy 26:5] was, now at
Succoth - was the intent of that feast, and that rite of it, dwelling in booths. This is
intimated, "They did read also out of the law," &c., [ ehemiah 8:17-18] which, till
then, they had not done.
ELLICOTT, "(17) Succoth.—That is, booths. There are two claimants for
identification with Jacob’s Succoth, of which the one is in the tribe of Gad, on the
east of the Jordan, in the corner formed by that river and the Jabbok; the other is
the place still called Sakût, on the west of the Jordan, but as it lies ten miles to the
north. of the junction of the Jordan and Jabbok, it is not likely that Jacob would go
so far out of his way.
Jacob . . . built him an house, and made booths for his cattle.—This is something
quite unusual, as the cattle in Palestine remain in the open air all the year round,
and the fact that the place retained the name of the booths shows that it was noticed
as remarkable. But the fact, coupled with the right translation of Genesis 33:18, is a
strong but undesigned testimony to the truth of the narrative. Jacob had been
pursued by Laban, and suffered much from anxiety and the labour attendant upon
the hurried removal of so large a household. Delivered from danger in the rear, he
has to face a greater danger in front, and passes many days and nights in terror. At
last Esau is close at hand, and having done all that man could do, he stays behind to
recover himself, and prepare for the dreaded meeting next day. But instead of a few
calm restful hours he has to wrestle fiercely all night, and when at sunrise he moves.
forward he finds that he has sprained his hip. He gets through the interview with
Esan with much feeling, agitated alternately by fear, and hope, and joy, enduring all
the while his bodily pain as best he can, and then, delivered from all danger, he
breaks down. The word “journeyed” simply means that he broke up his camp from
the high ground where he had met his brother, and went into the corner close by,
where the two rivers would both protect him and provide his cattle with water and
herbage. And there he not only put up some protection, probably wattled enclosures
made with branches of trees, for his cattle, but built a house for himself—something,
that is, more solid than a tent: and there he lay until he was healed of his lameness.
The strained sinew would require some months of perfect rest before Jacob could
move about; but it was healed, for “Jacob came whole and sound to the city of
Shechem.” (See next verse.)
KRETZMA , "v. 17. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house,
and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth
(booths). Jacob, from the neighborhood of Peniel, turned toward the Jordan, where
he built a more permanent encampment, by erecting a house for himself and sheds,
or booths, for his cattle. This place probably remained one of his stations for his
rapidly growing herds and flocks. Cf Jos_13:27; Jdg_8:4-5.
PETT, "Succoth was later a city in the territory assigned to the Gaddites, east of
Jordan, in the Jordan valley not far from a water crossing (Joshua 13:27; Judges
8:4-5) and not far from Penuel (Judges 8:8).

59. Here he sets up a permanent residence. He has been through much, as have his
family and herds and flocks, and this gives him the opportunity for recovery. He
builds a house for himself and provides permanent accommodation for his flocks
and herds. The ‘house’, permanent living quarters, may well have been fairly
extensive needing to provide accommodation for his wives and family. His men
could see to their own needs and would need to protect the herds. It is clear that he
was in no hurry to join his father Isaac, and spent some years here while his family
grew up. The name Succoth appears to have come from this period. Thus the event
that follows at Shechem occurs some time after.
The position had the added advantage that if Esau came back he could always say
that his herds and flocks, which had previously been pushed hard, needed recovery
time.
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Jacob journeyed to Succoth
Lessons
1. Providence in love carrieth on his own after removing of blocks from their way.
2. The movings and journeyings of his own, providence guides, as of the wicked, but
with distinction.
3. Esau under providence may be carried to Seir, strong mountains, but Jacob to
Succoth, a poor cottage and a booth..
4. Under providence it concerns good householders to build shelters, for themselves,
families, and cattle.
5. Such common works of saints are recorded as pleasing unto God.
6. Jacob’s seed are careful to keep booth-providences in remembrance, Name of
place showeth this. (G. Hughes, B. D.)
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b] he
arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan
and camped within sight of the city.
BAR ES, "Gen_33:18-20
Jacob at length crosses the Jordan, and enters again the land of Kenaan. “In peace.”

60. The original word (‫שׁלם‬ shālēm “safe, in peace”) is rendered Shalem, the name of the
town at which Jacob arrived, by the Septuagint. The rendering safe, or in peace, is here
adopted, because (1) the word is to be taken as a common noun or adjective, unless there
be a clear necessity for a proper name; (2) “the place” was called Shekem in the time of
Abraham Gen_12:6, and the “town” is so designated in the thirty-fifth chapter Gen_
35:4; and (3) the statement that Jacob arrived in safety accounts for the additional
clauses, “which is in the land of Kenaan,” and “when he went from Padan-aram,” and is
in accordance with the promise Gen_28:21 that he would return in peace. If, however,
the Salim found by Robinson to the west of Nablous be the present town, it must be
called the city of Shekem, because it belonged to the Shekem mentioned in the following
verse and chapter. “Pitched before the city.”
Jacob did not enter into the city, because his flocks and herds could not find
accommodation there, and he did not want to come into close contact with the
inhabitants. “He bought a parcel of the field.” He is anxious to have a place he may call
his own, where he may have a permanent resting-place. “For a hundred kesitahs.” The
kesitah may have been a piece of silver or gold, of a certain weight, equal in value to a
lamb (see Gesenius). “El-Elohe-Israel.” Jacob consecrates his ground by the erection of
an altar. He calls it the altar of the Mighty One, the God of Israel, in which he signalizes
the omnipotence of him who had brought him in safety to the land of promise through
many perils, the new name by which he himself had been lately designated, and the
blessed communion which now existed between the Almighty and himself. This was the
very spot where Abraham, about one hundred and eighty-five years ago, built the first
altar he erected in the promised land Gen_12:6-7. It is now consecrated anew to the God
of promise.
CLARKE, "And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem - The word ‫שלם‬
shalem, in the Samaritan ‫שלום‬ shalom, should be translated here in peace, or in safety.
After resting some time at Succoth, which was necessary for the safety of his flocks and
the comfort of his family, he got safely to a city of Shechem, in health of body, without
any loss of his cattle or servants, his wives and children being also in safety. Coverdale
and Matthews translate this word as above, and with them agree the Chaldee and the
Arabic: it is not likely to have been the name of a city, as it is nowhere else to be found.
Shechem is called in Act_7:16, Sychem, and in Joh_4:5, Sychar; in the Arabic it is called
Nablous, and to the present day Neapolis. It was near to Samaria; and the place where
the wretched remains of the sect of the Samaritans were lately found, from whom Dr.
Huntington received a perfect copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
GILL, "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 it (w); more
likely Salim near Aenon, where John was baptizing, Joh_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, Joh_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
Succoth (x): 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 Jewish (y) writers generally
understand it of his coming in peace, health, and safety:

61. 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,
Gen_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.
JAMIESO , "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 it (w);
more likely Salim near Aenon, where John was baptizing, Joh_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, Joh_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 Succoth (x): 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 Jewish (y)
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,
Gen_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.
HAWKER, "See the account of this place, called Sychem, Joh_4:5; Act_7:16, where
Hamor is also called Emmor.
COFFMA , "The last verses of the preceding paragraph recounted Jacob's
stopping in Succoth (meaning booths), and so named by Jacob after the shelters he
erected there for his cattle. Whitelaw supposed that it was winter time, a fact also

62. supported by the fact of the cattle having young calves. There, Jacob was still east of
the Jordan, occupying an elevated plain affording a beautiful view of the whole
area. His stay at Succoth was probably about two years.
These final verses of the chapter speak of the patriarch's entry into Canaan, to the
city of Shechem, where he purchased property, built a house, and apparently
intended to stay a long time. However, misfortune that befell Dinah, and the bloody
vengeance of her brothers (recounted in the next chapter) interfered with those
plans.
The property which Jacob bought here was the first that he owned in the Promised
Land. It later served as a burial plot; and Joseph's bones were interred there
(Joshua 24:32), when the children of Israel entered Canaan. "Thus the grave of
Joseph, like that of Abraham at Machpelah, belonged to Israel by purchase."[20]
It is notable that Jacob built an altar here, thus following in the steps of Abraham
who built an altar wherever he went. The name of it is also significant, for this is the
first time that the name "Israel" was used after God gave it.
How long Jacob stayed in Shechem is not exactly known, but it was apparently a
minimum of ten or twelve years. As Unger said, "However long it was; it was too
long!"[21] The entry of Jacob, however, into Canaan, was evidently considered by
the inspired author of Genesis as an extremely important event. The repetition of
the word Paddan-aram as the place of his previous residence indicates this. Jacob
was then in the Promised Land, but as God had revealed prophetically to Abraham,
some four hundred years of servitude lay ahead of Israel before God would bring
the whole nation into Canaan. That period of bondage was destined to be in Egypt.
And the Genesis account moves swiftly and dramatically to recount the events that
set the stage for the posterity of Israel in the land of Egypt. The key figure in those
events of destiny was Joseph, and a great deal of the remainder of Genesis will be
concerned with him.
Before ringing down the curtain on Jacob in Shechem, we should remember that
Jacob digged a well there, that the Christ himself sat on the edge of it and taught the
Samaritan woman from Sychar. It is situated between Mount Ebal and Mount
Gerizim, and was located very near the future city of Samaria, which became the
capital of the orthern Israel after the division of the kingdom. Oddly enough, the
well of Jacob here was never mentioned in the O.T., but John 4:6 speaks of it.
Samaria had not been built when Jacob resided there. This whole territory became,
in time, the portion of the Promised Land occupied by Ephraim, the principal tribe
of orthern Israel.
The peculiar word for altar in Genesis 33:20 is connected with a word sometimes
used for pillar; and "because of this some scholars want to emend (change) the text
here to make it read pillar. However, there is no support for this in the ancient
versions."[22] One reason for this could lie in the rather peculiar manner in which
Jacob built his altars, a fact we noted in the incident at Mizpeh. He first put up a

63. pillar, and then built the altar around it and to the top of it. Of course, what the
critical scholars are aiming at is some excuse for making a pagan out of Jacob.
"El-Elohe-Israel ..." This name, given by Jacob to the altar he built may be
translated, "Mighty is the God of Israel, or God is the God of Israel."[23] Here,
then, is another addition to the names of God found in the O.T.
COKE, "Genesis 33:18. Came to Shalem, &c.— Onkelos and the Arabic version
render this, He came in peace and safety to the city Shalem, &c. Mr. Chais has it,
sain et sauf; and this, perhaps, is the best translation; informing us, that after Jacob
had left Padan-aram, he arrived in health and peace, and without accidents through
his journey, at the city of Shalem, &c. The sacred writer does not inform us when he
arrived there, or whither he went during the time his family stayed at Succoth; he
mentions the present fact only to introduce what follows in the next chapter, which
properly should have been connected with this.
ELLICOTT, "(18) Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem.—The Sam. Pent. has
shalom,”safe”; but shalem is right, and means whole, sound. Onkelos, however,
followed by most modern commentators, renders it in peace, but this too would not
mean peaceably, but that his troubles were now at an end, and his lameness cured.
Philippsohn’s rendering, however, is more exact, namely, wohlbehalten, in good
condition. Rashi also, no mean authority, sees in it an allusion to the cure of Jacob’s
lameness. As Shechem was a man, his city would not be Shalem, but that called after
his own name. In Genesis 12:6 it is called “Sichern,” where see ote. Sichern was
probably the old name, but after the cruel fate brought upon it by Shechem’s
misconduct the spelling was modified to suit the history.
In the land of Canaan.—Jacob therefore had now crossed the river Jordan, and so
far completed his homeward journey. Probably as soon as he had recovered from
his lameness he visited his father, but as his possessions were large, and Esau was
the chief at Hebron, there was no room at present for him to dwell there, nor in fact
was this possible until Isaac’s death. But as we find Deborah with them soon
afterwards, it is plain that he had gone to visit Isaac, and, finding his mother dead,
had brought away with him her beloved nurse.
KRETZMA , "v. 18. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in
the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the
city. After living at Succoth a number of years, until Dinah, his daughter, had
become a young woman, during which time Jacob also made a visit to his aged
father at Hebron and brought back the old nurse of his mother, Deborah, he finally
entered Canaan proper with his family and at least some of his herds and flocks. He
came into his home country in good health, as the Lord had promised him, and
encamped before the city of Shechem, which the Hivite prince Hamor had built
since the time of Abraham, calling it after the name of his son.
PULPIT, "And Jacob (leaving Succoth) came to Shalem—the word ‫ֵם‬‫ל‬ ָ‫,שׁ‬ rendered
by some expositors as here (LXX ; Vulgate, Syriac, Luther, Calvin, Poole,

64. Wordsworth), is better taken as an adverb signifying in peace or in safety (Onkelos,
Saadias, Rashi, Dathius, Rosenmüller, Gesenius, Keil, Kalisch, et alii), meaning that
Jacob Was now sound in his limb (Jarehi) and safe in his person, being no more
endangered by Esau (Gerundensis in Drusius), or that he had hitherto met with no
misfortune, though soon to encounter one in the instance of Dinah (Patrick), or that
the expectations of Jacob expressed in Genesis 28:21 (to which there is an obvious
allusion) were now fulfilled (Keil)—a city of Shechem,—if Shalem be the name of
the town, then probably Shechem is the name of the person referred to in Genesis
34:2, viz; the son of Hamor the Hivite (Drusius, Poole); but if Shalem mean
incolumis, then the present clause must be rendered "to the city of Shechem," the
city being already built and named—which is in the land of Canaan,—Bush thinks
that Jacob had originally contemplated entering Canaan from the south after
rounding the Dead Sea, probably with a view to reach Beersheba, but that, after his
interview with Esau, he suddenly altered his route, and entered Canaan directly by
crossing the Jordan and driving up his flocks and herds to Shechem, the first
halting-place of Abraham (vide Genesis 12:6), which may perhaps lend additional
interest to, if they do not explain, the words that follow—when he came from Padan-
aram (as Abraham previously had done); and (he) pitched his tent before the city—
because he did not wish to come in contact with the inhabitants (Lyre), or because
his flocks and herds could not find accommodation within the city walls (Murphy),
or perhaps simply for convenience of pasturage (Patrick).
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR,"And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem,. . . and
pitched his tent before the city
Jacob’s mistake
God had not said, Go to Shechem; but, “I am the God of Bethel.
” Bethel, rather than Shechem, was his appointed goal. But alas! we are all too ready to
fall short of God’s schemes for our elevation and blessedness. And so Jacob came to
Shalem, a city of Shechem. But he did worse; he pitched his tent before the city—as Lot
did, when he pitched his tent before Sodom. What took him there? Was it that Rachel
persuaded him that a little society would be a pleasant relief to the monotony and
seclusion of the camp life? Was it that his children urged him to it against his better
mind? Was it some idea of obtaining eligible alliances for his children among the
children of the land? Whatever may have been his reason, there stands the sad and
solemn fact that Jacob pitched his tent before the city. Are not many Christians doing so
still? They live on the edge of the world, just on the borderland; far enough away to
justify a religious profession, yet near enough to run into it for sweets. They send their
children to fashionable schools, that they may acquire the false veneer of the world, and
past muster in its drawing rooms. They remove into the fashionable quarters of a town;
and adopt a certain style; and throw themselves into the swim of all manner of worldly
engagements—that they may get in with “society.” They choose their church, their
pastimes, their friendships, on the sole principle of doing as others do; and of forming
good alliances for their children. What is all this but pitching their tents towards
Shechem? “But what are we to do?” say they; “our children must have society; they
cannot be recluses, or be for ever shut up in our homes.” But why need we cater for them
by rushing into the world? Are there not plenty of innocent pastimes, on which
worldliness has never breathed its withering breath? Are there not enough elements in
the bright social intercourse of the family circle; in the play of imagination and

65. wholesome merriment; in games of skill; in the charms of books; in the recital of travel
and adventure; in the witchery of wholesome songs and music; and even in the
revelations of modern popular science—to beguile the hours of long winter evenings,
without calling in the aid of worldly society, whose brightest hours leave a sense of
vacuity and thirst, to say nothing of a positive sting? The most earnest religion does not
debar us from manly sports: the swift movement of the skater over the frozen lake; the
evening row; the exhilarating climb: or from the culture of the faculties of art; and
music; and imagination; of science and poesy. Surely, in all these there is enough to
brighten Christian homes, without grieving the Holy Spirit, or lowering their tone. But if
parents and guardians will insist on something more exciting and stimulating than
these, they must reckon on being called upon to pay the price. They may have the dice-
box, the theatre, the dance, if they will; but they must learn, by sad experience, the bitter
cost. He needs a long spoon who sups with the devil. The fact is, it is much easier to give
these things than to arouse oneself to provide something better. The something better
needs time and thought; and staying at home from religious meetings, to give it effect:
but the ultimate benefit will more than repay the self-denial. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
CONSTABLE 18-20, "Jacob then crossed the Jordan River and moved his family into the
land of Canaan. He chose Shechem ("peaceful") as his home. By purchasing land there
he showed that he regarded Canaan as his permanent home and the home of his seed.
The Israelites eventually buried Joseph at Shechem (Joshua 24:32). Shechem was only
about a mile from the Sychar of Jesus' day (cf. John 4:5; John 4:12).
God had granted Jacob's request by bringing him safely back into the Promised Land (cf.
Genesis 28:20-21). As he had vowed, Jacob worshipped the God of his father as his God.
He called Yahweh "El-Elohe-Israel" meaning, "The mighty God is the God of Israel."
Jacob used his own new name, Israel (Genesis 32:29). He built an altar, Jacob's first, to
worship God as Abraham had done at Shechem when he had first entered Canaan
(Genesis 12:6-7). The altar would have served the double purpose of providing a table for
Jacob's sacrifice and serving as a memorial for Jacob's descendants in the years to come.
What were Jacob's motivation and relationship to God when he met Esau? This question
rises often in the study of this chapter. The answer is not obvious. Some commentators
have felt that Jacob completely backslid and returned to his former lifestyle of self-
reliance and deceit. [Note: E.g., Thomas, pp. 309-16.] Most interpreters attribute good
motives to Jacob. [Note: E.g., Keil and Delitzsch, 1:307-11; Aalders, pp. 148-53.] I believe
the truth probably lies somewhere between these extremes. It seems to me that Jacob's
experience at Peniel had a life-changing impact on him. Jacob seems to be referring to it
in Genesis 33:10. Nevertheless his former lifestyle had become so ingrained-Jacob was
over 90 years old at this time-that he easily slipped back into his former habits. I believe
we have a clue to this in the use of his name "Jacob" in the text rather than "Israel." In
short, Jacob seems to have had a genuine experience of coming to grips with himself and
yielding his life to God at Peniel. Nevertheless from then on, his motives and attitudes
vacillated. At times he trusted God as he should have, but at others, many others, he
failed to trust God.
The divine Author's main concern in this section was not Jacob's motivation, however;

66. He could have clarified that for us. Rather it seems to have been the faithfulness of God
in sparing Jacob's life and returning him to the Promised Land as He had promised
(Genesis 28:13-15). The Jacob narrative also contains evidence that God was faithful to
bless others through Abraham's descendants (Genesis 12:3), including Laban (cf.
Genesis 30:27) and Esau (cf. Genesis 33:11).
A major lesson of this chapter is that those who have received God's grace may trust in
God's promise of protection when they seek reconciliation with others.
K&D 18-20, "From Succoth, Jacob crossed a ford of the Jordan, and “came in safety to
the city of Sichem in the land of Canaan.” ‫ם‬ ֵ‫ל‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ is not a proper name meaning “to
Shalem,” as it is rendered by Luther (and Eng. Vers., Tr.) after the lxx, Vulg., etc.; but an
adjective, safe, peaceful, equivalent to ‫ּום‬‫ל‬ ָ‫שׁ‬ ְ , “in peace,” in Gen_28:21, to which there is
an evident allusion. What Jacob had asked for in his vow at Bethel, before his departure
from Canaan, was now fulfilled. He had returned in safety “to the land of Canaan;”
Succoth, therefore, did not belong to the land of Canaan, but must have been on the
eastern side of the Jordan. ‫ם‬ ֶ‫כ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ ‫יר‬ ִ‫,ע‬ lit., city of Shechem; so called from Shechem the son
of the Hivite prince Hamor
(Note: Mamortha, which according to Plin. (h. n. v. 14) was the earlier name of
Neapolis (Nablus), appears to have been a corruption of Chamor.)
(Gen_33:19, Gen_34:2.), who founded it and called it by the name of his son, since it
was not in existence in Abraham's time (vid., Gen_12:6). Jacob pitched his tent before
the town, and then bought the piece of ground upon which he encamped from the sons
of Hamor for 100 Kesita. ‫ה‬ ָ‫יט‬ ִ‫שׂ‬ ְ‫ק‬ is not a piece of silver of the value of a lamb (according to
the ancient versions), but a quantity of silver weighed out, of considerable, though not
exactly determinable value: cf. Ges. thes. s. v. This purchase showed that Jacob, in
reliance upon the promise of God, regarded Canaan as his own home and the home of
his seed. This piece of field, which fell to the lot of the sons of Joseph, and where
Joseph's bones were buried (Jos_24:32), was, according to tradition, the plain which
stretches out at the south-eastern opening of the valley of Shechem, where Jacob's well
is still pointed out (Joh_4:6), also Joseph's grave, a Mahometan wely (grave) two or
three hundred paces to the north (Rob. Pal. iii. 95ff.). Jacob also erected an altar, as
Abraham had previously done after his entrance into Canaan (Gen_12:7), and called it
El-Elohe-Israel, “God (the mighty) is the God of Israel,” to set forth in this name the
spiritual acquisition of his previous life, and according to his vow (Gen_28:21) to give
glory to the “God of Israel” (as he called Jehovah, with reference to the name given to
him at Gen_32:29), for having proved Himself to be El, a mighty God, during his long
absence, and that it might serve as a memorial for his descendants.

67. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought
from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem,
the plot of ground where he pitched his tent.
CLARKE, "For a hundred pieces of money - The original, ‫קשיטה‬ ‫במאה‬ bemeah
kesitah, has been a matter of long and learned discussion among critics. As kesitah
signifies a lamb, it may imply that Jacob gave the Hamorites one hundred lambs for the
field; but if it be the same transaction that St. Stephen refers to in Act_7:16, it was
money, τιµης αργυριον, a sum or price of silver, which was given on the occasion. It has
been conjectured that the money had the figure of a lamb stamped on it, because it was
on an average the value of a lamb; and hence it might be called a kesitah or lamb from the
impression it bore. It is certain that in many countries the coin has had its name from
the image it bore; so among our ancestors a coin was called an angel because it bore the
image of an angel; hence also a Jacobus, a Carolus, a Lewis, (Louis d’ Or), a Joe, because
certain coins in England, Spain, France, and Portugal, bore on one side the image of the
kings of those countries, James, Charles, Lewis, Joseph, or Johannes. The Athenians had
a coin called βους, an ox, because it was stamped with the figure of an ox. Hence the
saying in Aeschylus:
Τα δ’ αλλα σιγω, βους επι γλωττης
µεγας
Βεβηκεν
Agam. v. 36.
“I must be silent concerning other matters, a great ox has come upon my tongue;” to
signify a person who had received a bribe for secrecy, i.e., a sum of money, on each piece
of which an ox was stamped, and hence called βους, an ox. The word opes, riches, is a
corruption of the word oves, sheep, because these animals in ancient times constituted
the principal riches of their owners; but when other cattle were added, the word
pecunia, (from pecus, cattle), which we translate money, and from which we still have
our English term pecuniary, appears to have been substituted for oves, because pecus,
pecoris, and pecus, pecudis, were used to signify all kinds of cattle large and small.
Among our British and Saxon ancestors we find coins stamped with the figure of an ox,
horse, hog, goat, etc., and this custom arose in all probability, both among them and
other nations, from this circumstance, that in primitive times the coin was the ordinary
value of the animal whose image it bore. It is, all circumstances weighed, most likely that
a piece of money is here intended, and possibly marked with the image of a lamb; but as
the original word ‫קשיטה‬ kesitah occurs only here, and in Jos_24:32, and Job_42:11, this

68. is not sufficiently evident, the word itself being of very doubtful signification. Mr.
Parkhurst is of opinion that the kesitah bore the image of a lamb; and that these lamb
coins of the ancient Hebrews typified the Lamb of God, who in the Divine purpose was
considered as slain from the foundation of the world, and who purchased us unto God
with his own blood. The conjecture is at least pious, and should lead to useful reflections.
Those who wish to see more on this subject may consult the writers in the Critici Sacri,
and Calmet.
GILL, "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", Act_7:16; and
this best agrees with the use of the word in Job_42:11, the only place besides this,
excepting Jos_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.
JAMIESO , "an hundred pieces of money — literally, “lambs”; probably a coin
with the figure of a lamb on it.
HAWKER, "Observe: though Jacob by God’s blessing was the proprietor in right of
inheritance, yet not an inch of the land of Canaan had he in possession. Act_7:5.
ELLICOTT, "(19) He bought . . . —Abraham had been obliged to buy land for a
burial-place, and we find even then that the field he wanted had an owner who
could give him a title to its possession. Jacob a century later finds it necessary to buy
even the ground on which to pitch his tent, though his cattle might still roam freely
about for pasture. This, however, would certainly not have been required except in
the immediate neighbourhood of a town. As he had now recovered from his sprain,

69. he returns to his habits as a nomad, and dwells in a tent. In this, the first parcel of
ground possessed by Jacob, the embalmed body of Joseph was buried (Joshua
24:32; see also John 4:5); and it is remarkable that the possession of it was secure,
even when the owners were far away in Egypt.
An hundred pieces of money.—Heb., a hundred hesitas. It is plain that the kesita
was an ingot of metal of some considerable value, from what is said in the Book of
Job (Genesis 42:11), that each of his friends gave the patriarch “one kesita and a
nose-ring of gold.” The etymology of the word is uncertain, and apparently all
knowledge of its meaning had at an early period passed away, inasmuch as Onkelos
and some of the versions translate it lambs, for which rendering there is no support.
KRETZMA , "v. 19. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his
tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, for an hundred pieces of money. Jacob,
trusting in the promises of the Lord and preparing for an even more permanent
residence in Canaan than Abraham, bought a possession for himself during his
lifetime. This piece of land, with the so-called Jacob's well, is shown to this day at
the southeast opening of the valley of Shechem. Jacob paid for this land one
hundred pieces of money, the value of which can no longer be determined. Some
scholars think that each piece of money was worth as much as a lamb, while others
are of the opinion that there was money in those days which, in a crude manner, had
the figure of a lamb stamped upon it.
PETT 19-20, "Some years have passed and now Jacob feels the time has come to
return to the land of the covenant. This particular record was made as a permanent
record of the covenant between Hamor and Jacob which resulted in the
establishment of a permanent altar to God and ownership of the land on which it
was built. The episode that follows was seen as permanently connected with this
arrangement. Alternately the central covenant may have been seen as the one
between Hamor and Jacob in respect of Dinah (34:8-12). This may have been seen
as necessary to establish Dinah’s innocence. The ancients would view the central
theme of the passage as totally justified, and indeed required to purify the tribe.
This was what Hamor and Shechem, as Canaanites, failed to realise to their cost.
Genesis 33:18-20
‘And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan,
when he came from Paddan-aram, and encamped by the city. And he bought the
parcel of land where he had pitched his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor,
Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. And he erected there an altar and
called it El-elohe-Israel (God the God of Israel).’
“The city of Shechem”. This may mean the city Shechem lived in, the city remaining
unnamed, but Shechem was well known as a city elsewhere and it is therefore
probable that the man Shechem was named after the city in which he dwelt as its
potential ruler.
The stress that Jacob came in peace is never made elsewhere. The writer is

70. preparing for what follows and stressing that in it all Jacob was guiltless. He had no
intentions of belligerence. (The translation could, however, alternatively be ‘to
Salem, a city of Shechem’).
“When he came from Paddan-aram.” This is a general note referring to the fact that
this is Jacob’s first contact with the Promised Land after leaving Paddan-aram. It
does not necessarily signify immediacy.
Jacob sets up camp by the city. He is so moved by the fact that he is now back in the
land of God’s covenant that he determines to set up a permanent shrine there. Thus
he buys a piece of land so that he can build a permanent memorial. The fact that
Hamor is willing to sell him land is a sign of the good relations between the two,
although the purpose for which it was bought would influence the situation. This
may well have brought Jacob into a position of indebtedness to Hamor for land did
not usually pass in this way without feudal obligations.
“A hundred pieces of silver.” Strictly ‘money’ is not correct as payment was made in
quantities of silver. The uncommon Hebrew word probably indicates a weight
measure.
“He built there an altar to El-elohe-Israel.” From this time on Shechem is a sacred
place to the family tribe and later to Israel. It was in the neighbourhood of Mount
Gerizim (Judges 9:7) in the hill country of Ephraim (Joshua 20:7). It was the place
where God first revealed Himself to Abraham when he initially entered the land,
and where he built his first altar to Yahweh (Genesis 12:6). That indeed may be why
Jacob came there and why he was determined to establish a permanent altar to God.
It was where Joshua would later renew the covenant and where the bones of Joseph
would be buried (Joshua 24). By establishing this altar in the name of God the God
of Israel Jacob is confirming his new name and applying it to the family tribe. From
now on they will proudly call themselves ‘Israel’ (Genesis 34:7)
In order to put the following story in context it is necessary to appreciate the strong
feelings aroused by the sexual misuse of a prominent member of a tribe. Such an act
was looked on as a raping of the tribe itself. Probably the people of Shechem, more
used to sexual misbehaviour (the Canaanite religion was sexually debased) and to
the behaviour of petty princes, did not appreciate the intense feeling that Shechem’s
act would arouse in a family tribe such as Jacob’s. But to Dinah’s two blood
brothers, Simeon and Levi, there could be only one reply, justice and vengeance.
Blood was required. By his cavalier behaviour Shechem brought deep shame on
them, indeed sacrilege had been committed, and only his death could wipe it out.
We have already seen how careful the patriarchs were in finding wives for their
sons. We need not doubt that they were as careful about their daughters. Thus what
happened to Dinah was a dreadful blow to the family. Had it been a member of the
covenant community some lesser penalty might have been possible as long as she
was not betrothed to another (Deuteronomy 22:25-29). But they saw marriage to a
Canaanite prince as out of the question. The only other possible penalty was death.

71. From the point of view of the story of the covenant, however, this was a moment of
crisis. Absorption into the community at Shechem would have signalled the end of
the covenant. The covenant people would have been absorbed into a community
whose religious practises were debased. Thus the determination of the brothers to
have justice done, and sacrilege dealt with, preserved the covenant community.
PULPIT,"And he bought a parcel of a field,—literally, the portion (from a root
signifying to divide) of the field—where he had spread his tent,—and in which he
afterwards sank a well (cf. John 4:6)—at the hand of the children of Homer,
Shechem's father (after whom the town was named, ut supra), for an hundred
pieces of money—or kesitahs, the etymology of which is uncertain (Kalisch), though
connected by some philologists (Gesenius, Furst) with kasat, to weigh; translated
lambs (Onkelos, LXX; Vulgate), but believed to have been a certain weight now
unknown, or a piece of money of a definite value, perhaps the price of a lamb
(Murphy), which, like the shekel, was used for purposes of commercial exchange by
the patriarchs (Gesenius)—probably a coin stamped with the figure of a lamb
(Bochart, Munter); but coined money does not appear to have been of so great
antiquity (Rosenmüller, Wordsworth, Alford).
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "And he bought a parcel of a field
Jacob’s faith and piety
I. HIS FAITH. He bought a parcel of ground as a pledge of his faith in the future
possession of that country by his posterity (Gen_33:19). This purchase of a portion of
land, concerning which God had promised Abraham that it should be his, showed
Jacob’s deep conviction that the promise was renewed to him and to his seed.
II. HIS PIETY. This was an evidence of his faith. He gave himself up entirely to God, and
this inward feeling was expressed outwardly by acts of obedience and devotion. His piety
is seen—
1. In an act of worship. “He erected there an altar.” This was in keeping with his vow
(Gen_28:21).
2. In the use of blessings already given. He called the altar “El-Elohe-Israel” (Gen_
33:20). He now uses his own new name, Israel, for the first time, in association with
the name of God. He uses that name which signifies the Mighty One, who was now
his covenant God. He lives up to his privilege, uses all that God had given. He had
vowed that he would take the Lord to be his God.
3. In the peace he enjoyed. He arrived in peace at his journey’s end (Gen_33:18). (T.
H. Leale.)
Lessons
1. Jacob and his seed desire to usurp nothing but what they buy from the world.
2. God’s pilgrims mind no great purchase below, but only a place for a tent: a little
place.

72. 3. It is lawful for Jacob to deal with Canaanites in just exchanges (Gen_33:19).
4. Saints would not have a house but that God should dwell in 2:5. Succeeding saints
repair religion and the means of the exercise of it, set up by progenitors.
6. Altarworship, or worship by Christ, is that which saints have ever practised.
7. True religion is terminated in the Almighty God.
8. Religious worship is the true memorial of God’s making His Church truly Israel
(Gen_2:20). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
He erected there an altar
The family altar
By calling this altar “El-Elohe-Israel,” or God the God of Israel, it was virtually saying, “I
erect this altar for the worship of my family, to the God with whom I have prevailed in
supplication, and who has proved Himself the hearer of my prayer.” Such an altar should
there be in every household; and, without further special reference to our text, I proceed
to the subject I have chosen for this occasion,, namely, that of family worship.
1. We may remark, first, that it is clearly the duty of every family to maintain such
worship.
2. We may pass on, therefore, in the second place, to the advantages of family
worship. Among its lesser benefits, we may remark in passing that, rightly
conducted, it makes a profitable impression upon those out of the family, who may
chance to witness it. Family worship is also of unspeakable advantage in maintaining
all the other institutions of our holy religion. We can hardly enumerate the
advantages of family worship to the household itself. That it draws down the blessing
of God upon the domestic circle needs no proof, for we have for our encouragement,
not only the general promises made to prayer, but the special assurance that “where
two or three are gathered together in Christ’s name He will be with them”; and we
have farther, the evidence of actual experience. If we value the salvation of our loved
ones we shall not neglect this means of securing it. The restraining influence of
domestic worship upon all the annoyances and disturbers of domestic peace is most
powerful and valuable. Who can kneel down and pray daily before his family against
a sin which he habitually commits? How can the inmates of a dwelling cherish
unkind feelings towards each other while united in common prayer?
3. We may next notice the manner in which family devotions may best be performed.
4. Our last point will be to notice the objections and difficulties which are commonly
opposed to the duty. One may reply, that all these arguments and statements may be
very good and true, but that he makes no profession of religion, and it would be
improper, therefore, for him to set up family worship. Why so? Is it wrong for him to
pray in secret, or in the house of God, or to give his children religious instruction?
And why any more so to pray in the family? (W. H. Lewis, D. D.)
Jacob’s thankfulness after deliverance
See the practice of faithful men, ever when God hath been merciful to them, and
delivered them out of danger. Now Jacob buildeth an altar in the true thankfulness of his

73. soul unto God for this great mercy and deliverance of him from his brother Esau. And he
calleth it the mighty God of Israel: giving to the sign the name of the thing which it
signified, which is usual in the Scripture. Thus would God it might kindle some heat in
our hearts and consciences, to consider ourselves, the dangers we have been in our days,
the dangers of the land wherein we inhabit. The dangers of wife, children, and friends,
and now our safety and deliverance from all our fears. For this hath the Lord done for
us, and whatsoever it is in our eyes, surely it is wonderful even through the world. But
where now are our altars? That is, where are our thanks and most grateful songs for our
deliverance? We have found mercy as Jacob did; yea, for more, for greater Esaus have
come against us, than did against him, not with four hundred men, but many thousands,
to captivate us for ever as their slaves when they had slain their fill. And yet we live, and
by God only who hath strangely revenged us upon them that would thus have eaten us
up. That is, as I say again, we give not thanks for the custom of our time, as he did after
the manner of his. At the first peradventure we did, but it was soon at an end. Now are
we fallen into a deep sleep again, and both God and His mercy is forgotten. Our danger
also, as if it had never been. But in the Lord I beseech you, let us awake again, look upon
Jacob here what he cloth, and every man and woman follow his example. Build God an
altar, not in earth with lime and stone, but in your heart of most kind and thankful
remembrance for all His mercies to the land, to our dread sovereign, to ourselves, our
souls and bodies, to our wives and children, to our neighbours and friends, and infinite
ways that we cannot name. Bless His majesty for them, and let not the remembrance die,
till you die yourself. A thankful heart is all that the Lord seeketh, and it is all that indeed
we can do to Him. (Bp. Babington.).
20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe
Israel.[d]
CLARKE, "And he erected there an altar - It appears that Jacob had a very
correct notion of the providence and mercy of God; hence he says, Gen_33:5 : The
children which God hath Graciously given thy servant; and in Gen_33:11 he attributes all
his substance to the bounty of his Maker: Take, I pray thee, my blessing - because God
hath dealt Graciously with me, and because I have enough. Hence he viewed God as the
God of all grace, and to him he erects an altar, dedicating it to God, the God of Israel,
referring particularly to the change of his own name, and the mercies which he then
received; and hence perhaps it would be best to translate the words, The strong God (is)
the God of Israel; as by the power of his grace and goodness he had rescued, defended,
blessed, and supported him from his youth up until now. The erecting altars with
particular names appears in other places; so, Exo_17:15, Moses calls his altar Jehovah-
nissi, “the Lord is my banner.”

74. 1. When a man’s way’s please God, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with
him. When Jacob had got reconciled to God, God reconciled his brother to him. The
hearts of all men are in the hands of God, and he turns them howsoever he will.
2. Since the time in which Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the covenant. We see in
him much dependence on God, accompanied with a spirit of deep humility and
gratitude. God’s grace alone can change the heart of man, and it is by that grace only that
we get a sense of our obligations; this lays us in the dust, and the more we receive the
lower we shall lie.
3. “The first thing,” says good Bishop Wilson, “that pious men do, is to provide for the
honor and worship of God.” Jacob buys a piece of ground, and erects an altar on it in the
land of a heathen, that he might acknowledge God among his enemies, and turn them to
the true faith; and there is every reason to believe that this expedient would have been
successful, had it not been for the base conduct of his sons. How true is the saying, One
sinner spoileth much good! Reader, beware, lest thy conduct should become a stumbling
block to any.
GILL, "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.
JAMIESO , "and he erected ... an altar — A beautiful proof of his personal
piety, a most suitable conclusion to his journey, and a lasting memorial of a
distinguished favor in the name “God, the God of Israel.” Wherever we pitch a tent, God
shall have an altar.
HAWKER, "El-elohe-Israel, is God, the God of Israel; meaning God in a covenant way.
REFLECTIONS

75. How sweetly doth grace induce all the finer affections of the heart, and constrain all our
angry passions into love! Lord, let thy grace enable us to put on, as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, even as Christ hath forgiven us, so
also may we. And in the reading of this chapter, I would beg of God to bestow, both upon
him that reads, and on him that writes, the grace of having a wise choice between the
fulness of this earth’s blessing, and the appointment of whatever the Lord sees fit in a
covenant way. Dearest Jesus! while the Esaus of the present hour, are sending out into
the highways to enquire of everyone they meet, who will show them any good; let but the
light of thy countenance be lifted on my soul, and it will put gladness in my heart, more
than in the time that corn and wine increase.
CALVI , "20.And he erected there an altar. Jacob having obtained a place in
which he might provide for his family, set up the solemn service of God; as Moses
before testified concerning Abraham and Isaac. For although, in every place, they
gave themselves up to the pure worship of God in prayers and other acts of
devotion; nevertheless they did not neglect the external confession of piety,
whenever the Lord granted them any fixed place in which they might remain. For
(as I have elsewhere stated) whenever we read that an altar was built by them, we
must consider its design and use: namely, that they might offer victims, and might
invoke the name of God with a pure rite; so that, by this method, their religion and
faith might be made known. I say this, lest any one should think that they rashly
trifled with the worship of God; for it was their care to direct their actions
according to the divinely prescribed rule which was handed down to them from
oah and Shem. Wherefore, under the word “altar,” let the reader understand, by
synecdoche, the external testimony of piety. Moreover, it may hence be clearly
perceived how greatly the love of divine worship prevailed in the holy man; because
though broken down by various troubles, he nevertheless was not forgetful of the
altar. And not only does he privately worship God in the secret feeling of his mind;
but he exercises himself in ceremonies which are useful and commanded by God.
For he knew that men want helps, as long as they are in the flesh, and that sacrifices
were not instituted without reason. He had also another purpose; namely, that his
whole family should worship God with the same sense of piety. For it behaves a
pious father of a family diligently to take care that he has no profane house, but
rather that God should reign there as in a sanctuary. Besides, since the inhabitants
of that region had fallen into many superstitions, and had corrupted the true
worship of God, Jacob wished to make a distinction between himself and them. The
Shechemites and other neighboring nations had certainly altars of their own.
Therefore Jacob, by establishing a different method of worship for his household,
thus declares theft he has a God peculiar to himself, and has not degenerated from
the holy fathers, from whom the perfect and genuine religion had proceeded. This
course could not but subject him to reproach, because the Shechemites and other
inhabitants would feel that they were despised: but the holy man deemed anything
preferable to mixing himself with idolaters.
21.(116) And he called it El-eloh-Israel (117) This name appears little suitable to the
altar; for it sounds as if a heap of stones or turf formed a visible statue of God. But

76. the meaning of the holy man was different. For, because the altar was a memorial
and pledge of all the visions and promises of God, he honors it with this title, to the
end that, as often he beheld the altar, he should call God to rememberance. That
inscription of Moses, “The Lord is my help.” Has the same signification; and also
that Ezekiel inscribes on the forms of speaking thereis a want of strict propiety of
metaphor; yet this is not without reason. For as superstitious men foolishly and
wickedly attach God to symbols, and as it were, draw him down from his heavenly
throne to render him subject to their gross inventions; so the faithful, piously and
rightly, ascend from earthly signs that he worshipped no other God than him who
had been manifested by certain oracles, in order that he might distinguish Him from
all idols. And we must observe it as a rule of modesty, not to speak carelessly
concerning the mysteries and the glory of the Lord, but from a sense of faith, so far
indeed, as he is made known to us in his word. Moreover Jacob had respect to his to
his prosperity; for since the Lord had appeared to him, on the express condition,
that he would make with him the covenant of salvation, Jacob leaves his monument,
from which, after his death, his descendants might ascertain, ttat his religion had
not flowed from a dark or obscure well, or from a turbid pool, but from a clear and
pure fountain; as if he had engraved the oracles and visions, by which he had been
taught, upon the altar.
BE SO , "Genesis 33:20. He erected there an altar — 1st, In thankfulness to God,
for the good hand of his providence over him. 2d, That he might keep up religion
and the worship of God in his family. He dedicated this altar to the honour of El-
elohe-Israel, God the God of Israel: to the honour of God in general, the only living
and true God, the best of Beings, the first of causes: and to the honour of the God of
Israel, as a God in covenant with him. God had lately called him by the name of
Israel; and now he calls God the God of Israel. Though he be styled a prince with
God, God shall still be a prince with him, his Lord and his God.
SBC, "In erecting this altar Jacob both set up a witness against the false worship and
idolatry of the people among whom he dwelt, and at the same time provided a church or
centre of unity for all his numerous family and dependents in the regular service of
Jehovah. But the enticements of the world were too great, and prevailed to bring misery
and sin into his home. This chapter points out the danger to which young persons are
exposed, of being deluded and led away, first by vain curiosity and then by worldly and
carnal lusts, to misery and ruin; and this through the influence especially of bad
example.
I. When Dinah went to visit the daughters of the land, we may well suppose that she was
weary of the quiet, uniform course of life kept up at her father’s house. Her father’s
authority and wishes being set aside, she went out without God’s blessing, and misery
and ruin followed. This represents: (1) the guilt and punishment which Christian people
make themselves liable to when they disregard the authority of those whom the
providence of God has placed over them. (2) The danger of becoming tired of
Christianity.
II. Two cautions suggest themselves from the study of this chapter. (1) We must learn to
look on Almighty God, through Jesus Christ, as our only true Father and Friend. (2) In
the service of God we must not expect to find all plain and easy, but quite otherwise: the

77. more earnestly and steadily we serve God, the more trials we must expect to encounter.
Plain Sermons by Contributors to "Tracts for the Times," vol. x., p. 296.
COKE, "Genesis 33:20. He erected there an altar— At the same place where
Abraham had built his first altar, ch. Genesis 12:7. Abraham dedicated his, To
Jehovah appearing to him; Jacob his, To God, the God of Israel, which was the new
name that God had given him. The place was at or near Shechem; so that the
woman of Samaria might well say, as she did to our Saviour, that their Fathers
worshipped God I THAT mount. Shechem seems to have been one of the oldest
cities in all Canaan. This must be the place which Jacob gave to his son Joseph, and
where Joseph's bones were buried.
REFLECTIO S.—Esau now is become a friend to Jacob, nearer than a brother,
and offers his house to entertain and his servants to guard him. Jacob modestly
excuses himself, and expresses his full satisfaction in the grace he had found in his
sight. He pleads,
1. The weakness of the children and the flocks with young: they could not keep pace
with Esau without danger.
2. His intention to visit him shortly. ote; We should never be behind in acts of
civility.
3. That he needed not his servants, and therefore would not trouble him. He had
experienced enough of the divine protection to rest upon it in perfect safety.
4. His favour was the greater obligation he could confer upon him; of this he begs
the continuance. ote; If we have found grace in God's sight, what more can we
need?
Esau being returned, Jacob gives some rest to his fatigued family in booths at
Succoth, and thence goes on to Shalem. His dangers are past, and he is now safe
arrived in Canaan. ote; Perils of journies escaped, and safe arrival home, deserve
a thankful mention. What joy will it give, when, after escaping the dangers of this
world, we come to our rest in the heavenly Canaan! Two things he doth:
1. He buys a field. Though the land be his by promise, it is not yet in his possession.
2. He builds an altar, that God may be remembered wherever he sojourns, and his
house be taught the good ways of the Lord. ote; Wherever we have a house God
must have an altar. It is a heathen family in which God's worship is neglected. He
calls the altar, God the God of Israel. He was called Israel, a prince with God; but
his highest honour is to have God for his God and King. ote; Whatever honours a
true Israelite enjoys, this is the greatest, Israel's God is Israel's Glory.

78. TRAPP, "Genesis 33:20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.
Ver. 20. And he erected there an altar.] (1.) As a memorial of the promises, and a
symbol of God’s presence; (2.) As an external profession of his piety; (3.) That he
might set up God in his family, and season all his worldly affairs with a relish of
religion.
KRETZMA , "v. 20. And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe Israel
(God, the God of Israel). That was Jacob's confession after the many years of travel
and sojourn in strange countries: The strong God is the God of Israel. He had
experienced the mighty power of God in numerous instances, and was thankful for
the days of peace and rest which he now enjoyed. For this reason also his worship,
which he formally instituted at Shechem, consisted chiefly in proclaiming the name
of this true God. In this all believers, who ever and again enjoy the rich blessings of
the Lord in wonderful measure, will cheerfully imitate the aged patriarch.
ELLICOTT, "(20) He erected there an altar.—Abraham had already built an altar
in this neighbourhood (Genesis 12:7), and Jacob now followed his example—partly
as a thanksoffering for his safe return, partly also as taking possession of the
country; but chiefly as a profession of faith, and public recognition of the new
relation in which he stood to God. This especially appears in his calling the altar
“El, the Elohim of Israel.” Of course the title of Jehovah could not be used here, as
the altar had a special reference to the change of Jacob’s name, and was an
acknowledgment on his own part of his now being Israel, a prince with El, that is.
with God.