Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, *ch. 32:6Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, *ch. 18:2;42:6;43:26bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 *ch. 32:28But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him *ch. 45:14and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, *ch. 48:9;Ps. 127:3;Isa. 8:18"The children whom God has graciously given your servant." 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, "What do you mean by *ch. 32:16all this company*33:8 Hebrew camp that I met?" Jacob answered, *ver. 15;ch. 32:5"To find favor in the sight of my lord." 9 But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." 10 Jacob said, "No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. *ch. 18:1;19:1For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my *2 Kgs. 5:15blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Thus he *[2 Sam. 13:25,27;2 Kgs. 5:23]urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, "Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of*33:12 Or along with you." 13 But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord *ch. 32:3in Seir."

15 So Esau said, "Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? *ver. 8;ch. 34:11;47:25;Ruth 2:13Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to *ch. 32:3Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to *Josh. 13:27;Judg. 8:5;Ps. 60:6Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.*33:17 Succoth means booths

18 And Jacob came safely*33:18 Or peacefully to the city of *Josh. 24:1;Judg. 9:1;Ps. 60:6;Acts 7:16Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of *Acts 7:16Hamor, Shechem’s father, *Josh. 24:32;John 4:5he bought for a hundred pieces of money*33:19 Hebrew a hundred qesitah; a unit of money of uncertain value the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.*33:20 El-Elohe-Israel means God, the God of Israel