Genesis 33

1 Now Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] looked up [lifted his eyes, gazed] and saw Esau [hairy, rough] coming toward him with four hundred men [a large company, an army]. So he divided [to cut or split, to separate] the children among Leah [weary, tired], Rachel [ewe, gentle], and the two maidservants [female slaves, servants]. word study 2 He put the maidservants [female slaves, servants] and their children [youth, young ones] in front [first, foremost], Leah [Jacob’s first wife] and her children [youth, offspring] next [after, behind], and Rachel [ewe, Jacob’s beloved wife] and Joseph [Jehovah has added, a blessed son] at the rear [last, hindermost]. word study 3 But Jacob [he himself, the supplanter] himself went on ahead [in front of them, to lead the way] and bowed [to prostrate himself, to worship] to the ground [the earth, the land] seven times as he approached [to draw near, to come close] his brother [male sibling, close relative]. word study 4 Esau [the hairy one], however, ran [with urgency and haste] to him and embraced [with affection, threw his arms around] him, threw his arms around his neck [as a sign of affection and surrender], and kissed [touched with affection, as a greeting] him. And they both wept [shed tears, mourned with sorrow]. word study 5 When Esau looked up [lifted his eyes] and saw the women [females, wives] and children [youth, young ones], he asked, “Who are these [ones] with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children [youth, offspring] God [Elohim, the supreme Provider] has graciously given [shown kindness to, favored] your servant [one who serves, a slave].” word study 6 Then the maidservants [female slaves, handmaidens] and their children [youth, young ones] approached [drew near, came close] and bowed down [worshipped, showed respect, bowed themselves]. word study 7 Leah [the first wife of Jacob] and her children [youth, young ones] also approached [drew near, came to worship] and bowed down [in respect, to show homage], and then Joseph [Jehovah has added] and Rachel [ewe] approached [came near, presented themselves] and bowed down [in reverence, to honor]. word study 8 “What do you mean [what is the purpose] by sending this whole company [all these herds, drove] to meet me [encounter, come face to face with]?” asked Esau. “To find [attain, discover] favor [graciousness, kindness] in your sight [eyes, presence], my lord [master, ruler],” Jacob answered. word study 9 “I already have [more than enough, an abundance] plenty, my brother [male sibling, close relative],” Esau [hairy, rough] replied. “Keep [retain, hold onto] what belongs to you [that which is yours, your possession].” word study 10 But Jacob insisted, “No, please [I pray thee]! If I have found [attained, discovered] favor [graciousness, kindness] in your sight [eye, gaze], then receive [accept, take] this gift [offering, present] from my hand [outstretched hand]. For indeed [truly, certainly], I have seen [beheld, looked upon] your face [presence, countenance], and it is like [similar to, as if] seeing [gazing upon] the face [presence] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being], since you have received [accepted, welcomed] me favorably [with kindness, graciously]. word study 11 Please [I pray thee] accept my gift [blessing, present] that was brought to you, because God [Elohim, the supreme God] has been gracious [dealt graciously, shown kindness] to me and I have all [everything, plenty] I need.” So Jacob pressed [urged, compelled] him until he accepted [took, received]. word study 12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way [take our journey, start traveling], and I will go ahead of you [before thee, in front of you, to lead the way].” word study 13 But Jacob replied, “My lord [master, ruler] knows that the children [youth, tender ones] are frail [tender, weak], and I must care for sheep [flocks, herds] and cattle [domesticated animals] that are nursing [giving milk to, suckling] their young. If they are driven hard [overdriven, pressed severely] for even a day [one day, a short time], all [every single one] the animals will die [perish, come to an end]. word study 14 Please [I pray, if it pleases] let my lord [master, ruler] go ahead of his servant [one who serves, attendant]. I will continue on slowly [at a gentle pace, softly], at a comfortable pace [according to the foot, gently] for the livestock [cattle, animals] and children [youth, young ones], until I come [arrive, reach] to my lord [master, ruler] at Seir [the mountain, the region].” word study 15 “Let me leave [place, establish] some of my people [folk, men] with you,” Esau [the hairy one, son of Isaac] said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that [what need is there, what is the necessity]? Let me find [attain, discover] favor [grace, kindness] in the sight [eyes, gaze] of my lord [master, ruler].” word study 16 So that [same, very] day [a 24-hour period, a space of time] Esau [the hairy one, Jacob’s twin brother] started [returned, turned back] on his [own, personal] way [road, path, journey] back [again, to the place he came from] to Seir [a mountain in Idumaea, a place of hairy or shaggy terrain], word study 17 but Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] went on to Succoth [a place of booths, temporary shelters], where he built [constructed, established] a house [a dwelling place, a home] for himself and shelters [booths, tents] for his livestock [cattle, animals]; that is why [for this reason, therefore] the place [location, region] was called [named, designated] Succoth [a place of booths, temporary dwellings]. word study 18 After Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] had come from Paddan-aram [a region in Syria, near Haran], he arrived safely [in peace, without harm] at the city [a walled town, a place of settlement] of Shechem [a city in Canaan, near the mountain of Ebal] in the land [the ground, the earth, a country] of Canaan [the promised land, a region in Palestine], and he camped [pitched his tent, set up his dwelling] just outside [before, in the presence of] the city. word study 19 And the plot [parcel, portion] of ground where he pitched [stretched out, spread] his tent [nomad’s home, tabernacle], he purchased [bought, acquired] from the sons [descendants, children] of Hamor [he-ass, prince of Shechem], Shechem’s father [parent, ancestor], for a hundred [one hundred, numerous] pieces of silver [coins, money]. word study 20 There he set up [erected, built] an altar [place of sacrifice] and called it [proclaimed, invoked] El-Elohe-Israel [The God of Israel, the mighty God of the covenant] [the God, the supreme ruler]. word study