John Gill Bible Commentary

And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters,.... The names of his wives and sons are before given; but what were the names of his daughters, or their number, is not said: and all the persons of his house: his menservants and maidservants that were born in his house, or bought with his money; the word for "persons" signifies "souls" (o), and is sometimes used for slaves that are bought and sold, see Eze 27:13, and his cattle, and all his beasts; his sheep and oxen, camels and asses: and all his substance which he had got in the land of Canaan: before he went to Seir the first time, part of which he might leave behind in Canaan, with servants to improve it; and also that part of his father's personal estate which fell to him at his death, as well as what he might further acquire after his death, during his stay in Canaan: and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob; not into another part of the same country; but into another country, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan supply it, and so the Arabic version, even unto Seir, as appears by what follows; and whither he had been before, and had obtained large possessions, and now having got all he could at his father's death, and collecting together all his other substance, thought fit to retire from thence to Seir, which he liked better, and for a reason afterwards given; God thus disposing his mind, and making the circumstances of things necessary, that he should remove in order to make way for Jacob, and his posterity, to dwell in a land which was designed for them: and so the Samaritan and Septuagint versions read it, "and he went out of the land of Canaan": and the Syriac version is, "and he went to the land of Seir". Some render the words to this sense, that he went thither "before the coming of Jacob" (p); and it is true that he did go thither before his brother came again into Canaan; but of this the text speaks not, for what follows will not agree with it; others better, "because of Jacob" (q); not for fear of him, as the Targum of Jonathan, which paraphrases the words,"for the terror of his brother Jacob was cast upon him;''but because he knew, by the blessing of his father, and the oracle of God, and his concurring providence in all things, that the land of Canaan belonged to him, and also for a reason that follows. (o) "animus", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. (p) "ante adventum", Jahakobi, Junius & Tremellius. (q) "Propter Jacobum", Piscarat.