New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Genesis 33
1
Jacob looked up. And there was Esau, coming with his 400 men! So Jacob separated the children. He put them with Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.
2
He put the servants and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. And he put Rachel and Joseph last.
3
He himself went on ahead. As he came near his brother, he bowed down to the ground seven times.
Reference
4
But Esau ran to meet Jacob. He hugged him and threw his arms around his neck. He kissed him, and they cried.
Reference
5
Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these people with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has so kindly given to me."
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 127:3
Isaiah 8:18
1 Chronicles 28:5
1 Samuel 1:27
Ruth 4:13
References God
Genesis 48:9
Hebrews 2:13
Genesis 30:2
6
Then the female servants and their children came near and bowed down.
7
Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel. They bowed down too.
8
Esau asked, "Why did you send all of those herds I saw?" "I hoped I could do something to please you," Jacob replied.
Reference
Grace
Genesis 32:5
10
"No, please!" said Jacob. "If I've pleased you, accept this gift from me. Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God. You have welcomed me so kindly.
Reference
11
Please accept the present that was brought to you. God has been gracious to me. I have everything I need." Jacob wouldn't give in. So Esau accepted it.
Reference
12
Then Esau said, "Let's be on our way. I'll go with you."
13
But Jacob said to him, "You know that the children are young. You also know that I have to take care of the cows and female sheep that are nursing their little ones. If the animals are driven hard for just one day, all of them will die.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 40:11
14
"So you go on ahead of me. I'll move along only as fast as the herds and the children can go. I'll go slowly until I come to you in Seir."
Reference
15
Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." "Why do that?" Jacob asked. "I just hope I've pleased you."
Reference
16
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.
17
But Jacob went to Succoth. There he built a place for himself. He also made shelters for his livestock. That's why the place is named Succoth.
Reference
📍 Succoth 1
18
After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan. He camped where he could see the city.
Reference
19
For 100 pieces of silver he bought a piece of land. He got it from the sons of Hamor. Hamor was the father of Shechem. Jacob set up his tent on that piece of land.
Reference
People
Summary of Genesis 33
Genesis 33 Chapter presents the long-awaited meeting of the last two chapters, which is, however, nothing like Jacob expected.
The chapter begins with Jacob looking up and seeing Esau coming to meet him and with him 400 men, just as he was warned, and he divides his sons, Leah, Rachel, and two handmaidens, strategically placing servants and their children in front, followed by Leah and her children and then Rachel and Joseph, probably the closest to his heart, with the most protection. And then the man himself walks ahead of them all, bowing to the ground seven times in a very humble, servile manner, expecting the worst.
Perhaps Esau’s surprise at finding his brother alive was more than he could bear, so he ran towards him and threw his arms around his neck and hugged him. They both cry together; there is no trace of the anger Esau had once expressed, even when Jacob stole his blessing and made him promise to kill his brother if he returned home. After years of hatred, years of rivalry and family discord, the meeting of the two brothers takes place in a spirit of forgiveness and compassion, which makes the long-awaited meeting even more surprising, because it shows how much Jacob dreaded his brother.
Esau asks who the children are, and Jacob introduces them as a gift from the Lord. One by one, the servants and their children prostrate themselves before Esau. Then Leah and her children and finally Rachel and Joseph follow suit. This is perhaps how Jacob introduces his family to his estranged brother one last time.
After that, Esau asks what all these cattle and herds that he saw Jacob giving to his servants were for, and Jacob says it was all to find favor in his brother’s eyes, but Esau brushes him off. I have plenty, my brother, you keep them, he says, but Jacob begs him to accept them. ‘No, please, 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 well. Take also the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me, and I have all that I need.’ Again and again Esau refuses him, but Jacob keeps begging him, until Esau finally accepts his offer.
Esau offers to accompany Jacob or at least leave some of his men to escort him, but Jacob refuses, saying his children are tender. Even his flocks and herds have young ones, and if they are forced to walk more than a day, they will all die. Let us go at your leisure, my lord, says Jacob, and I will go at the speed at which our livestock and children can walk, and I will catch up with you in Seir.
But that is not what happens. Esau goes back to Seir, while Jacob goes to Succoth (literally Shelters), where he builds himself a house and shelters for his livestock. This is the first place where we see the name Succoth meaning Shelters, which is also why the land is called Succoth. In reality, Jacob is keeping his distance from Esau, still a little suspicious perhaps, and shows this reluctance even now, even though it seems he has truly made peace with his brother.
From there Jacob goes to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and pitches his tent near it. He buys the land where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver. He makes an altar there and calls it El Elohe Israel, which may mean something like God, the God of Israel, which connects it to the previous chapter, where he wrestled the angel and was given that name.
It is this type of ending, which gives the book its pleasant conclusion and makes clear how much Jacob was looking forward to seeing Esau. He was even scared that the meeting would turn out badly, given the bad impressions, the 400 men, and the nagging feeling of guilt. The long-awaited meeting turns out to be a complete surprise to him, as he finds Esau ready to embrace him and show him kindness. Not only that, but Esau is willing to accept Jacob’s gifts, which he most likely would never have done if their meeting had not taken place under such surprising circumstances.
It is significant that, throughout his life, Jacob faced many seemingly impossible situations, and he always feared the worst in them, but it rarely came true. In fact, the outcome was always the opposite of what he expected. It is this turn of events that made him a wise man and gave him the strength to continue living, to carry on despite the hardships and disappointments. But when it comes to meeting Esau, it is the last straw for him, the event that will haunt him until the very end of his days.
The chapter begins with Jacob looking up and seeing Esau coming to meet him and with him 400 men, just as he was warned, and he divides his sons, Leah, Rachel, and two handmaidens, strategically placing servants and their children in front, followed by Leah and her children and then Rachel and Joseph, probably the closest to his heart, with the most protection. And then the man himself walks ahead of them all, bowing to the ground seven times in a very humble, servile manner, expecting the worst.
Perhaps Esau’s surprise at finding his brother alive was more than he could bear, so he ran towards him and threw his arms around his neck and hugged him. They both cry together; there is no trace of the anger Esau had once expressed, even when Jacob stole his blessing and made him promise to kill his brother if he returned home. After years of hatred, years of rivalry and family discord, the meeting of the two brothers takes place in a spirit of forgiveness and compassion, which makes the long-awaited meeting even more surprising, because it shows how much Jacob dreaded his brother.
Esau asks who the children are, and Jacob introduces them as a gift from the Lord. One by one, the servants and their children prostrate themselves before Esau. Then Leah and her children and finally Rachel and Joseph follow suit. This is perhaps how Jacob introduces his family to his estranged brother one last time.
After that, Esau asks what all these cattle and herds that he saw Jacob giving to his servants were for, and Jacob says it was all to find favor in his brother’s eyes, but Esau brushes him off. I have plenty, my brother, you keep them, he says, but Jacob begs him to accept them. ‘No, please, 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 well. Take also the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me, and I have all that I need.’ Again and again Esau refuses him, but Jacob keeps begging him, until Esau finally accepts his offer.
Esau offers to accompany Jacob or at least leave some of his men to escort him, but Jacob refuses, saying his children are tender. Even his flocks and herds have young ones, and if they are forced to walk more than a day, they will all die. Let us go at your leisure, my lord, says Jacob, and I will go at the speed at which our livestock and children can walk, and I will catch up with you in Seir.
But that is not what happens. Esau goes back to Seir, while Jacob goes to Succoth (literally Shelters), where he builds himself a house and shelters for his livestock. This is the first place where we see the name Succoth meaning Shelters, which is also why the land is called Succoth. In reality, Jacob is keeping his distance from Esau, still a little suspicious perhaps, and shows this reluctance even now, even though it seems he has truly made peace with his brother.
From there Jacob goes to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and pitches his tent near it. He buys the land where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver. He makes an altar there and calls it El Elohe Israel, which may mean something like God, the God of Israel, which connects it to the previous chapter, where he wrestled the angel and was given that name.
It is this type of ending, which gives the book its pleasant conclusion and makes clear how much Jacob was looking forward to seeing Esau. He was even scared that the meeting would turn out badly, given the bad impressions, the 400 men, and the nagging feeling of guilt. The long-awaited meeting turns out to be a complete surprise to him, as he finds Esau ready to embrace him and show him kindness. Not only that, but Esau is willing to accept Jacob’s gifts, which he most likely would never have done if their meeting had not taken place under such surprising circumstances.
It is significant that, throughout his life, Jacob faced many seemingly impossible situations, and he always feared the worst in them, but it rarely came true. In fact, the outcome was always the opposite of what he expected. It is this turn of events that made him a wise man and gave him the strength to continue living, to carry on despite the hardships and disappointments. But when it comes to meeting Esau, it is the last straw for him, the event that will haunt him until the very end of his days.