For reading purposes Gen-33

Setting

Who:

• Author: Moses
• Audience: Israel
• Bullet list Characters and People Groups:
  • Jacob
  • Esau
  • Four hundred men (with Esau)
  • Maidservants (2)
  • Eleven children (of Jacob)
  • Leah
  • Rachel
  • Joseph

What:

• Main Storyline: Jacob meets Esau in peace, bows seven times, they embrace and weep; Jacob presents gifts, refuses Esau’s escort, parts ways, and settles at Succoth then Shalem near Shechem where he buys land and erects an altar.

When:

• Date Authored:
• Date takes place: Patriarchal period (c. 1900–1800 BC)

Where:

• Mahanaim to Penuel Peniel to Succoth (biblical); east of Jordan (location); near Zarqa River area, Jordan (modern)
• Shalem, a city of Shechem (biblical); Canaan (location); near Nablus, West Bank (modern)

Genesis 33

← Genesis 32 | Genesis | Genesis 34 →

• Jacob lifted up and looked
  • his eyes,
  • and, behold, Esau was coming,
    • and with him four hundred men.
  • He //Jacob// divided the children between
    • Leah,
    • Rachel,
    • and the two servants.
    • He put
      • the servants and their children in front,
      • Leah and her children after,
      • and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
  • He himself passed over
    • in front of them,
    • and bowed himself to the ground
      • seven^[1] times,
      • until he came near
        • to his brother.

Some suggest bowing seven times signifies complete and perfect humility

• Esau
  • ran to meet him,
  • embraced him,
  • fell on his neck,
  • kissed him,
  • and they wept.

Sounds like Luke-15#v20

• He lifted up his eyes,
  • and saw the women
    • and the children;
  • and said, "Who are these with you?"
  • He //Jacob// said,
    • "The children whom
      • God has graciously given
        • your servant."
    • Then the servants
      • came near with their children,
      • and they bowed themselves.
    • Leah also
      • and her children came near,
      • and bowed themselves.
    • After them,
      • Joseph came near with Rachel,
      • and they bowed themselves.
• Esau said,
  • "What do you mean
    • by all this company //machăneh-camp//
      • which I met?"
  • Jacob said,
    • "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
  • Esau said,
    • "I have enough,
      • my brother;
      • let that which you have be yours."
  • Jacob said,
    • "Please, no,
      • if I have now found favor
        • in your sight,
      • then receive my present
        • at my hand,
      • because I have seen your face,
        • as one sees the face of God^[2],
        • and you were pleased with me.
    • Please take the gift
      • that I brought to you,
      • because God has dealt graciously with me^[3],
      • and because I have enough."
    • He //Jacob// urged him //Esau//, and he took it.
• Esau said,
  • "Let's take our journey,
    • and let's go,
    • and I will go before you."
  • Jacob said to him,
    • "My lord knows that
      • the children are tender,
      • and that the flocks and herds
        • with me have their young,
      • and if they overdrive them one day,
        • all the flocks will die.
    • Please let my lord pass over
      • before his servant,
      • and I will lead on gently,
        • according to the pace of the livestock
          • that are before me
        • and according to the pace of the children,
          • until I come to my lord
            • to Seir."
  • Esau said,
    • "Let me now leave with you
      • some of the people who are with me."
    • He //Jacob// said,
      • "Why?
      • Let me find favor
        • in the sight of my lord."
    • So Esau returned that day
      • on his way to Seir.
• Jacob traveled
  • to Succoth, //plural of Sukkot//
    • built himself a house //Sukkot//,
    • and made shelters //Sukkot// for his livestock.
  • Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Bible implies this is the first recorded name

• Jacob came
  • in peace
  • to the city of Shechem,
    • which is in the land of Canaan,
    • when he came from Paddan Aram;
  • and encamped before the city.
  • He bought the parcel of ground
    • where he had spread his tent,
      • at the hand of the children of Hamor,
        • Shechem's father,
    • for one hundred pieces of money.
  • He erected an altar^[4] there,
    • and called it El Elohe Israel.

Shechem = “Shoulder” Deut-33#v12— likely named for its geographic location on a mountain ridge/shoulder (between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim).

ʾĒl ʾĔlōhê Yiśrāʾēl - God, the God of Israel. First time in Scripture “God of Israel” is tied to a named altar.

← Genesis 32 | Genesis | Genesis 34 →

Connections

• Repeated Words:
  • Esau (11)
  • face (6)
  • Jacob (10)
  • pass (5)
• Other Related Scriptures:
  • Genesis 32:6-7, 22-32
  • Genesis 27:41-45
  • Genesis 25:29-34
  • Genesis 35:1-5
  • Hosea 12:3-4