(THE PEACEFUL REUNION WITH ESAU,
AND THE SUBSEQUENT PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE)
33:1 AND JACOB LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND LOOKED, AND, BEHOLD, ESAU CAME, AND WITH HIM FOUR HUNDRED MEN. AND HE DIVIDED THE CHILDREN UNTO LEAH, AND UNTO RACHEL, AND UNTO THE TWO HANDMAIDS.
33:2 AND HE PUT THE HANDMAIDS AND THEIR CHILDREN FOREMOST, AND LEAH AND HER CHILDREN AFTER, AND RACHEL AND JOSEPH HINDERMOST.
33:3 AND HE PASSED OVER BEFORE THEM, AND BOWED HIMSELF TO THE GROUND SEVEN TIMES, UNTIL HE CAME NEAR TO HIS BROTHER.
A.The bowing SEVEN TIMES at intervals as he approached did not show hypocrisy or timidity, but was a display of Eastern po-liteness, showing a willingness to be reconciled.
B.Apparently his fear and apprehension at the meeting with Esau had all disappeared, and he comes NEAR in confidence.
C.We assume the reason for this change is that the Angel Who wrestled with him had said, "as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed" (32:28). Having already prevailed with God and received the blessing, he is assured that he will prevail with men, Esau included.
33:4 AND ESAU RAN TO MEET HIM, AND EMBRACED HIM, AND FELL ON HIS NECK, AND KISSED HIM: AND THEY WEPT.
**The years of separation had softened Esau's heart. PULPIT COMMENTARY says, "All this is beautiful, natural, Oriental."
33:5 AND HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND SAW THE WOMEN AND THE CHILDREN; AND SAID, WHO [ARE] THOSE WITH THEE? AND HE SAID, THE CHILDREN WHICH GOD HATH GRACIOUSLY GIVEN THY SERVANT.
33:6 THEN THE HANDMAIDENS CAME NEAR, THEY AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND THEY BOWED THEMSELVES.
33:7 AND LEAH ALSO WITH HER CHILDREN CAME NEAR, AND BOWED THEMSELVES: AND AFTER CAME JOSEPH NEAR AND RACHEL, AND THEY BOWED THEMSELVES.
33:8 AND HE SAID, WHAT [MEANEST] THOU BY ALL THIS DROVE WHICH I MET? AND HE SAID, [THESE ARE] TO FIND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF MY LORD.
33:9 AND ESAU SAID, I HAVE ENOUGH, MY BROTHER; KEEP THAT THOU HAST UNTO THYSELF.
33:10 AND JACOB SAID, NAY, I PRAY THEE, IF NOW I HAVE FOUND GRACE IN THY SIGHT, THEN RECEIVE MY PRESENT AT MY HAND: FOR THEREFORE I HAVE SEEN THY FACE, AS THOUGH I HAD SEEN THE FACE OF GOD, AND THOU WAST PLEASED WITH ME.
33:11 TAKE, I PRAY THEE, MY BLESSING THAT IS BROUGHT TO THEE; BECAUSE GOD HATH DEALT GRACIOUSLY WITH ME, AND BECAUSE I HAVE ENOUGH. AND HE URGED HIM, AND HE TOOK [IT].
A.AND HE URGED HIM: Because his acceptance of it would be a covenant of friendship.
B.HE TOOK IT: Thus any animosity between them was gone.
33:12 AND HE SAID, LET US TAKE OUR JOURNEY, AND LET US GO, AND I WILL GO BEFORE THEE.
33:13 AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, MY LORD KNOWETH THAT THE CHILDREN [ARE] TENDER, AND THE FLOCKS AND HERDS WITH YOUNG [ARE] WITH ME: AND IF MEN SHOULD OVERDRIVE THEM ONE DAY, ALL THE FLOCK WILL DIE.
33:14 LET MY LORD, I PRAY THEE, PASS OVER BEFORE HIS SERVANT: AND I WILL LEAD ON SOFTLY, ACCORDING AS THE CATTLE THAT GOETH BEFORE ME AND THE CHILDREN BE ABLE TO ENDURE, UNTIL I COME UNTO MY LORD UNTO SEIR.
**SEIR: A mountain east of the southern part of the Dead Sea.
33:15 AND ESAU SAID, LET ME NOW LEAVE WITH THEE [SOME] OF THE FOLK THAT [ARE] WITH ME. AND HE SAID, WHAT NEEDETH IT? LET ME FIND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF MY LORD.
33:16 SO ESAU RETURNED THAT DAY ON HIS WAY UNTO SEIR.
33:17 AND JACOB JOURNEYED TO SUCCOTH, AND BUILT HIM AN HOUSE, AND MADE BOOTHS FOR HIS CATTLE: THEREFORE THE NAME OF THE PLACE IS CALLED SUCCOTH.
A.BUILT HIM AN HOUSE: Perhaps he needed to settle and restore himself somewhat after the turbulent 20 years with Laban, then the encounter with the Angel, and the meeting with Esau.
B.SUCCOTH: "Booths," or "Shelters." This is the name later given to the place, after the Land was divided among the Tribes, and this area belonged to the Tribe of Gad.
C.It is east of the Jordan and south of the Jabbok.
33:18 AND JACOB CAME TO SHALEM, A CITY OF SHECHEM, WHICH [IS] IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHEN HE CAME FROM PADAN-ARAM; AND PITCHED HIS TENT BEFORE THE CITY.
33:19 AND HE BOUGHT A PARCEL OF A FIELD, WHERE HE HAD SPREAD HIS TENT, AT THE HAND OF THE CHILDREN OF HAMOR, SHECHEM'S FATHER, FOR AN HUNDRED PIECES OF MONEY.
A.Ac 7:16 says Abraham bought property from "the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem" -- unbelievers put that with this verse and claim a "contradiction."
B.Let it be remembered that a fair treatment of any document requires us to accept any reasonable explanation of this kind of problem rather than to charge the document fraudulent.
C.There is a reasonable explanation in this case, and that is that there are three separate transactions -- we do not know the details, but there is no reason to see a problem.
33:20 AND HE ERECTED THERE AN ALTAR, AND CALLED IT EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL.
**EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL: "God, the God of Israel." Either this is the name he gave the altar, or it may be saying that he dedicated the altar to God.
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