33:1-11Jacob must have been amazed to see Esau’s change of heart when the two brothers met again (33:10). Esau was no longer bitter over losing his birthright and blessing (27:36-41); instead, he was content with what he had. Life can bring us some bad situations. We can feel cheated, as Esau did, but we don’t have to remain bitter. We can remove bitterness from our lives by honestly expressing our feelings to God, forgiving those who have wronged us, and being content with what we have.
Life Application Study BibleGenesisChapter 33
Genesis 33
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 64, 65
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
33Genesis 33
Jacob and Esau Make Peace
13 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. 4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. 5Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?” “These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied. 6Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. “Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him. 8“ And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked. Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.” 9“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.” 10But Jacob insisted, “No, if Ihave found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! 11Please take this gift Ihave broughtyou, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. 12"Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.” 13But Jacob replied, “You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. 14Please, my tord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.” 15“All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”. Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you've received me warmly, my lord!” 16So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day. 17Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”). 18Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. 19Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.* 20And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.*
Textual footnotes
- Penuel, a vasiant spelling of Peniel.
- 33:19 Hebrew 100 kesitahs; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known. 33:20 E/-Elohe-israef means
Life Application Notes 4 notes
33:3Bowing to the ground seven times was the sign of respect given to a king. Jacob was taking every precaution as he met Esau, hoping to dispel any thoughts of revenge.
33:4Esau greeted his brother, Jacob, with a great hug. Imagine how difficult this must have been for a man who once had actually plotted his brother's death (27:41). But time away from each other allowed the bitter wounds to heal. With the passing of time, each brother was able to see that their relationship was more important than their real estate.
33:11Why did Jacob send gifts ahead for Esau? In Bible times, gifts were given for several reasons. (1) This may have been a bribe. Gifts are still given to win someone over or buy his or her support. Esau may first have refused Jacob's gifts (33:9) because he didn’t want or need a bribe. He had already forgiven Jacob, and he had ample wealth of his own. (2) This may have been an expression of affection. (3) It may have been the customary way of greeting someone before an important meeting. Such gifts were often related to a person’s occupation. This explains why Jacob sent Esau, who was a herdsman, sheep, goats, and cattle. 33:14-17| Why did Jacob imply that he was going to Seir but then stop at Succoth? We don't know the answer, but perhaps Jacob decided to stop there as they journeyed because Succoth is a beautiful site on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Whatever the reason, Jacob and Esau parted in peace. Then they lived fairly close to each other until after their father’s death (36:6-8).