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.
Jacob splits his family into four bands in hopes of preserving some of them in the expected fight.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph in the back.
Obvious favorites here.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
Not what Jacob was expecting. Esau had obviously forgiven Jacob and missed his brother.
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.”
Jacob recognizes that life comes from God. Without God’s approval, there would be no children. They are a gift from Him (Psalms 127)
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And Esau said, “What do thou mean by all this drove which I met?” And Jacob said, “These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.”
9 And Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep that thou has for thyself.”
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 was pleased with me.
11 “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” And Jacob urged him, and he took it.
Jacob is playing the diplomat. He makes sure his brother has nothing bad to say against him.
12 And Easu said, “Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.”
Esau offers to accompany Jacob home.
13 And Jacob said unto him, “My lord knows 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.
14 “Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goes before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.”
Jacob is using the children and the young animals as an excuse to send Esau on without him. Jacob will not actually go live next to Esau. He wisely realizes their large herds would cause problems if they are too close. Besides, some families get along better if they have a bit of breathing space between them.
15 And Esau said, “Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me.” And he said, “Why? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord.”
Esau continues his offer of help, but Jacob still refuses.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths (stalls) for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Jacob makes his own life away from his brother, keeping a safe distance between them.
Succoth means “booths.” Succoth is near the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea. Seir is south of the Dead Sea. Close enough for occasional visits. Far enough to not get on each other’s nerves.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
The Bible doesn’t say why he moved from Succoth after building housing. A great deal of time may have passed between his settling in Succoth and moving to Shechem.
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.
Jacob would give this piece of land to Joseph just before his death and Joseph’s bones would be buried here after Israel returned to the land.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.
Elelohe-Israel means “A Mighty God is the God of Israel.”
Jacob splits his family into four bands in hopes of preserving some of them in the expected fight.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph in the back.
Obvious favorites here.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
Not what Jacob was expecting. Esau had obviously forgiven Jacob and missed his brother.
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.”
Jacob recognizes that life comes from God. Without God’s approval, there would be no children. They are a gift from Him (Psalms 127)
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And Esau said, “What do thou mean by all this drove which I met?” And Jacob said, “These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.”
9 And Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep that thou has for thyself.”
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 was pleased with me.
11 “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” And Jacob urged him, and he took it.
Jacob is playing the diplomat. He makes sure his brother has nothing bad to say against him.
12 And Easu said, “Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.”
Esau offers to accompany Jacob home.
13 And Jacob said unto him, “My lord knows 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.
14 “Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goes before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.”
Jacob is using the children and the young animals as an excuse to send Esau on without him. Jacob will not actually go live next to Esau. He wisely realizes their large herds would cause problems if they are too close. Besides, some families get along better if they have a bit of breathing space between them.
15 And Esau said, “Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me.” And he said, “Why? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord.”
Esau continues his offer of help, but Jacob still refuses.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths (stalls) for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Jacob makes his own life away from his brother, keeping a safe distance between them.
Succoth means “booths.” Succoth is near the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea. Seir is south of the Dead Sea. Close enough for occasional visits. Far enough to not get on each other’s nerves.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
The Bible doesn’t say why he moved from Succoth after building housing. A great deal of time may have passed between his settling in Succoth and moving to Shechem.
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.
Jacob would give this piece of land to Joseph just before his death and Joseph’s bones would be buried here after Israel returned to the land.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.
Elelohe-Israel means “A Mighty God is the God of Israel.”