Genesis 33:1-17

Genesis 33:1-17

[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.  [2] And he put  the handmaids  and their children  foremost,  and Leah  and her children  after,  and Rachel  and Joseph  hindermost.  [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.  [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.  [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  Joseph  near  and Rachel,  and they bowed  [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.  [9] And Esau  said,  I have  enough,  my brother;  keep that thou hast unto 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 wast pleased with me.  [11] Take,  I pray thee, my blessing  that is brought  to thee; because God  hath dealt graciously with me,  I have  enough.  And he urged  him, and he took  it. [12] And he said,  Let us take our journey,  [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.  [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.  [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.  [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  for his cattle:  therefore the name  of the place  is called  Succoth. 

What does Genesis 33:1-17 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jacob arranged his family to preserve those who were most precious to him if his brother proved to be violently hostile ( Genesis 33:1-3).
"This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable." [1]
His going ahead of them to meet Esau shows the new Israel overcoming the fear that had formerly dominated the old Jacob. His plan does not seem to me to reflect lack of trust in God as much as carefulness and personal responsibility. However, Jacob was obviously fearful and weak as he anticipated meeting his brother. Faith does not mean trusting God to work for us in spite of our irresponsibility; that is presumption. Faith means trusting God to work for us when we have acted responsibly realizing that without His help we will fail. His insistence on giving presents to Esau may have been an attempt to return to him the blessing that should have been his, to undo his sins of earlier years (cf. Genesis 33:11). [2]
Jacob gave God the glory for giving him his family; he confessed that his family was a gift from God ( Genesis 33:4-5). This attitude is evidence of a basic change in Jacob"s approach to life. [3] Whereas he had previously been dishonest and devious, now he was honest and forthright about his intentions ( Genesis 33:10).
"Now that they are reunited, Esau desires a fraternal relationship, but Jacob is unable to move beyond a formal relationship.
"Only the restraining intervention of God kept Laban from retaliation against Jacob ( Genesis 31:24; Genesis 31:29). Esau is apparently in no need of a similar divine check. His own good nature acts as a check on him. Since his rage and hate of ch27 , Esau himself has undergone his own transformation. No longer is he controlled by vile passions." [4]
"I see your face as one sees the face of God," means "I see in your face, as expressive of your whole attitude toward me, the friendliness of God. I see this friendliness demonstrated in His making you friendly toward me" ( Genesis 33:10; cf. 1 Samuel 29:9; 2 Samuel 14:17). Jacob had seen God"s gracious face and had been spared at Peniel, and he now saw Esau"s gracious face and was spared.
Jacob"s "language shows that he saw the two encounters with his Lord and his brother, as two levels of a single event: cf10b with Genesis 32:30." [5]
Jacob"s reasons for declining Esau"s offer of an escort evidently did not spring from fear ( Genesis 33:14-15). He gave a legitimate explanation of why it would be better for him to travel separately: the condition of his animals. Jacob may have been counting on God"s protection and therefore felt no need of Esau"s men. Alternatively Jacob may have mistrusted Esau having been deceived himself and having been deceptive. [6] Still another view is that Jacob was returning to the Promised Land on God"s orders, and that did not include going to Seir. [7]
His reference to visiting Esau in Seir ( Genesis 33:14) does not mean that Jacob planned to go directly to Seir, where he did not go immediately. He could have been deceiving his brother again. Perhaps Jacob meant that he would visit his brother in his own land in the future. Scripture does not record whether Jacob ever made such a trip.
Jacob and his family settled first at Succoth ("Booths") east of the Jordan River ( Genesis 33:17). Evidently he lived there for some time since he built a house and huts for his livestock.
This incident illustrates the truth of Proverbs 16:7, "When a man"s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."
"At almost every point in this story, Esau emerges as the more appealing, more humane, and more virtuous of the two brothers." [8]
"This is only the second-and it is the last-conversation between Esau and Jacob mentioned in Genesis. On the first occasion ( Genesis 25:29-34) Esau failed to perceive Jacob"s capacity for exploitation. On the second occasion he fails to perceive Jacob"s hesitancy and lack of excitement about going to Seir. In both cases, Jacob succeeds in deceiving Esau." [9]