The Meaning of Genesis 33:17 Explained

Genesis 33:17

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Jacob hath journeyed to Succoth, and buildeth to himself a house, and for his cattle hath made booths, therefore hath he called the name of the place Succoth.

Darby: And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and for his cattle he made booths. Therefore the name of the place was called Succoth.

ASV: And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 33:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 33:1-17 - Jacob And Esau Reconciled
Many things, like this meeting with Esau, are worse in anticipation than in actuality. The brothers were on the same old terms as before that filching of Isaac's blessing. The holy transactions of the previous night had induced this change in the atmosphere. If our ways please the Lord, He will make our enemies to be at peace with us. We must win power with God, by yielding to Him, before we can have power with our Esaus and prevail. When you fear man's wrath, do not run hither and thither for defense; be still and fear not. Commit your way to the Lord and read Psalms 37:1-40. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Surely Jacob needed not to fear, or make these lame excuses and promises. He never intended to go to Esau, to Seir. As soon as the last ranks of his brother's men were lost in the desert haze, he turned to go in the contrary direction. This duplicity was not worthy of the heir of the promises; but too many of us would have done the same, even on the morrow of the Jabbok-wrestle. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 33

1  Jacob and Esau's meeting; and Esau's departure
17  Jacob comes to Succoth
18  At Shechem he buys a field, and builds an altar, called El Elohe Israel

What do the individual words in Genesis 33:17 mean?

And Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built himself a house [and] for his livestock made booths Upon thus is called the name of the place Succoth -
וְיַעֲקֹב֙ נָסַ֣ע סֻכֹּ֔תָה וַיִּ֥בֶן ל֖וֹ בָּ֑יִת וּלְמִקְנֵ֙הוּ֙ עָשָׂ֣ה סֻכֹּ֔ת עַל־ כֵּ֛ן קָרָ֥א שֵׁם־ הַמָּק֖וֹם סֻכּֽוֹת ס

וְיַעֲקֹב֙  And  Jacob 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
נָסַ֣ע  journeyed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
סֻכֹּ֔תָה  to  Succoth 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: סֻכֹּות  
Sense: the site where Jacob put up booths for his cattle and built a house for himself; apparently east of the Jordan near the ford of the torrent Jabbok and later allotted to the tribe of Gad.
וַיִּ֥בֶן  and  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
ל֖וֹ  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
בָּ֑יִת  a  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּלְמִקְנֵ֙הוּ֙  [and]  for  his  livestock 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִקְנֶה  
Sense: cattle, livestock.
עָשָׂ֣ה  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
סֻכֹּ֔ת  booths 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: סֻכָּה  
Sense: thicket, covert, booth.
עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֛ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
קָרָ֥א  is  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שֵׁם־  the  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הַמָּק֖וֹם  of  the  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
סֻכּֽוֹת  Succoth 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סֻכֹּות  
Sense: the site where Jacob put up booths for his cattle and built a house for himself; apparently east of the Jordan near the ford of the torrent Jabbok and later allotted to the tribe of Gad.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation