The Meaning of Genesis 33:18 Explained

Genesis 33:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Jacob cometh in to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and encampeth before the city,

Darby: And Jacob came safely to the city Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram; and he encamped before the city.

ASV: And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 33:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 33:18-20 - Jacob With The Shechemites
Jacob was tempted by the fat pastures of Shechem, without thought or care of the character of its people, and he lived to bitterly rue his choice. How many religious parents have made the same mistake! They first encamp near the world, pitching their tent doors in that direction; then they buy a parcel of land, and finally their children contract alliances that end in shame and disaster. He who came of a pilgrim race, and to whom the whole land had been given by promise, bought real estate right against Shechem, one of the worst cities in the country. Like Lot, Jacob bid high for wealth and worldly advancement, risked the highest for the lowest, and was saved as by fire. Poor Dinah! Yet she was more sinned against than sinning. Jacob had put her in jeopardy by his selfish policy; and Leah was not blameless, for she had let her go unwarned and unaccompanied into the middle of that furnace of trial. [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 33:18 mean?

And came Jacob safely to the city of Shechem which [is] in the land of Canaan when he came from from Padan Aram and he pitched his tent - before the city
וַיָּבֹא֩ יַעֲקֹ֨ב שָׁלֵ֜ם עִ֣יר שְׁכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם וַיִּ֖חַן אֶת־ פְּנֵ֥י הָעִֽיר

וַיָּבֹא֩  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יַעֲקֹ֨ב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
שָׁלֵ֜ם  safely 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole, full, at peace.
עִ֣יר  to  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שְׁכֶ֗ם  of  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
אֲשֶׁר֙  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
בְּבֹא֖וֹ  when  he  came 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֲרָ֑ם  from  Padan  Aram 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּדָּן 
Sense: a plain or tableland in northern Mesopotamia in Aram, a region of Syria.
וַיִּ֖חַן  and  he  pitched  his  tent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פְּנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָעִֽיר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.