The Meaning of Genesis 33:3 Explained

Genesis 33:3

KJV: And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

YLT: And he himself passed over before them, and boweth himself to the earth seven times, until his drawing nigh unto his brother,

Darby: And he passed on before them, and bowed to the earth seven times, until he came near to his brother.

ASV: And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he passed over  before them,  and bowed himself  to the ground  seven  times,  until he came near  to his brother. 

What does Genesis 33:3 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 33:3 mean?

And he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near to his brother
וְה֖וּא עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ אַ֙רְצָה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים עַד־ גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ עַד־ אָחִֽיו

וְה֖וּא  And  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עָבַ֣ר  crossed  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם  before  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ  and  bowed  himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
אַ֙רְצָה֙  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שֶׁ֣בַע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
פְּעָמִ֔ים  times 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ  he  came  near 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
אָחִֽיו  his  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.