The Meaning of Genesis 33:5 Explained

Genesis 33:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: and he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the women and the children, and saith, 'What are these to thee?' And he saith, 'The children with whom God hath favoured thy servant.'

Darby: And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children that God has graciously given thy servant.

ASV: And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 33:5 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 33:5 mean?

And he lifted - his eyes and saw the women and children and said who [are] these with you so he said the sons whom has graciously given God your servant
וַיִּשָּׂ֣א אֶת־ עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֤רְא הַנָּשִׁים֙ וְאֶת־ הַיְלָדִ֔ים וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־ אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר הַיְלָדִ֕ים אֲשֶׁר־ חָנַ֥ן אֱלֹהִ֖ים עַבְדֶּֽךָ

וַיִּשָּׂ֣א  And  he  lifted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
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.
עֵינָ֗יו  his  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וַיַּ֤רְא  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַנָּשִׁים֙  the  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
הַיְלָדִ֔ים  children 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מִי־  who  [are] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
אֵ֣לֶּה  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
לָּ֑ךְ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וַיֹּאמַ֕ר  so  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַיְלָדִ֕ים  the  sons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
חָנַ֥ן  has  graciously  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עַבְדֶּֽךָ  your  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.