Gen 33:1
Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.: There must have been some passage of time here for Jacob to meet back up with his family. When Jacob saw his brother coming, he divided his family up.
Gen 33:2
And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.: Then he ordered them from least valued to most valued. I know it's horrible to say, but that's what he did.
Gen 33:3
Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.: At least Jacob put himself in between his family and his brother. Then he walked toward Esau, bowing seven times. I consulted many commentaries on this, and the general understanding is that he didn't prostrate himself, but bowed like we see people do today, with their torso parallel to the ground. He would bow, then advance, repeating seven times.
Gen 33:4
But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.: It appears that Esau had forgiven Jacob, and instead of killing him, Esau ran to meet him. It was a nice reunion, and one of reconciliation.
Gen 33:5
And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant.": Too many uses of the pronoun he here. We can follow, but it would have been better to use one person's name for clarity. Esau looked around and saw Jacob's children and asked about them. Jacob responds that they're his children, given to him by God. Jacob also submits to Esau, calling himself Esau's servant.
Gen 33:6
Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down.: These were closest to the two brothers so they got there first.
Gen 33:7
And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.: Next, because she was placed after the maidservants, Leah arrives. Then, Rachel and Joseph arrive. All of Jacob's family bowed down to Esau to make it clear that they accepted him over them.
Gen 33:8
Then Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" And he said, "These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.": Jacob had sent half of his flock and servants the prior day, and Esau asks Jacob about them. Jacob tells Esau that they're gifts of reconciliation.
Gen 33:9
But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.": Esau tells Jacob that he doesn't need them, and tells him to keep them.
Gen 33:10
And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.: But Jacob insists, probably because he knows that what he did in the past to Esau was really bad, and he was trying to make amends. Jacob had just wrestled God the prior night, so he knows what God looks like.
Gen 33:11
Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." So he urged him, and he took it.: Jacob encourages Esau to take his gift because he's trying to show that he has no ill will. He wants Esau to accept as a way of forgiving him for his past misdeeds. This is actually a nice gesture, in my opinion.
Gen 33:12
Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.": Esau wanted to go with Jacob together back to where he was staying in Seir (Gen 32:3). According to the Easton Bible Dictionary, it was some mountainous region of the Edomites, near the Dead Sea.
Gen 33:13
But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die.: Jacob tells Esau that he can't travel fast because of the children and young animals. If they are driven too hard, it could kill them.
Gen 33:14
Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.": Because Jacob can't travel at a fast pace, he asks Esau to go on ahead of him. It appears that Jacob's intent here is to visit Esau, even though there's no record of him going there. The Preacher's Homiletical says that Jacob was just being discreet in declining Esau's offer. If they had attempted to travel together, they would have ended up hating each other, or something like that, and it was prudent on Jacob's part to decline. What part do we have with the world?
Gen 33:15
And Esau said, "Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.": After Jacob explains that he can't travel fast, and asks that Esau go on ahead of him, Esau offers to leave people for escort. Jacob declines, saying that God will protect him.
Gen 33:16
So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.: Jacob and Esau separate, and Esau heads back.
Gen 33:17
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.: As you can see, Jacob didn't go to Seir to live with Esau. Instead, he went to Succoth, built a house and shelter for his animals (booths in this translation). Succoth means booths.
Gen 33:18
Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city.: Safely here seems to be a reference to when Jacob in Gen_28:21 said that the LORD would be his God when he came back to his father's house in peace. Jacob stayed outside the city.
Gen 33:19
And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money.: Jacob buys some land from the children of the person the land is named after. John Gill says that this 100 pieces of money was a very small amount. Basically, the idea is that he bought the land for a dollar, or something equally small.
Gen 33:20
Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.: El Elohe Israel means, "God, the God of Israel." So basically, Jacob built an alter to the God of Israel.
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