Chapter Thirty-Three
Jacob Meets Esau
33:1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Jacob had spent the night wrestling with God, though undoubtedly physically exhausted, he knew God was with him. Perhaps the apostle Paul captured that feeling best when he wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b). Jacob, now seeing his brother approaching in the distance, organized his family and servants seemingly in order of how precious they were to him, putting those he loved the most in the rear. Before the family proceeded south, Jacob went on ahead of them.
When he approached Esau, Jacob bowed seven times before him. This would have been customary at that time, as recorded in what has become known as the “Amarna Letters,” discovered in Amarna, Egypt in 1887. These tablets were written primarily in Akkadian cuneiform, covering a number of subjects, including what is referred to as the “sevenfold prostration”[1] (explaining that when you approach a king you should bow seven times).
33:4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down.
Then something that Jacob did not expect, occurred, Esau ran towards him, hugging him and kissing him. The phrase “fell on his neck,” is an old expression that conveys great affection. During this joyful reunion they both wept. Apparently, Esau long ago accepted the facts regarding the birthright and blessing, he no longer held any bitterness or resentment towards Jacob. And for Esau, he saw that Jacob earnestly desired to reconcile and also did not have any bitterness towards him in his heart. Undoubtedly a huge relief for everyone present.
Now the family and servants started to arrive. Esau, seeing the women and children, asked, “who are these with you?” As each group came near, they each respectfully acknowledged Esau and bowed before him.
33:8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
Then Esau asked Jacob about the droves of animals he ran across before meeting him. The Hebrew word ‘mǎ·ḥǎně(h)’,[2] translated here as ‘company’, is usually translated ‘camp’, it typically refers to a multitude of people gathered together. Jacob explained that the animals were gifts for him (see Genesis 32:13-21) to appease and find favor. Esau said he had plenty and that he should keep them for himself.
But Jacob pleads with Esau to take the gift; he relates seeing Esau like one who sees the face of God, a recognition that this joyful and peaceful reunion was of great value and that was enough for him. He further explained that God had been gracious to him (twice now, see verse five) and that he had enough, which in the English text sounds like the same response Esau gave him in verse nine, but it is not the same in the Hebrew. Esau said, “yěš î’ rāḇ,”[3] meaning “I have much,” while Jacob’s statement was “yěš î ḵōl,”[4] meaning “I have everything.” Jacob recognized that with God he had an inexhaustible supply of anything he needed. Seeing that Jacob was sincere and wanted him to take the gift, Esau agreed and accepted the gift.
33:12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15 So Esau said, “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.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
The text does not reveal how much time they spent together, but they probably spent several hours sharing stories. Jacob undoubtedly was anxious to hear about their parents, however, for some never-explained reason, there is no further mention in Genesis regarding Isaac or Rebekah (except to record their deaths, see Genesis 35:27-29; 49:31). At some point, Esau suggests that they journey south together, with his group ahead of Jacob’s.
Jacob knew that arrangement would not be practical, Esau would probably want to get home quicker especially since he more than likely still had with him 400 men. He thought it would be best to follow at a slower rate, so he asked that Esau proceed ahead of him, assuring him that they would meet up in Seir. Esau understood and then offered to leave behind some men, possibly for security, but Jacob declined the offer. So Esau returned home to Seir.
Stopping in Succoth
33:17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Instead of continuing south towards Seir, Jacob headed west and possibly back north towards a place where he apparently stayed for an extended period (longer than what this brief reference seems to imply), as he built himself a house (Hebrew word ‘bā’·yiṯ’,[5] referring to a building of some nature to dwell in). In addition to the house, Jacob built several booths for his livestock. Succoth is the name of several Biblical cities, the exact location of this site is unknown, however it is believed to have been east of the Jordan, possibly in the Jordan valley near where the Jabbok joins, which would be a good place to rest, especially for the winter. This is the first appearance of the Hebrew word, ‘sǔk·kōṯ’,[6] referring to a temporary shelter. It is also the name of one of the festivals that Moses was instructed to mandate the Israelites to celebrate, the annual commemoration to remind everyone of God’s gracious guidance and provision for the Israelites while traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land (also known as the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, see Leviticus 23:33-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-17).
While Seir was still a number of miles south, the land of Canaan was a lot closer, being just on the west side of the Jordan. Jacob may have felt he wanted to get back to Canaan sooner than what he told his brother. It is doubtful that he deliberately fooled or tricked his brother. Some believe that Jacob may have been instructed by God to go their separate ways since Esau was not part of the covenant promise, perhaps, but that communication is not included in the narrative and would only be speculation. There are a number of other theories and ideas, including several rabbinic interpretations (with one that connects this story to Obadiah 21, which would be fulfilled later during the end times), but the fact remains, no one knows for certain why Jacob traveled there.
Staying in Shechem
33:18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
At some point Jacob continued his trek west, crossing over the Jordan River into the city of Shechem. Jacob and his family were now in the land of Canaan. Shechem was the location where God first appeared to Abram and where he built his first altar (see Genesis 12:6-7). The area was ideal for pasturing his flocks so Jacob bought a portion of the land from the sons of Hamor.[7] Jacob set up camp here and apparently also dug a well. The well is not mentioned in the text here; however, it is referenced in a dialog between Jesus and the “Samaritan woman” at a well in Sychar near Shechem (see John 4:1-42).
Just like Abraham, Jacob was motivated to build an altar in Shechem. Perhaps he felt that returning to the land of Canaan was a major milestone and desired to dedicate an altar to God, the God of Israel (in Hebrew, El-Elohe-Israel). It is significant to note that this was the first time Jacob referred to himself as Israel. It truly was a milestone, after twenty years, Jacob was back in Canaan with a family and a new name. At this time Canaan was still a pagan and idolatrous land, establishing a monument for the purpose of worshiping the true God, was a significant move.
Considerations
Shechem (also Sichem or Sychem)
The city of Shechem (meaning ‘shoulder’) played a major role in Biblical history. The book of Joshua places the city in the hill country in Ephraim (see Joshua 20:7) and the book of Judges describes the city being near or under Mount Gerizim (see Judges 9:7). According to Josephus, the city was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim.[8] In history the location is often associated with the city of Nablus (northern West Bank) approximately 30 miles north of Jerusalem. However, due to recent discoveries, it is believed to have been nearby at a site now called Tell Balata. The Madaba Map also confirms this area for the city.[9]
When Jacob arrived there the city was controlled by the Hivites, a Canaanite tribe, whose leader was a man named Hamor. Later, after the Israelites left Egypt, Joshua addressed the people and gave them the choice of which God or gods they would serve, they ultimately chose God (see Joshua 24:1-28). It was during this historic occasion when Joshua made the now-famous statement, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15b). Shechem also became a city of refuge for those guilty of manslaughter and a city for the Levites to possess (see Joshua 21:20-21).
The text does not indicate the length of stay at Succoth, nor does it give us any idea how long Jacob and his family were in Shechem before the start of the following chapter, although it appears that they have spent several years living in the area. Based on the events of the next chapter, Leah’s youngest child, Dinah, must have been in her late teens, which would mean that her older brothers would have been in their twenties. Most scholars believe that Jacob and his family were in the Succoth to Shechem area for at least ten years before the beginning of Genesis chapter 34.
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[1] Moran, W. L. (1992). The Amarna letters (English-language ed., p. 313). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 4264.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 3426, 589 and 7227.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 3426, 589 and 3605.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 1004.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 5521 (’sǔk·kā(h)’ singular).
[7] See Considerations under Genesis 23 regarding a perceived contradiction about the purchase of this land.
[8] Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 124). Peabody: Hendrickson.
[9] See commentary below Genesis 19:30-38 for discussion regarding this map.