1 Jacob saw Esau in the distance, coming towards him with four hundred men. So he split up the children between Leah, Rachel and the two personal maids. 2 He placed the two personal maids with their children first, then Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went ahead of them and bowed low to the ground seven times before approaching his brother. 4 Esau ran over to him and hugged him. He put his arms around his neck and kissed him. The two of them wept. 5 Then Esau looked around at the women and children. “Who are these people with you?” he asked. “They are the children God graciously gave your servant,” Jacob replied. 6 The personal maids and their children came over and bowed down. 7 Then Leah and her children came over and bowed down. Lastly Joseph and Rachel came over and bowed down. 8 “What were all the livestock for that I met on the way?” Esau asked. “They're a gift to you my lord so you'd treat me well,” Jacob answered. 9 “I have more than enough, my brother! You keep what you have,” said Esau. 10 “No, please!” Jacob insisted. “If you're happy with me, then please accept the gift I'm giving you. Now I've seen your face again it's like seeing the face of God, and you have welcomed me so kindly! 11 Please take the gift I've brought to you because God has treated me so well and I have so much.” So Esau accepted it. 12 “Let's get on our way,” Esau said. “I'll go ahead of you.” 13 “My lord can see that the children are weak,” Jacob responded. “Also, the goats, sheep, and cattle are nursing their young, and if I push them too hard, they'll all die. 14 You go on, my lord, and your servant will come along slowly, walking with the children, and I'll meet you at Seir.” 15 “Fine, but let me leave some of my men with you,” said Esau. “You're very kind, but there's no need to do that,” Jacob replied. 16 So Esau started on his way back to Seir that day. 17 But Jacob headed to Succoth, where he built himself a house and shelters for the livestock. That's why the place is called Succoth. 18 Later Jacob continued his journey from Paddan-aram. He arrived safely at Shechem in the country of Canaan where he camped outside the town. 19 He bought the plot of ground where he was camping from the sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money. 20 He built an altar there and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Genesis 33 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Hamor
A Hivite, the prince of the region and father of Shechem, from whose sons Jacob bought the plot where he pitched his tent; he and Shechem agreed to circumcision in order to…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 33:19; Genesis 34:2; Genesis 34:6
Jacob
He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49
Rachel
Jacob's beloved wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who died in childbirth.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 29-35
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 32:6–7; Genesis 27:41–42; Genesis 32:16
- 2 Malachi 3:17; Genesis 30:22–24; Genesis 37:3; Genesis 29:30
- 3 Genesis 42:6; Luke 14:11; Genesis 18:2; Genesis 43:26; Ecclesiastes 10:4
- 4 Genesis 45:14–15; Psalm 34:4; Luke 15:20; Genesis 32:28; Genesis 45:2
- 5 Psalm 127:3; Isaiah 8:18; Genesis 48:9; 1 Chronicles 28:5; 1 Samuel 1:27
- 8 Genesis 32:5; Genesis 39:5; Genesis 32:13–20; Esther 2:17
- 9 Genesis 27:39; Philemon 7; Proverbs 16:7; Acts 9:17; Judges 20:23
- 10 Job 33:26; Revelation 22:4; Genesis 32:30; Jeremiah 31:2; Exodus 33:12–13
- 11 Philippians 4:18; 1 Samuel 25:27; Genesis 33:9; 2 Kings 5:23; Genesis 30:43
- 13 Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:15–16; John 21:15–17; 1 Chronicles 22:5; Proverbs 12:10
- 14 Isaiah 40:11; Genesis 32:3; Romans 15:1; Ezekiel 35:2–3; Mark 4:33
- 15 Ruth 2:13; Genesis 34:11; Genesis 47:25; 1 Samuel 25:8; 2 Samuel 16:4
- 17 Psalm 60:6; Judges 8:5; Joshua 13:27; Judges 8:8; Judges 8:16
- 18 Judges 9:1; Joshua 24:1; Acts 7:16; John 4:5; Genesis 25:20
- 19 Acts 7:16; John 4:5; Joshua 24:32; Genesis 34:2–31; Genesis 23:17–20
- 20 Genesis 35:7; Genesis 21:33; Genesis 32:28; Genesis 8:20; Genesis 12:7–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… to have so come to pass; for those blessings which say, "Be lord over thy brother, and let thy father's sons worship thee," had no accomplishment in himself (how could they, he being in fear and trembling, and worshipping his brother over and over again? ), but in his offspring they had.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… threescore and fifteen souls," he says, "Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." (v.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)