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Genesis 33

1Jacob lifted his eyes and saw Esau coming, with four hundred men. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave women. 2He put the slave women and their children first, Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3He himself went ahead of them and bowed to the ground seven times until he approached his brother. 4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him. They wept. 5Esau lifted his eyes and saw the women and children. He said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children God has graciously given your servant.” 6The slave women approached with their children and bowed down. 7Leah and her children also approached and bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down. 8Esau said, “What did you mean by all that company I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in my lord's eyes.” 9Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what is yours.” 10Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor in your eyes, accept my gift from my hand. For seeing your face is like seeing God's face, and you have received me favorably. 11Please accept my blessing that has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and I have everything I need.” He urged him, and Esau accepted it.

12Esau said, “Let us set out and go; I will travel alongside you.” 13Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the nursing flocks and cattle are my responsibility. If they are driven hard for even one day, all the flock will die. 14Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will move slowly, at the pace of the livestock before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15Esau said, “Then let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” Jacob said, “Why should I need that? Only let me find favor in my lord's eyes.” 16So that day Esau returned on his way to Seir. 17But Jacob traveled to Succoth. He built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth.

18Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, after coming from Paddan-aram. He camped in front of the city. 19He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred qesitahs. 20He set up an altar there and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Translation notes 4

33:4 — Kissed him. The Hebrew manuscript tradition places extraordinary dots over this word. The transmitted wording still says that Esau kissed Jacob; the dots are not a different verbal reading and do not establish an insincere greeting.

33:10–11 — Face and blessing. Jacob's words recall the encounter at Peniel and the earlier conflict over a blessing. His gift is here called a blessing, though the translation leaves its significance for the narrative to show.

33:17 — Succoth. The name means “shelters” or “booths.” The account does not say that Jacob accompanied Esau to Seir at this point.

33:18–20 — Arrival and altar. “Safely” can also be understood as “in peace” or “whole”; some take the Hebrew word as a place-name, Shalem. A qesitah is an ancient unit of value whose exact worth is unknown. The altar's name means “God, the God of Israel.”