Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 33 mean?

Jacob made extensive preparations to meet his estranged brother, Esau, as recorded in the prior chapter. After all the waiting and wondering, the moment has finally arrived. Esau has come. Will he bring violence or peace?

Jacob makes one last-minute strategic choice before approaching his brother. He arranges his family into at least three distinct groups with some space between them. He places his two servant wives and their children at the front of the line. Next he places Leah and her children. Finally, he places his beloved Rachel and Joseph. Given that Jacob is going to approach Esau first, this is not a cowardly act, at all. It does, however, show Jacob’s open favoritism, since Rachel and Joseph will have the easiest path of escape in case Esau becomes aggressive (Genesis 33:1–2).

Jacob then moves to the front of this procession and begins heading toward Esau, but slowly. He stops seven times to bow low to the ground on the way. Finally the moment comes. Esau does not draw a sword. Instead, he runs to Jacob, throws his arms around his brother and kisses him. Both men weep at the reunion. They are reconciled, at last, despite all Jacob did to Esau 20 years ago (Genesis 33:3–4).

Then Esau notices and asks about Jacob’s wives and children. They approach, each group in turn, and themselves bow before Esau, treating him as a prince or lord. They make for an impressive group. As arranged before, Jacob would have introduced them in the order of preference, saving his favored wife and son for last (Genesis 33:5–7).

Esau asks Jacob about all the company that came before, referring to Jacob’s massive gift of goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys—550 animals in total. Jacob replies that these were given to find favor in Esau’s sight. Perhaps using customary politeness, Esau tries to refuse them, saying he has enough. Jacob insists, however, that Esau take them as evidence that he truly favors Jacob. Jacob declares that Esau’s acceptance of him warrants the gift. Seeing Esau’s face, he asserts, is like seeing the face of God (Genesis 33:8–10).

Esau finally agrees to accept the gift and invites Jacob to travel with him back to his home in Seir. As later verses will show, Jacob doesn’t want to go that way. Here, however, he doesn’t say so. Instead, he tells Esau that his company will travel too slowly to keep up; the children are frail and the nursing animals can’t be pushed. He refuses escort, and says he will come along at his own pace (Genesis 33:11–16).

Once Esau leaves, heading south towards Seir, Jacob travels in the opposite direction. He heads north, building permanent structures at Succoth and then eventually west, setting up camp outside of the city of Shechem. In fact, Jacob purchases the land he is camped on from the people of Shechem and builds an altar to the Lord there, just as Abraham had done many years before (Genesis 33:17–20).

Jacob’s presence near Shechem will not be peaceful, however. Chapter 34 describes a terrible story of violation and revenge, which will shape the destiny of the tribes of Israel.

Chapter Context
Jacob has just left a miraculous encounter with God, which left him with a new name and a limp (Genesis 32). When finally faced with meeting Esau, he is pleasantly surprised. Esau runs to Jacob to hug and kiss him. They weep together. After meeting Jacob’s family, Esau tries to refuse Jacob’s enormous gift. Jacob insists, saying that seeing Esau’s face is as seeing the face of God. Jacob, refuses to travel back to Seir and instead journeys to Shechem. This sets up a tragic instance of assault and revenge, involving Jacob’s daughter, Dinah.

Verse by Verse

Verse 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.

The moment has finally come. Years before, Jacob fled this region to avoid the murderous wrath of a brother he’d cheated (Genesis 27:41–45). On the way back, Jacob was informed that Esau was on his way with 400 men: news which terrified Jacob. After splitting his caravan to minimize potential losses (Genesis 32:7–8) and a divine encounter with God (Genesis 32:22–32), Jacob is finally going to face his twin and his own past. At this meeting, he will finally discover if Esau has come to kill him or welcome him home.

Still planning for the worst, Jacob makes one last adjustment in the final moments before he meets his brother. He divides his wives and children and places them in a specific arrangement described in the following verses. His intent here is strategic. The arrangement described in this passage gives Jacob’s loved ones better opportunity to escape if Esau’s response is violent.

Context Summary
Genesis 33:1–11 describes the long awaited meeting between Jacob and Esau. Jacob maintains his attitude as Esau’s cautious servant throughout, though Esau himself embraces his twin warmly and they weep together at their reunion. Esau hesitates, but Jacob insists his brother receive the enormous gift of livestock he has given. Esau does so. The two will part on good terms.

Verse 2. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all.

The long-awaited reunion with Esau has come, decades after Jacob fled to avoid his twin brothers rage (Genesis 27:41–45). Jacob still doesn’t know if Esau’s reaction will be peaceful or violent. All he knows is that Esau is coming with 400 men (Genesis 32:7–8). Once Esau is finally in sight, Jacob chooses a very specific arrangement for his family, placing them in position as his brother approaches (Genesis 33:1).

Jacob’s strategy is to place his servant wives, Bilhah and Zilpah (Genesis 30:3, 9), and his children through them, at the front of the line. These are followed by Leah and her children. In the back are Rachel and her son, Joseph. Jacob’s motivations for this are not explicitly given, but they aren’t hard to guess. Jacob has long favored Rachel, so this arrangement is probably a reflection of his preferences for his own children. That seems harsh, but it would not have been an uncommon attitude in that era.

The strategic part of this plan becomes clearer in the next verse: Jacob is going to approach Esau first, ahead of all his family (Genesis 33:3). We might cringe at his overt favoritism, but at the same time, we should note that he’s risking himself first and foremost. Jacob’s intent seems to be that if Esau chooses violence, the wives and children will have an opportunity to escape. Rachel and Joseph, being at the rear, would have the clearest path to flee.

Verse 3. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Jacob ran away from Esau years ago to avoid his vengeful wrath (Genesis 27:41–45). He has already split his caravan in case of violence (Genesis 32:7–8). He has sent lavish gifts ahead to Esau (Genesis 32:13–15). Jacob has even arranged his immediate family in what seems to be an order of preference, with his most treasured wife and son at the rear (Genesis 33:1–2). As this verse shows, Jacob intends to approach Esau first, which might explain the formation in which he organized his loved ones. If Esau attacks, it will be Jacob who is killed first, and the rest might have a chance to flee.

At long last, Jacob presents himself to his brother, going before his carefully arranged wives and children. He interrupts his forward progress seven times to bow low, all the way to the ground, before Esau. In ancient times, a servant may have bowed seven times to show respect to his lord. Jacob has done all he can to repeatedly make clear to Esau that he sees himself as the servant and Esau as the lord.

In point of fact, Jacob holds both birthright and blessing (Genesis 25:29–34; 27:28–29). He may feel he holds these illegitimately and wishes to show Esau that he will honor him as the superior, instead. Or, he might simply be expressing apology and humility to someone he’s wronged.

Verse 4. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

After much fear, stress, and worry, the tension is finally broken. Jacob’s plans to this point have all been arranged at cooling Esau’s murderous rage (Genesis 27:41–45; 32:13–15) and minimizing the damage which might occur if he is still bent on revenge (Genesis 32:7–8; 33:1–3). Instead of drawing a sword, Esau runs to meet Jacob, hugging and kissing him. Both of them weep. The brothers are reunited, and there will be peace.

Jacob’s worst fears about Esau have come to nothing. God has protected and provided for him, once more. That will not keep the reunion from becoming awkward, however, likely due to Jacob’s continued insistence on displaying himself as a groveling servant. In truth, Jacob possesses both a birthright (Genesis 25:29–34) and their father’s blessing (Genesis 27:28–29), in accordance with God’s own prophecy (Genesis 25:23). His behavior here might be an expression of sincere regret or apology. Or, Jacob being Jacob, it might be a purely put-on display from someone still nervous about his brother’s anger.

Verse 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.”

Prior verses broke twenty years’ worth of tension, between brothers split by betrayal and threats of violence (Genesis 27:41–45). Jacob was so concerned about this meeting that he’d split his caravan (Genesis 32:7–8), flattered Esau with gifts (Genesis 32:13–15), and even arranged his immediate family to enable escape (Genesis 33:1–3). After all that, Esau turns out to be happy to see his brother, running into his arms and weeping (Genesis 33:4).

Now, Esau looks up and notices Jacob’s wives and children approaching in several groups. He asks who they are. Jacob tells his brother these are the children God has graciously given to “your servant.” This insistent use of humility might be Jacob’s way of expressing apology for his past behavior (Genesis 27:19). Or, it might be simple politics and cultural custom.

Esau would most likely be impressed by what he sees. Jacob left home with nothing—sleeping alone on rocks (Genesis 28:10–11). To return twenty years later with immense wealth, and 11 sons, would be seen as a significant achievement.

Verse 6. Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down.

Jacob’s wives and children have been arranged behind him in three or four distinct groups, presumably with space between them (Genesis 33:1–3). Jacob’s intent behind this was probably to place his favored wife and son at the back, so they’d have the best chance to escape in the event that Esau was still intent on revenge (Genesis 27:41–45).

The first to approach Esau are Jacob’s two servant wives with their children. These are Bilhah and Zilpah, originally given to Jacob’s wives as wedding gifts by their father, Laban (Genesis 29:24, 28). Due to rivalry and competition between sisters Leah and Rachel, these two also became mothers of Jacob’s children (Genesis 30:3, 9). All of them bow before Esau, as Jacob had likely instructed them to do.

Verse 7. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down.

Jacob’s wives and children have been arranged behind him in distinct groups with some space between them (Genesis 33:1–3). The intent behind this was probably self-defense. Prior to this moment, Jacob was not sure if Esau was still intent on murder (Genesis 27:41–45). By placing himself in front of the family, and his favorite wife and son at the back, Jacob was preparing for the worst.

Secondary to this, the arrangement lets Jacob introduce his family to Esau in that same order of importance. Harsh as that may seem, blatant favoritism was not uncommon in this era. Nor was it unusual in Jacob’s own family (Genesis 25:28).

First come Jacob’s two servant wives, Bilhah and Zilpah (Genesis 30:3, 9). Like Jacob, they approach Esau bowing before him. Next Leah and her children approach, also bowing. Finally, Jacob’s beloved Rachel and favorite son Joseph approach and bow.

Verse 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.”

Reunited and reconciled with Jacob and having met his wives and children, Esau now asks Jacob about the five large herds of animals that have passed before him on his way. The large company he refers to includes goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys, 550 animals in total (Genesis 32:13–17).

Jacob has instructed his servants to tell Esau these were gifts from Jacob. Most likely, this message was delivered, so Esau is not asking who the livestock belong to. He’s asking “why” Jacob is lavishing him with such a gift. Jacob’s answer is simple. He wished to find favor in the sight of “my lord.” He wanted Esau to accept him.

Jacob’s initial reaction to news of Esau’s approach was fear (Genesis 32:7–8). This is understandable, since twenty years prior, Jacob had cheated his twin out of a blessing, and fled to avoid being killed in revenge (Genesis 27:41–45). His humble language and opulent presents were meant to soothe Esau, in the hopes of avoiding violence.

Verse 9. But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

Esau initially rejects Jacob’s enormous gift of five herds of animals. He insists that he is not poor. He has enough. He tells Jacob to keep what he has. In this era, when giving gifts, it might have been considered polite to initially “refuse” to accept. In other words, to honor the giver by speaking of the gift as “too much.” At the same time, it would have been considered deeply offensive to actually reject the present, or for the giver to rescind the offer.

Part of Jacob’s motivation might be a sense of guilt. Years before, he had stolen Esau’s blessing from their father, Isaac (Genesis 27:19). Esau’s fate was something less glamorous than that of his conniving twin (Genesis 27:38–40). In the upcoming verses, Jacob will use Hebrew language implying that he wants to share his blessing with his brother.

Verse 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.

Esau has told Jacob to keep his perhaps overly generous gift of 550 animals (Genesis 32:13–17). Esau insists he has enough. Some of this refusal might have been cultural custom: to make a show of refusing a gift as a sign of humility. Then again, Esau really doesn’t need Jacob’s livestock. Even though his blessing was far, far less than the one stolen by Jacob (Genesis 27:38–40), he is still a powerful and successful man. His approach to Jacob, after all, was one accompanied by some 400 men (Genesis 32:6).

Now Jacob insists. He urges Esau to keep the gift as evidence that Jacob has found favor in Esau’s sight. The specific Hebrew words used by Jacob in this statement are min’hāt ‘ani, meaning “my gift.” In the following verse, however, Jacob will refer to this present as bir’kāt ‘ani, meaning “my blessing.” This may be Jacob’s way of implying that he means to share his stolen blessing with his twin brother (Genesis 27:19–29).

Jacob describes his feelings of extreme gratitude for having been accepted by Esau. In fact, Jacob says that seeing Esau’s face is like seeing the face of God. In this particular phrase, it’s unlikely Jacob means to flatter his brother. Just hours before this, Jacob has come face-to-face with God (Genesis 32:22–32). Seeing joy and acceptance on Esau’s face may have served as evidence for Jacob that God was at work on his behalf even in the face of Esau. Jacob viewed Esau’s acceptance of him as God’s protection.

Verse 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.

Jacob continues to urge his brother Esau to accept his large gift of livestock (Genesis 32:13–17). At the time, that offering was partly motivated by fear that Esau was still committed to revenge (Genesis 27:41–45; 32:6–8). As it turned out, Esau was happy to be reunited with his estranged brother (Genesis 33:4).

In the prior verse Jacob referred to his gift of livestock to Esau as min’hāt ‘ani, meaning “my gift.” Now, as he presses Esau to accept it, he calls it bir’kāt ‘ani, meaning “my blessing.” This might mean Jacob intends this as partial restitution for stealing their father’s blessing twenty years ago (Genesis 27:19–29). He has been blessed by God and wants Esau to share in at least part of this prosperity.

Jacob also mirrors Esau’s language, saying he has enough because God has dealt graciously with him. Jacob credits God with his success and his ability to give generously a portion of what he has acquired to his brother.

In that era, it might have been common to make a show of refusal and insistence when giving gifts. However, it’s also possible that Jacob wasn’t sure he could really trust Esau’s forgiveness unless Esau accepted Jacob’s gift. Esau’s agreement to take the gift would put an obligation on his honor, making it very difficult for him to justify any later violence against his brother.

Verse 12. So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

Esau finally accepts both of Jacob’s enormous gift to him (Genesis 32:13:15) and Jacob’s refusal to travel with him to Seir (Genesis 33:12–14). With Jacob’s claim that he will follow at a slower pace, Esau departs. He is heading south, into the land of Edom.

The reunion with his brother has gone about as well as Jacob could have hoped (Genesis 33:4). The last time he was in this region, Esau was threatening to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41–45). The confrontation is over. God has protected him; the relationship with his twin brother seems to have been restored.

What happens next, however, is completely different from what Jacob has just told Esau. Rather than heading south, following Esau, Jacob takes his family north, towards Succoth (Genesis 33:17). It’s possible Jacob is still nervous that Esau wants to harm him. Or, that he might change his mind. We’re not given Jacob’s exact reasons, but we do know he does the opposite of his statement to Esau, and travels in the opposite direction.

Context Summary
Genesis 33:12–20 records Jacob’s large company settling near the city of Shechem. Esau asks Jacob to travel back to Seir with him, but Jacob asks to come along later. Instead of following Esau, Jacob takes his caravan through Succoth. They eventually arrive near Shechem. There, Jacob buys land and settles in. In the next chapter, this will become the site of one of the ugliest episodes in Israel’s young history.

Verse 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.

After reconciling their twenty-year-long separation (Genesis 33:4), Esau has invited Jacob and his large company to travel with him back to Esau’s home in Edom, south of the region where they’ve met. Jacob now begins making what sound like polite and flimsy excuses. Is he afraid Esau is tricking him now, or does he simply not want to go to Edom? It may be that Jacob feels it will be too disrespectful to simply say no.

Instead, Jacob says that the children are frail, not up to traveling quickly. In addition, if he drives his flocks too quickly for even a day they will all die. In other words, Jacob’s party just can’t travel as quickly as Esau’s company of 400 warriors. When pressed, Jacob will also refuse to take along any of Esau’s 400 men (Genesis 33:15). When finally left alone, Jacob will actually travel north—directly away from Seir and Edom, towards Succoth (Genesis 33:17).

Verse 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.”

Jacob’s past was fraught with deception (Genesis 25:29–34, 19–29;). Lies are what led Jacob to flee this region twenty years ago (Genesis 27:41–45), only recently now being reunited with his twin brother, Esau (Genesis 33:4). This verse poses a problem, based on this history: is Jacob once again being deceptive? His actions following this verse are totally inconsistent with the words being spoken.

Esau has offered to travel with Jacob’s company to his home in Seir, which is south of this region. Jacob has gently refused, saying that his children and animals will have to travel too slowly. Now Jacob encourages Esau to go on without them, suggesting that he will come to Seir at whatever pace his children and animals can handle. However, upcoming text tells us Jacob went north, towards Succoth, in the exact opposite direction.

At the very least, this is a polite dodge on the part of Jacob. Nothing in the following verses suggests Jacob ever went anywhere near Seir. It is possible that Jacob visited his brother in Edom at some point in the future, and we are simply not told about it.

What is clear is that Jacob has no desire to travel with Esau at this moment.

Verse 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.”

Jacob and Esau have just been reconciled (Genesis 33:4) after many years of separation. Esau invites Jacob to come along as he travels back to his home in Seir (Genesis 33:12). Jacob makes the excuse that his flocks and children can’t keep up, so Esau and his men should go on ahead (Genesis 33:13). Here, Esau makes a final offer, suggesting he leave behind some men. Perhaps his intent is for these men to act as bodyguards.

Jacob again turns his brother down, insisting that there is no need. Perhaps Jacob is confident of the Lord’s protection or perhaps he is still concerned, on some level, that Esau wishes him harm. In either case, he urges Esau to accept his refusal as a sign that Jacob has found favor with him.

What makes this statement harder to interpret is what Jacob does next. Rather than moving south, towards Seir and Edom, Jacob will head north, towards Succoth—in exactly the opposite direction as his brother (Genesis 33:17).

Verse 16. So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

Esau finally accepts both of Jacob’s enormous gift to him (Genesis 32:13:15) and Jacob’s refusal to travel with him to Seir (Genesis 33:12–14). With Jacob’s claim that he will follow at a slower pace, Esau departs. He is heading south, into the land of Edom.

The reunion with his brother has gone about as well as Jacob could have hoped (Genesis 33:4). The last time he was in this region, Esau was threatening to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41–45). The confrontation is over. God has protected him; the relationship with his twin brother seems to have been restored.

What happens next, however, is completely different from what Jacob has just told Esau. Rather than heading south, following Esau, Jacob takes his family north, towards Succoth (Genesis 33:17). It’s possible Jacob is still nervous that Esau wants to harm him. Or, that he might change his mind. We’re not given Jacob’s exact reasons, but we do know he does the opposite of his statement to Esau, and travels in the opposite direction.

Verse 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.

In prior verses, Jacob told his recently-reconciled brother, Esau, that he would follow him at a slower pace (Genesis 33:13–14). Supposedly, this meant heading into Edom, towards Seir, Esau’s home (Genesis 32:3). The meeting place featured in the last few verses is near where the Jabbok river meets the Jordan. Edom and Seir are some distance to the south.

Instead, this verse indicates Jacob heading in exactly the opposite direction. With the encounter with Esau completed and peace restored, Jacob travels in the opposite direction of his brother’s home. Seir was south; Succoth mostly to the north. Once at the place that would become known as Succoth, Jacob builds a permanent structure, a house, along with booths or shelters for his livestock. The name Succoth means “booths.”

The reason for this apparent deception is not made clear. It’s possible that Jacob visited Esau at some other time. It’s also possible Jacob was afraid Esau might change his mind about their reconciliation (Genesis 33:4). In any case, Jacob does the exact opposite of what he told Esau, and heads in a different direction.

Verse 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.

After establishing a permanent structure and a place for his livestock in Succoth, Jacob moves west with his company to the city of Shechem, which is officially in the land of Canaan. He has now fully “arrived” in his homeland. Shechem is also where Abraham camped when first arriving in Canaan after God called him to enter the land of promise (Genesis 12:6).

This location is quite a distance from Seir, in Edom, which is where Jacob’s twin brother, Esau, currently lives (Genesis 32:3). Though Jacob told Esau he would follow behind him (Genesis 33:14–15), he actually moved in exactly the opposite direction, heading north towards Succoth before turning west to Sechem.

Verse 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.

Jacob has officially and safely arrived in the land of Canaan, setting up camp within site of the city of Shechem. Abraham had also camped at Shechem when entering Canaan for the first time after God called him out of his old homeland (Genesis 12:6).

Jacob now buys the land upon which he is camped from the sons of Hamor. Hamor is the father of a son also named Shechem. Jacob purchases the land for 100 kesitahs. We don’t know the weight or value of a kesitah. Most translators simply refer to it as money or silver.

The essential thing is that Israel—the new name of Jacob, and the nation formed by his descendants—now owns another piece of property in the land God has promised to them.

Verse 20. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Jacob has arrived at Sechem after leaving his brother, Esau (Genesis 33:4). Despite telling Esau he would follow him to Seir (Genesis 33:14), Jacob and his caravan travelled in the opposite direction, eventually buying land outside of the city (Genesis 33:19). As his grandfather Abraham had done (Genesis 12:7–8), Jacob now builds an altar to the Lord at Shechem. The difference now is that Jacob builds it on land he owns. Jacob names the altar El-Elohe-Israel, or “El, the God of Israel,” using the name given to him by God.

In other words, Jacob is openly declaring that God is his God and, by implication, the God of his descendants after him.

End of Chapter 33.

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